A hidden gem in katy! I have a ritual of having a cup of real hot chocolate each morning. At home i make my own from a blend of three chocolates (usually amano). I have this mission to do the same while I travel. This place has a great cup of hot chocolate at a really reasonable price. read more

Araya Artisan Chocolate - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Katy, Texas

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It's a rare occasion to drop by here because I'm more into savoury not sweet, but the combos this place cranks out are second to none. In general truffles are overly sweet to me, which proves how prolific the flavours are for me to get past the stark richness. Pretty much any of them are great, but I always gravitate towards alcoholic infused morsels; can't go wrong there! But I'm a huge sucker for hype I guess because I find myself sifting through their photographic menu reading all the details as I consider which work of art to destroy next. Without this, they would probably be average chocolates, but the descriptions and their ingredients combined make a powerful salivating agent in my mind. And that's all part of the show, it all looks, smells and feels so perfect, so it works. read more

Their macarons are shipped in & frozen. You'll have to wait about 15 minutes before you can eat it, BUT ITS AMAZING! Most macarons loses it's flavor and is just sweet. BUT these keeps the actual flavor very well and is not as sweet as other macaron's shop in houston. As i was waiting, another guest asked about diabetic. The artisan was very helpful and knowledgeable. She suggest agave over honey, which you can just preorder. She was also very sweet and patience to help us find the type of chocolates that we like. I would totally come back :) read more

Araya Artisan Chocolate - pistachio & vanilla bourbon macaron. cappuccino, coconut rum, orange mazipan, strawberry champagne, pistachio chocolate - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Katy, Texas

Came here the other day. I been wanting to go since it had some pretty good reviews and it was great. They specialize in chocolate. But also make some delicious good macaroons. They had in house ice cream they make themselves. Which k wanted to try but was in a hurry. If you are in the area stop on by! You won't regret it! read more

Araya Artisan Chocolate - Pistachio - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Katy, Texas

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A friend set up a "chocolate making" class for us. We had a day full of fun activities, and Araya's class is what everyone is still talking about. I put "chocolate making" in quotes because really each "student" will be adding toppings of choice to 4 milk chocolate bars. And learning a lot of surprising (to us) facts about chocolate. And tasting some of Araya's handiwork (with wine bring if you so desire; we did). Maybe we're a bunch of nerds, but we were fascinated by our charismatic host's telling of (sometimes shocking) chocolate history. Araya's chocolates are rather tasty, so the pairings were easily a hit. It was fun to invent our own topping combos for the bars we "made". (All milk chocolate because darker chocolate is less forgiving to work with.) If you're a fan of certain toppings, you may wanna bring 'em in with you. If I take the class again, I'm gonna bring my own bacon... The folks running this shop are all so warm, friendly, and helpful. We had a blast in our class, then easily justified trading more cash for more of their artisanship. There are other storefronts in the Houston area, but this location includes the "lab" where classes are held. read more

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A fantastic go-to gift to pamper your loved ones with, and maybe even yourself :). The chocolate is quite impeccably made and wonderfully packaged for gifting. I've always had very good service and a good experience here, and I'm always happy with the chocolate itself and happy to return when the occasion calls for it. It is not exactly the most affordable chocolate but it is quite special, and I think fairly assured to make the recipient happy. Highly recommend it. read more

Araya is a truly authentic Venezuelan chocolatier. Their offering is unique and sophisticated. My wife and I find them completely delightful. Sure, they are high-end and pricey... and special! She gets a bite, and I get a bite. And we split one most evenings. They have several fun options with adult beverage components. And the packaging is classy! We love to use the little insert to check a piece and figure out what it was. If you want volume - go buy something at Target. If you want an interesting taste and a fabulous experience, Araya is it. At the store, you can pick how to fill your box - and they will have samples for you and your kids. A SURE win for the misses on any special occasion. Over the years we have grown to have favorite flavors. Highly recommend chipotle, mango habanero, and pink salt. For the last two Christmas seasons, we have sent key clients a box. Araya worked with me to customize the box with our brand. We get all kinds of positive feedback from our clients. read more

Bought 5 boxes from them as Christmas gift, I'm so glad I found this place! Their staff is super nice and friendly, they offered me some samples as well read more

This place has my all time favorite flavors of chocolate! They're so beautiful you don't want to eat them but then when you bite into them you can't stop LOL. read more

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This is my go-to place for thank you and holiday gifts. When I'm there I always get several raspberry chocolates to go for just me. Unlike most mixed chocolates, there's hardly a bad choice. Always interesting options made with love. They also have corporate gifts and they ship. Family owned! read more

I shouldn't tell, but the chocolate and bourbon concoction is delicious. I think I am addicted. I decided to go by here to buy some chocolate dipped Oreos as a Christmas gift. I couldn't resist trying some of their other hand made chocolates - and that was my first mistake. I tried the 40%, the 70% Venezuelan and the salted caramel on top of the bourbon concoction. They were all gone by the end of the day and I had decided that I was paying them another visit before Christmas. I really would like to bring this next box with me when I visit my family, but I cannot guarantee that the contents of the box will still be intact by then! I can definitely see why everyone loves this place and will have to exhibit some self control with it so close to home. read more

Pretty legit chocolate, in my chocoholic opinion. The "cafe cafe" dark truffle is my favorite. About once a month, ahem, I'm quite partial to dark truffle truffles. "Quite partial" = must have or else I go Michael Jackson-thriller on whoever's closest. On just such an occasion I relied on my Sancho Panza, aka Yelp, to guide me to this spot. I used my 15% Yelp check-in discount to stock up on various truffles. The key lime flavored truffle was no bueno. Although I only like dark truffles... My finger was already beginning to point erratically à la Thriller! The motherfreaking cafe cafe truffle was right on, sister. I believe it was Venezuelan chocolate. I didn't even have time to ask about cacao %. I usually enjoy Mexican dark choc, but the round ball of Mexican chocolate tasted like it was made with goat milk. Which some people love but I really effing do not. When I got outside, the cafe cafe was the first one in my mouth. My husband thanks his sweet beejeesus that that was so bc as the truffle melted in my mouth, I slowly and happily became a nice, undead woman again. read more

I've only had good experiences! I've tried the s'mores bar, gourmet marshmallows, bacon chocolate bar, macaroons, and artisan chocolates. I gave some chocolates as a gift, which was really fun to have them try each flavor and read with the guidebook about each one. They are a bit on the expensive side, but they have cheaper items. I think the marshmallows are one of the cheaper things and most delicious available. The macaroons were very small and expensive, but a really great texture. The chocolates are almost too pretty to eat. Almost ;) read more

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Needed a Macaron fix and they bring theirs in from France! there was all kinds of chocolate going on in the back and I think French being spoken- I know where to get the real deal- now they are pricey I got......8 for $20 but so worth it- my coworkers loved them. I got chocolate, carmel and pistachio and all 3 flavors were incredibly good. read more

Went here via a Groupon special for their macarons. The lady up front was exceptionally speedy in terms of getting the product up front. That's when I noticed their seasonal offering of a giant artisan egg with smaller chocolate eggs filling it. Apparently it's the only place in Katy/Houston doing this. At this time, I've not yet tried the chocolate for Easter, but I did give the macarons a go. I honestly found them rather bland and not at all flavorful - then again, as others have stated, these are flown in and are previously frozen. Perhaps freezer burn is affecting them somewhat. The only one in my batch that seemed to have flavor was the lemon. I did pick up a raspberry dark choco and a sea salt choco separately. Those were -fabulous-. You can honestly taste the difference in terms of mass produced versus handcrafted here, a huge plus. Pros: knowledgable staff, unique gifts, exceptionally flavorful choco, nice store hours, clean storefront Cons: awkward location to get in and out of (if you miss it, it's a good mile to the u-turn), pricey (to be expected from small business artisans, but some people consider this a con) read more

Absolutely fabulous team = amazing chocolates! My baby sister wanted to do an Easter gender reveal. They came through at the last minute with a gorgeous painted chocolate egg! The inside was dusted with pink and filled with little pink chocolates and a pink Peep! It was perfect and made her special day SO MEMORABLE! Thank you so much Araya Team!!! read more

first of all the location is really convenient for me. it's just fine minutes ride from my home. and they really know how to make chocolates. I had nuts and chocolates and was tasty. people there are nice and knowleged about what they doing. read more

I ordered some chocolates for curbside pickup for my daughter's birthday. When I got home, I realized that 3 of the items (chocolate covered pretzels) are already past its expiration date. I called the store and immediately, the person I spoke to sincerely apologized and offered to come to the house to replace the items. The next morning, she did come with the replacement chocolates. I recognize people make mistakes, but I truly appreciate that they care and were pretty serious in making things right by the customer. Thank you!!! I appreciate that you care about my business (and theirs) and will definitely come back! read more

Excellent contemporary chocolates. Not like traditional chocolates I also prefer. Araya is a pleasant surprise. I received a well constucted 12 item Xmas chocolate box. Some contain layered chocolate shells, toppings with Xmas motifs like snowflakes, bears, plaid pattern, etc. Very smooth chocolate texture insides. Not too sugary or buttery, but they melt in your mouth. Some intense dark chocolate. Some more medium tasting chocolate. Location is a bit obscure. It helps to get out of the car and walk the little strip shopping center in Katy. Because the road sign is correct, but they're hard to spot when driving thru the parking lot. I'll try more later read more

I had seen ads for Araya in the local magazines and knew i wanted to stop by to see their lovely chocolates. The place itself was difficult to find because it didn't have the big letters on the brick like the neighboring Nail salon. It does say "Araya" and "chocolate" in big white letters down the window, but the visibility is blocked by a brick column. The store front is rather small, but they don't need much space since the chocolates are displayed at the counter. The working area in the back looks huge! Their macaroons are about half the size of typical macaroons, but i actually like these better because it allows me to eat more different flavors! The lady working there (the artisan?) said the pistachio and raspberry macaroons were the most popular, but unfortunately she ran out the day I went. But fortunately I know where the place is located now so i can try again another day! The chocolates and macaroons here make great gifts, especially with the unique artwork on the packaging (some of them are local artists). Anyone who receives a box of treats from here should consider themselves very special!! read more

I came here for the fresh marshmallows (red velvet!) but was tempted into also purchasing dark chocolate covered espresso beans and a chocolate bar with bacon. Super friendly staff (SAMPLES!!!!) and a great variety of chocolates means that I will be back soon. read more

I like this location better than the other one on West Gray. But they're both good! I'm just a suburbs gal and prefer the Katy location. Really tasty chocolates. If you get anything with alcohol in it, you will taste it. This can be a good or bad thing, depending on how much you like your booze. But in general, all their chocolates are intensely flavored, and very delicious. I like any that has pâtes de fruit in it. Their chocolates are also decorated really beautifully. Would make a great gift. I've also tried their macarons, but they seem pretty run of the mill - not bad, and they taste fine, but I don't know if I would pick any up again. Bargain buys: chocolate dipped mango pieces - you get a lot for $4.00. Sometimes they have samples set out! read more

This little shop tucked in a corner off Grand Pkwy is so delightful. The handmade chocolates are both lovely and delicious. Don't expect the ordinary, the flavors have depth and smoothness, they offer both milk and dark chocolates,hand rolled truffles, and bars. These little gems gifted tell the recipient they're special. I love the chipolte chocolate with its hint of heat contrasting the rich dark cream. The strawberry balsamic is also delicious, they have liquor flavored chocolates as well. Average price about 2 bucks each, so If you've been good and you need a little reward, stop by and give yourself the very best you are so worth it! read more

I have always liked this chocolates, to me they are a work of art. They are delicious, hand made and finished to perfection. And now I love them more. We just did a best friends reunion and talked to Stefano (the owner) to make a class perfect for us. What he prepared was superseded our expectations. We had so much fun, learned about chocolates, made our own chocolates! And left with chocolate to share with our families. I now not only recommend these chocolates to everyone, but also recommend them for parties!, friends reunions!, I will definitely do their other courses as well!. read more

Consistently the best macarons I have ever tasted. Never crumbly, not overly sweet, flavorful, tasty filling, not runny. A real macaron from France. They come in 2, 4, 8, or 15. You can also get them individually. They come in very pretty packaging with bows and all. Service is very friendly too. They are darn expensive though so be careful not to get addicted. They're about 2.33-2.50 each depending on how many you buy. They used to have lots of groupons / living social deals, but I haven't seen any recently. read more

I got a box of truffles for my anniversary and each delicate little cube was a flavor explosion of pure enjoyment! I couldn't get enough of them and the box only lasted 2 days. Needless to say I can't wait to go to the store myself and indulge in various creations! Deliciousness, quality ingredients, heaven! read more

The best chocolates in Houston.each is hand made, unique flavors, beautifully decorated and all delicious. Great as a gift or a treat for yourself. It's my go to place for good chocolates. read more

100% Venezuelan chocolate made in Katy,TX ..what more of a Katy-zuelan with italian roots can you ask for! simply delicious and so are the macaroons! read more

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The chocolate is fresh and amazing. Neat little place to hang out with kids after school.

Araya is a combination of art and deliciously different chocolate combinations, I love this place! Although it puts a dent in my pocket, the chocolate is absolutely excellent, and there are so many choices. I will forever be a customer! read more

Araya chocolate tastes very poor and similar to Hershey's. It tastes much worse than Milka, Nestle, Godiva, Guittard, even Cadbury. By European standards, Araya probably does not even qualify as chocolate. I consider Araya products being marketed as artisan and priced at a premium as fraud. read more

These French macaroons are as good or better than the best I have had in Paris. France, not Texas. These are probably one of the hardest cookies to create and Araya has perfected them. We are very lucky to have them in Houston! Try a box with a bottle of good Frnch Champaign. read more

Amazing chocolates and lots of choices to customize your box! Macaroons were just ok but chocolates are high end beautiful and delicious.

Araya Chocolates know how to make kids' chocolate dreams come true. My daughters had the most amazing birthday party at Araya Chocolates, and shared the dream of making chocolates with some of their closest friends. Stefano is a pro at leading the kids (our group consisted of children 5 to 8) through the history of chocolate, the different types of chocolate, and most importantly, the hands-on experience of touching, tasting and making their own chocolate bars. If you are looking for a memorable and unique birthday party experience to delight your kids, and their friends, Araya is it! The chocolates and flavored marshmallows are amazing, which goes without saying . . . read more

I found the confections too expensive but I can be happy with a 5 cent Hershey kiss...a six piece Araya package is over $15! Beautifully designed and nice as a housewarming gift but can't get over the priceyness. read more

I am in love with these chocolate. They are delicious. My favorite is mango habanero. Very friendly and clean. Totally recommend.