I have a free afternoon in Paris with my children and we want to go candy and chocolate shopping! I'm not sure where we will start out from but hope to see La Manufacture de Chocolat Alain Ducass at 40 Rue de la Roquette, 75011 at some point of our little adventure. Anything special to look for while we're there? Also are there other chocolate or candy shops in this area that anyone recommends?

updated by @michael-donnelly: 04/10/15 18:31:18

On that side of town is Jaques Genin (chocolate and pastries),L'eclair de Genie (eclairs by Christophe Adam previously of Fauchon),Pain de Sucre (pastries). I have tried the first and plan on trying the other two later this year.

In terms of candies, Fouquet is supposed to be interesting, but I haven't been before.
lEtoile dOr is on the other side of town and stocks a number of different chocolates and candies from around France which you can't get elsewhere is Paris.

Other chocolatiers I have enjoyed are Patrick Roger, La Maison du Chocolat, Jean-Charles Rochoux and Michel Cluizel. There are plenty of others as well worth trying.

Thank you for the kind response. I've been to a few of your recommendations and they were wonderful. On this trip we were pressed for time but managed to see a few places including:

Francois Pralus 35 Rue Rambuteau, 75004,Chocolatier Servant 30 Rue d'Auteuil 75016, A La Mre de Famille 35 Rue du Faubourg Montmartre 75009and Le Chocolat Alain Ducasse.

I've posted some snapshots of Ducasse's for you to see but I'm afraid we didn't enjoy the visit much and the trip was only saved by the very enjoyable Beauveau covered market (market Aligre), Metro Bastille.

Anything in particular you didn't enjoy about Ducasse's? I'm heading over for a couple of weeks soon and its one of the places I plan on stopping at.

The reception at rue de la Roquette was pretentious and haughty. Yes, I know it is for everyone to play the game, especially because the chocolate is very good (although the choice is not huge and the price is more than the other shops mentioned). The building is very interesting and probably should not be missed for those of us in the chocolate life, but the showroom is very small and the factory floor can only be glimpsed at from thick windows. Please go and report back, I hope your experience is good, it, should be, after all nobody just stumbles onto M. Ducasse's it must be searched out.

Thanks Michael - I guess it's always possible to catch staff on a bad day (everyone's human). I tried a lot of their bean to bar about a year ago and am keen to see how it has come along (and have been asked to pick up some pralines as well). It is a bit out of the way, but I have a very understanding wife