Reviews by Choco Connoisseur

Chocolate Society (Chocolate Shop)
02 April 2008

I found the shop to be old and stuffy and in definite need of a makeover. The chocolates themselves were bulky and overly sweet. Once was a good chocolate shop in London but now not worth the visit.

William Curley (Chocolate Shop)
01 April 2008

I recently visited William Curley's dessert bar in their Mayfair branch after reading a fabulous review in The Metro. The shop was elegant and stylish, not disimilar to the Richmond branch. The ambience was relaxed and welcoming. The staff were highly attentive and professional, especially the resident patissier.

I chose off the dessert a la carte menu. It was cooked in front of me by the chef and every stage of the preparation was explained to me. William clearly hand-picks and teaches his trainee chefs to the highest standard, as you would expect of the UK's top pastry chef. The chef prepared an amazing warm tarte au chocolat. The tart was rich and intense, sat in a crisp hazelnut pastry, cut with a glorious green tea ice cream that was beautifully mellow and sat on a bed of crunchy caramelised hazelnuts. It was served with a fresh raspberry compote, the acidity of the fruit bringing out the flavour of the highly complex amedei chocolate.