Barcelona Guide
Sant Pere
Museu de la Xocolata
Address: c/del Comerç 36
Opening time: Mon & Wed– Sat 10am–7pm, Sun 10am–3pm
Price: €3.90
Telephone: 932 687 878
Website: www.pastisseria.com
TheMuseu de la Xocolata is housed in the former Convent de Sant Agusti. The thirteenth-century cloister, rediscovered when the building was renovated, can still be viewed through the building's main doors. Plodding audiovisual displays in the museum recount the history of chocolate, from its origins as a sacred and medicinal product of prehistoric Central America through to its introduction to Europe as a confection in the sixteenth century.
The topic has some local relevance. The Bourbon army, which was once quartered in this building, demanded the provision of chocolate for its sweet-toothed troops. However, whether you go in or not probably depends on how keen you are to see models of Gaudí buildings or religious icons sculpted from chocolate. Nonetheless, the museum café serves a fine cup of hot chocolate – and the choccie counter is something to behold – while at the adjacent Escola de Pastisseria, glass windows allow you to look onto the students learning their craft in the kitchens. Chocolate workshops, tastings and children's days are organized on a regular basis.