The good news is that Chapon Chocolatier is located far from my apartment. Far away on the other side of town, across the river on the Left Bank. (I live on the Right Bank.)

The bad news is … well, there is no bad news, other than the fact that Chapon Chocolatier is closed on Monday mornings.

Patrice Chapon has won numerous awards for his chocolate concoctions. But the biggest prize should go to the four bowls of rich, silky mousse in the shop window. As I stood in the hankie-sized shop, at least eight people pressed their faces to the window to gaze in at them. Each mousse is made from the cocoa beans of a different region: Madagascar, Venezuela, Ecuador. Each mousse has varying degrees of sweetness and intensity. In the cold weather, thick take-out hot chocolate is on offer.

Does chocolate make you happy?

Studies show that eating chocolate affects the levels of endorphins in the brain, thus causing feelings of euphoria.

Here’s my euphoria: buying some Chapon chocolate then heading to the café directly across the street to stand up at the counter, order a double espresso and slowly savour the coffee and chocolate together.

Cocoa and coffee bean heaven. Amen.

69 rue du Bac
Paris 75007 (7th arrondissement)
Metro: Rue du Bac