Chocolate is not just a dessert. Chocolate is an emotion, an experience, and a feeling. For as long as I can remember, I have not only taken pleasure in eating this sweet delicacy, but I have also actively taken part in narrowing down my favourites, tasting different kinds to understand the range of chocolate, and just basking in the goodness of this dessert. Chocolate truly fixes everything. Bad mood? A chocolate bar will fix it. Feeling unwell? Pop a piece. Long day ahead of you? Chocolate IS the perfect start. Nervous for an interview? Your forever companion will get your adrenaline going. It’s quite literally a Band-Aid that fixes it all, without even trying.
The best part? The sheer range of this dessert is incredible. From everyday pick-me-ups to nostalgic childhood favourites, chocolate comes in all shapes and sizes. And our latest obsession is the artisanal kind. When boutique chocolatiers across the country began reimagining cacao—treating it not as a mass-produced afterthought but as a craft, a canvas, a philosophy—we paid attention.
Nowadays, chocolate isn’t just something you unwrap; it is something you discover. The rise of artisanal chocolate in India has shown us that the humble cacao bean can sing—if you let it. These makers aren’t just tempering chocolate, they’re telling stories. Stories of the farmers who grow the beans, the regions that shape their flavour profiles, and the experimentation that pushes the boundaries of what chocolate can be. It’s a thoughtful, slow, and intentional indulgence. Beyond a dessert, there are stories attached to this brown-coloured goodness.
And honestly, discovering these brands feels like unlocking cheat codes to a better mood. They’re the kind of chocolates you savour, gift, hide, and then rediscover in moments of great joy, or even great stress. Because let’s be honest: even the fanciest artisanal bar still has the same old dependable superpower—making everything feel just a little bit better.
Ahead, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite artisanal chocolates of the moment—the ones proving (once again) that chocolate really is the answer to everything.
Manam Chocolate
When I think about artisanal, design-forward, and just beautiful chocolate that’s locally produced and sold, the first to come to mind is Manam. And if Charlie had a factory in India, Manam would probably run it. Born out of Hyderabad’s thriving craft-food culture, Manam Chocolate is the kind of brand that treats cacao the way a perfumer treats notes—obsessively, reverently, and with a slightly mad-scientist edge.
What makes them such a standout is their commitment to tree-to-bar craft, which means they handle every step—from harvesting to fermenting to tempering with immense attention to detail. They partner directly with farmers, experiment with fermentation styles, and even classify their chocolate based on moods, textures, and experiences, not just percentage numbers. You don’t just pick a bar—you choose a mood, a vibe.
And speaking of bars, their lineup is genuinely wild in range. You have the Classics—think silky 64% dark, creamy milk chocolate, and buttery white chocolate. Then come the Mood Bars, crafted around emotions like calm, bold, or bright (because we all know that chocolate can now double as therapy). Their Single-Origin Bars showcase the flavour notes of specific Indian regions—smoky, fruity, nutty, floral—each one tasting like a tiny edible documentary on Indian terroir.
And then there are the experimental bars, where cacao meets unexpected but magical companions like gondhoraj, toasted sesame, coconut jaggery, chilli, or even filter coffee. They even do seasonal collections depending on what time of year we’re in: mithai variations of chocolate for the festive season, mango-based ones for the summer, and Christmas-infused delicacies for the winter. It’s the best of chocolate, all-in-one. They even have experience centres across Hyderabad and Delhi, doing all things chocolate, for the chocolate-obsessed like you and me.
In short: Manam doesn’t just make chocolate—they create edible stories. And every bar feels like a masterclass in how far Indian cacao has come, and how much further it can go.
Éntisi Chocolatier
Based out of Mumbai and founded with the idea of bringing international-grade artisanal chocolate to India, Entisi Chocolatier is known for handmade chocolates that go beyond the basic bar-and-wrapper. The brand has grown steadily over the last few years, even opening a large, experience-driven flagship store in Pune’s Koregaon Park in 2024; a gorgeous 2000-sq-ft space designed to feel less like a shop and more like a boutique chocolate gallery—a wonderland for sweet-toothed fiends.
Their actual range is huge, and that’s what makes Éntisi fun. Instead of sticking to just bars or truffles, they specialise in glossy bonbons with soft centres, dragees (nuts or fruits coated in chocolate), pralines, gianduja, chocolate cubes, and multi-piece gift boxes. Bonbons are their big draw—shiny, colourful little pieces filled with flavours that swing from classic (hazelnut, salted caramel) to playful experiments like matcha-apricot, berry mixes, coffee ganaches, or even chilli-tinged citrus, depending on what time of year or season it is. Their dragee section is equally addictive, offering almonds, berries, or hazelnuts rolled in milk and dark chocolate until they reach that perfect crunchy-creamy balance.
What really makes Éntisi stand out is that their chocolates look like they belong in a glass case at a luxury patisserie, but they feel fun, colourful, and easy to enjoy, all at the same time. Whether you’re a dark-chocolate loyalist, a praline hoarder, a “give me anything nutty” person, or someone who just needs a last-minute impressive gift, Éntisi delivers on anything and everything you ask for. It’s artisanal without being pretentious, indulgent without being overwhelming, and easily one of the most recognisable homegrown chocolate brands in the country right now!
Soklet
From delish chocolate desserts to bars that taste like a square of heaven, Soklet’s got it all!
Their chocolate stands out in the Indian chocolate scene because it does everything from tree to bar. Soklet, based out of Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, grows its cacao on plantations in the foothills of the Anamalai Hills, cultivates and ferments the beans itself, and then processes them into chocolate. Hence, the entire production chain stays under one roof. This level of control and attention to detail ensures you’re tasting the true flavour of the cacao—unmasked by artificial additives, sugars, or even over-processing.
And if you talk about range, theirs is broad and adventurous. They produce classic dark and milk chocolate bars with varying cocoa percentages (from milder 50–55% milk bars to intense 82–100% dark bars), giving you options depending on how bitter or sweet you like your poison to be. For those who love something more experimental, there are flavoured bars too—think coconut-crunch milk chocolates, or unique inclusions that reflect their plantation’s surroundings, as well as ingredients.
What I like about Soklet is how honest and natural their chocolate feels. Their 100% dark chocolate, for instance, is just cacao—nothing else added. The result is a bold, mineral-rich bar that lets you truly taste the bean’s terroir. On the other end, their milk and “balanced” bars use local cane sugar or mineral-rich, unrefined sugar instead of overly refined sweeteners, so the sweetness never overpowers the actual taste of cacao.
If you’re building a list of artisanal chocolates worth trying, this must make it to your top few!
Bombay Sweet Shop
As the name suggests, Bombay Sweet Shop is not your average chocolatier. What makes them so unique is their reinterpretation of Indian mithai and just how experimental it can actually get. Their chocolate offerings have ambition: from flavour experiments to hybrid sweets, they make you pause and consider what Indian mithai could be if reinvented thoughtfully.
Bombay Sweet Shop is what happens when old-school mithai gets a full Gen-Z glow-up without losing its desi soul. Created by the team behind The Bombay Canteen and O Pedro, this Byculla-born dessert playground takes everything you grew up eating—barfis, katlis, pedas—and flips them into cooler, quirkier, chocolate-forward treats that feel both nostalgic and completely new.
What really sets Bombay Sweet Shop apart is its ability to treat chocolate as a creative medium, not a shortcut. Their chocolate-kaju katli rolls, butterscotch-studded barks, chocolate-dipped mithai bites, and layered fudges are the kind of treats you buy with the intention of saving them for later but somehow end up finishing in the rickshaw ride home. They experiment without being gimmicky—taking mithai flavours like chikki, besan, or coconut, and pairing them with rich dark chocolate, soft caramel, pralines and crunch in ways that feel extremely experimental yet so, so good.
Paul & Mike
Dying to try everyone’s most-loved, viral Dubai chocolate without airfare and visa? Paul & Mike’s got you!
With flavours like Milk Sitaphal Chocolate, Amazonian Pink Pepper, Spiced Pumpkin, and Caramelised Sesame Chocolate, Paul & Mike is a brand based out of Kerala that grows its cacao on its own farms and partner farms, ferments and processes the beans in-house, and proudly calls themselves farm-to-bar.
What makes Paul & Mike especially fun is how playful and experimental they are. Sure, they do the classics, smooth darks, balanced milks, gorgeous single-estate bars, but they also go all out with India-inspired flavours that feel inventive without being gimmicky. Think Sichuan Pepper, Gin & Candied Ginger, Jamun, and even Masala Chai for the adventurous crowd—the list goes on and on. And the best part? These flavours actually work because they’re crafted around fresh ingredients, real inclusions, and a deep understanding of how cacao flirts with local Indian produce. They were also the first Indian chocolate brand to win a silver at the International Chocolate Awards for their 64% Dark Sichuan Pepper & Orange Peel bar—a huge moment for Indian cacao on the global stage.
For anyone who wants to explore the true potential of Indian cacao or simply try something deliciously unexpected, Paul & Mike absolutely deserve a spot on the artisanal-chocolate must-try list!
Read more: Strawberry Season Is Here, And So Are Mumbai’s Best Berry Desserts
Also read: A Local’s Guide To Must-Try Desserts In Jaipur And Where To Find Them
