Mike & Becky

Mike and Becky? Those are the nicknames of Julia Mikerova and Björn Becker, a German-Russian couple who fled the European institutions they used to work for in 2016, taking refuge in this chocolate-lover’s hideaway. There, they discuss chocolate like others talk about wine, all centered around their bean-to-bar philosophy. Cocoa bean harvests are carefully monitored from Peru to India, and the different steps of the production process are performed in their Anderlecht workshop. All of which gives way to a selection of grand cru chocolate bars, including intense dark chocolates (70% to 100%) and creamy milk chocolates (like the 50% Mungamba), along with ones that have various levels of fruitiness, spiciness or nuttiness… Put another way, it’s an excellent way to get your daily dose of vitamin D. // Léa Cruz

The hidden gem: The Short Ground 70% Dominican dark chocolate with a slightly granular texture (€5.90 for a 60 g bar).