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Less than six months after François Payard closed Payard Patisserie & Bistro in the summer of 2009, he returned to the Upper East Side with François Chocolate Bar on the fourth floor of Mauboussin jewelers, whose stores in Paris and Japan also dedicate space to chocolate. The Rockwell Group designed the boutique, and incorporated chocolate design elements into the upstairs cafe. Payard displays his opera cakes, macaron, pound cakes, and chocolates in glass cases like bling, but prices range from a reasonable $2.25 for macarons to $7.50 for verrines, parfaits layered in small glasses. Dark-chocolate squares oozing caramel garnered buzz among the bonbons Payard featured at the annual New York Taste event, but it's his verrine tout chocolat: rich layers of dark-chocolate sabayon, dark-chocolate leaves with fleur de sel, chocolate macaron, chocolate mousse, and caramel chips, that should put skinny uptown ladies into sweats over whether to splurge. Tea, coffee, and hot chocolate is also served at the bar. — Alexandra Vallis

Beyond chocolates, pastries and verrines are all available beautifully packaged to go.

Verrine tout chocolat, $7.50.