The colorful exuberance of the most graffitied alleyway in Ghent is calmed by this brutalist shop (a concrete countertop graced with chocolate-colored baseboards, rendered walls and a neon sign, all designed by Studio Contekst) that could easily pass for a neo-jewelers. Not far off the mark, since here you’ll find perfectionist Jannes Deduytschaever, now a famous chocolatier, displaying his precious chocolatey gems with his partner Karen Van Lysebeth. Don’t expect any predictable pralines or mundane macaroons, but elegant chocolate bars made in organic bean-to-bar fashion, like dark chocolate with black olives, grapefruit and lemon; mendiants made with a 70% Kubaly dark chocolate; and almond milk chocolate… Bijou bites which are enhanced by a selection of stylish pastries, such as the chocolate merveilleux or the yuzu and pistachio cakes, a true feast for the eyes to the electro-pop sounds of Bolis Pupul in the background. // Euphemia Prynne
THE HIDDEN GEM: The 70% Kubaly dark chocolate bar with sesame praline, miso caramel and fleur de sel (€8.90 per bar), on par with the intensely flavorful coffee and chocolate nut butter made using beans from the Brussels-based roasters Wide Awake (€12.90 per pot).
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