I took the Beacon Hill Chocolate Tour and loved it so much I want to do all 3 of the other tours as well in the near future. The tour made its way down Charles Street and across the common to Park Street, stopping in several places for tastings and talks along the way. I don't want to give away all of their secrets but a few highlights were Beacon Hill Chocolates, a fabulously adorable little shop with amazing artisan chocolates, 75 Chestnut, where we were served a unique and superb toasted almond chocolate soup and the Melting Pot, where we got to try 4 different dessert fondues! A few people mentioned this tour was pricey, but I disagree. Good chocolate is pricey. If you went to Beacon Hill Chocolates on your own, a box of 4 chocolates would have cost you $10. We got to try 2 chocolates and a sample of gelato. A small fondue at the Melting Pot would run you $18. We got to sample 4 different types. And those are just two of the stops! I actually think it was a bargain! The founder actually joined us on the tour and it was apparent that this was his passion and a lot of time and effort went into finding the places to feature on these tours. I really had a great time and I left stuffed! But I can't wait to try another neighborhood for more amazing chocolate discoveries! read more

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This review is for the Cupcake Crawl that Boston Chocolate Tours offers. My sister, Mom and I had been on the Back Bay chocolate tour through this company, and had a great time. Our guide was very personable, and each stop consisted of a worker at the shop discussing with us the history of the company, the chocolate they make, interesting facts, etc. Since then, we have gone back to several of the places we discovered on that tour, most notably Hotel Chocolat on Newbury Street. My sister and friends scheduled a private cupcake tour for my bachelorette, figuring it would be along the same caliber. It was not. 1. Not sure if this was the person coordinating the event or the guide, but we were told to park in the Boston Common garage and given the wrong address to the first location. This resulted in half our party having to take a cab to the correct address, and the rest of us doing a 15 min walk, past many other parking garages. We were then almost 20 minutes late meeting our guide. 2. Half our party showed up a few minutes after us since we had been split up, but the guide was hurried and wanted to get started right away without waiting for them, even though it was a PRIVATE tour. She didn't know it was a bachelorette, wasn't overly friendly, and gave us cupcakes from another bakery at Cakeology, but neglected to tell us that, so when I praised the girl working at Cakeology about the amazing chocolate cupcakes, she was completely confused. 3. Obviously cupcake/bakeries are a little more spread around than chocolate stops, but our tour consisted of us walking from Downtown Crossing, to Beacon Hill, to Newbury Street, to behind the Pru by the Christian Science building. We spent more time walking than we did in any of the actual bakeries, learning about the cupcakes, the establishments or even enjoying the actual tasting. At one point, at Georgetown Cupcakes (where we didn't even go inside or get greeted by anyone working there) our guide said let's walk and eat...down Newbury Street, on a busy Saturday afternoon. Not enjoyable. 4. One stop was totally random, at Johnny Cupcakes on Newbury. For those not in the area, it's a niche t-shirt shop, they don't sell cupcakes. They did have cupcakes from a bakery in Malden (why, I'm not sure...because nobody told us). We just kind of stood around in there while our guide chatted with her friends working there until she asked us if we were ready to leave. 5. This is the real annoying part - we walked all the way down Newbury, past the Pru and Hynnes, all the way around the corner and down towards the back of the Pru by the Christian Science Center for our last "stop" with the Kickass Cupcakes truck. They weren't there. I have no idea why our guide didn't think to call them to confirm their location before we started walking over there, but when we got there, she called, and they were at the corner of Clarendon and Newbury, where we had just been. She then offered to go back if we wanted to...we all declined. Tour had been billed as about 3 hours long. If it had started on time at 1:30, that would have put us around 4:30. Because of the address and parking issue, we really started at around 1:50ish, and we were done before 4pm. I can only attribute this to the fact that we didn't spend hardly any time in any of the bakeries before being shuttled off to our next destination, and then completely missing the last cupcake stop. I felt bad for my friends, because this was something special they planned for my bachelorette and paid extra for to have a private tour, and it was a total joke. read more

I did the Back Bay chocolate tour with my group at work and while we had a good time walking around, talking, and eating chocolate, I would DEFINITELY not pay $50 on my own for this tour. Ashley J. hit it right on the nose- this tour is not unique or extravagant, and you will not get your money's worth. It will basically be up to your group to make your own fun and roll with the punches. Bottom line- this tour is not unique or extravagant, and certainly not run by Willy Wonka. Our chocolate stops ranged from weird (Nespresso...where we tried espresso) to downright awful like Lush, where harried workers slapped some "chocolate" lotion on our hands while trying to manage a crowd of customers. I'm pretty sure no one there was even expecting our group which was awkward to say the least. I will say that Hotel Chocolat was wonderful- they had a private tasting room for us and shared the history of chocolate making and their company. They had so many samples we had to take some to go, so that was great! Lindt was another stand out- they gave us lots of chocolate too. But by and large the places on the tour seemed bored, annoyed, or confused by our group. In addition, our tour guide was SO weird. She made really awkward comments to the group, and seemed really timid. I expected someone fun and engaging who had an "in" with vendors, but she seemed more out of place than we were at every stop. Overall I would say take your $50 and go nuts at a few high end chocolate stores. You'll get more bang for your buck, and probably more chocolate! read more

I did the tour last Wednesday evening with a group of my co-workers and friends. I can't say enough good things of the two women who were running the tour. They did a wonderful job at making the whole experience fun-filled. I would highly reccomend it to everyone. Each of the stops made the experience more and more fun and my pants just a bit tighter! The only part that I didn't think was "up to par" was Wagamama. Although the woman who was working with us from there was very sweet, they literally gave us a fork full of cake, so you really didn't get to taste much. I could see if there was a large group, but there was only 6 of us. Oh well! Having been born and raised in Boston, I can honestly say that I walked away from this evening with a lot of trivia in regards to Boston and Chocolate. Thanks for a wonderful time!!!! read more

I'm rather disappointed. This was definitely NOT worth $48 per person. This was part of my birthday gift so although I didn't pay for it, I was not at all impressed. We did the Faneuil Hall/North End tour and our guide (although a nice young lady), was neither knowledgable nor interesting. She couldn't confidently answer any of the guests' questions. I heard a lot of "I don't know" and "I'm not sure" way too many times. I've participated in too many tourist activities to know that more than enough times, tour guides are often very knowledgable and fun to be around. She's new to the area and also seemed new to the job. We visited 6 places and the only place I really liked was Godiva and Maria's Pastry in the North End. We couldn't visit LuLu's in the North End because they couldn't accommodate the chocolate tours during Easter. Despite not be able to taste test one visit, the tour ended about 45 min to an hour earlier than scheduled. And we stalled at most of our destinations, waiting around to move on to the next destination. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this tour, specifically the Faneuil Hall/North End tour. This tour needs a lot of improvement.... read more

A very yummy tour! Who knew there were so many chocolate stores in such a small area of town! Also, the stops at "Ben & Jerry's" and "Lush" was very refreshing and a nice break from all that chocolate! You definitely get your money worth out of this tour! read more

My husband and I love these tours! We have gone on the Beacon Hill, Back Bay and South End chocolate tours. We haven't tried the cupcake tour yet though we are planning on it! If I had to choose a favorite it would be the South End tour followed closely by the Back Bay tour. The South End tour is a beautiful walk and you come away completely stuffed and satisfied having tried a variety of chocolate, baked goods and ice cream. However the Back Bay is a close second because I absolutely fell in love with the chocolate at two of the stops and plan on going back! And you can't disregard the Beacon Hill tour because one of the shops is so cool and we actually went back and ate at the restaurant that was on the tour. Personally speaking I think these tours are worth it for the following reasons: 1. Chocolate! You get to try a wide variety of chocolate, ice cream and baked goods. I love the fact that being on a tour means you will try things you would not ordinarily buy- for example the champagne truffle we tried on the Back Bay tour was something I was not looking forward to but now I can't wait to go back to the store and get some- amazing. 2. It's a great way to learn about different parts of the city and the stores in those areas. Besides the chocolate this is the reason I go on these tours- it's simply a great way to discover Boston. 3. It's a great way to feel more connected to the city and appreciate the businesses that do business there. I love meeting the owners at the shops and hearing about what makes their place special and what they do that sets them apart from others. I noticed most the negative reviews are for the classes and a private cupcake tour. I can't speak for those since I have never tried a class or the cupcake tour but the Chocolate Tours are definitely five stars! Will definitely review the cupcake tour when we do it! read more

The Beacon Hill chocolate tour was a fun way to see a section of Boston that I might not have otherwise visited. It was a fun way to meet some new people too. I was surprised that the other people on the tour were all locals (was there some kind of Living Social deal or something that I didn't know about?) It was HOT out on our tour day but the stretches between spots was not far and the chocolate reward at each place made the walk worth it. They tell you to bring a bottle of water and warn you not to eat too much before the tour and I can see why -- we had chocolate fro yo, chocolate cupcakes, chocolate cake, chocolate soup, truffles, chocolate candies. OMG. They give you a small shopping bag and a gallon sized ziploc so that you can take home what you don't eat. You'll need it. read more

Boston Chocolate School & Tours - The free bag for chocolate leftovers. Come hungry and you'll still not be able to finish it all! - Cooking Classes Near Me

This workshop was NOT worth the $90 per person. I took my parents because it sounded like a fun thing to do... make your own truffles... right? Yeah well the first 2 hours was a woman talking. And it wasn't interesting in any way. She didn't keep the audience engaged AT ALL. I'll quote a previous review because they hit it straight on the head: "The first hour and a half or so was taken up by a "chef" explaining the history of chocolate and how to temper chocolate. Dull, pretentious and uninformative. We just sat there the whole time while she talked and heated up chocolate. There wasn't even a mirror above her work station to see what (little) she was doing. " So we sat there bored for 2 hours, then watched her mix some stuff into other stuff. Then FINALLY it was time to make our own truffles. We got 3 small strips of ganache that all tasted the same and it wasn't even good. then we got like 4 toppings to roll it in. We were done in like 10 minutes and left with a bunch of chocolates we wanted to give to the homeless people in the subway because they didn't even taste good. Waste of time and money. Audience participation is comprised of rolling things into balls and then rolling them in toppings. Thats it. Realistically she should charge maybe 30 or 40 bucks a person at the most. read more

The Back Bay Chocolate Tour is a nice way to spend a Saturday. Through GroupOn, I purchased a tour at a discounted price- I don't think I would pay full price for this experience. Our guide was knowledgeable, and did a short round-robin for everyone to introduce themselves. Everyone received a bag for samples (that you weren't able to eat on the spot) and a VIP card which gave you a discount at the tour stops, plus some additional places for a full week after your tour. (Not a bad deal.) While tour attendees are encouraged to purchase from the shops on the tour, there is no pressure to do so. The Back Bay Tour has stops at the following locations: TeaLuxe- not really related to chocolate, I think it is just a convenient meeting spot. Hotel Chocolat- the staff here does know their chocolate, and this was the most informative stop on the tour. The products are quite pricey, but there are some interesting options. Lush- An English bath product company, they have several products derived from chocolate. Not a stop I expected to take, but it was the only stop I made a purchase from. Ben & Jerry's- this stop seemed a bit unnecessary, but I always welcome ice cream. Teuscher- Overly decorated with fake flowers, this Swiss chocolate shop has some amazing creations. Their signature Champagne Truffle is as good as it sounds. Trader Joe's- An absolutely unnecessary stop. The staff member talking to us seemed to be making it up as he went along. It felt like the stop was added so we would feel we were getting our money's worth. Paradise Bakery- We didn't actually stop here, but fresh chocolate chip cookies were provided by our guide. Lindt- We spent a a fair amount of time here, and the staff was the second most knowledgeable, although we talk strictly about Lindt products. Samples galore here- I couldn't eat them all. Gourmet Boutique- This tiny shop is crammed with rad imported products. We tried some interesting products, including bacon chocolate with real bacon pieces. Taza Chocolate- We didn't stop here either, but the guide shared some Taza chocolate with us. Since it's stone ground, it has a very different texture than standard chocolate. I learned quite a bit, and had a pretty good time. read more

I took the chocolate workshop with a group of friends and we had so much fun! I learned more about chocolate than I ever thought possible. Dorian was so entertaining and fun to listen to. This is my kind of "school"! My husband and I left with about 4 boxes of delicious chocolates! I thought they would last us a while, but were gone in days. You can't have just one! I can't wait to try our new skills on home, I've already told family and friends that they need to check this out. If you are coming to the city and looking for something fun and different check it out! If you live in Boston and looking for a fun weekend activity check it out! Thanks Boston Chocolate for such a fun day! Can't wait to do it again! read more

After growing up in Massachusetts and living in Boston for a few years, there comes a time when you run out of things to do when people come to visit. I decided to take my parents on the South End Chocolate Tour this past weekend. I chose South End not only because the reviews seemed more positive about this tour than the other two, but because I never get around to visiting South End. I live in Beacon Hill and am in Back Bay often enough that I didn't see the point in traipsing through stores I've already visited. The South End tour was great. I definitely wouldn't pay $48 per ticket again, but it made for a pleasant afternoon. Our tour guide was filling in for the usual girl, so she didn't know as much about the stops, but she made do. We visited 9 stops and received: 1. Code 10 - a small piece of a brownie. 2. Flour - a full sized Oreo (my favorite, but I'm also biased because I love Flour) 3. Tremont 647 - a small portion of their Chocolate Martini and a small homemade peanut butter cup 4. ChocoLee Chocolates - a truffle of our choosing. 5. Appleton Cafe - a piece of brownie and a truffle. 6. Picco - a spoonful of homemade chocolate ice cream 7. Felicity Sweets - a Lake Champlain truffle 8. Gracie Finn - a truffle 9. South End Buttery - a mini cupcake There was a wide variety, though some of the portion sizes were small. I couldn't eat anything after stop #3, if only because after those three stops, I was full. The tour gives you a plastic bag to take uneaten chocolates home, which is nice. Overall, it was an interesting and different way to spend the day, and it's especially good if you've already run out of things to do in the city. I'd recommend it if you're willing to spend 2 and a half hours walking and want to spend $48 on a ticket. Nothing overly special, but nothing awful. read more

Taste of Chocolate is a great tour! I really enjoyed myself. Yes it is brand new and they still need to perfect their routine a little, but it was a very enjoyable adventure into chocolate paradise. I did the Back Bay tour, which stayed primarily on newbury.I think if someone wanted to impress a date, or show of for a great gift, this is a must because of how unique it was. Groupon saved me a bunch. Pros: -You were allowed to interact with ease with group leaders -Learned a ton about chocolate and the history of chocolate - Ate a ton of chocolate - Had enough time to spend at each place, ask the questions to the respected representatives of the place - Found new chocolate gems in the city - It is a perfect enviroment for meeting new people who are taking the tour Cons: - Price, a little too pricey - Gave us fresh hot baked chocolate chip cookies in an alley with garbage around (could have picked another place to do this, maybe inside too since it was raining) - Had a few other kinks, can tell they will perfect the routine though - read more

This year for Christmas we were again gifted a tour with the company. In my last review, I gave four stars trying to give the company the benefit of doubt and be nice. However, after this last tour, I would say that I would definitely not recommend this company, and I think it only fair to warn people who might spend good money on this tour thinking they will get one thing when they will get quite another. This year our tour was the hot chocolate tour. The tour started significantly late at a coffee shop that made us each a small hot chocolate from Ghirardelli hot cocoa mix (this is what I buy at the grocery store). Next we very slowly walked a ways to another coffee shop where we were served more meh luke warm chocolate. Our final stop on the "hot chocolate" tour was at David's Tea. At this point we left the tour (by the third stop it had already been close to two hours). The last two stops were at bakeries, which we have visited numerous times. While both bakeries have decent hot cocoa, it is not exactly what they are known for. As you read this review, you might notice a trend--two coffee shops, one generic tea chain that you can find anywhere in the US, and two bakeries. Not exactly a "hot chocolate" tour. If you want a really slow walk around the city drinking very mediocre to bad hot cocoa this is for you. But if you really do want good hot chocolate and to visit to some really great and unique stores, save yourself some money and go on a walk on your own and visit L.A. Burdicks, Max Brenner, or Cafe Madeleine--all of which are unique and truly have excellent hot chocolate. This begs the question, why didn't we stop at several of the numerous locations in the neighborhood known for their hot chocolate? I suspect it is because they do not want to work with this tour company. Last year on our chocolate tour, there was a rather uncomfortable encounter at one of the best shops and we didn't get chocolate. At the time I felt the tour was being treated unfairly, but now I rather suspect that the tour company was at fault. The sad part about this is that the concept is great, but poorly executed. Also sad is that a family member spent good money on this and was not even able to get a hold of anybody to ask for a refund. Oh well, at least we got to walk around the city. read more

I took the South End Chocolate Tour on Saturday afternoon as part of my best friend's Bachelorette Weekend. Our tour guide Victoria was wonderful. She was friendly, knowledgeable and knows her chocolate! The samples were all delicious and varied. I would definitely recommend the tour. My friends and I had a fabulous time and look forward to more tours with this great company! If you are taking the tour make sure to show up on an empty stomach -- you won't be disappointed. read more

The school of chocolate advertises weekly in Boston Calendar for things to do in Boston on weekends. I purchased a ticked through GOLDSTAR, (discounted on line co.), using a credit card to attend a truffle making class, on Saturday, 2-23-19, 12-2:00 PM for $56.00. The class was held in a rented store front at 3 Washington St. in Somerville, Ma, named Foundation Kitchen. This class, the instructor teaching class, and location is very dirty, unprofessional site, very cold inside with no to little heat during class. I would like to make a complaint so that others will NOT purchase this event. read more

This weekend, I went to a Boston Chocolate School Truffle Making Class. I'd been looking forward to the class for a month, and it did NOT disappoint! The instructor, Dorian, was knowledgeable, passionate, and hilarious, making it a really fun time. He was happy to chat and answer any questions you had while making the truffles. It's not every day you get to hang out with a Food Network "Sweet Genius" winner and make/eat chocolate! Here's a blog I wrote about the experience (with pics) if you want more information. I would 100% recommend this class. http://muchadoaboutsomethin.blogspot.com/2013/01/truffle-making-class-and-bgood.html read more

I purchased a gift voucher for my mother for Christmas and we decided to do the Cupcake Crawl....and we had a fabulous time! I wasn't exactly sure how many stops there would be and when my mom asked our guide, Sam, told us there would be 7! We were getting four "mini" cupcakes and three normal sized which we thought was fantastic....and a lot of cupcakes! :) Sam was super friendly and relaxed which was great because we've been on food tours before where guides have made us feel rushed. We took our time walking and the walk is really nice especially if you are not from the Boston area because you really get to see awesome parts of the city (or as a Boston native, they were some of my favorite places in the city). I liked that Sam gave us some history on cupcakes and Boston. That was a nice touch. I also loved how we had some fun surprises along the tour which I won't tell here because I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise for anyone else! My mom and I had a wonderful time and would definitely recommend this tour to others. We're excited about looking into other tours that Boston Chocolate Tours offers. Dad was definitely jealous that mom and I got to spend a lovely Saturday in the city eating cupcakes without him. Thanks Sam for giving us a great tour! read more

Boston Chocolate School & Tours - Cooking Classes Near Me

Dear Chocolate Tours. Thank you, thank you, for the exquisite and fun time. I had the pleasure to be with family and friends on a glorious day in the Back Bay, with a very entertaining and enthusiastic Guide Victoria. Victoria brought us to many interesting and delicious venues, each providing its own treats and surprises. Swiss chocolate, German, Fair Trade, the real deal. Champagne truffles and so many flavors to choose from. Our group had challenges of gluten free and also vegan needs. Victoria, and the hosts, handled these flawlessly and deliciously. I felt others were jealous of my gluten free scrumptious too beautiful to eat cupcake. I learned about not only chocolate, but Bostonian history as well, walking Newberry and seeing historic venues. Looking forward to my next tour (third!). read more

You wouldn't expect it from the name, but this place has a respectable wine selection. I went for "An Evening of Chocolate and Wine," which features a six-sample gourmet chocolate and wine tasting. Each wine is expertly selected to complement and enhance the nuanced flavor of the high-end chocolate. Deep dark chocolate is suddenly spicy and warm with cinnamon notes. Milk chocolate is smooth and creamy with a subtle floral finish. They will teach you, in case you don't already know, how to develop your own unique palette to sense new flavors and notes. From stone ground, organic chocolate to delicate truffles, our samples will vary month to month and season to season. An elegant and intimate event, An Evening of Wine and Chocolate is perfect for first dates, evenings with friends, or a unique night out in Boston. The tasting lasts for about 1.5 hours, depending on group size and interactivity. Perfect for beginners, Boston Chocolate School's Evening of Chocolate and Wine will teach you how to expertly pair wine and chocolate, creating new and unexpected tastes that delight the senses. Wine connoisseurs with a more seasoned palette might prefer other alternatives in the area. But even as an experienced taster I enjoyed myself--this is the perfect place to take your friends who aren't as interested in the finer side of wine. read more

QUICK ADVICE (in case you don't read any further, I admit I had a LOT to say): Get a group of friends together, grab a few forks, and walk around the North End ordering any chocolate delicacies that pop out to you! You'll be able to do it for a FRACTION of the price, and you might actually eat something that tastes more unique than an Entenmanns chocolate cake! THE LONG VERSION: I can't believe I paid almost $50 for this Tour!! We did the Faneuil Hall/North End tour and it was far more comical than it was delicious. Thank goodness I went with some friends who have a good sense of humor, because at least we got a silly memory out of the experience. It seems that having chocolate (good or bad) on the menu was the only criteria when selecting a stop for this tour. The desserts we had were so generic and sub-par that by the end we were expecting to be taken to Burger King for a chocolate shake or a vending machine for a Kit Kat. I am actually capable of buying my own mediocre chocolate chip cookie without the aid of a tour guide. I assumed the tour would be full of hidden treasures, unique tastes, chocolate insights, and out-of-this-world options. Boy was I wrong! One of the more absurd stops was the hospital-food-chocolate-cake at Wagamama (a noodle bar). Every restaurant under the sun throws a dessert or two on their menu, and apparently that was good enough for this tour company. The least of their problems was that they kept calling it a 5 layer cake when it was 3 (I'm no baker, but even I know that the frosting does not count as a layer). Another "highlight" was eating a cannoli while standing beneath a leaky air conditioner in a dirty ally across from Mike's Pastry. While a Mike's cannoli is delicious - this wasn't even chocolate!! - and its flavor was far out shadowed by how difficult (and gross) it was to eat standing on the sidewalk while annoyed pedestrians tried to push past us. Our tour guide talked about how full she was at every stop and refused to eat anything. Her banter with the vendors over how she couldn't eat another bite was comical - because she didn't eat anything! Shouldn't a chocolate tour guide like to eat chocolate? Additionally, her explanation of the creation of chocolate was filled with inaccuracies, mispronunciations and awkward incorrect factoids. She'd clearly memorized a script (and not well!) Her knowledge base was limited to what others had told her, but she had no experiences of her own. After telling us how amazing the chocolate cream pie was at the Omni Parker House she confessed she'd "only used their bathroom" and never eaten there. While Godiva - our first stop - is always yummy, it came at a price. The only way to get our one free truffle (that excluded about a dozen things) was to join their membership club and hand over our e-mail address. I would assume that the $50 price tag on the tour would at save me from a shameful sales pitch. But, nope. I also incorrectly assumed this tour would include some variety. The online description had mentioned things like gelato - but there was none of that on our tour. It was all generic baked goods. Some gelato, hot chocolate, Sam Adams chocolate beer, or a chocolate-covered-SOMETHING would have added some nice variety. Also, why was water so insanely hard to come by on this tour? Tap water is free at every location we went to, but it was apparently off limits to us. While we were told to bring our own bottle, that goes pretty quickly on an 85 degree day. Our tour guide kept promising to get us water at the next stop, but was so timid that she didn't even have the courage to flag down the water at Cheers. We ended up going to the bar to get our own. Tour guides should be outgoing and dynamic, not fearful of asking for a glass of water. (And don't get me started again on the not-eating-chocolate part ...). The portions were smaller than the samples you get at Whole Foods. We could have just as easily popped into Maria's and asked for a taste (less than one square inch is what we got) of a dessert (that again - didn't have an ounce of chocolate in it!!!) ... and that would have been free! This tour company has an awesome idea, but they have a LOT more work to do if they want to charge anything more than a few bucks for something like this. It felt more like a PR opportunity for the bakeries we visited, and not like an insightful chocolate tour. BUMMER! read more

If I knew BCT had a yelp page I would have written reviews before for each tour we have done. We have done all 3 tours. The 4 stars is the overall score I would give them collectively. I will write a mini review for each one so everyone has an idea about them all Back Bay Tour: 4 stars This is a very good tour. Our guide Victoria was great, very knowledgeable, personable and overall one of the best tour guides we've had. The stops were great and we ended up spending a lot of money on chocolate because all of the stops had some really great products that were very unique. South End Tour: 4 stars Again this is a very good tour. Not as good as the Back Bay tour though. Some of the tastings were tiny bites and left wife and I very disappointed as you could barely get a taste for what it was. At our starting point we got a half of a bite of brownie the size of the tip of my pinky. Flour gave a very good portion of the best oreo I will ever had (because of this, we went back for lunch at the end. it was sooo good). At Tremont 647 we got a mini cupcake and a drink. This made up for the small portion at the other place, it was incredible. If the portion sizes were made larger at a couple spots, this would be a solid 5 star tour (as long as Victoria was running it) Cupcake Crawl: 2.5 stars This was the most disappointing tour we've had. The main issue, was the guide. When we started, our guide India told us that the our was supposed to end at 1:30, but she was going to try to get it to end by 1. This was very true. At most stops the second she handed out the last cupcake, she started walking. As we passed historic buildings, like the library, she would continue walking and just loudly give out facts about it. If you weren't within a few feet of her, you never would have known she was saying anything. Another issue, although much smaller, is that the take home cupcake container does not fit in the bag. So you either have to carry both and hold the cupcakes the right way, or put them on their side and they slide down go everywhere. The portion sizes on this tour were great. I was stuffed by the end and had a few to take home. The tour ended at a cold stone for rock solid ice cream cupcakes. When we got there, India informed us that this would be the last stop and she was going to go in, get the cupcakes, hand them out and leave. There was an envelope inside the bag for her tips and she would get them when she came out. She came back out a few minutes later and handed out the ice cream cupcakes, no spoons and collected the envelopes. She then said "if you need to get back to the start, the train is over there (she pointed to the main road) and you can get a cab around the corner. thanks everyone. bye". She said she was leaving to be an actress in California soon and this tour will be MUCH better once that happens. I can't imagine having someone care less about the tour or the products. I know its know easy to find a tour guide, but can't you just clone Victoria? read more

My girlfriend and I did the Back Bay Boston Chocolate Tour back in July and I was really impressed with the overall experience. I have to admit, I thought I was pretty well versed in the chocolate shops around the city but we visited a number that I had never even heard of. The chocolate selection was delicious and diverse - Champagne and caramel truffles, cupcakes, ice cream, chocolate mint brownie bits, bars with white chocolate and pistachios... they were also good about having an assortment of experiences, which I appreciated. We started off at the hotel chocolat, hit Ben & Jerry's where we found out a lot about their process and what goes into their ice cream, stopped in at a Swedish chocolate shop and even landed in a fun candy store where the women behind the counter let us try a variety of different things (including a chocolate covered grasshopper). I also have to give kudos to our tour guide Victoria. She was very nice, patient, moved the group along efficiently and comfortably and clearly had a great relationship with the different shops. She included some history along the way as well, which was a nice addition to all of the information that each of the shop owners would give us whenever we stopped. I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone who's visiting Boston or for those who have lived here but haven't gotten to know the ins and outs of the Back Bay's chocolate treasures. #Nom read more

I attended the truffle making class on Saturday 12/11 for a friend's birthday. What was supposed to be a fun and enjoyable day turned into a series of negative events. The instructor informed us early on that the number of attendees was much larger than normal. There were 41 of us in the class at nearly $90/each. There were also two assistants. The instructor had he chocolate history down and I'm sure would have been better in a smaller class. She adjusted her program to fit the number of people in the room and asked for people to be cognizant of the amount of materials they were using. For instance, a small batch of ganache was made as a truffle filler at the beginning of the class. It was made known that there was only enough for 4 truffles per person. No one at my entire table was able to use the ganache and when we approached the instructor she basically said she had warned people, but no one heeded her advice. There were only two tempering machines in the room. Tempering is an acquired skill and an important part of truffle making. Because there were only two machines, the wait was ridiculous and I felt incredibly rushed when I finally made my way to the machine. The tools were also all dirty and the instructor and assistants did little to help move the line, show technique, or much less offer suggestions. They even ran out of the decorative boxes to give the truffles as gifts and needed to use standard restaurant take-out boxes to fill-in. The instructor was also trying to urge customers to wear her fake tatoos advertising her new chocolate store. Why anyone in their right mind would do this is beyond me. I wouldn't recommend attending this workshop. It was the worst birthday gift I've ever been part of. If you love chocolate find another place to go, or have them guaranty in writing that if they go over a certain number of people, like 20 maybe, that you'll get your money back because it simply isn't fun and was extremely frustrating. Whomever decided that 41 people with two tempering machines, and not enough other supplies is either greedy or has no sense of customer service. read more

This was awesome. Victoria, our guide, was fun and interesting. We were so full after this tour we turned down some cupcakes later that night. This is a great and fun experience. I know some people have said that feel they do not get enough, but we did not have that experience. The owner even switched the night from Wednesday to Thursday for us and it was still full. This is a great experience and I recommend it for everyone who is in Boston. And hey, tip your tour guide, geesh!! Some people did not tip her, uncool. read more

We had a private chocolate and wine pairing tasting for an event a few weeks back. Totally not worth it. I had tried more than half the wines they brought (from Trader Joe's / Whole Foods - not unique picks), and they had the audacity to bring Lindt and Ghirardelli chocolates. On top of that, he said "Lindt, that's spelled L-I-N-D-T". I mean, come on, we're here to try some nice, interesting, and hopefully unique chocolates and wine, not some grocery store chocolate that I can get whenever I want. And I don't even have to pay a premium at a grocery store... read more

As a Boston resident, we did not expect much of the Boston Chocolate Tour; however it exceeded all of our expectations. We took the tour on a Saturday morning in the Back Bay Area and were pleasantly surprised by not only the caliber of the chocolate stores we stopped at but also by the professionalism of the tour in general. Each of the seven stops included not only a quick background about the chocolate we were given to try but the chocolate itself was unbelievable. From chocolate chip cookies from Flour to the champagne truffles at teuscher on Newbury Street everything was amazing. In addition, our tour guide Victoria was funny, knew what she was talking about and even encouraged each of the people on the tour to get to know each other. It was a great experience and I highly recommend it to tourists and residents!! read more

This review is for the truffle making workshop, which met for around 3 hours on a Saturday afternoon. The class started out with some hot chocolate and a discussion of the history of chocolate and chocolate processing, complete with props. The instructor then demonstrated how to make the ganache center of the truffles. and we were given trays with 3 flavors of ganache that he had made the night before. The instructor showed us how to roll the centers of the truffles and dip them into tempered chocolate to make tasty and pretty truffles. I ended up with 30 truffles, decorated 3 different ways. This class was more like a cake decorating class than a real cooking class because there wasn't a chance for us to actually make the truffle centers. That said, it makes sense that it was done this way because the truffle centers take a long time to cool. We were given recipes to try making the ganache at home, and the principles of making the truffle centers were explained very well. The mechanics of the class are well thought out and we had everything we needed, down to a pretty gold box, ribbon, and tag that we could use to make a professional looking box of truffles. Make sure you go with people you like, because there is a fair amount of downtime in the class where you're waiting to dip your chocolates or waiting for truffles to dry. If you have food allergies (especially nuts) you should probably talk to the organizer beforehand, as all the truffles have dairy in them and there are enough nuts around to cause problems if you are allergic, though I think you could make some nut-free truffles with a little planning. Overall, it was a nice afternoon with some friends. The box of truffles I made would have been a lovely gift for someone, if I had the willpower to avoid eating them myself! read more

Went today so wanted to write review while it was still fresh in my mind. I took my niece for her birthday and we both had a great time. Yes it's a pricey tour, but I thought it was worth it. We both had a great time. The tour guide Victoria was very friendly and upbeat. Made us laugh a few times. The stops were fun, but not really what I expected. However everyone has different tastes. We first had espresso and chocolate at Nespresso. We were offered several different types and I chose the dark chocolate, and it was just what I needed to start of a chilly morning. We then made our way to Hotel Chocolate which was really good. The store just made me happy when I walked in. We were brought to a back tasting room and given a brief history on the company and 3 different very delicious samples to try. And it was nice to get a discount at the store also. Next we made our way to Lush, which I have wanted to try out and enjoyed. My niece loved the store and the different lotions. Next we went to Ben & Jerry's, which I could have 100% done without when I can buy it on every street corner. I know some people like ice cream, so maybe find a place that sells home made ice cream or just get rid of this part. Next was Teuscher, which I thought was a very special store. Someplace I wouldn't normally go or experience, so I was happy this place was part of the tour. And I tasted by FAR one of the best truffles I have ever had. Yum. $$$ but yum if you want to treat yourself. Next we went to Sweets, which was good. People who worked there not happy we came, so that was awkward. And I have had way better cupcakes. Save your time and head over to Lulu's or Kick ass and get yourself a much better treat. Next we went to Lindt. It was good because I got my husband some white chocolate. Otherwise I didn't need to go there. They just broke up some candy I can buy at CVS and fed it to us. Take us to the lenox bakery instead ;o) Last stop was a cute little store in Copley that I forget the name. You can buy packaged chocolates from all of the world. And the girl who worked there LOVES chocolate and had so much enthusiasm, it was a great refreshing way to end the tour. Overall good experience. I wouldn't do this particular tour again, but may want to try a different one. read more

You're not going to learn much about Boston, the locations you go to or even chocolate. You'll get a series of samples that are a far cry from being worth the price of the tour and spend most of the time walking in silence or hearing your guide (at least if you're unlucky enough to have Victoria) prattle on with tired jokes and banter to fill in the unnecessary TWO AND A HALF HOURS that this tour wastes. The places you visit seem to have an attitude of either "oh, it's these people now" or worse, too busy to even deal with you. read more

Got a deal on Groupon and took the truffle making workshop. It was a total rip off and a frustrating waste of time. The first hour and a half or so was taken up by a "chef" explaining the history of chocolate and how to temper chocolate. Dull, pretentious and uninformative. We just sat there the whole time while the guy talked and heated up chocolate. There wasn't even a mirror above his work station to see what (little) he was doing. Three people fell asleep. My friend and I just started started texting. When it came time to make the truffles, each person was given three "strips" of truffle base which could be rolled into individual balls and dipped in different toppings. I made the tiniest balls and walked away with 26 truffles, and my friend made 31 truffles (and only because a few that she made were the size of a fingernail). And I PROMISE you they did not taste as good as store bought ones. I learned absolutely nothing new - and normally wouldn't have even minded if at least the chocolate was good or the class was fun or informative. But it was nothing like that; frankly, I felt taken advantage of. read more

We went to the chocolate school on a Saturday during the holiday season. While we were told when we signed up 2 months in advance that class size was limited, we showed up to find the room far exceeded the stated limit. This was noted by the chocolate "chef" who then had to readjust her presentation to rush through things so we would have time to make our chocolate truffles. Then, without requiring participants to wash their hands or wear gloves, we dug right in to chocolate making - sharing tools, touching chocolate, etc. - at least we did once we waited in line for an hour to get to the chocolate pots. Unfortunately those at the end of the line had very little left with which to work. Overcrowded. Disorganized. Unsanitary. Disappointing. Addendum: The founder of the school contacted our group the day this was posted to complain about this post. Fortunately, his action was balanced later in the week by the marketing manager from the school apologizing for the situation and offering amends. We appreciate his desire to improve the experience for others, and hope that others have a better experience in the future as a result. read more

Loved this chocolate tour and loved our guide Victoria! It's a good way to experience Boston and eat some tasty food along the way. We had seven stops on our tour and the samples were very different at each place-- the highlight for me was the champagne truffle at Teuscher Chocolates, but everything was great! Victoria was knowledgeable and funny and clearly loves chocolate even more than I do :) but don't go expecting to eat a TON of chocolate unless you buy it yourself... You do get some at every place and many of the stops offer discounts to tour groups, but you're really paying for the experience here, not only the amount of chocolate you get. Remember that and you will probably enjoy this experience. read more

Southie? I never knew! I never knew the evil lurching within! So, our Victoria the imp dresses in chocolate tour guide, took us on an exploration of treats and neighborhoods that was worth the group on, the calories and the potential tooth decay. If I have to go, this is a great way to go! You wander some charming and quaint Southie neighborhoods exploring vendors with some surprising confections and products. Our guide was cute, well versed in chocoholism and entertaining. "NO CHOCOLATES LEFT BEHIND" is her motto... and even for the most die hard chocomaniac, that was hard. 8 stops, with 6 really good ones and 2 meh. Fun for the Southie virgin or if you are tired of taking your out of towners on duck tours or the museum of science - something new and sweet to do. NOT INEXPENSIVE. I will say though - if you have kids that can't behave, this is not a tour for them. Sorry. But some of the places are small and require manners and etiquette to move around, and not too well behaved kids will make the experience unhappy for themselves and others... Im not sure its worth the regular price, but if you get a group on or living social - this tour is worth the try! read more

I bought the Groupon for the chocolate truffle workshop for my husband and myself. I'm not sure I would have paid full price but it was definitely worth the Groupon price. Dorian was our chocolatier and he was great! He was very personable and knowledgeable. He asked the group how much we wanted to "learn" about chocolate and how much we wanted to just get to work making it. It seemed that he was willing to adjust his presentation for the particular group. It was a very informative afternoon, learning the history of chocolate and how it was used for caffeine before coffee, as well as how vanilla was discovered in Madagascar. Dorian certainly knew his stuff. The making of the chocolate was fun and it was neat to see and learn about the tempering process. Not the best chocolate in the world but you can't really go wrong with chocolate! All in all, a great afternoon! read more

3.5 stars, but I err on the side of caution! This review is for the walking chocolate tour of the South end, which included places like Aroa, South End Buttery, Flour Bakery, Picco, Tremont 647 (yummuy chocolate martini), Olde Dutch Cottage Candy and more. Pros: -the South end is gorgeous, obviously- and there are tons of places to see -the group leader had treats from other establishments NOT in the South End (Sweet tooth, Pure Chocolate, etc.) -learned a ton about chocolate and how it's made, especially at Aroa. Cons: -You can tell this whole thing is new. Some of the kinks have yet to be worked out. The major con is that some of the places we visited seemed to have ABSOLUTELY no idea we were coming, which is kinda awkward since we're a group of 14 people + a leader. -COST. There is NO WAY I would have paid the full price. I got a deal from Groupon. All in all, I'd recommend. I'd be very, very curious to see what happens in a few months when all of the kinks are worked out a bit. read more

I did both tours with Boston Chocolate Tours (Back Bay and South End) and thoroughly enjoyed them both. Victoria was an excellent guide, providing funny commentary along with lots of info about chocolate. All of the treats we sampled were excellent. And the tour introduced me to a few new favorite spots I want to return to (like Tremont 647). Thanks for a great day!! read more

This review is for the Back Bay Chocolate Tour. Victoria was a great tour guide. The highlight of the tour was the adorable (and delicious!) chocolate mice from L.A. Burdick. And five of the other six stops ranged from good to very good. Unfortunately, there was one major exception: Sugar Heaven. That would make sense if this had been a candy tour, but we were on a *chocolate* tour. The free samples we were offered weren't even chocolate! This one stop...well, "ruined" would be much too strong a word, but I'll say..."tarnished" my experience and respect for the tour. B.C.T., if you're reading this, do yourself a favor and ditch Sugar Heaven. Even if that means you end up with 6 stops instead of 7, it would be addition by subtraction. read more

Had a wonderful Saturday touring Back Bay chocolate shops! Victoria was our tour guide and was not only full of fun chocolate facts but kept us laughing and entertained the whole time. Each shop had something unique and delicious to offer along with a little background information about their store and specialties. I was very impressed with several store owners dedication to fair trade items. The discounts we received amped up the purchasing incentive and there really was something for every palate. We got goodie bags that doubled as carry all for those extra chocolate items we couldn't possible manage to finish on the spot but wouldn't dare leave behind. It was a great day and I would recommend it to any chocolate lover or person looking for some Saturday entertainment. Well done Boston chocolate tours and thank you for introducing me to stores I can't wait to go back to! read more

A friend of mine was offered 2 free tickets to do the South End tour and she invited me along. I can't say no A) a free ticket and B) free chocolate, so it was looking to be a very pleasant Saturday. Our tour guide was one word: excellent. This girl LOVES her chocolate! She had tons of cool facts to share but it wasn't like she was reciting memorized "I'm a tour guide and this is what I'm paid to say" garbage. She was incredibly engaging and energetic, and even told us about how she will recommend a new tour stop because she will have tried a new dessert at a restaurant that was amazing. Yes, she still orders chocolate when she goes out to dinner. The tour had a decent amount of stops, and because it was such a beautiful day it was very pleasant walking around. Plus, I got to see some places in Boston that I'd never even seen (who would think to walk down those little South End side streets?). You get to eat A LOT of chocolate. Even after the first place I was like "mmm I'm full!" and we still had 8 more to go! They do a nice job with the walking in between to help with digestion, and they are very cute in giving everyone a packet of pretzels "for when you need a salt break". On the tour its not really a chocolate tasting, but more of a try things with chocolate in them tasting. Which was great, just unexpected. The Flour bakery homemade Oreos and the Buttery chocolate espresso smoothies were the highlights of the day. The chocolate martini from Tremont 647 was awesome (though they are not known for their chocolate in general) So the afternoon was filled with walking, talking, and chocolate. We went to places that I would definitely want to go back to again (to try nonchocolate things). When my friend and I were leaving, talking about what a nice tour it was, we got to thinking: would we have paid the money for it? This tour is generally pretty pricey ($48 each). You get a little taste of chocolate from 8 - 9 different places, and a discount badge you can use for the next week at various stores (getting about 10% off each place). The decision: its too expensive. We think there would be a ton of 20-something who would love to spend a Saturday afternoon on one of these tours, but no one would be able to afford it! Especially with how many students are in Boston. Its a great tourist thing or if your parents come into town, but I think the majority of Bostonians would rather spend that money on grocery shopping and a few drinks. If the price was reduced to about $25 - 30 I could see many more people thinking it was worth the money. But at this price what they are offering is just not worth it. We both said we probably would have been disappointed if we had dropped the cash rather than getting a chance to check it out for free. read more