At Xocoalt in Nice high quality chocolates are handmade by Fabrice Zuppo and his minuscule team with the passion seen only at the world’s premium chocolate league. Top French chocolatiers like Jean Paul Hevin, Henri Le Roux, Michel Cluizel, Francois Pralus or Nicolas Berger who makes chocolate for Alain Ducasse, can genuinely shake hands with Zuppo’s chef-d’oeuvre. His creativity around Easter, Christmas and other festivities can compete with the brilliant chocolate art of Patrick Roger, but Zuppo also stirs a pinch of wit into his chocolate babies.
Easter eggs by Xocoaltl
Xocoalt, the name of this Nice-based chocolaterie comes from the bitter, cocoa-based, spicy drink of the Central American natives – the Aztecs. This superfood drink was believed to give its consumers strength with an aphrodisiac prowess. Often it is said that the word came from Nahuatl xocolātl or chocolātl, derived from xococ “bitter” and ātl “water” (x can be changed to ch).
Xocoalt: Peanut with salted caramel butterchocolate praline
Sold at a charming contemporary boutique with an Aztec inspiration at Rue Alberti, not far from the impressive, Michelin-awarded gastronomic restaurant Flaveur, it is an ideal after lunch stop for a sweet treat. Who would resist a morsel of dark chocolate coated Peanut with salted caramel butter?
The creatively sublime ganaches like Noël à Amsterdam that is filled with a warming spicy cinnamon and infused with candied oranges, fine pralines like Lauze Violette with violet essence, exotic Syracuse in which hazelnut chocolate meets pistachios, and Provence-inspired chocolate pralines like the Tendresse with liquid lavender honey infused with thyme, are all sublime. Tendresse is the favourite of the French culinary god Alain Ducasse, already a customer as he claims in his guidebook to Monaco and the Côte d’Azur.
A warning! The chocolate spread made with dense hazelnut, cocoa bean and butter, caramelised sugar and whole milk powder is highly addictive. You can taste it at the shop so it is worth browsing in. Inside, you may meet either Fabrice or his sister Sandra behind, who will gladly give you a taste of some of their sweet treasures.
Chocolate spread "A la ancienne"
Macaroons, turkish delight, marshmallows [‘guimauve’ in French], sorbets, ice creams including a super-dark Venezuelan chocolate treat, complement the sweet rainbow of flavours at Xocoalt. The chocolate macaroon is serious, made with a ganache from Grand Cru Madagascar 64% cacao. Most products are warmly spiced up with Madagascar vanilla, adding depth and roundness to the taste.
Xocoalt: Fabrice Zuppo and his team
Xocoalt
10 Rue Alberti, Nice
 +33 4 93 91 29 54
 Mon-Sat: 10am-7pm