Chocolate Shops We Love: MarieBelle
Location
484 Broome St. New York NY 10013
Growing up in Honduras, chocolatier Maribel Lieberman knew she wanted to work with confections from a young age, starting by making her work candies and selling them to her neighbors as a child. She would later come to New York City to study at Parsons School of Design and in 2000, open her first New York City storefront called Lunettes et Chocolat, a small boutique in Nolita that combined fashion glasses and chocolates. During that time, all of the chocolates were manufactured in the South of France.
In 2002 Liberman opened the MarieBelle flagship store in SoHo. The shop quickly stood out, as chocolate shops were still a rarity in the neighborhood. “My intention was always to make a chocolate brand not only a chocolate store,” says Lieberman. “I felt SoHo was a perfect place to start since it is a neighborhood visited by national and international tourists."
Now in addition to the original SoHo location, the brand has expanded with MarieBelle at The Kitano Hotel in Midtown and several outposts located in Japan. Today, Lieberman manufactures her chocolates in a 12-square-foot chocolate factory in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Lieberman’s background in fashion and design is evident in everything she does. The brand is particularly known for a line of decadent hot chocolate that was featured as one of “Oprah’s Favorite Things.” In 2021 Lieberman appeared in the documentary Chocolate Road.
The Store
MarieBelle’s flagship store is located in SoHo with antique tables and shelves that hold various treats wrapped in signature blue boxes as a chandelier glistens from the ceiling above. The glass case counter showcases the shop’s signature chocolates unwrapped and uniquely designed along with its selection of pastries and macaroons.
The store has luxurious and sophisticated feel that carries through to the branding and packaging with a signature turquoise color that calls to mind Tiffany. Seasonal offerings are in limited edition boxes in dark blue, mock snakeskin red packaging or pink boxes gilded with pink gemstones.
Top-Selling Confections
Rich and creamy, the Aztec Dark Hot Chocolate contains 60% South American single-origin chocolate as opposed to cocoa powder for a creamier flavor. “It’s very popular among our customers,” says Lieberman. “It is thick and tastes like a melted chocolate bar.”
Hand-made with custom designs, the Passion Fruit Ganache is one of the most popular flavors of these sought-after chocolates. “Both the milk chocolate and the passion fruit pulp make a good harmony of flavors,” says Lieberman.
This 60% dark chocolate bar is handmade using all-natural flavors and has a design that features the brand's signature pattern complemented by orange peel. “The dark chocolate and the natural taste of the confit orange make a perfect balance of both flavors,” says Lieberman.
Also Look For
The SoHo location features Cacao Bar, a charming 15 seat space where patrons can order a coffee, one of nine different hot chocolates along with signature pastries, decadent desserts, finger sandwiches, or full afternoon tea service. A specialty is the classic molten chocolate lava cake with warm dark chocolate oozing through its center.
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Kathleen Thompson Hill
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Anna Mindess
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Kelsey Ogletree
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Tamara Palmer
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Deborah R. Prinz
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Alec Scott
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Shobitha Ramadasan
Shobitha Ramadasan is a former lawyer turned chocolate sommelier. She has trained with chocolate professionals in France and is certified by the International Institute of Chocolate & Cacao Tasting (Level 2). She teaches chocolate tasting workshops and is a proponent of chocolate being a powerful teacher in embracing diversity and inclusion. After a decade of the sweet life in France, she is now based in Dublin, Ireland. Find her online at chocolatesomm.com and on Instagram @thechocolatesommelier_ie
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Carol Penn-Romine
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Summer Rylander
Summer Rylander is a freelance food and travel writer based in Nuremberg, Germany. She is an avid home cook with a special fondness for Swedish cheeses and buffalo milk mozzarella, both of which she has written about for Culture. Her work has also appeared in Travel + Leisure, TheKitchn, and more.
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Alisa Scerrato
Alisa Scerrato is a Boston-based writer, editor, and educator. She has a master’s degree in Arts and Humanities Education from New York University and over two decades of experience in her field. As a journalist, she covers topics that deal with food, art, and culture. In 2020, Alisa won a San Francisco Press Club Award — 1st Place, Digital Media, Feature Story/Light Nature for her story "As Tony's Pizza Napoletana turns 10, owner reflects on changing North Beach." Find Alisa on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
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JoEllen Schilke
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Stef Schwalb
Stef Schwalb is a freelance writer and editor who specializes in food, beverage, business, and design. Her work has been featured in Boston Magazine and Boston Home, Designing Lighting, ForceBrands, and is a Contributing Editor to The SOMM Journal and Tasting Panel Magazine. She holds the WSET Level 3 certification and is pursuing ongoing wine and spirits educational opportunities in between deadlines. You can find her on Instagram and Twitter via @StefSchwalb.
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Amy Sherman
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Elisa Shoenberger
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Hollie Stephens
Hollie Stephens is an award-winning freelance writer originally from London and currently based in New Mexico. Her writing has appeared in VinePair, Pellicle, Hop Culture, and other publications. View more bylines at Holliestephens.com, and follow her on Twitter @GlobeHops
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Liz Susman Karp
Liz Susman Karp writes about culinary history and anthropology, foodways, restaurants, and the intersection of food and culture. Her work has been published in Zagat Stories, Heated, The Nosher, Inside Hook, Modern Farmer and Westchester Magazine, among others. She feels fortunate to live in New York’s Hudson Valley, where she enjoys exploring the area’s rich agricultural heritage and offerings.
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Estelle Tracy
Estelle Tracy is an award-winning food writer and chocolate sommelier based in the Philadelphia area. A French native, she discovered the bean-to-bar movement in 2015 and has been leading chocolate tastings ever since. She’s the author of a food survival guide for French expats in the US, a regular contributor for Edible Delmarva magazine, and the founder of 37 Chocolates, a chocolate education company. Find out more at 37chocolates.com.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rebecca Treon
Rebecca Treon is a Denver-based food, travel, and lifestyles writer. Born and raised in Colorado, she’s also a fluent Spanish speaker. She has visited Mexico, France, Spain, Italy, England, Ireland, Holland, and Argentina and half the states. Rebecca has written for publications like BBC Travel, Huffington Post, Thrillist, Hemispheres, and many others. She’s worked as an editor at American Bungalow and DiningOut and is a correspondent for Denver & the West for Time Out. She’s the author of the forthcoming book, Colorado Food Trails. She is the proud mother of a son and a daughter and can be found at @RebeccaTreon on Instagram.
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Leena Trivedi-Grenier
Leena Trivedi-Grenier is an Oakland-based food and culture writer who loves her colby cheese snack sticks just as much as a gooey piece of triple cream Brillat-Savarin. She’s a two-time Association of Food Journalists award finalist, and her work has appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle, NPR, and Eater. You can find her on Instagram, Twitter and at leenaeats.com.
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Felice Thorpe
Felice Thorpe is a California native with strong roots in agriculture. She is currently President of the California Artisan Cheese Guild and formerly National Sales Director for Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese. She is a graduate of the Mons Academie Opus Caseus, a French cheese program for cheese professionals. She is an expert in cheese pairings and a 2019 Cheese Judge for the Good Food Foundation.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Flora Tsapovsky
Flora Tsapovsky is a style, food and culture writer splitting her time between San Francisco and Tel Aviv. She has contributed to publications including San Francisco Chronicle, Bon Appetit, Afar and VinePair. She likes her cheeses funky.
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Pamela Vachon
Pamela Vachon is a freelance food and travel writer whose work has also appeared in Wine Enthusiast, Bon Appétit, CNET, and VinePair, among others. She is also a certified sommelier, experienced bartender, voiceover artist, musician, and instructor at NYC's Murray's Cheese.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Paul Vachon
A lifelong Michigan resident, Paul Vachon is an author, freelance writer, and public speaker. He possesses a strong interest in Detroit history and has written four previous books devoted to the subject. He’s also written guidebooks on Michigan travel. Paul is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors. In his spare time, Paul enjoys traveling, nature photography, and acting in community theatre. He likes to take leisurely drives around the state, always hoping to bump into a good story idea. Paul also thinks having a map of the state on the back of his left hand is pretty cool.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hailey Valkema
Hailey Valkema is Florida-based chef, baker, and food writer who enjoys running her local cake business, cooking for family and friends, and baking for her community. When she’s not writing or in the kitchen you’ll find her reading about the history and science of food, or watching tv show’s about it.
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Kathleen Willcox
Kathleen Willcox has been writing about the business and culture of wine and food for more years than she’d care to reveal. Her work appears regularly in Wine Searcher, Wine Enthusiast, The Vintner Project and many other publications. Kathleen also co-authored a book called Hudson Valley Wine: A History of Taste & Terroir, which was published in 2017. Follow her wine explorations on Instagram at @kathleenwillcox.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Marcella Wright
Marcella Wright began working in the cheese industry in 2008 for Fred Meyer, a division of Kroger. During her employment with Kroger, she was a Special Matter Expert and opened 75 Murray’s Cheese Shops by training the staff and setting the cheese cases. She is a member of the International Guilde des Fromagers, New World Order. Her certifications include being an American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional and a ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification. She now lives in NE Georgia with her husband of 41 years where she sells cheese at Sweet Combs of Honey, offers cheese classes, events, and special orders. She is also a cat rescuer and is currently caring for 10 cats, 4 of which live in the house.
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Lauren Johnson-Wünscher
Lauren Johnson-Wünscher is an American wine buyer and food and beverage writer based in Berlin, Germany. Follow her on Instagram at @laurenjwunscht.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Thei Zervaki
Thei Zervaki is citizen of the world who writes about one-of-a-kind foods, distant lands, and food poetry. She loves culinary history books, strong coffee, and a glass of Riesling on hot nights. Find her at wedesserts.com and on IG @thefullybooked.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rebecca Deurlein
Rebecca Deurlein believes everything is interesting, and she loves finding the story everywhere she goes. Her passion is discovering people and places that have gone unnoticed and bringing light to what makes them unique. Her focus is travel, food and beverage, active lifestyles, and wellness. She’s been published in publications, including Travel & Leisure, Fodor’s, Wine Enthusiast, Eater, Atlas Obscura, Hemispheres, Eating Well, the Houston Chronicle, and Texas Monthly. Rebecca is the author of the internationally acclaimed parenting book Teenagers 101 and has made guest appearances on TV and podcasts. She is based out of Houston, Texas.
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Fija Callaghan
Fija Callaghan spent several years as a chocolatier and bean-to-bar chocolate maker before becoming an author and freelance writer. She trained with the International Institute of Chocolate & Cacao Tasting and Valrhona’s École du Grand Chocolat, and served as a judge for two international chocolatier competitions. Now, as a poet, short story writer, and novelist, Fija incorporates craft drinking chocolate into her creative process.
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Elizabeth Karmel
Elizabeth Karmel has more than 25 years of experience that spans virtually every aspect of the food industry. She is an award-winning chef, journalist, cookbook author, brand expert, brand and culinary consultant, housewares product designer, and more. She contributes to publications including Forbes, Associated Press and the Washington Post, is the author of three acclaimed cookbooks and also writes the weekly newsletter What’s 4 Dinner? with Anthony Underwood.
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Luciana Squadrilli
Luciana Squadrilli is a food and travel writer based in Rome. Senior editor at Food&Wine Italia magazine, she also contributes as a freelancer to many other publications, both in Italy and abroad, mostly about pizza and extra virgin olive oil. She runs the online magazine pizzaontheroad.eu and is a contributor to Culinary Backstreets from Naples.
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N.C. Stevens
N.C. Stevens became interested in the folkways of drinking after living in Madagascar. An occasional home distiller, he documents the intersection of culture and beverages through travel, research, and expert interviews at DrinkingFolk.com. He covers all beverages but focuses on distilled spirits.
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Kelsey Erin Shipman
Kelsey Erin Shipman is a writer based in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. She writes articles on food and culture, and ghostwrites books for creative professionals on doing what you love. Her work has appeared in USA Today, The Austin Chronicle, as well as numerous literary journals. She served as the Writer-In-Residence at the Katherine Anne Porter Literary Center. A native Texan, she loves big dogs and breakfast tacos.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abbe Wichman
Abbe Wichman is a food and drink writer based in Westchester, NY. A contributor to Westchester Magazine and HuffPost, her writing has also been featured in Spoonful and a number of Edible publications. She especially loves to profile the passionate people in food and drink. Follow her on Instagram @abbewichman and on Twitter @abbe_wichman.