De Clerck Confiserie Chocolaterie

If chocolate is your thing – and let’s face it, it should be – this is the place for you. Yes, Brugge is loaded with chocolateries on just about every corner, but this is one that you should visit first. The creamy texture of the owner’s chocolate confections would make Willy Wonka envious, and I found myself buying three times the amount of chocolate that I had originally intended. Yup, De Clerck’s is reason enough why this chocoholic may need to seek out a 12 step program: «Hi, my name is Jeff and I have a chocolate problem,»
All kidding aside, this tiny shop, with its intricately molded chocolate statues, has been referred to as more of a chocolate museum than shop. With ever type of chocolate goodie imaginable, I think that this last statement is true, but I would go one better and call it a shrine, because once you bite into one of their creamy chocolate truffles, you will swear that you are having a religious experience.
Oh, and the prices are reasonable here, so much so that I purchased several cute tins of assorted chocolates which were embossed with a very nice picture of Brugge for about 8 euros each. I had planned to give them as stalking stuffers for Christmas, but when I got them home, De Clerck’s chocolate siren call was too much for me… that’s why my family received Brugge tins filled with Arby’s gift cards instead.
Again, Chocolate Fans, if you ever had any doubts as to why chocolate should be classified as its own food group, this place will dispel those doubts in a sweet chocolate second.

I agree with what most have written thus far, with the exception that I found their offerings much creamier, fresher and authentic than what similar chocolatiers produce in the immediate metroplitan vicinity.
The fact that the grandson is willing, and able to provide an immense amount of history of Bruges chocolate to every patron that enters his shop, if they so wish, just accentuates this small old world «shoppe» experience. He has even managed to hold onto a valued and vast array of original truffle molds from many decades ago. In fact, De Clerck is a museum of sorts as well as a chocolate shop. An intimate circus of creamy delights blended with an education that stays with you.
It also happens to be the longest surviving shop of its type in Bruges. Thank you Jan for all the expert knowledge and delicious creations!
Hint: Their dark bittersweet truffles made here are the best I’ve had, ANYWHERE.

This is a small shop with awesome chocolates at reasonable prices. If wandering around Brugge, work your way here. They’re home made, delicious, you can pick the ones you want, and at half or less what they cost in the expensive shops. It’s a local shop, not a tourist shop.