french broad chocolate lounge

this place looks like it was torn out of the trendiest corner of brooklyn. the selection is surprisingly deep; truffles, cakes, brownies, ice crem... it's hard to do this many things well, but somehow they pull it off.

if i could rent a both to live in for a week or so i might do just that. this place was buzzing and the aroma of coffee and chocolate welcomes you at the door. i only wish i didn't have to get up so early to travel home the next day! i would have loved to sample a few of their coffee offerings. after standing at the display case for a little too long trying to decide what we wanted we ended up ordering a piece of quintessential chocolate cake and a chocolate and caramel cream mousse then headed back to the hotel. both were amazing. the cake was rich without being overly sweet, which is exactly what i want out of chocolate cake. the mousse was so smooth and had the perfect carmel ribbon running through it. i will definitely be back next time i visit asheville.

reviews prompted me to visit. lucked out as it was pretty empty on a tuesday around 100pm. bought a dozen truffles. such an amazing selection. many baked items, puddings too. looks like they have some great coffees and teas as well. and gelato.

really, really good chocolate. but not stand-in-line-around-the-block good chocolate. i had the flourless chocolate torte. it was wonderful, but the line to get in was insane. so if you go early and there is no line, do this. i'm not sure if this place is just that popular or there are flow and efficiency issues.

i miss the ambience. they went from sexy caffe to high school cafeteria. the line is just as long and no faster. change is hard. the food is still great.

once you have visited french broad, there is no possible way that you can pass it up on future trips to asheville. everything i have had has been too notch! all the truffles, pisgah a la mode, mudwrestler, stout cake, liquid truffles...oh man the liquid truffles are heavenly! if you don't find something you like, be kind and send me your leftovers. the best chocolatier i have ever visited.

we were walking in downtown asheville at 10pm when we noticed a line of 20 people outside this place. we just had to see what the fuss was about. when we saw it was a chocolate place, we were sold. we got the dragonwell tea and the milk chocolate liquid truffle. the tea had a unique taste that went down smooth and wasn't bitter. as for the liquid truffle, wow! it tasted like a melted godiva truffle that was warm and creamy. definitely a party in my mouth. will visit again before we leave asheville.

stand in line to the door for two pieces of chocolate and coffee, anyone? here, yes. i understand they are enlarging. good move. i'd stand in line anyhow. sublime.

best chocolate experience i've ever had!. this place provided one of the very best chocolate experiences i've ever had in my entire life. chocolate is my number one. i'm pretty happy to eat it in any form, but cream based desserts are my favorites - ice cream, cheesecake, mousse, pudding. my husband and i went to french broad last night and shared four items. only one of them was a disappointment and i want to cover it first to get it out of the way. their ice cream is just not for me - it has more of an icy texture than a creamy one and it also lacks the punch of flavor that i have come to expect. so the salted caramel and chocolate milkshake simply didn't do it for me.

however, everything else was fantastic! the chocolate creme brulee was smooth and creamy with the perfect sugar crust. i was absolutely smitten with the layered pudding/mousse of chocolate and caramel. but the liquid truffle was my favorite - mostly because it's so unique! where else can you get this?!? these liquid truffles are served in a tiny espresso-sized cup. they have the flavor and thick of consistency of melted chocolate, which is basically all i want out of life. we tried the salted caramel and fell in love. i would absolutely buy one for every visit.

on my way out, i stopped next door at chocolate and milk to gawk at their chocolate library and to pick up some treats for the road. i also treated myself to one of their fantastic truffles - some deliciously rich peanut butter and chocolate thing.

this place had many other treats that look very tempting. next time i would consider the chocolate mousse, the coconut macaroon brownie or the chocolate tart. so many choices!

chocolates. some of the best artisan chocolates i've ever had with so many intriguing and unique flavor combinations and spices.

french broad is on the main square in downtown asheville. the room is full of large windows that give it an extremely sunny feel, even on a rainy day. it's also a big room, with enough space not only for a lot of tables but also what seems to be a combination coffee/wine bar. as you can see from their cases, they cover the waterfront of chocolate: chocolate candies, baked goods, and puddings. they don't seem to be open for breakfast, which is a shame. chocolate for breakfast is one of life's wonderful little treats. this is their chocolate chunk mint brownie. as the name implies, it has some nice little chunks of chocolate as well as mint. it was a truly great brownie. the texture was just right, in my view: firm and shape-holding but very moist. the amount of mint was just right; the mint gives a nice buzz during and after the chew but it never overpowers the chocolate.

confused..... tried out the new lounge. the line is just as bad as at the old place. ordering is confusing. spent 45 minutes in line

18 minute wait for 1 hot chocolate to go after i purchased?. only 3 people in line ahead of my daughter and i. waited 18 minutes for one hot chocolate after i purchased. they have issues with customer flow. doesn't meet the sanity check that ' carry out customers ' are encouraged by the register clerk to sit when the ' eat in ' customers are jockeying for the same seating. had plenty of time to observe the servers wandering (with too little success) in finding the 2 digit signage for delivering the order. recommend elevating the signage similar to la madelines (they use a woodend spoon) . come on, even jason's deli chain has gets this right.
when i asked the server why the cup was only half full, he replied that the go cups were much bigger than their portion sizes. bottom line, regardless of food quality, service and efficiency need a great deal of work.

thoroughly enjoyed my salted caramel liquid truffle with the peach/macerated blueberry trifle. heaven!

the  french broad chocolate lounge is known for (you guessed it) its chocolate! yes, their delicious truffles have been making news for years, and it’s no wonder given the amazing care and ingredients that go into these chocolates from seed to table. while the line may often wind out the door and down the street, it’s worth the wait for the patient chocolate lover. not only do they have a vast array of delightful and creative truffles (just a few of which are pictured in this post, and a healthy ratio of which are seasonal treats), but they also have a surprising variety of drinking chocolates. two of my favorites: the cold sipping chocolate, which is served in a wine glass and is elegantly refreshing (see photo below); and the indian kulfi hot chocolate, which is amazing (and too incredible to actually put into words). if you’re visiting asheville, you really should stop in and treat yourself to some world-class chocolates.