The service is significantly better than the chocolate shop down the street (I'm not naming names). I had called in a rather large order called in for a Christmas party I was catering and from the phone call to the pick up, everything was easy. I'm sure a large pick up order isn't going to make or break their business, but the nevertheless, they at least acted like they were grateful for the money (unlike their competition - who was snobby and rude). I will be utilizing their services again. read more

Locally made chocolates...does it get much better? The shop is so cute and full of truffles, bon bons, and the like. There is a window to the back area, so you can see how the chocolate is made. Gail Ambrosius, who swears that is her real name, spent time studying the art in France, and it shows. The treats are fantastic. High quality chocolate with high quality ingredients. It's a good place to be adventurous and try new flavors. My personal favorite is the caramel with sea salt. Excellent!! As far as I'm concerned, there is no where else to go for quality chocolates in Madison. read more

These are the chocolates I buy for everyone and I will continue to buy them for any occasion that I feel deserves chocolates. Valentine's Day, birthdays, new jobs, bad days at work, "your new puppy ate your best pumps and now you're feeling blue?" These are all occasions for Gail Ambrosius' delicious truffles. While some of the flavors are not for everyone (complex flavors and dark unadulterated chocolates) the salted caramel certainly is. Do yourself a favor and grab a small box or a single truffle. It will make any day better. read more

Super good, hand made dark chocolates. I love that they have a rice milk chocolate that my son can eat because he has a dairy allergy. Their truffles are also really good. I like the rose truffle and the vanilla one. There are also more exotic flavors like curry. They also have other cute chocolate treats like chocolate turtles and buddhas. read more

I always make a stop here when I'm passing through Madison. Their chocolate is out-of-sight. Especially their specialty flavors and homemade marshmallows. I can't wait to visit Madison again! :) read more

Caramel with sea salt. It will stop you in your tracks.

I love Gail Ambrosius chocolates. The flavors are so rich, and the truffles are beautiful. I get the salted caramel, cardamom, rose, and raspberry truffles a lot, but each time I get a box I pick out six different flavors. Recently they've had a brandied cherry cordial truffle as one of their seasonal specials--oh my goodness were those good. I also like their nut mixes, chocolate-dipped candied ginger, and sorbets. Plus! Bicycle Benefits sticker = 2 FREE TRUFFLES with your purchase. Need I say more? FREE TRUFFLES. read more

YUM yum YUM!!!! hoping to try the sorbet this summer. go Gail! I have now had the Pear Sorbet and it is amazing! Gail suggested pairing it with Blue Cheese from Fromagination and toasted walnuts - they paired quite nicely indeed. Also delicious this trip was a Fig Truffle. read more

We all know there's nothing like chocolate, but what do you say to chocolate made locally up to hours before time of purchase from quality ingredients by a Wisconsin native who studied chocolate-making in France? Gail Ambrosius is the only correct answer to this question. This cute little shop has nothing but a display case full of truffles ranging from whacky to wonderful (such flavors include jasmine tea, kentucky bourbon, rose garden), and a few shelves full of other chocolate items. The gourmet chocolate bars look as great as they taste, and make a wonderful gift. I love the three hot nuts bar, as well as the cherry almond. A little pricey, but worth it. Other products include hot chocolate mix, chocolate sauce, holiday specials and t-shirts. The front end staff is friendly though not always chocolate educated. However, rumor has it you can find Gail Ambrosius herself on site most days whipping up this Mad-town wonder. read more

Absolutely amazing. I love this place! My personal favorite is the salted caramels, but their vegan truffles are also delicious! I love going in here once a month or so to get my grandmother fancy chocolates because she is allergic to milk and can't get them anywhere else. Bonus: they do Bike Benefits here and also have truffle and box punch cards! read more

This is the best dark chocolate I've ever eaten. I'm so sad to know that they stopped making the 99% dark. They claim it's because people didn't like it because *somehow* they couldn't figure out that it was going to be bitter. Those people need to not eat here; they're ruining it for the rest of us. The 99% dark truffle was the greatest truffle ever. Anyway, I still love Gail's chocolates. I hope to have them shipped to me when I no longer live in WI. :) read more

I am not a huge fan of sweets, so Ambrosius chocolates are perfect for me. You don't get the gross, overly sweet fillings that are all powdered sugar and flavorings. The caramel was salt on it, which was surprising at first, but when you mix the flavors in your mouth, you get something really amazing. The Earl Grey was a very unusual flavor, but it was delightful. Just thinking about the the caramel makes my mouth water. read more

For a specialty Chocolatier, this place is great! The selection changes quite a bit and the flavors they have are amazing, just one day is usually enough to suffice... OK, maybe two!!! The price is steep, $2 a piece can get expensive, especially when buying them as gifts for people. But once you've experienced such decadent truffles, you too will be hooked for life! read more

Just received a box of the fall collection as a gift. I'm probably being snobby, but the truffles are average, not spectacular. I also think it's a matter of personal preference. I like center of truffles to be bit more airy and soft, where as Gail's is pretty solid firm. I think Candina makes softer ones, which is my type. The flavor infusions are not quite done right. I can't quite appreciate all the flavors that are supposed to be there. Compared to other big names like Recchiuti, these truffles falls a bit short. read more

Completely by accident, I stopped by this store when they were having a 5-year anniversary party. Everyone was in evening gowns, cheering and laughing and having a blast. They gave me free goodies and even asked me to join them! This is a store where the staff clearly knows how to have fun doing something they love. This store is full of chocolate--bars, truffles, baking nibs, cocoa drink mix, marzipan squares. I've eaten my way about halfway through their selections, and all of it is delicious. Add in excellent service service; when they notice my Bicycle Benefits helmet sticker, they offer me my free truffle even if I don't ask. What could be better? More! More more more! How about a chocolaty frozen treat of some kind? read more

First let me state I worked for a Chocolatier when I lived in Iowa. Though I am not a chocolate fan, I appreciate and enjoy a good chocolate. The chocolate I tasted was very good. I didn't buy because I am buying for my husband, our Anniversary. Why 4 stars? I have friends that told me how they were treated when they didn't buy. I experienced the same. I am sure the customer service would have been great had I bought. Will I get chocolate for my husband next month? Not sure yet read more

Lemongrass ginger chocolate truffle? WHAT THE WHAT? It was very delicious, and I'm not really into chocolate. Service was friendly. Bonus points for the chocolate Eiffel Tower. read more

I feel the tension rising....This place is a "3" for me. First of all, the decor is very cold and uninviting. The staff doesn't greet you. I have to stand there or give a little wave. Come on - I want to buy candy and leave. And the candy is good but it is too decadent at times. I wish there were some simpler options. The flavor combinations don't strike me as anything I want to eat. Overall, this is not my favorite chocolate place. However, it is good and a nice little tidbit after Monty's. read more

If you like dark chocolate, this is your place! I went here on a whim with my friend after a big breakfast at Blue Plate Diner and got a 6-piece box of truffles and chocolate dipped candied orange peels. Soooo yummy and satisfying. I really like how smooth the chocolate was and the variety of flavors. They have the usual flavors like salted caramel and raspberry, but they also have some interesting varieties like ginger. Definitely recommend. read more

Simply the best. From start to finish. My shortest review ever? Yes.

This place kicks Candinas' ass by a long shot. Granted, you have to like dark chocolate, complex flavors, and high quality. If you don't value these qualities, go up to the capitol and get some super-sugary nonsense. read more

It is difficult to write a review anymore. If someone doesn't like your review, they contact Yelp and Yelp removes it. That being said, allow me to declare these chocolates average. I am not sure what all these people are talking about, saying the store is filled with "bob-bons." The number of different chocolates available I could have counted on my hand. Yes, they are real chocolates, as opposed to say, a Godiva, where it's mass produced candy by Campbell's Soup, but there is so much better chocolate out there. My immediate thought is Jacques Torres Chocolate in New York. That is chocolate. There is Vosges. I realize you can buy their candy bars in World market, but if you get a chance to visit a retail shop, the chocolate and the uniqueness of the combination certainly surpasses anything sold here. La Maison du Chocolat makes incredible truffles. read more

Seriously over priced with a very small selection. The store was clean and staff were friendly but I'll never go back. While the 2, small, pieces of candy that we had we're decent it does not justify the price. read more

Saturday I stopped in for my bi weekly chocolate fix. I've been a customer here for about 10 years. The chocolate is great but the service has fallen off the chart. A nice person waited on me, I spent the usual $40 or so, then went to get a cup of hot chocolate. A young gentleman told me it was gone and they weren't going to make anymore. I've never left the store before without the taste of chocolate on my tongue so I searched the counter for a sample...and there weren't any, so I enquired if the policy had changed...and with a look...the young man began to search tray after tray, over and over, looking ...as he explained for an imperfect specimen, while his 3 co-workers chatted....after a very long wait he finally handed me a piece that he explained wouldn't sell. I've never felt less valued as a customer. read more

Very good if you like upscale, delicious dark chocolates. Free samples of hot cocoa and caramels greeted us upon arrival. We had hoped for a more behind-the-scenes look at the chocolate process before coming here, but we weren't disappointed by the taste quality at all. read more

This place is a must for any dark chocolate lover! Many have mentioned the sea salt caramels in prior reviews, which are amazing, but pumpkin is my favorite truffle. Best of all, they're available now for the season. They even have some beer ones right now. These gems are a little pricey, but they're worth the splurge every now and then! Seems to be the trend......along with cheese curds and venison sausage, GA chocolates are always the most requested items from WI by my CA friends whenever I'm back in Madison! read more

Simply some of the best truffles I have ever tasted. The tea-themed have delicate flavors that, while they may not really remind me of the tea, are still delicious. The absolute best was raspberry -- I couldn't believe it when I tasted it. Some chocolatiers are overpriced and not worth the price -- Gail Ambrosius's chocolates are worth every cent. read more

Best chocolate in the state of WI. When people tell me they love chocolate such as Godiva, I want to shake them. You don't know good, high quality chocolate until you've had Gail's. Sets the bar for anything I've tried since. The truffle flavors, quality and texture are perfect. I've never been disappointed whether it's been truffles, the chocolate tumbled dried cherries or hot chocolate. Hard to narrow down a favorite but as other people have mentioned, the sea salt caramels are amazing. read more

The only thing that this place sells are truffles, and they tasted extremely bitter and nothing like what the specified flavors suggested. Wouldn't recommend at all! Each truffle is priced at $2.00 a piece, I'd recommend going to Walmart and getting truffles instead, being that they actually taste good. read more

Best chocolate I have ever had, hands down. I am from out of state, and when I come to Madison, everyone back home had an order of chocolates for me to bring home. If I am ever on death row, my last meal is going to finish in the salted caramels. read more

We stopped in Sat while visiting Madison. Sampled some hot chocolate with marshmallows - yum. Bought a box with 6 truffles, and now that we've eaten them - they are just excellent, taste, consistency, and appearance. There was a steady stream of customers in and out the entire time we were in the shop, many clearly regulars based on their order familiarity, a good sign of their quality and appeal. We live in Chicago, the home of Vosges truffles/chocolates - they are outstanding and now available nationwide I believe. Gail Ambrosius truffles are in the same league -world class! read more

Did the 6-pack of truffles (just under $12). I found the chocolate to be too bitter, and the flavors were not distinguishable. I'm willing to pay a premium for good chocolate, but this tasted like eating chocolate chips right out of the bag. Look at the website for The Perfect Truffle in Maryland for some creative truffles! I know you can't taste them, but they are to-die-for...these just need to die. read more

The best dark chocolate we have ever had! Nice selection. Pleasant store. Sorbet delicious!

I'm giving this one 5 stars because the dark chocolate is so good! Her ingredients are fresh and top quality. They make excellent gifts with many options available for sizes and combinations. You can also get them shipped to you now. read more

Don't let the creativity of these artisan chocolates intimidate you. Everything here is so delicious that you can't go wrong in your selection even if you close your eyes and merely point at the display case! I spoil my little grandson with the lovely chocolate Buddhas; he will probably never eat a Hershey's bar! I am so happy that dark chocolate is good for me, as that's just one more reason to stop at Gail Ambrosius. read more

My partner and I recently treated ourselves to a box of six of their truffles. We both fell in love with every single flavor, with a consensus that the apple cider was best kept to a maximum of one, lest it become 20. Gail's chocolates are a quality treat, and made our regular old day off feel special. Perfect for a treasured moment, or a plain Monday! read more

My favorite chocolates. I think I started with the Earl Grey a few years ago and I've never looked back. We go to lunch nearby and then stop off here for dessert. read more

Nice little place. We did not buy anything, because I saw way too many nuts on items and my son is allergic to nuts. If you love dark chocolate, this is your place. read more

Six stars. The best truffles I've ever had. Sublime, well-balanced flavors that are selected and mixed with the utmost care. Less fussy flavor-wise (in a good way) than David Bacco. Incredible texture and mouth feel, ideal density. Natural flavor combinations without the artificial flavor or aroma that distracts and lingers after so many other run-of-the-mill truffles. Beautiful, natural edible adornments contribute to the pure attitude and textural experience of these chocolates. No silly air brushes here! Plus, she knows how to use sugar: sparingly. Gail's commitment to fresh truffles is clear, and it shows in the clarity of flavor. (Whenever I ask other shops how often they make fresh batches, the look on the clerk's face makes mine fall.) Her local roots make shopping here even more worthwhile. I haven't lived in Madison for five years; I rely on visiting friends to bring me her sweets, and they are consistently better than anything available in Colorado, at least. Drawbacks? The last time I stopped in, the clerk switched the labels on two boxes and I ended up mailing them to the wrong people. I was disappointed, but only for a moment: Gail's chocolates are so good, it really doesn't matter which ones you get, as proven by the earnest thank you notes I got from my friends. read more

Six stars! The first 5 are for the chocolate and the 6th is for service. I don't live locally and Easter totally crept up on me. I called the store the Friday before Easter and asked if they could deliver some gifts for my family. My mother's place is right down the street from the store and they hand delivered my order (free of charge) within a few hours of my call! I will always use this store for all of my chocolate gifts. Did I mention that the chocolate is awesome too... read more