Antica Dolceria Bonajuto
Antica Dolceria Bonajuto Photos
Recommended Reviews - Antica Dolceria Bonajuto
Start your review...
This is the chocolate shop in Modica you need to go to. The others are just background noise! If you want some real artisan chocolate goods, then come to this cozy alleyway that serves heaven. I like how it's a little museum, the staff is very nice, and you can see into the back kitchen where the magic happens. Among the many unique chocolate products, you can also get chocolate beer/liquor and yummy cannoli. Don't skip out on the chocolate bar made with donkey milk, chocolate with chili, and vanilla one! read more
Cannoli and (Modica) chocolate. This *used* to be the best cannoli in Modica. It may not have the crown any more (per the locals), but it it is still very very very good - albeit large. They make the shells fresh, they fill the shells while you wait, etc - it's pretty much exactly what cannoli should be. And yes, if you're from the USA, you probably have no idea what cannoli *could* be Oh yes, this is also an excellent place to try out quite a variety of Modica chocolate (and go to the nearby chocolate museum to see the origins of this throwback to old-school chocolate!) read more
We were given many samples at this authentic chocolate shop where they have been making their own chocolate for many years. This is the famous chocolate from Modica, a gritty chocolate from the ancient Mayan recipes. They still keep the ancient tradition alive. Beatrice, an employee, gave us insight as to their history. We were quite impressed. read more
7 years ago
Our driver took us to one of the more well established chocolatiers in Modica. I was told there are a bunch of ersatz chocolate places here with cheaper prices. You have to suss out the real ones. And this place is for real. Established in 1880 ADB uses handmade and traditional methods with no compromises. What you get is pure chocolate (gritty by nature), sugar, and natural flavorings when applicable. We tried many different pieces. All were excellent. This is the real deal! read more
4 years ago
We made an appointment to have an English language tasting. The English tours were not yet offered for the season. I definitely recommend trying the samples tasting, as the lady gives historical background for each item, and why each was prepared in the manner it was. After sampling, we looked around the small sop and purchased a few of our favorite items to bring home and give as gifts. The chocolate is prepared in a cold method, without the addition of milk fats, yielding a slightly grainy texture (the sugar does not melt down). This interesting version of an antique method may not appeal to kids raised on Cadbury or Lindt chocolate... but it's a wonderful experience to try! read more
12 years ago
This is absolutely the most famous of the chocolatiers in Modica. And THAT is THAT... the most famous, period. Modica chocolate is what it is. Fantastic, of course, but the method they use to make the chocolate is the same no matter where you go, so it is not a hit and miss thing on quality. And since this town is so famous for their chocolate, you will have no trouble finding quite a few sources. So why not this one? Simply put, ATTITUDE. You walk into their shop, and along with the crowds, you find a staff that is severely stuck up. It is as though they believe that their fame is all they need, and customers are an unnecessary distraction. I came in here with an appointment to meet with them with the possibility to bring guests here on tours, and to be honest, from the first moment I was here, I simply could not wait to get out of here. They were rude and condescending from the first hello. As for their chocolate, of course it is good, but walk outside and find just about anyone else that will be happy to see you. read more
We loved this little shop in Modica. There wasn't much not to like about Modica, with many little chocolate shops dotted all over their main street. This is one of the oldest and most famous, though...so there was no way we could miss it! It's a bit hidden away in a little alley, and when you can walk in, you can see there is a large kitchen in back, but the actual storefront is quite tiny. The store is a small, dark shop with all of their different chocolates for sale lining the walls. When you see advertisements for Modica, chocolate tasting is advertised the way wine tasting is in Napa. Given my love for desserts and chocolate, nothing excited me more! However, after walking in here and seeing about 15-20 little bowls sitting on the counter, each filled to the brim with small squares of chocolate for sampling, my husband correctly pointed out that it's not quite like wine tasting, in that there really wasn't an explanation of each chocolate - no signage and no commentary from the salesperson. Instead, it was more like us shoving as many of the tiny pieces into our mouth with small comments between like "ooh, extra dark" and "hmm, has a floral taste," likely to make ourselves feel less bad about sampling every flavor! So if I were to change anything here, I'd say it'd be nice to get a bit more commentary on the history behind the chocolates and flavors. Still, they have an impressive amount of varieties, all made on premises. I'm a self-professed lover of dark chocolate, but this chocolate was dark like I'd never had before. I always like to tell people I'm eating healthy when I eat dark chocolate due to its antioxidants, and if any dark chocolate were to have antioxidants, it would be theirs! They literally called one bar "with sucre" to indicate sugar had been added, unlike the others, which is a good hint as to the darkness of the other bars. We still found it to be quite enjoyable - a whole new and delicious chocolate experience if you will. Before we purchased a few chocolates to bring home, the lady behind the counter also asked us to try a little green olive from a jar she had. After all of the chocolate samples, I was excited for a nice, salty contrast. These olives are sweet ones though, stuffed with sugar! They were actually phenomenal, though truly unexpected. We bought a jar of those to bring home too, and after a bit of trouble with TSA, have them safely sitting home with us now for the next time we have guests over. Overall, a fun experience. I'd definitely recommend a stop in here if you're in Modica. read more
9 years ago
I went crazy and sampled literally everything at this, the oldest chocolate factory in all of Sicilia. To die. The chocolate, bars, nougat. Uh Mah Gah. I would stuff my face with this all day, all night, and then take a bath with it if I could. read more
More info about Antica Dolceria Bonajuto
Corso Umberto I 159
97015 Modica
Italy
Directions
0932 941225
Call Now
Visit Website
http://www.bonajuto.it
Hours
What time does Antica Dolceria Bonajuto open?
Antica Dolceria Bonajuto opens at 9:00 AM on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
What time does Antica Dolceria Bonajuto close?
Antica Dolceria Bonajuto closes at 9:30 PM on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Mon-Sun 9:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Outdoor Amenities
Does Antica Dolceria Bonajuto have parking?
Yes, Antica Dolceria Bonajuto has parking options. Street Parking
Antica Dolceria Bonajuto Reviews in Other Languages
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
1 review that is not currently recommended
The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.
8 years ago
YOU, & ME LET'S CANNOLO YOU SOME MORE. As a wee one, I often recall eating pastries at any one of Karachi's multi-ethnic pastry shops - from home grown Pakistani delights, & Italian pasticceria, to French pâtisseries, & Middle Eastern sweets, usually after my body was fried from tennis, & swimming. There was even a small enclave in Karachi, Pakistan where I could try Chinese treats. However, it wasn't until I first went to Europe at ten whence my curiosity for sweets, & desserts followed me to my very first cannolo. You can imagine my epiphanic experience, & in Sicily especially whence the cannoli hails from. You better believe it - this time my body wasn't fried, & sore, but the cannoli shells were. :) That hunger never died, & took me back again recently to Antica Dolceria Bonajuto - it's the oldest chocolate factory in Sicily, & in particular close to Ragusa, in a town called Modica. As you may recall, in my last cannolo review of Pasticceria di Pasquale, most parts of the island of Sicily the filling is prepared with sheep's milk ricotta. Whereas in the southestern corner of the island, in the province of Ragusa, cannoli (are) made with cow's milk ricotta. THE CANNOLO: You can become one with this cannolo. The shell is neither too hard nor too fragile. The ricotta has the most beautiful fragrance of milk (it didn't taste "weepy". Cow's-milk ricotta tends to be weepy, & runny if it's overly fresh). The ricotta was sublime, & thick like a milkshake. You could put your spoon in one, & it wouldn't budge, just like a proper milkshake. The fragrance was less of fruit, but of pure pastoral bliss, of cows, & of grass, & of the earthiness of the milk that takes me right back to my childhood in Karachi drinking water buffalo milk. Ahhhh... I've been around a lot of Italians, & Sicilians over the years. Heyyyy, it doesn't hurt that I'm part Sicilian myself (& Pakistani, & Burmese too). I've got a confession. I'm a truth walker. I'll tell you like it is about everything I know. If I don't know something, I'm not afraid to say so. Are you ready for what I'm about to throw at you? How teary eyed ready are you? No, it's not a cannolo I'm about to put in your mouth either. Here: I never saw a chocolate chip in a cannolo ever amongst true Italian cannoli. To me that's just like putting ranch dressing on a pizza or ketchup on a hot dog. I am absolutely gagging just thinking about it. Really there's no real need for any toppings - even pistachios, & citron/candied fruits are quite optional, but are definitely authentic nonetheless. TASTINGS & TOURS: You'll get to know the history of their chocolate, & of the company, & the old Mesoamerican origins of the entire process. The tour is limited to a minimum of atleast 8 people, & includes the history, an explanation of Bonajuto's distinctive techniques, & access into the laboratory to participate in the "beating" stage of chocolate. This includes a tasting of about 20 to 30 sweets. Even if you're not going to be available for the tour, you can always taste their chocolate pro bono without any prior notification. No prior experience necessary to eat either. Just taste though. ;) I've tasted uncountable numbers of cannoli in my life, & a good number of them in Sicily. Amongst the excellent ones, none really stand out any more than the others. This is why you WILL objectively not find the best cannolo in Sicily. There are countless examples of perfection. It all comes down to tradition, preferences, terroir (atleast when it comes to the ricotta, particularly the milk itself), style, & personal flair. The only places you'll likely find utterly (udderly - milk does come from udders ;P ) good or utterly (udderly) wrong cannoli outside the world of Sicily, where you'll find everything from overly thick shells to other variations of fillings, inauthentic ricotta, other cheaper fillings to mimic ricotta, & the absurd overuse of chocolate in cannolo. Highly recommend that you take your confectionaries (no, just don't take your cannolo or cannoli to go, as the shells will likely become soft, despite the fact it's just a 10 min. walk. Sicily is hot, & humid) over to the Duomo di San Giorgio, & eat them on the steps for an extra sensory cannolo experience. MAYBE WHEN I VISIT AGAIN, YOU'LL HAVE BECOME ONE WITH THE CANNOLO, & YOU MIGHT STILL BE THERE SITTING ON THE STEPS OF THE OLD DOME. ;) 11/2018 read more




































