Updated: Salon du Chocolat NYC 2026
Experience Salon du Chocolat NYC! This one-of-a-kind event showcases the art of chocolate with top chocolatiers, artisans, and pastry chefs from around the globe. Enjoy tastings, explore exclusive vendors, and indulge in chocolate in every form! [Updated Feb 25]
SALON DU CHOCOLAT RETURNS
TO MIDTOWN MANHATTAN FOR
TWO DECADES OF SWEET CELEBRATION
Celebrity Chocolatiers, International Artisans, and Chocolate Tribute to America’s 250th Birthday
Salon du Chocolat NYC ...
... is a delightful celebration dedicated to all things chocolate, attracting chocolatiers, pastry chefs, and chocolate lovers from around the world.
The Salon du Chocolat NYC returns for its annual celebration weekend, March 7 through 8, 2026, marking over two decades as an integral fixture in Manhattan’s culinary scene in Midtown Manhattan at Center 415 on 5th Avenue.
Visit the official website for more details.
Expect the weekend to continue its tradition of bringing together the biggest names in the chocolate world, from celebrity chocolatiers and the world’s finest chocolate artisans to leading chocolate brands. Upwards of 80 chocolate exhibitors from more than a dozen countries will showcase their craft, welcoming both trade professionals and chocolate enthusiasts of all ages.
PodSaveChocolate Salon du Chocolat NYC PREVIEW episode
All ChocolateLife members will receive an email with the details.
Exhibitors
Nearly 80 exhibitors will be tasting (and selling!) their products this weekend to attendees.
Experience The Culinary Theater
Gail Simmons is a trained culinary expert, food writer, and dynamic television personality. Since the show’s inception in 2006, she has lent her expertise as permanent judge on Bravo’s Emmy-winning series Top Chef. Now in its 23rd season (set in Charlotte, NC), Top Chef is rated the #1 food show on cable television. She was most recently co-host of The Good Dish, and was formerly host of Top Chef Amateurs, as well as Iron Chef Canada. From 2004 to 2019, Gail served as special projects director at FOOD & WINE.
Select Culinary Theater Highlights
For the complete schedule, visit the Culinary Theater page.
Saturday
Chef Keitaro “Ken” Goto – Jacques Torres Chocolate
Chef Ken Goto of Jacques Torres Chocolate brings his signature craftsmanship to the culinary stage, where a live demonstration of a celebrated chocolate creation offers a closer look at the techniques and flavors behind the iconic name.
Chef Chi – Nielsen Massey Vanilla
Chef Chi is a chocolatier and R&D chef driven by relentless curiosity about ingredient sourcing and processing, and a deep respect for the farmers, producers, and makers behind them. Chef Chi is the former
Head Chocolatier at Thomas Keller’s K+M Extra virgin Chocolate.
Chef Damion Allsop (UK)
A pioneer of modern chocolate techniques, Chef Allsop is widely credited with advancing water based ganache methodology, now taught globally. Classically trained in French pastry, his career includes formative roles with Gordon Ramsay at Aubergine and as the first Pastry Chef at El Celler de Can Roca.
Sunday
Vanessa Greeley – Vanessa’s Cake Designs
Chef Vanessa Greeley is a graduate of French Culinary Institute in New York. Her accolades include winning top places at some of the most prestigious cake competitions in the country. She has also designed and created a chocolate dress for the Chocolate Fashion Show in NY since 2008 alongside Tony award winning costume designers.
Gail Simmons
Ashley Drum – Executive Pastry Chef, ABC Kitchen
Chef Drum has been part of the Jean-Georges team for the past four years and currently oversees pastry at abcV, abc cocina, and abc kitchen in Flatiron. She studied pastry in Philadelphia before beginning her career at Lacroix at The Rittenhouse. She later worked at The Modern, Per Se, and The French Laundry.
Gale Gand – Gale’s Bread and Butter, Inc.
Chef Gand is a nationally acclaimed pastry chef, restaurateur, author, and television personality, best known for her James Beard Award–winning work and as the founding pastry chef and partner of Chicago’s legendary restaurant Tru.
New at Salon du Chocolat NYC 2026:
Taste & Learn Area
The Taste & Learn area is where chocolate and confections come alive through engaging sessions that range from guided tastings and pairings to thought-provoking discussions. Throughout the weekend, attendees can indulge in curated tastings of international and national artisan chocolates, participate in hands-on workshops, discover new flavor combinations, and shop curated selections from the finest chocolate makers.
Each presentation offers a unique way to connect, and guests are encouraged to visit the exhibitor’s booth afterward to continue the conversation, explore more, and even make a purchase.
Select Taste & Learn Highlights
For the complete schedule, visit the Taste & Learn page.
Note: Space is limited and participation is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Saturday
Chocolate In a Bottle – The Perfect Pairing
Join Chocolate in a Bottle for an exclusive pairing experience. Taste their signature French sparkling wine (infused with cacao and hazelnuts) served alongside complementary chocolates.
Baianí Chocolates (Brazil) – A Tree-to-Bar Journey
Explore the authentic flavors of Brazil with Baiani Chocolates. This seminar reveals their sustainable tree-to-bar process, rooted in the Mata Atlântica of Bahia where they cultivate their own cacao..
Jamie Metzl – A Sacred Cacao Ceremony
Join Jamie Metzl for an inclusive and uplifting experience where everyone is welcome. Blending guided meditation, sound healing, and movement, this unique ceremony uses fine cacao as a focal point to celebrate community and inner connection.
Sunday
Indya Chocolatier – Where Craft Meets Culture
Immerse yourself in the vibrant heritage of India with a guided tasting by Indya Chocolatier. This session explores how traditional flavors and cultural memories are reimagined into modern chocolate expressions.
Maricel Presilla – Mole: Where Chocolate Meets Chiles in the Savory Kitchen
Join James Beard Award–winning chef and cookbook author Maricel E. Presilla for an illuminating exploration of mole, the iconic sauce where chiles, cacao, and chocolate meet to create extraordinary depth and balance.
Fashion Showcase Highlight:
Commemorating 250 years of America
Everyone’s favorite, The Fashion Showcase, returns with a special nod to America’s 250th birthday. Pastry chefs and chocolatiers will collaborate with rising fashion designers to create real–life wearable designs entirely from chocolate and in tribute to our country’s semi-quincentennial!
Chef Daniel Andreotti working on his Fashion Showcase entry. In the world of luxury events, Daniel Andreotti’s cakes are the gold standard. He is more than just a pastry chef; he is a culinary artist who understands that a cake is not just food – it’s a memory, a centerpiece, a story told in sugar and artistry.
Live Sculpting with Chef Håkan Mårtensson
Visitors can watch this intricate chocolate sculpture take shape over the event, witnessing Chef Håkan’s artistry firsthand. Be sure to stop by regularly to see the progress and marvel at the evolving details!
[L] Chef Håkan Mårtensson at work at Salon du Chocolat NYC 2025. [R] The Bean to Bar Activation Area during at Salon du Chocolat NYC 2025.
Bean to Bar Activation Area
The Bean-to-Bar activation area will take visitors step-by-step through the transformation of raw cocoa beans into smooth, delicious chocolate bars brought to you by Diamond Custom Machines. This area will showcase the specialized equipment and artisanal techniques involved, providing a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the craftsmanship behind bean-to-bar chocolate.
The Kids Zone
The “Bite-Sized” Kids Zone is a must-visit family experience during this year’s Salon. Designed for kids 12 and under (with Tiny Tots activities for ages 5 and under), this interactive experience brings learning and fun together through hands-on arts & crafts, face painting, live demos, and playful discovery moments. It’s the perfect safe, engaging space for little ones to explore their creativity while parents enjoy the festival.
Overseeing the Kids Zone experiences this year is Dr. Ekwefi Hussain, an accomplished educator and advocate for lifelong learning with a double master’s degree in General Education and Special Education and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership.
Grab tickets early so your kids don’t miss out on the sweetest experience of the weekend!
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Clay Gordon
Clay Gordon
Contact the Organizers
✉️ Viviane Silva, Sales Specialist
✉️ Sharona Sandberg, Show Manager
About this post
The organizers of Salon du Chocolat NYC are annual Team TCL Guru Members of TheChocolateLife. One of the perks of an annual Guru membership is a member profile page like this one.