Chocolate is Bariloche's other landmark, and Mitre street is where you taste it. The city's chocolate story began in 1948, when Italian immigrants Aldo Fenoglio and Inés Secco opened a small factory called Tronador using recipes from Turin, and it grew into an industry of about twenty artisanal factories, only a few of which make chocolate from the cacao bean. Today the shops lining Mitre sell bars, truffles, alfajores, hot chocolate and gift boxes, with family makers such as Rapanui, whose corner at Mitre and Villegas is part of the story, and Mamuschka, which has a shop and pastry house on the street. Signature items include chocolate-covered raspberries, hot chocolate thick enough to stand a spoon in and the chocolate bar broken from a long slab. The visit is a walk rather than a ticketed attraction, and costs only what you buy. At Easter, the city holds a chocolate festival with a long chocolate bar made live and a tasting walk along Mitre.
The simplest way to approach the street is as a tasting crawl. Start at one end and stop at three or four shops, taking free samples where offered, then compare. Look for shops that make their own chocolate, often visible through windows, and ask which products are made on site.
Hot chocolate is the classic order in cool weather, and a cafe cup with a pastry is a good break. Many shops sell gift boxes in travel-friendly packaging, which is why chocolate is the traditional souvenir: visitors have long been asked to bring some back for friends and family.
Chocolate-making in Bariloche rests on cold weather, Alpine-style settlers and a tourism boom in the mid-twentieth century. The city's reputation spread when travellers began taking bars home as gifts because they were light, easy to carry and delicious, a tradition that continues. Some makers offer tastings and short hands-on sessions, and a chocolate museum on Avenida Bustillo explores the history, so ask at shops for current options and confirm opening hours before you go.
Only a few producers import cacao and make chocolate from the bean, so reading labels helps if the origin matters to you.
Practical tips
Shops are open late into the evening in season and the street is busiest at weekends and in the ski season, so afternoons on weekdays are calmer. Chocolate melts easily, so if you are buying for the trip home, choose firm bars and truffles and pack them in the middle of your luggage, away from heat.
In November, spring, the street is quiet, and most shops are open, though check hours for any shop you plan to visit. Pair the walk with the Civic Centre, a short stroll away, and with a late-afternoon hot chocolate after a day at the lake or the mountains.
What to expect
The experience
A self-guided walk along Mitre street, stopping in chocolate shops for samples, hot chocolate and gifts.
Best time
Weekday afternoons for calm shops; Easter for the city's chocolate festival.
How long
One to two hours depending on how many shops you visit.
Tips
Taste at several shops before buying, ask which products are made on site, and keep chocolate away from heat on the way home.
Quick picks
- Best for
- Anyone with a sweet tooth, and everyone who needs a souvenir.
- Families
- Children love the samples and hot chocolate, and the walk is flat and short.
- Couples
- Share a thick hot chocolate and compare truffles at two or three family makers.
- Pair with
- The Civic Centre and the lakeshore after a day on the Circuito Chico.
- Time needed
- One to two hours, or longer with a pastry stop.
Good questions
Where are the best chocolate shops in Bariloche?+
Mitre street is the main strip, with family makers such as Rapanui and Mamuschka among those that anchor the scene. Use the tourism board's directory to find shops and current details.
When did Bariloche become known for chocolate?+
The tradition dates to 1948, when Aldo Fenoglio and Inés Secco opened the Tronador factory using Italian recipes, and it grew as visitors took chocolate home as souvenirs.
What should I try?+
Hot chocolate, chocolate-covered raspberries, truffles and the bars broken from a slab are the classics. Alfajores filled with dulce de leche are another local favourite.
Is there a chocolate festival?+
Yes. At Easter the city holds a chocolate festival with a very long chocolate bar made live and a tasting walk on Mitre street.
Are chocolate workshops available?+
Some makers offer tastings and short hands-on sessions, so ask at shops for current options and book ahead where required.
