If you have ever stood in a supermarket aisle in the Netherlands, you have seen the bright, lumpy-looking bars with the wild wrappers. Tony’s Chocolonely Amsterdam is where that brand feels most at home, and a stop at its Super Store is an easy, cheerful way to spend an hour in the city.
Tony’s Chocolonely Amsterdam: what it actually is
Tony’s Chocolonely started in the early 2000s in the Netherlands, founded by a Dutch journalist who wanted to draw attention to child labour and slavery in cocoa farming. The company says its mission is to make all chocolate 100% slave free, and that message is printed on nearly everything it sells. The bars are famous for being split into uneven chunks on purpose, which is meant to show how unequal the cocoa industry can be.
The Amsterdam store, usually called the Super Store, sits in the western part of the city centre, not far from the Westerpark area. It works as a shop, a bit of a showroom and a place to learn how the brand talks about its supply chain. You can check the current address and opening times on the company’s own website before you go, because shops like this change hours more often than guidebooks admit.
What to expect inside
The first thing you notice is the colour. Wrappers cover the walls, and the whole place feels more like a toy shop than a chocolatier. You can usually find the standard flavours, a rotating set of limited editions, and gift boxes that are easy to pack in a suitcase. Milk caramel sea salt is the one many people name as their favourite, and the dark milk varieties tend to surprise people who normally avoid dark chocolate.
Some visits include a make-your-own-bar counter, where you pick a base and add toppings. Whether this is running on the day you go depends on the season and staffing, so treat it as a possible extra rather than a promise. Prices are in line with a premium bar, so expect to pay a little more than for supermarket chocolate.
Things worth trying
- A classic flavour you already know, so you can compare it with the version you buy at home.
- One flavour you would never normally pick. The shop is a safe place to experiment.
- The smaller “tiny” bars if you want to share samples with friends instead of carrying five big bars.
How to fit it into your day
The shop pairs well with a morning walk through Westerpark or along the Haarlemmerdijk, a street known for independent food shops and bakeries. If you are staying near Centraal Station, it is a short tram or bike ride away. A quick visit takes 30 to 45 minutes; if you add the tasting extras and browsing, plan for an hour.
Weekends and school holidays can get busy, so go on a weekday morning if you like a calmer shop. Rainy days also send people inside, which is something to keep in mind in a city where the weather changes quickly.
Buying chocolate without the tourist markup
You do not have to buy everything at the store. The bars are sold in many Dutch supermarkets, including Albert Heijn, usually at a lower price than a gift shop. The Super Store is better for the limited flavours, the bigger gift sets and the experience itself. If you are only after a few bars to take home, a supermarket stop costs less and is just as good.
If you are buying for people with allergies, read the label carefully. Many bars contain milk, and several contain nuts or traces of them. The wrapper lists this clearly, and staff can point you to the right shelf.
Why people keep talking about the brand
Part of the appeal is the story. The company publishes reports about how it buys cocoa, pays farmers a higher price and tries to trace its beans. Not everyone agrees on how far this goes, and journalists and campaigners have discussed the topic over the years. If you care about this, the shop is a good starting point for a conversation, and the company’s own impact reports are a place to read the claims for yourself.
Even if you only care about taste, the bars are good. The chunky shape makes them satisfying to snap, and the flavour range has grown a lot over the years.
A simple plan for your visit
1. Check opening hours online the day before.
2. Arrive in the morning to avoid the busiest crowd.
3. Try one flavour you know and one you do not.
4. Pick up small bars as gifts, since they pack easily.
5. Walk to a nearby café in Westerpark and enjoy the first bar with a coffee.
Tony’s Chocolonely Amsterdam is not a museum and does not pretend to be one. It is a fun, bright and slightly opinionated shop that gives you a good reason to try something new and take a decent souvenir home. For a short city break, it is one of the easier food stops to add to your list.
More like this: browse our Amsterdam section.
