Monsieur Truffe

Among Smith Street’s mixed bag of shops sits Monsieur Truffe, a chocolaterie carefully crafted by the practiced hands of chocolatier Thibault Fregoni.

Monsieur Truffe’s charming interiors match the palette of cocoa beans in different stages of roasting (although the roasting happens at Fregoni's atelier, at East Elevation), which in turn mirrors the chocolaterie’s meticulous care for its handmade chocolate, as well as its follow-on forms: fresh truffles, single-origin bars, chocolate drinks, daytime pastries and plated desserts.

Among accents of vintage chocolate moulds and cocoa-bean sacks lie an array of take-home chocolate goods made by the shop. These include single-origin chocolate bars; 70% premium dark chocolate bars with candied orange peels or caramelised almonds; white chocolate thins with goji berries; hot chocolate mix; and a selection of couvertures. Hazelnuts coated in chocolate are a delight, dusted with pure cocoa powder to balance the sweetness of the milk chocolate.

The chocolaterie also makes for an excellent spot to spend an afternoon in, sitting on a window-facing bench with a croissant and hot chocolate in a mug the colour of ripened cocoa beans, or with an iced chocolate at a table fronting the shop on warmer days.