Fran’s Chocolates

Oh this was spectacular. Fran’s was quite heralded when I was doing research on what to eat in Seattle. It’s basically super upscale caramels that are absolutely delicious. Not even sure what the exact combo I got was since I just ordered random ones to fill the box, but honestly everything here is probably spectacular. Luxuriously decadent and rich in caramel chocolatey flavor without being overly sweet, an easy mistake to make. I don’t think it’s actually that overpriced relative to gourmet food in SF, but then again, my sense of price is very inflate because of SF. These make a great gift!
tldr; yummy gourmet caramel chocolates!

I wrote a few paragraphs pointing out how I know about quality chocolate and how Fran’s delivers but isn’t quite as good as they think they are. Then I realized I sounded exactly how I described Fran’s.
Simply put: Fran’s is one of the best chocolatiers in the U.S. in my opinion. However, they are overpriced. Some chocolates aren’t as artistic and well put together as others and I don’t usually go out of my way for Fran’s
The staff is knowledgeable enough but not great, no one I’ve spoken too is very passionate and Fran’s doesn’t do a good enough job making me want to go in the shop. In other words Fran’s has room for improvement and would be wise to not raise their prices. However, they make a great product, one that is very hard to beat in this country and probably impossible to beat in Washington.

I’m not a fan of chocolates, but after coming to Frans I’ve been spoiled in only wanting chocolates from here! Lol! Now I know why this is Bobby Flay’s favorite chocolate place! When you walk into the store it’s as if you’re walking into a fancy luxury jewelry store because of the way they display their chocolates! Be prepared to pay for pricey chocolates.

I just called and spoke to the Manager of Sara’s manager, Kathleen. She was receptive, understanding and Fran’s Chocolates has taken steps to remedy the situation. I’m surprised to still be so stung by the experience. I don’t know if liberties in tone and personality occurred because I’m a person of color and my nanny (dons a hijab) is obviously muslim or what. Is it because they always have a panhandler outside and she was annoyed? Did she have a fight with her significant other? I can’t know. All I know is that asking if there is a mailbox in the building shouldn’t be a reason to be rude then keep cutting someone off while they are speaking to you about their order and what is on their mind. Dear Sara, you are in customer service after all. I know we all have bad days but it’s not okay to take it out on the customers. Every manager is entitled to a bad day. That’s what they have underling — I mean– employees for, right (*this being the punchline on some comedy sitcoms.)?
Sara must be very good because after all, she was able to backpedal with her managers and have it chalked up to a ‘misunderstanding/​miscommunication’.
She may be able to tell them what she needs to in order to excuse herself but, I was there. After rereading my review, I relived it. Not fun.
One of my other friends docked Fran’s a star (5* to 4*) because: «I can easily bump this to 5 stars but there’s another gal who works there and she doesn’t look happy — with a grumpy face. This place is too darn nice to have somebody working there who doesn’t know how to smile.»
I wonder if it was the same person?
Either way, even though it took me several months for my upset to abate, I’m glad I called.
As aforementioned, Kathleen was receptive and understanding. I have not been in to any of their shops since this happened. No drinking chocolate this fall/​winter. No Fran’s holiday chocolates for me this year. No quick run-​ins for a few tasty treats on the go.
However, Fran’s Chocolates has taken steps to remedy the situation:
1) Fran’s Chocolates left a comment on my post asking me to call them to help me
2) Fran’s Chocolates private messaged me to call them to have them help me
3) Fran’s Chocolates listened and took care of me
Thank you for that.
Dear Fran and all the other wonderful people that work there:
Thank you for all your courteousness, attentiveness, hard work while providing great customer service and being welcoming the other countless times I’ve been a patron.

Obama’s favorite chocolate salted caramel is so good! They failed me with their coffee drinks though. Their drinks are super bitter. I just recommend their chocolates.

Must visit place for their drinking chocolate alone! While their chocolates looked decadent and finely crafted, I managed to find some willpower and refuse the free sample so I wouldn’t end up buying any of them.
The drinking chocolate comes in two sizes and the small one is enough. While decadent and delicious it really does take a long time to consume the whole thing so no need to get the larger sized one. Definitely good quality chocolate used for their drinks which must be a sign that all f their chocolates are worth their high prices. Wish I had a Fran’s Chocolates near where I live, perfect for chilly snowy days…

Every trip to Seattle isn’t complete until you stop here. The sea salt caramel chocolates are a decadent treat worth trying and make excellent gifts.
I first tried Fran’s after reading an article that the Obamas enjoy the chocolate. They have great taste. This place is a definite must visit.

Fran’s the real deall! Her salted caramel is out of this world, delicious! Fran’s also looked high end from the outside and loved the window display, but once you get inside, it’s even nicer than the outside. And if there’s anything you need to taste, Fran’s Hot Chocolate is just «sooooooo» good! I highly suggest you order it.
Until then, Cheers! ~ :p

YUM! Thanksgiving week a friend and myself decided to road trip from California to Seattle, just because. Fran’s was on our must do/​see/​try list and THANK GOODNESS IT WAS because WOW these are some good chocolates. We sampled the salted smoked caramels and they were the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth. The flavors are just right, you can taste each individual flavor without being overwhelmed. We ended up buying a few boxes of different chocolates for gifts and for the 30 hour ride back to California.

Walking into Fran’s Chocolates was an experience to behold. Elegant and pristine space. Knowledgeable and enthusiastic service. I was offered a sample when I walked in — a Salted Caramel chocolate.
Located half a block from Pike’s Market Place, this highly overrated chocolate shop is clean and has a fair selection to meet your desire.
My mother inlaw bought several boxes of milk chocolate and salted caramels. At $ 2 a piece, it is pricey for the very small piece of chocolate that you receive. Worth it I would say just to try. I got the coconut gold bar, macadamia gold bar, milk chocolate truffle and salted caramel pieces. I am not a big fan of the salt on top so I just brushed it off. A small, pre-​made box of chocolate will run you $ 20+.
If you’re into craft chocolate, head to Fran’s. They make exquisite chocolate truffles; however, this place is pricey. Expect to pay up if you purchase chocolate from this place. The chocolate is incredible, and unbelievably delectable. It’s rich but not too buttery, it melts in your mouth in an explosion of flavor!
Last but certainly not least… The chocolates are out of this world. Not a fan of salted chocolates and I understand that Fran really isn’t either which is quite ironic considering she is the Queen of salted caramels. Would have liked to have seen more variety in the gift boxes of chocolates featuring non salted varieties.
Fran’s is a must if you want to experience some incredible chocolate.

Such. delicious. chocolates.
I wish I bought more than what I had tried in the store, but woooo this place could break the bank! Even if you just want to try it, it’s worth popping in and getting a sample and even buying a small box of caramels to take home. The service is friendly, but this location can get pretty packed and there’s not a lot of standing room. It’s joined by the lobby of the Four Seasons, so you’ll get traffic from both directions. Next time, I want to try the hot chocolate and bring home more goodies!

This review is long over due but here I go. I was walking in the area and saw The Four Seasons hotel then I saw a chocolate shop which kind of reminded me of Godiva. The shop was very clean, upscale and modern but the prices weren’t crazy expensive.
They had several exotic chocolates which I thought wouldn’t be that great but I tried some and they were pretty good. I also got a hot chocolate because I’m a big fan of hot chocolate. I would definitely come here again because it’s so nice, the chocolate is very tasty, the prices are good and the employees are nice.

The store is an interesting place to visit. The staff is friendly, the store is clean and has a sophisticated «high society» vibe to it. The Fran’s store is more about creating a premium purchasing experience than selling candy. To me, the whole thing is just OK and not worth the inflated prices.
The chocolates are good but IMO these are not superior to comparable alternatives like See’s Candies and definitely not worth the premium price tag, unless you are giving these as a gift and want to make an impression. The best gifts are oftentimes the luxury items you would not buy for yourself. That said, I always appreciate receiving a gift of Fran’s but I would not visit this store to buy myself a box.

I came here to buy some chocolates for a friend who was hosting us in Seattle. I tried a sample of their salted caramels. I died. You’re talking to a ghost. The caramels were delicious. I don’t even like salted caramels that much. The caramel was just super rich and creamy and there was a perfect amount of salt on the chocolate.
My friend loved them.
I went back the next day and bought another box.
I didn’t find the dark chocolate to be particularly delicious. It’s the salted caramels that stole my heart.

Vegan review!
I am pleased to say that Fran’s has several vegan options, and the best part is that the staff was knowledgable enough to point them out to me. When I asked if one particular truffle was dairy-​free, he gave me the list of alllllll the truffles that were dairy-​free. It’s always nice when the staff actually gives you a confident answer and doesn’t awkwardly/​cluelessly stare at you.
Anyway, I had the dark chocolate almond trio. It was indeed very tasty, but not the best I’ve had. It was essentially just chocolate-​covered almonds, not a creamy-​centered truffle, but the chocolate was a great quality and just the right amount of darkness.
I love the space, too. Very minimalist and chic.

Hands down my favorite chocolate in the entire country. The gold bars had me hooked years ago and I special order them for my husband every year for his birthday, our anniversary, or the holidays. Such a special treat! It was extra awesome to go to the actual store on our latest trip to Seattle. We’re such mega fans and you better believe we stocked up!

These days, Bobby Flay is in the news a whole lot. Unfortunately, not for good reasons, either. Apparently, he’s going thru an ugly divorce and has been branded a cheater. He’s been linked to January Jones, Giada De Laurentiis (nice!), his assistant, and Alton Brown! Just kidding. It was Scott Conant.
Anyway, why am I bringing up Bobby Flay in a review about chocolate? Well, the cheating, son of a bitch also got me addicted to the Coconut Gold Bars here! He was on a special Christmas episode of The Best Thing I Ever Ate on The Food Network. He was on the show saying that his assistant (hmmm, the same one who he hooked up with?) always got him a box of these for Christmas. While I wouldn’t trust the adulterous, man-​whore to be in the same room with my wife, I DO trust his taste in food. Now, if you listen to his description on the episode, this delicious treat is similar to an Almond Joy candy bar being that it has almonds, coconut, and chocolate. The funny thing is, I don’t even like Almond Joy. Why in the world would I try this?!? But, I’m glad I gave it a shot. It’s probably close to the top of my list of favorite chocolate bars. The simplicity of white chocolate and coconut ganache, with whole toasted almonds and enrobed in smooth dark chocolate is as close to perfect as a candy bar can get. Being that there’s 3 almonds on each bar makes this a 3-​bite treat. At over $ 4 a bar, that’s not exactly Kit Kat pricing. But, with every one of those bites, you won’t feel any kind of regret. Trust me.
They also have Almond or Macadamia Nut Gold Bars, which are good. Just not as good. I also tried a few of their individual pieces from their display case and all of them were great. But again, I would rather scarf down more Coconut Gold Bars.
And, for the record, I am still a huge Bobby Flay fan! I mean, how can you not? The guy knows his sweets, BBQ, brunch, Mexican food, and apparently women.

I had to stop by while traveling in Seattle– Fran’s Chocolates have been featured on Food Network multiple times. This is a smaller location located in the Four Seasons lobby. The chocolates are presented in what appear to be jewelry cases!
Service was friendly by the entire team during the visit. After some sampling, I went with some dark chocolate camels with special sea salt and some orange truffles.
The chocolates were expensive, but certainly not outrageous for the quality. Taste was on point– but the caramel was a weird texture. I enjoyed the smokiness of the sea salt blended with the sweet caramel and seductive dark chocolate.

Very upscale store in the Four Seasons Hotel lobby.
It’s like looking at a jewelry display case that is full of chocolates. The customer service is great here: they are patient, which is a requirement since there are a lot of different chocolates to choose from. I would definitely recommend the salted caramels: not too salty, but a great contrast with the chocolate. It is definitely pricey (about $ 2 for each small piece), but worth a splurge once in a while.

Located on the main street just down the hill from Pike’s Place, this store will light up any chocolate loving passerby. When you enter, you will likely think you’re in a boutique rather than candy store. They serve coffee and of course chocolate beverages as there are three high top tables for customers.
The staff are personable and eager to answer questions. My favorite Fran’s chocolate is their salted caramel dark chocolates.
There are two entrances, the street one and one from the Four Seasons Hotel lobby. The only misstep was my ability to dodge the guy handing sample chocolates to try. This is my go to chocolate place since Neuhaus closed their store up the hill.