Debauve & Gallais, one of the world’s oldest chocolatiers and one of France’s first luxury brands, recently announced plans to open a boutique on the Upper East Side of Manhattan (20 East 69th Street off Madison) joining Fauchon and La Maison du Chocolat among other top European brands in the neighborhood. The opening is scheduled for sometime in September, 2004. ...

Founded by Sulpice Debauve, a pharmacist/apothecarist to King Louis XVI, the first chocolate shop on the left bank of Paris in 1800 expanding quickly to over 60 shops throughout France by 1804.

Revered by a rather illustrious fan base that includes Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (whose influence is still felt in the culinary world today and known by most for his quote in the opening credits of Iron Chef), Proust, Baudelaire and Hugo, Debauve & Gallais has garnered many special achievement, including being the official chocolatier to Kings Louis XVIII, Charles X, and Louis Philippe.

The web site features a beautiful wash illustration of their left bank Parisian boutique (I visited there last in 1998) and we can only hope that the New York store echoes the same design. As we learn more we’ll let you know more, including publishing a formal review on chocophile.com