Chocollage

Sweet baby cheesus. I’ve never met a dessert that I didn’t like but this place takes the cake. Get it? Cuz it’s a bakery? You get it. If the chocolate peanut butter bomb from Chocollage were a man, he’d be husband material. It’s a very rich dessert with a brownie bottom, peanut butter mousse, covered in chocolate ganache. I also tried the black & white cookie. The cookie was a little dry but it was late in the day when I got there. The frosting was spot on. They have a solid variety of bars and cookies, which I plan to come back in and sample, as well as offering coffee and savory dishes. Personally, I think the décor could use some work. It’s definitely not as decadent as their desserts. The lady that helped me was sweet & knowledgeable. She seemed genuinely pleased when my daughters and I enjoyed our treats. I’m sure I’ll be back in soon! Hope this bakery does well.

D’ Best Red Velvet Cupcake in Town & Praline Cake too. But the Mudslide Charlotte is to die for

Be friendly to all customers. I came in for some food to go and received nothing but attitude. My money is just as good as anyone else. «Good morning» and «have a nice day» go along way. The food is alright.

Absolutely everything I’ve had here has been phenomenal. their new location has much more space and still keeps the charm of the small business that is is. The only reason this isn’t 5 stars for me is because the items on display aren’t always labeled in price or name, but the owners/​employees are always more than happy to explain what each dessert is. Definitely recommend of their bar type treats, and the peanut butter bombs are nothing short of amazing!

Desserts are great here! However, the customer service needs improvement. I brought a friend in with me, it was her first time here. She was sorely disappointed in the customer service and I agree with her. Customer Service is so important to have repeat customers. At least, hire a college kid, whom is passionate about sweets and will take time to inform customers about the desserts!

Chocollage (I love the name,) is a small bakery in downtown Norfolk.
The workers are very friendly. Good lighting and windows are always a plus & there is lots of seating as well. I love the big glass window through which you can see all the baking and decorating action.
I’ve had a chocolate mint bar and also an almond cookie from here. Loved the Almond cookie — such a strong flavor! They serve cakes, pies, bars, cookies, everything you’d normally find in a bakery.
If I end up in this area again, I would come back to try more of their sweet goodies, maybe a cheesecake or something!

OMG! Why does this place have to be right across the street from my job! Everything is so good and the spinach quiche w/​salad with a cream cheese brownie for lunch… GOT ME HOOKED!!! But I can say the service could improve, every time I go in it takes awhile to get my food and it seems like the regulars (older people that live in the area) get quicker and better service.

Upon entry, you are able to see and enjoy a very open view of the kitchen with their large window that you can just stand in front of and take in all the bakery back room fun that takes place which most of us don’t get the opportunity to see. An older woman was making a really beautiful and intricately made wedding cake with fondant and pearl looking candies and lace trim… it was one of the highlights of my visit here. I want to notate that one star was added just for «Grandmother Chocollage» (as we lovingly dubbed her) because we enjoyed her work so much. I love seeing what happens behind the scenes, and really have a high level of respect for different peoples jobs and the various talents each person brings to the table in order to pull off their jobs so well… this was definitely one of those moments in time!
We did a «family style» treat fest, and enjoyed their chocolate peanut butter bomb which had a chocolate ganache, peanut butter center, a mouse of some sort… the kids/​boys described the mouse as «ice-​cream filling» and must have been a hit with them, because they finished it off REALLY quickly! For around a 6.50 price range, it seemed to go way too quickly! LOL! My skor bar was really nice in flavor and texture, but since we like to bake at our house, I kind of think we could have made that ourselves… but it still had great flavor. My husband really enjoyed his almond cookie which he described as having the «perfect» chewy to soft ratio that is hard to attain and was stated as being very «flavorful». I don’t remember there being a great deal of choices, and for some reason, I think I had it in my mind that their would be a vast amount of chocolates/​truffles/​coffee selections… and though there were choices, don’t get me wrong, it just didn’t seem to have the selection I had envisioned. And maybe thats just my own fault for having an idea in my mind of what this place was all about. Which I had lots and lots of chocolate treats dancing around in my head… more specifically, dark chocolate truffle visions filled with various kinds of ingredients like salted caramel, double dark gooey goodness, I don’t know… I might have chocolate issues though… so maybe this last segment I have written should be stricken from the record for those who don’t LOVE dark chocolate as much as myself.
The café style setup was nice, the open feel to it was nice, and really appreciated the friendly staff (who I also believe was one of the owners) who was very welcoming to the FIVE boys we brought with. She could have been a bit put out or nervous about this many boys in one place, but instead she was quite the opposite. She shared about her own kids, and made the kids feel right at home, which I REALLY appreciated and made me feel more at ease. There was an extra side-​room separated by pretty French doors that looked like the «low key, get nice and comfortable, and work on my PC» sort of room which someone seemed to be seriously enjoying during the time of our visit… I think this alone will be a selling point for those who just need a regular cup of coffee and a treat so they can get their sugar/​caffeine fix to get their work done!
It was cold out that day, and since there was just your regular cup of joe, I had a strong pull towards a nice cup of hot tea instead. When I asked what she had on hand, she showed me a few tea options/​boxes (all of which were your average choices from your local grocery store with them all being the bigelow brand I believe). My only issue with that is if you are paying a few extra dollars for tea, it would be nice to possibly obtain a really flavorful cup of organic tea or a higher end tea that you don’t typically see or have on hand at your own home. I don’t know, I could be just having tea issues here… but this would be one of my only suggestions is to beef up their tea stock just a bit so that they would be a little more enticing to their customer base… especially in a higher end area like this.
All in all, it was a nice experience… and everyone seemed to enjoy the treats they chose. I personally would have loved to have seen a few more options in the dark chocolate realm and a few more higher end options for tea… and/​or flavored coffees… but again thats just my preference.

Well the food was great, but the service not so much. Very cold welcome, lady rolled her eyes when I walked in. Mind you its only 4pm. Lady seemed very irritable. Tried to order an espresso, machine was down. Just very cold atmosphere and attitude. We sat down and ate, older gentleman came in she was warm with him and offered to heat up his brownie and pastries. (wait, that’s a thing? Who would have known. We weren’t offered such a luxury service *sarcasm*)
Overall I’m never going back. Pastries were ok but the only reason I gave it 2 stars was for the other gentlemen who seemed friendly. Did I mention she watched me stand there are the counter and just continued to rinse dishes at the sink… Yeah what a b****.

Still my favorite bakery in the area!
THEY HAVE SIGNS NOW! :D (to identify the items in the display.)
As always, the customer service was efficient & friendly, willing to answer questions. I tried some new stuff like an Oreo bar (no nuts!) and some chocolate mousse cake with espresso dipped lady fingers… I thoroughly enjoyed them both… and would totally be back for more.
Theee only other thing I think would be neat would be to post the selections for the day on their Facebook or some website and get an Instagram to showcase the creations and intense cake decorating abilities. But it’s just social media stuff that isn’t necessary but would be cool to see~

We have eaten delicious treats from here many times, but yesterday «takes the cake» so to say! I wanted a special birthday cake for my father-​in-​law and I know the this bakery is superb, so we asked them if they had any whole praline cakes in the store, and they didn’t, but they offered to bake one special for us for that night. It made a 93 year old man very happy that night. It was one of the lightest chocolate cakes I have eaten.
Can’t wait to go back for a PB bomb.

They moved across the street from their old location. The shop looks a lot better now, much more open. I recommend the peanut butter bomb, it’a delicious. The texture is perfect.

I have a dangerous sweet tooth and this place hits the spot every time I visit Norfolk.
It was my sister’s birthday was the other day. I picked up a perfect vanilla buttercream birthday cake. Usually the icing is too thick but this was soft and easy to eat.
Today I picked up a few scones. Cranberry and orange I think… delicious and the nice elderly lady behind the counter heated them up for me. She’s very nice and grandmotherly… she was baking in the back when I came in.
There is plenty of seating now since they expanded their space. Overall, a great small bakery, personalized friendly customer service, and nice environment.

Okay so I’ve been waiting to go here for WEEKS so when I caught it after dinner one day I was so excited. Now, it was 530pm and they close at 6, so I hurried over and made it in at 535pm.
I was met by a blonde haired woman with spike hair who was cleaning behind the counter. My husband and I stood there talking about the things in the glass cupboard waiting for her to eventually say, «How can I help you?» but it never came so eventually I asked, «Can I ask a question please?» And then she looked over.
I said «Hi, Ive never been here before! What do you recommend?»
She seemed pretty tired and frankly irritated by my suggestion and said «Ugh.I mean… it depends on what you like, so I don’t know.»
I was kind of like oh. alright. And started pointing to things and just asking «whats that whats that.» I settled on the Peanutbutter Bomb and Black & White cookie, because I heard they were great thanks to Unilocal.BOTH were 10 000 000% delicious by the way!
I asked for a cappuccino but without even looking up from cleaning she shortly said, «Machines clean. Cant make it.»
Again, I get it it’s 30 minutes before closing. but I mean 1. She was sort of short and rude and 2. Im really not exaggerating on the time like it wasn’t 550, 545 even… it was 535.
Anyways, listen the food was great. This would be a 5 star review because of that. But I was really rubbed the wrong way and thought to myself, «well screw you too then» lol
Now its totally possible that the woman was having a terrible day, and she wasn’t so rude that I didn’t buy anything, AND as a teacher I get being run down and snappy sometimes… so ill try again!

The desserts were great, but the service was mediocre at best. No explanations of what was in the case and it got confusing when it came to pay. I may give this place a second chance, but only as take out. Prices were a bit high as well.

I never would’ve guessed to find a great dessert shop hidden in a nice neighborhood in Downtown Norfolk. Off the bat, the place is pretty large and has a room off to the side for more cozier seating. However, the décor of the place really throws me off with no uniformity whatsoever. My boyfriend and I shared the Chocolate Peanut Butter Bomb and took it to-​go. After taking the first bite, I almost cried because of how perfect it was. I’ll have to come back for more soon.

I’ve frequented downtown Norfolk many times but am embarrassed to say I was unaware of Chocollage, a restaurant that specializes in a hearty selection of homemade desserts made onsite. After learning about the place, I put the address in my GPS since I’m still fairly new to the area, and the directions took me to a circle in the middle of a neighborhood off College Place — no restaurant in sight. I took a lucky right hoping I would find it, and thankfully I did.
Chocollage has been in business 12 years, but recently moved to a new, larger location right across the street from its former home right off of Boush Street, close to the Pagoda and Oriental Garden.
The new location, open for a little over a month (as of April 2015), offers customers double the space and seating, plus a contemporary lounge area they share with the residential housing above them, and a view of the large kitchen through glass windows as you enter.
This was my first impression — the large glass windows that offers a peak into the kitchen — and the aroma of sugar, chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon and coffee. «My goodness that smells good,» I said loudly. The cashier smiled and shook her head in agreement as if she’d heard that before.
Ms. Pat Marshal, the co-​owner and baker (her daughter Lee Ann is the other owner), was sitting in a corner lounge chair with an ease that made me feel like I was walking into her living room. Her smile welcomed me, and I knew I was in for a treat if she was the baker behind the rows of goodies lined up in the display case in front of me.
There’s not much to the décor — it’s simple, nothing special — but with the smell of baked goods in the air, who cares. I was pleased to see they served lunch as well so my son and I ordered the Half & Half — half egg salad sandwich, half chicken dumpling soup ($ 8.25) — and spinach quiche with side salad ($ 8.50). The quiche was the standout. A large slice of cheesy, fluffy eggs packed with spinach, on top of a buttery crust. The egg salad, however, was a let-​down. Watery, and bland for my taste. And the toast was too hard for my son, so I took note to make sure the bread is not toasted in the future. Eating a meal first was my way of clearing my conscience of knowing I was about to take home a large selection of desserts.
While enjoying lunch at a small table by the window, a few patrons came in, each speaking with Pat and the staff like they were family. One confessed she’d tasted every dessert and has been coming to Chocollage since it first opened.
That cleared my concern about how empty the bakery was on a weekday during peak lunch hours. They must have a dedicated customer base that keeps coming back. They have been in business 12 years…
Highly tempted to order one of each dessert, I settled on a difficult choice of four — cream cheese brownie, rocky road brownie (both $ 1.25), tiramisu ($ 5.50) and peanut butter bomb ($ 6.50) — the cream cheese brownie and bomb being two of their top sellers.
Back at home, I opened each plastic container, and the smell of chocolate filled my kitchen. I took a large bite of each, making «ooh ahh» sounds as if I were making love, and dancing my «happy» dance after each bite.
The cream cheese brownie — made so thick you wonder how it was cooked through and moist in each bite. Not overly sweet, with intense chocolate flavor and large pieces of pecans scattered on top — an unexpected touch that added a great nutty flavor to the chocolate and cheese. The best cream cheese brownie I’ve had to date.
I moved on to the rocky road brownie. Sweeter than the other. A little too sweet for my taste but as moist as the cream cheese brownie, with tons of melted marshmallows on the top layer. I had more, to make sure I judged it correctly. Still sweet but gooey and creamy. They have perfected the brownie.
Third in line, tiramisu — one of my favorite desserts. It didn’t let me down. Chocollage’s version is piled high, with fresh coffee flavor throughout and a generous mascarpone layer. The bottom layer of soaked ladyfingers was borderline mushy but the flavors were so good that thought did not linger or take away from my enjoyment.
Finally, the peanut butter bomb. Right out of the kitchen, the waitress warned me of the chocolate sauce that had just been poured over the top and was still forming a coat around the scoop of mousse and brownie.
Imagine the bottom layer — fudge brownie with a surprising added crunch throughout. Layer number 2 — a scoop of creamy chocolate mousse, filled with peanut butter mousse that tastes like freshly roasted peanuts. Then topped with chocolate fondant that melts around it and magically forms to the shape of the scoop. Beautiful to the eyes, and even tastier than it looks.
Chocollage’s peanut butter bomb is in the Top 5 of my all-​time favorite desserts. It’s that good.
I have a new vision of what Heaven looks like. I’m met at the pearly gates with desserts from Chocollage.

Chocolate peanut butter bomb
Is all I can say.
Brownie bottom.
Chocolate mousse I believe.
Then a tiny center with peanut butter.
Covered In a light later of chocolate. Sprinkled with gold sugar ! I think ?
It is the best.
I also had their pistachio dessert. But I really recommend the peanut butter bomb.

Okay, Chocollage is a nice little neighborhood place. The staff is friendly and they let us bring in our dog.
The lattes are decent and they have a whole display of homemade desserts (the mint/​chocolate bar is delicious). It’s the kind of place that makes you feel like you’re walking into your friends kitchen.
Don’t expect anything fancy but it’s a cute place to pop in for a quick coffee and dessert break.

In part because of the other reviewers, I reserved judgement of my brief experience here until after tasting the brownies that I purchased.
I got lucky and nabbed the free 2hr parking spot directly in front of the entrance. The place is a bit small, not good for groups. It’s dog-​friendly, though. There’s a water bowl inside the front door. It didn’t look «clean» but maybe they were going for a «rustic» vibe. I didn’t deduct any stars for that, but I wasn’t crazy about the look and feel of the place.
The woman that helped me was quick. Like, really quick. She had an «I’m-pleasant-because-you’re-a-customer-and-my-job-is-to-facilitate-your-payment-of-goods-but-not-selection-of-said-goods-so-I-hope-that-you-know-what-you-want-so-I-can-go-back-to-doing-all-the-work-that-I-have-to-do-in-the-back» kind of demeanor. Despite that, I still asked a few questions since I didn’t know what I was looking at and i didn’t want to have avoidable buyer’s remorse.
I wound up buying a cheesecake brownie and a mint bar. I brought my laptop bag inside, but since she gave me my items in a to-​go container & I had the feeling that I was keeping her from something time-​sensitive, I just left. Someone was working on a big cardboard thing in the small dining area. So, maybe they were working on a display. No matter, not a big deal. If reviews weren’t so high from Unilocal elites, I wouldn’t have even bother purchasing anything. The guy that came in behind me left after puttering around a bit and not being greeted… Maybe they were having a rough morning? Either way, I figured that if either brownie was tasty, I’d give them a try another time. The woman that helped me warmed up a bit after I ran my card… Relieved, maybe? lol I dunno. Whatever it was that brought it on, it was nice to see her smile (I’m not being sarcastic).
So, I went to my car and took a bite of the cheesecake brownie… Cold! Not room-​temp-​cold, refrigerator-​cold. :(Pretty unpleasant to bite into, and extra firm. Also, it was overly milky. That was the prevailing taste. Later, I’ll try warming it and trying it with coffee. The mint one, I think I’ll just give to someone else & see what they think of it at room temp or warmed.
Overall, I have no desire to go back. It was a less than average experience for me, even while taking the quality of goods into account. There are lots of other good options in the area. And, even if there weren’t, I own an oven and I rarely rush myself. :p