Neuhaus Chocolatier, Brussels

Chocoholics should make it a priority visiting the outlet of Neuhaus in Brussels, a renowned manufacturer of luxurious Belgian chocolates, delicious biscuits and artisanal ice cream, but most importantly 鈥� the inventor of praline. The company was founded in 1857 by Jean Neuhaus, a Swiss immigrant, who opened his first store at the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert in central Brussels initially as a pharmacy that made medicines more palatable by covering them in a layer of chocolate. In 1912, his grandson, Jean Neuhaus II, came up with a brilliant idea of replacing the medicine with cream and thus invented the chocolate bonbon or 'praline', a decadent chocolate cream ganache center inside a chocolate shell! Three years later, the 'ballotin' was invented to avoid the pralines from being crushed together.

In 1958, at the World Exhibition in Brussels, Neuhaus introduced what has since become their legendary specialty 鈥� an iconic Caprice praline consisting of a chocolate-covered biscuit shell hand-filled with decadent cream, nougat, or ganache. Today, Neuhaus has over 1,500 selling points in 50 countries selling a vast array of cacao products in elegant ballotin boxes that make delectable souvenirs. Apart from the traditional pralines, their chocolate range nowadays includes chocolate bars & tablets, BonBons, confectionery, individually wrapped chocolate squares ("Carres"), and hot chocolate. All Neuhaus delicacies are still made in Vlezenbeek, near Brussels, and are exported worldwide. In 2000, the company was made an Accredited Supplier to the Belgian Crown. They also make chocolate truffles, which in 2017 was declared "the Best Chocolate Truffle in the World" by Bloomberg Pursuits.

The Neuhaus chocolate is 100% UTZ Certified, made with 100% ingredients of natural origin, and is crafted entirely in Belgium. 25% of the chocolate is produced with cocoa from Neuhaus's own cacao farm.

Tips:
1. Come in the morning or around midday since many of the better samples and box sets are sold out later in the day.
2. Don鈥檛 come on a full stomach.
3. Do a quick walk around the store to assess what鈥檚 available. Don鈥檛 overload on the same flavors, but sample a little bit of everything.
4. Bring some water to wash it all down and cleanse your palette for the next tasting.
5. Indulge in the box sets first, as they are first-choice chocolates or limited editions.
6. Bring in a friend to sample more flavors. Halve the sweets with each other to maximize the varieties of confections you can try.
7. Make sure to try the triangular Caprice pralines. For the best deals, see if any are sold in the bulk section.
8. Kilo boxes are the best value 鈥� often three kilo boxes are sold for the price of two and thus can be divvied up as gifts.
9. Kilo boxes that are not labeled with a flavor and only marked 鈥淪econd Choice鈥� contain a mixed assortment. If you want some variety, seek those.
10. Don鈥檛 be scared to ask.

The store is typically open 9:00 am 鈥� 6:00 pm, Monday through Saturday (closed on Sundays).

Sight description based on Wikipedia.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Brussels. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The 51爆料网 App

Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Neuhaus Chocolatier
Sight Location: Brussels, Belgium (See walking tours in Brussels)
Sight Type: Shopping
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Chocolate Tour in Brussels

Walking Tours in Brussels, Belgium

Create Your Own Walk in Brussels

Creating your own self-guided walk in Brussels is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Chocolate Tour in Brussels

Belgium is considered one of, if not the, best producer of chocolate in the world. The country's capital, Brussels abounds in opportunities to taste more than 2,000 different varieties of this delectable treat. There is a plethora of chocolate shops in the city which offer chocolates of all imaginable shapes, sizes and colors.

Plan猫te Chocolat鈥檚 chocolate-making demonstration make a... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.5 Km or 0.9 Miles

The European Quarter Walking Tour

Along with Luxembourg and Strasbourg, Brussels is one of the European Union鈥檚 de facto capitals. The office blocks of the European Quarter are mainly concentrated along and between two wide boulevards 鈥� rue de la Loi and rue Belliard 鈥� which L茅opold II built to connect his Parc du Cinquantenaire with the city center.

Begin your exploration with the EU鈥檚 most symbolic construction, the... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.3 Km or 0.8 Miles

Brussels Beer Tour

Belgians are not very prone to boasting, except with things such as chocolate, fries and, evidently, beer. They treat beer the way the French treat wine: for the makers, it's a prized art; for the drinkers, it is something to be savored and discussed. They say that, on average, Belgians drink 150 liters of beer per year per person, and one would often see them sipping it from early in the... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles

Brussels Historical Churches Walking Tour

As well as being Belgium鈥檚 political and cultural capital, Brussels is the spiritual home of its most significant churches. Historically, the city has been predominantly Roman Catholic, especially since the expulsion of Protestants in the 16th century. The pre-eminent Catholic temple here, located just a couple of minutes from the Grand-Place, is the Brabantine Gothic Cathedral of St. Michael... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.6 Km or 2.9 Miles

Mont Des Arts Cultural Walk

Mont des Arts, meaning "hill of the arts", is one of the most important cultural sites in Brussels. A classic among the city鈥檚 vantage points, it offers a fine city garden and restored showcase of architecture, in addition to several great museums.

Start your journey by traveling towards the old part of the city, where you鈥檒l find the BOZAR Centre for Fine Arts, greatly admired... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.0 Km or 0.6 Miles

Brussels Introduction Walking Tour

Nowadays a major center for international politics, the capital of Belgium, Brussels, is often referred to as the "Crossroads of Europe". Indeed, nestled at the heart of the continent, this city has a history closely linked to that of Western Europe. Repeatedly changing hands between various duchies, empires, republics, and kingdoms, it has evolved from a small rural settlement to an... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.6 Km or 2.2 Miles

View all walking tours in Brussels, Belgium

Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip

Belgian Beer Tour of Brussels

Belgium is world-renowned for its beers and Brussels is the best city to sample the huge variety of flavors. We'll show you the best places to buy them and to drink them. We'll even show you a family brewery where the liquid gold is produced right in front of your eyes! This tour is meant...

What to Buy in Brussels: 14 Ideas for Travelers

It's no secret that Brussels is not all about JCVD muscles and EU headquarters. Small country as such, Belgium abounds in signature items, such as beer, chocolates and... the peeing boy. All of these have made prime Belgian souvenirs for years. Now you can explore the Brussels gift scene in...