CocoaBella Chocolates

C and I have been loyal customers of CocoaBella for ten years, spending hundreds of dollar each year on boxes of their artisan chocolates for gifts for friends and family. I was astonished when I arrived that their San Francisco Westfield Centre location yesterday and was told by the employees that they had a limited selection because the entire company is closing («Our lease is up and our owner is retiring»).
What bothered me was the attitude of the employees. They were playing loud, inappropriate music from a boom box beneath the counter. They weren’t overly helpful in assisting me with my large order. It was your classic «what are they going to do, fire us» kind of attitude.
I made my last large order, which had to be hand packed with whatever leftover chocolates they had behind the glass. I paid my $ 300+ and left with my bag of chocolates, but with a sour taste in my mouth.

I think these very might well be the best chocolates I’ve had in the United States. I came here back in October and was pleasantly surprised at all the selections that they had. I think my favorite was this olive oil dark chocolate hazelnut from Italy, oh yes, I forgot to mention that, they employ different chocolatiers from all over (Italy, Belgium, France etc) and the only issue I have is that they are not really that well priced. A box of 20 is $ 45… at the time it seemed reasonable because the chocolates really are works of art, but now that I think of it that’s 2.25 a chocolate. I suppose you get what you pay for though. I will most likely order some for the holidays this year, even with the price.

(4:00)
It was the kind of day/​week that requires a dose of self-​medication. Since I’m clean, sober, and currently over-​caffeinated that leaves only ice cream, cheese,
So I chose candy. I spur-​of-​the-​moment walked into Cocoa Bella.
I asked each chocolate pusher what her favorite item was. Not what sells the most. Not what they’d recommend. And I had to keep redirecting them, not to «sell» me what I might like, but to tell me what they liked. What they thought I should have.
I’d told the First Lady that I needed candy therapy when she asked how I was doing. When she asked if I liked dark or light chocolate I told her it didn’t matter. What did she like? What did she think I should have?
She said she liked alcohol. I said okay (AA rules be damned — it’s one truffle and I’m telling everyone I’m gonna eat it – so if you don’t hear from me for weeks, you’ll know it was a bad idea). So she chose the white champagne truffle for me.
The next lady also tried to deflect, saying she liked so many. I said pick the one right now. She said they all had hazelnuts. I said cool. So she a hazel nut dusted ganache for me. Or maybe it’s a truffle.
The last started the milk or dark chocolate debate again. Glad I didn’t tell her I go for milk and marzipan. Because she chose a dark chocolate coconut almond confection. Imagine a Neiman Marcus take on an Mounds bar.
So I got one white, one milk, and one dark. Did they plan it?
As I paid through the nose they were laughing about how much fun the sale had been. How so many people ask for recommendations and don’t act on it. I chose not to reveal my similar experiences in wine sales.
Perhaps their selections were high margin. Perhaps they are this week’s promotions. Perhaps they really are their favorites, even if only today.
(4:20)
But I’m going to eat each one. Then go back and say how much I enjoyed them — or not — and they’ll have a story to tell as well.
About the cheerful, well dressed guy (Varvatos, Hugo and Goldschmied as usual) who sailed in all sunny needing a chocolate consult.
They don’t know I was crying on Market Street about a series of unfortunate events before this brain storm hit or that I’m smiling now, yet to taste the first chocolate.
P. S. (4:45)
They were all great. I may have liked the hazelnut just a. It more. Oddly she was the one in the store I was able to speak to and tell her how much I’d enjoyed it, and that I was planning to Unilocal about the experience.
Since a dear friend of mine got yelled by a crabby lady from the Marina for no good reason, and because I sold mediocre wine to mediocre people for years, I know the boost a good Unilocal gives. So thank you Cocoa Bella staff from 4 pm April 13. Hope you manager sees this. I’ll be back for my twice mo they fix.

The chocolate is delicious. I was helped by the coolest girl, Alexandres. She was really chill and helpful. She talked to me about her favorite chocolates and how she grew up in Hawaii where I live part time so she recommended the passion fruit piece. It’s so good! and got me a good selection. She said the white hot chocolate was her favorite, and I had never had that before and thought it would be too sweet but she made it really good. I will be back!

Nice chocolate selection but terrible and inconsistent customer service. I will not return.

I have been frequenting Cocoa Bella in SF since their days on Union Street. I have always found the quality and selection of their chocolates to be outstanding (so much so that I used to have them ship chocolates to my mother on the other side of the country). I even have a favorite person who works there — she is always smiling and happy when I come in and we have FUN selecting an assortment of chocolates. I’ve also met the owner and he is a delightful fellow. That said, I had one experience at their SF location recently with a new server (a man), who I must say was rude and condescending to me. This person didn’t seem to want to be there, nor did they seem particularly pleased to be waiting on me. I understand that we’re not at our best everyday, but when you are in a customer facing capacity (as I am with my job), you don’t have the luxury of taking that out on a customer who brings you repeat business.

Bought a 30 pc box of chocolates. The total was $ 52. They were good, but not THAT good.
When I checked the activity on my card I saw two $ 52 charges on my account. Called them to find out, and they said they would call back in 2 minutes. 10 minutes have passed and I need to get back to work.
Based on other reviews, I see that this has happened to others. Be sure to double check your statement if you do decide to come here.

This place is wonderful! I was here last week and this was the last stop of our Chocolate Tour in San Francisco. The variety of chocolates they have from all over the world are amazing! I love the fact that they are all fresh. It was a little overwhelming to decide which chocolates I wanted in my 12 piece box because there are so many options but they were all extremely delicious. The girl that helped me made many suggestions when I asked her some of her favorites in each region. I shared them with my sister and her boyfriend on Thanksgiving. A few of my favorites are the Passionfruit Truffle by Laderach in Switzerland and Milk Chocolate Raspberry by Batch Box in the US. This was definitely a really nice treat and great way to end the tour!

A lot of women know a lot about diamonds. I just know a lot about chocolates. If your man pisses you off, you train him to know to come here to get you at least the 21 piece box if he wants atonement.
This place slays Ghiradelli, Lindt, Godiva, and even Teuscher.

I love love the chocolates at Cocoabella! Lots of choices. Customer service are excellent. Nothing I could ask for more especially their hot choco! It’s a must to try.

No samples !! They don’t let you taste sh*t… So how are you supposed to know what you want, If you can’t taste anything ?? WTF !! I did buy the little $ 10.00 box, it tasted ok, I liked the box and the little bag that it came in… lol

This is going to be short and sweet. The CocoaBella mission is… «Find the greatest chocolates on earth made by the best artisans of Europe and the Americas.» You will find hand crafted chocolate works of art at CocoaBella. They not only look amazing, but taste sensational. If you like or love chocolate you definitely need to try the chocolates from CocoaBella because it truly is the BEST. There are not many shops where you can find these chocolates, but not to worry because they do ship. Just go to
Last but certainly not least, the customer service is top notch!

The chocolate is to die for!!! It’s expensive for a single chocolate but so worth it. It just melts in your mouth. They have chocolate from all parts of the world. Plus the chocolate is beautifully decorated.

Cute place with seemingly lots to choose from. Macaron texture was surprisingly okay, soft, but not the softest. Lavender flavor was pretty off though, didn’t taste much like lavender at all. But no credit card minimum.

Best hot chocolate! Do you like hot chocolates but couldn’t find that bittersweet, dark, indulging thick feel down your throat? Do you hate watery or having put too much milk in the drink? Come here and get their extra dark classic. You will never go back to anywhere else.

Definetly one of the best places to buy chocolates. They specialize in finding the best handmade chocolates from all over Europe. The chocolate dipped orange peel was soaked in liquor. The flavor was so strong and orange like that it lasted long after I ate it. Dreamy. I wanted more. Instead i opted for a mint infused hot chocolate. Oh my! They put @ half a cup of good quality chopped dark chocolate in my hot cocoa. It was the creamiest and chocolatiest sip of yumminess that i have ever experienced. I just pray they open a store near me in the East Bay. I met the owner. He was friendly and knowledgeable @ his products and passionate about his business. I will be making another trip back the next time I need a chocolate fix. Delish!
My niece loved her hot and spicy hot chocolate made w cinnamon, cloves and something else. I wasn’t listening. I think my ears were tuned into the sound of the steamer that was heating the cream and milk. Decadent. Almost felt guilty for indulging before lunch. NOT.

The box looks like it has jewelry but the contents are way tastier. Cute little chocolate treats that look and taste pretty special but lack that extra bit of soul. I’m sure this won’t make a difference to most people but we eat chocolate like people drink tea.
Still, it makes a nice gift.

Looking for a sweet treat for a loved one? You can’t go wrong with this spot. A box of about 30 pieces is $ 60. I say «about 30 pieces» because it just depends how many fit in the box size you choose. It was a flat $ 60 for me with my card swiped on a Square device. Wait what? Do they not have a credit card business account thing associated with their POS register? Something smells fishy but whatever, as long as I’m only charged what I agreed to pay.
I haven’t even tried any of the chocolate but everything looked amazing – I still actually have to give it to the recipient at the time this review was written. I know the chocolate will be offered to me when the box is opened and amazingness is glowing from the box.
Service was great – someone walked around the counter with me (back and forth) and advised me what chocolate pieces to include in my box.

Pricey, but the very definition of decadence. If you’re a first timer here, skip the trays of featured chocolates around the main area unless there’s someone working that can take the time to help you with any questions. I always go for one of the boxed sets along the wall. These contain a lot of the pieces on display, and you can try an array of the chocolates of a particular theme.
Of the boxed sets, I felt the Truffles were the weakest bunch… Think about that for a second. Places like Godiva have tag lines that tout the Truffle as the highest art form that chocolate can achieve (or whatever nonsense they have at Valentine’s Day).
I like my chocolate like I like my women: Exotic, Dark, or something mysterious and exclusive. Try it, you won’t be sorry.

So much to pick from and oh so yummy!
You can either grab a box to go (pick from milk chocolate, truffles, dark chocolate, nuts, etc.) or make your own box! Chocolates are arranged from what area of the world they came from. I have tried my fair share of most of the chocolates here and each one was better than the next. With this huge selection, you can’t go wrong!
Tip: This makes a great present to bring home from the bay area!

Bottom line: good aspirational value in small portions given the geography
Sometimes you want to feel bougey and hipster while you indulge in some artisan ‘ish but don’t want to go all the way down to the mission, boom, problem solved. (Who actually likes the bart?)
This place is probably overpriced but we all know rent here ain’t cheap… Unless you live in a living room. The trick is to stay on the steepest slab of the utility curve and get some brittle by the pound. Self control… If you are not of «low», limit yourself! Ask for $ 3 worth of brittle. (Just as you would when buying nuts at those hipster farmers markets)
Pro-​tip: also get your fill in the mall from tcho, the blue bottle chocolate bars are almost the west coast iteration of crack pie (almost aka just the tip)

I am a die hard sees fan, however… This place is fantastic. Absolutely impressive.
If you want to give chocolates as a «real gift» this is the place.
Chose a huge box, I think it came to around 70 or 80 bucks? Only lasted two days and I literally ate half the box on bart.
My favorites include: Exotic caramel with mango, passion fruit and banana. Bananas foster, Lavendar caramel, rosemary caramel, lychee, lime cachaca, passion fruit and vanilla, rootbeer, crème brûlée, lemon cup, manon vanille, passion fruit, lavendar and persia. Ok. I named them all, but try all of those for sure.
Get a big box.
Fantastic customer relations and just a luxurious experience in general.

Oh. my. goodness, the selection of decadent chocolate here ~
Went inside after a leisurely stroll down Market, window shopping as I stumbled upon this sweet factory of exotic and classy desserts. Worldly chocolates, to describe this intimate place of variety when it comes to satisfying your sweet tooth.
I got a 20-​piece box full of sweet, bitter, dark, white, nutty, creamy, caramelicious (yes, I know that’s a made up word) melt-​in-​your-​mouth chocolates. The diversity in that box: treats from Belgium, France, Canada, Italy, Switzerland, and of course, your very own, the US of A. couldn’t distinguish the difference, to be honest, but one thing’s for sure — it was a celebration of the United Nations in my mouth.
Pricey, indeed, but I’d say worth it every once in a while to indulge. An ideal place to get your significant other a box of goodies if you want something new away from See’s or Godiva. Not to take anything away from those two places; simply implying I don’t see Cocoabella as ubiquitously as all the other brands. Cocoabella gathers specialty gourmet chocolates from around the world in one place, and to me it doesn’t get more adventurous than that.

8÷13÷13
I go here to get pretty decent tasting chocolates for gift to others. The reason why i choose this place compared to all the other chocolate shops that may have better quality chocolates are because each individual candy piece is artistically designed. The chocolate box is nice with a pretty ribbon similar to Tiffany’s box design. Therefore it saves me the time to wrap it and give s that WOW factor you need when you want to impress other people. The staff is nice and always willing to give you their sample of the day. Overall some chocolates are better than others. They are mostly imported. My favorite is the chocolate hazelnut white/​milk chocolate checkerboard. I would skip out on the fruit dipped chocolates. Do note that this place is extremely expensive though.