The Food Buster

Chocolate Line Pralines
Simon Sevinplein 10
Bruges 8000, Belgium

This is one of the most unique chocolate shops I’ve ever visited. It specializes in chocolate experimentation, i.e. in creating odd chocolate combinations and utilizing chocolate in innovative ways. For example, if you want chocolate paint for any reason (not that you would), you can get it [...]

Van Hoorebeke Pralines
Sint-Baafsplein
9000 Ghent, Belgium
About 10 euros for 250g.

Must Try: Sushi shell with a dark chocolate crunch, Seashell flavored like a speculoo cookie, Milk chocolate with hazelnut crunch
Hits: Dark chocolate with mocha, Blanc manon with nut (almost a must try), Dark chocolate with nut crunch mix, Dark chocolate with raspberry cream, Seashell flavored like [...]

Burie Pralines
Korte Gasthuisstraat 3
Antwerp, Belgium

Burie is yet another famous Belgian chocolate maker in Antwerp. There’s really nothing special about the chocolate so I’ll get straight to the quality of the pieces.
Pieces I had:
Must Try: Milk and salted caramel (for once, a store that gets it right!), Milk chocolate marzipan roll (Must try, especially for marzipan [...]

Del Rey
Appelmansstraat  5, Antwerp, Belgium

Del Rey is quite the famous chocolatier. It actually produces some pretty well-respected chocolate bars, and is perhaps better known for those outside of Belgium. It’s still a great producer of bonbons though. Although none of the chocolates I tried really stood out as unforgettable, I do have to say [...]

Mary Chocolatier
73 Rue Royale, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Also at: 195 Rue Edith Cavell, 1180 Brussels, Belgium

While not quite as famous as Marcolini or Whittamer, Mary’s comes in at a close 3rd in terms of fame, and it is one of the 3 producers with a royal mandate holder, meaning it provides chocolate to the royal family.
I’ve [...]

Pierre Marcolini
Artisanal Chocolate Producer
About 20 euros for 250g
Rue des Minimes 1, Place du Grand Sablon, 1000 Brussels (original store). There are also stores throughout Belgium and the world.
Overall score: 0.3/5.0. A tragic disappointment

This is the legendary store, found throughout Belgium but with its HQ in Brussels. It is rather pricy in comparison to the [...]

Vasalissa
Callao 1940, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Also at 3 other locations in Buenos Aires

Vasalissa imports all of its chocolates straight from Belgium, so it has a much more European feel to it than the other chocolate brands, although for that feel it also charges at least three times as much. I paid higher prices for this chocolate [...]

Viejo Oso
La Pampa 2120, Belgrano, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Also at: Montevideo 1594, Barrio Monk, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Overall, way better than most chocolate in Argentina, rivaled only by the likes of Mamushka. There are interesting, unique flavors, but not at the cost of chocolate quality. Truffles are outstanding especially—flavors aren’t big, but very well-made, with delicious ganache [...]