On my way from work to a friend's house for book club and dinner, it was my responsibility to bring the dessert. But with a convenient bus going directly from Bank to just around the corner from her house, I was a frantic mess searching for a basic shop in which to buy some sweets. Luckily, I didn't find a convenience store (let's think about the location here) -- I happened upon Paul A. Young and was in choc heaven. It's a wonder that the place was still open, considering the area -- shops and cafes usually close at 5 or earlier when you're surrounded by office buildings. I can guarantee I was the only customer that day, which meant I got wonderful personal treatment from the shopkeeper. First of all, I want to bottle the smell of the shop's interior and sell it for millions. I could spend hours in there just sniffing. The kind man behind the counter was very helpful in pointing out EVERYTHING in the shop that was dairy-free. Because he was so nice, I ignored the prices and bought 4 dark chocolate mice, a small box of ferrero rocher style chocolate clusters, and a small box of mint chocolate slices. All wrapped up in some tissue paper in a beautiful carrier bag, and I was on my way. And I have to say, the girls were impressed with my dessert choice. I'll definitely be going back to Paul's again. read more

Get the Aztec hot chocolate! It's amazing, pure decadent chocolate that just coats your tongue and sends bolts of pleasure straight to your brain. You can add various spices to it to customise it for your tastes, but overall it will satisfy even the most demanding of chocolate cravings. I first went to this place to find an appetiser for the "dessert as dinner" concept for a first date. I had heard rumors of delicious chocolate mice and had to see these for myself. I can confirm the rumours, they are delicious and well worth the hunt. I was grinning like the Cheshire cat as I walked away carrying my prize. The shop is small but stacked with chocolate in all conceivable forms and flavourings. The smell is overwhelming and breathing deeply can be enough to hit your chocolate limit. read more

This place does all things chocolate, and they do it exceedingly well. Virtually everything I've tried here is wonderful, and the staff have always been incredibly enthusiastic and chirpy, no matter what time of day it is. I've had the brownies, the ice-cream, the hot chocolate (pure chocolate, no milk!), chocolate bars and chocolate truffles, and, believe me, they are fantastic. They're not cheap - but gourmet chocolate usually isn't - and once you've tried it, you'll be wondering how on earth you coped with substandard chocolate for so long. Not content to go down the tried-and-test route, Mr. Young makes truffles with the most unusual flavours including marmite and stilton. I loved the chilli chocolates, but haven't had the two I just mentioned, though I'm of the maxim that if it weren't in demand, he wouldn't still be stocking them! Paul A. Young also stocks other brands of chocolate, including Amadei (you must try the Chuao bar) and Tcho (a brand which seeks to enhance each distinct flavour found in chocolate in individual bars - it's hard to explain). They're also very generous with samples; when I was there last week, I ended up sampling two whole truffles in addition to bits of bars while choosing a box of nine truffles for a gift! read more

Popped in the other day for a little afternoon treat came out with a perfectly formed little pot of iced goodness. Salted caramel chocolate iced goodness to be exact, draped in more melted chocolate and sprinkled with little chocolate nibs. Fifteen minutes later I was full up and was resting easy knowing I'd experienced icecream perfection. Paul A Young is one of those rare chocolate people that manages to make sure that the quality is just as good outside of the regular chocolate and truffles. So often the icecream and hot chocolate of chocolate makers isn't quite right - I can confirm that Mr Young has got it spot on. I left my hot chocolate bag at my parents' house when I moved to London. I miss it every day. read more

Really lovely shop this is the place to go to for some of the best chocolate IN THE WORLD. Slightly hidden but it is on the corner next to the Keihls read more

Beautiful shop in the financial district. Found the purveyors very friendly and helpful. Chocolates were very, very good!

The smell of the foods is enough to make my mouth watering and craving for a delightful dessert, finally, it is again one of the cutest & sweetest chocolate shops that I came in. The staffs are sweet as their chocolate they are very really passionate and knowledgeable to all the products that they are selling. Love it! read more

Fantastic chocolate shop - I stopped in here to get ice cream and it was so chocolatey it was mind-blowing. The owners/staff are friendly, too. Highly recommended. read more

The flavors here are clever and varied, which is why I come here often to buy gifts for friends (and myself...). Smaller items start at 3 quid items while expensive ones can be in the 20s. From its creamy and thick hot chocolate, decadent brownies, intriguing truffles (flavors coming in Marmite, Whiskey, Champagne, etc), sea salt chocolate bars, to its Mast Brothers imports from Brooklyn... this store is a sugar wonder world. read more

THE. BEST. CHOCOLATE. EVER. This guy is a cocoa genius. Particularly worth checking out is the ice cream he has--only in summer. It's a bit expensive, but I'm confident it's worth every penny! Do not miss this place if you like chocolate. read more

my colleague told me about this place last Easter, so i thought i would have to check it out. and may i say, i have never looked back. the chocolate is the best i have ever tasted, and they do these little 1/2cm balls of chocolate in a box which are to die for. The chocolate brownies are also absolutely amazing and make you want more. I have shopped in there so many times, and they do some really nice presents like a really pretty heart shaped chocolate for val's day and Easter related chocolate for Easter. My partner loves the white choc lollys they do and I always buy her some of them when Im around there read more

This a chocolate heaven! I could never resist it. I know that the owners love this business and put a lot of effort so every product is on the highest level as a result. read more

Chocolate like you have never tasted before. Slightly pricy but well worth it. Yum.

Amazing chocolate shop with a fantastic aroma. From truffels to brownies if you like chocolate this is the place for you. Very high quality chocolate made on site however it's quite expensive, a brownie costs nearly £3, i'd reccomend it as a place to buy gifts. Make sure you check out the window display to see the amazing things it'spossible to create with chocolate. read more

I'm a renowned chocoholic amongst my friends and family and I can honestly say that Paul's chocolate is the best I have ever tasted. My wife and I have been to Paul's shop a number of times and I highly recommend the brownies, honestly, 5-10 seconds in the microwave (sorry Paul this is probably sacrilegious!), with a dash of ice-cream and you are in dessert heaven. What may not be so obvious is that Paul also does bespoke creations, and in our case he provided our wedding cake. We had a hundred mini chocolate cupcakes in a mixture of white and dark chocolate; the rich chocolate smell from the cake was so good that people still ask me about it to this day. Magnificent! read more

I cannot resist to a chocolate of good quality and here chocolate is definitely best in the city!

These are the tastiest unique chocolates I have ever had. Usually wierd flavors mean more flair than taste, but not so here.

I believe that PAY's chocolate is the best in the world. That's all there's to it. I try others, but keep coming back to PAY's and reconfirming my belief. They sell a variety of chocolates, from single origin choco bars to wildly flavoured treats. Recently, I had their dark chocolate sorbet as my lunch. It was creamy (w/out cream), intensely chocolatey and not overly sweet. Indulgent, yes, and deeply satisfying. In the winter, I love their hot chocolate with the different spices (chili, cardamom are faves). Their shops are lovely too, especially this one in The City at the back of the Royal Exchange. It is a tiny space with a wooden Victorian/Edwardian (?) interior - perfect to enhance the choco smell. Staff is always helpful and friendly. read more

Paul A Young proves that making chocolates is both a science and an art, with a little bit of magic too. The truffles are imaginative and delicious (my favourite is geranium) and the ice cream is superb too. But my guiltiest pleasure is the brownies. Not cheap as the other reviewer notes, but they are the best bang for your buck, and I'm hoping that we get either the Autumn Spice brownie or the christmas pudding brownie back again soon. read more

The chocolate ice cream is AMAZING. It's just perfect. So are the brownies, rich, moist, and sweet -- by far, the best brownies I have ever had. read more