IF you have a sweet tooth, then you should hop on the Eurostar, where you will end up at the oldest chocolate shop in the world.
À la Mère de Famille has been serving customers with a sugar craving since it opened way back in 1761.
What’s special about this store, however, is that the chocolates and sweet goods it sells are very much the same as what was sold when it was first opened over 350 years ago.
Stepping into the store in Paris’ 9th arrondissement is said to be like going back in time.
Enter the chocolate wonderland and you’ll find a huge array of confectionary on offer.
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There's everything from classic praline rochers to les Folies de l’Écureuil, along with Florentines and a unique range of Montmartre palets biscuits.
The historic store was founded by a man named Pierre-Jean Bernard, who had a vision to create a paradise for those with a sweet tooth.
Fast forward to today and Bernard's sweet legacy lives on but not just at this one shop.
The brand has grown into a chain that now stretches across 11 different shops across Paris, thanks to the Dolfi family, who took over in 2000.
In any of the stores, you’ll find a blend of old and new, with rows of old-style sweet jars, antique lampshades and mosaic flooring.
The Dolfi family have kept the classics but experimented with new flavours - mixing traditional methods with modern twists.
Just like the good old days, everything is made in-house, from transforming cocoa into chocolate to crafting caramels and pralines.
However, it’s the macarons the shop is best known for - with flavours like pistachio and hazelnut, wrapped up in fancy gift boxes that are almost too pretty to open.
If you want to experience this piece of Parisian history for yourself, the original À la Mère de Famille shop can be found at 35, rue du Faubourg Montmartre.
It’s open every day 9:30am to 8pm apart from Sundays, when opening hours are 10am to 7:30pm.
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To get to Paris, flights take around 1h20 and start from £20 each way.
If you don't fancy the flight, then you can hop on the Eurostar from London St Pancras, with the journey taking just over two hours, with tickets from £39.
Another one for chocolate fans is the largest chocolate museum in the world, found in Switzerland.
Lindt Home of Chocolate Museum opened in 2020, with tennis player opened Roger Federer doing the honours.
Inside is 30ft chocolate fountain as well as the largest Lindt shop in the world and chocolate-making courses.
If you fancy staying in the UK, you can head to Cadbury's World while the Chocolatarium Chocolate Tour Experience in Edinburgh has been voted one of the world's best attractions.
