Venchi Chocolate: Where You'll Literally Become a Child in a Candy Shop

In our latest round of exploration of China World Mall's "New Zone," we happened to stumble upon Venchi, a true heaven for chocolate lovers in Beijing.

The sighting happened purely by chance. Upon getting lost in the basement, we couldn't help but notice the gold and shiny shimmer of the store up ahead. Before entering we had a moments to collect our thoughts, leaving us with a multitude of questions: do we deserve this? Probably not. Is this too posh for us? Most certainly so. Do I have enough money left over this month to splash out of chocolate? No way. But the sweet delights beckoned us, and before we knew it, we were like children in a candy shop.

First, some background. This Italian chocolate shop first opened in 1878, but this outlet in the basement of the new China World Mall was just opened in April, and initially reminded us the short-lived experiment that was Max Brenner’s Chocolate Bar at The Place (RIP).

There are various chocolate items to choose from, which are charged by the gram, as well as a selection of gelato. Prices are more than a bit steep – one scope of gelato is just RMB 38, while two to four flavors will set you back RMB 55-68, and additional toppings are RMB 5 each.

If you're going through a breakup or having an ice cream party, you can buy by the kilogram for RMB 358. There are also crepes, which cost RMB 48-70. As for the drinks, coffee is around RMB 45, or there are various teas are RMB 30-60, and hot chocolate for RMB 28-65, the high-end option even coming with a splash of rum.

Despite the slow service, the two scoops of gelato in a cone (RMB 55) was exquisite. In fact, just one bite was all it took to remember just how incredibly slow the service was – the rich flavors were enhanced when the ice cream melted in my mouth. The pistachio scoop was laden with fantastically crunchy shards of nuts, while the caramel ice cream was sweet and particularly creamy.

However, not even the ice cream could salvage the 20-minute wait it took for the Venchi signature hot chocolate (RMB 40), only exacerbated by the steady decline of our initial sugar rush. We saw the waiter place the cup next to the machine, and yet it took a further 10 minutes to eventually shout at us that the machine was broken and they'd return our money, sans apology. The ordeal left us disillusioned, disappointed, and with more than just an intense and unquenchable craving chocolate.

Due to the addictive nature of chocolate, and despite the terrible service, there was still a long and anxious line in Venchi during our visit. If you do decide to go, be patient, take deep breaths, and carry a backup Snickers in your pocket just in case.

Venchi
Daily 10am-9.30pm. NB1030, North Zone, China World Mall, 1 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District
闻绮： 建国门外大街1号国贸商城北区NB1030

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Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
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Photos: Tracy Wang