Chocolates From Bouchon Bakery   (Photo: Jed Egan)

Jacques Torres
66 Water St., nr. Main St., Dumbo, Brooklyn; 718-875-9772
Chocoholics from near and far make pilgrimages to sample Torres's line of dark- and milk-chocolate bonbons in flavors like pistachio marzipan and chocolate peanut brittle. For more adult tastes, go with the passion-fruit hearts or cork-shaped Taittinger truffles.

La Maison du Chocolate
1018 Madison Ave., at 78th St.; 212-744-7117
30 Rockefeller Plz., at 49th St.; 212-265-9404
Long worshipped as one of the premier Paris chocolatiers thanks to its combination of luxe ingredients and decadent chocolate, La Maison du Chocolat boasts highlights like tennis-ball-size Rocher pralines.

MarieBelle New York
484 Broome St., nr. Wooster St.; 212-925-6999
The signature chocolates are topped with quirky designs, like jade-green swirls and blue-and-white checks. But don't let the whimsy stop you from taking this chocolate seriously. Some of the best are flavored with spices, like cardamom and cinnamon.

Bouchon Bakery
Time Warner Center, 10 Columbus Cir., 3rd fl., nr. 58th St.; 212-823-9366
At seven-Michelin-star superchef Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery, choose from twelve varieties of hand-made chocolate bonbons, as well as the signature line of pastry concoctions.

Chocolat Michel Cluizel
ABC Carpet & Home, 888 Broadway, nr. 19th St.; 212-477-7335
For a Valentine's Day gift with a little kick, try Cluizel's chocolate-covered Morello cherry, which is packed with so much brandy that the store was forced to obtain a liquor license to carry it.