Sweets in Paris- Alain Ducasse Opens First Chocolate Shop

Alain DucasseCelebrity chef Alain Ducasse may command an empire of Michelin-starred restaurants around the globe- indeed he was the first to have Michelin three-starred eateries in three different cities—but he’s never delved into the world of high-end chocolate. That’s about to change with the launch of Manufacture.

Ducasse has teamed up with chocolatier Nicolas Berger to create a unique establishment in Paris: where the entire chocolate-making process is hand-crafted, starting with the roasting of carefully-selected cocoa beans on site. Visitors to the boutique can actually see the machines at work- behind a wall of glass. This has been a long-time dream of Ducasse, ever since he apprenticed under chocolatier Michel Chaudun at Gaston Lenôtre in 1975.

Slated to open on February 20, Manufacture is located at 40 rue de la Roquette in the trendy 11th arrondissement- not far from the Bastille. For more information, visit lechocolat-alainducasse.com.

Pictured: Alain Ducasse at the Hotel Plaza Athénée in Paris, where the chef sets up an annual farmer’s market