Ek Chuah — Restaurant in Sacatepéquez

Hello everybody. My wife and I were blown away by this place. We don't leave a ton of reviews and we consider ourselves to be the 'tourists that try not to be tourists' lol and this experience was the perfect combination of educational, authentic, high-quality and friendly. We eat a lot of dark chocolate (and my wife is pregnant so 2x that previous statement!) and this was really good chocolate. Additionally, we did the 90-min chocolate workshop led by Jessica and it was absolutely amazing. First we learned about the process (some of which I knew, some which I didn't) and I loved seeing Jessica grind the beans on her family's historic grinding stone (complete with carved jaguar). Then we actually took our chocolate from raw beans, to roasting them, to cracking the husks (which we made chocolate tea), to grinding the beans in a mortar & pestle, to stirring them into different combinations of chocolate drinks (Mayan style with pepper, European style with milk & other spices). Then they took some prepared liquified chocolate (same ingredients but that process takes a bit of time) and we could make dark or milk chocolate in molds to take home. We bought some chocolate bars (and even some beans to eat raw) and even some knick-knacks for our kids back home (they have them there to support single mothers in their community). Really couldn't have asked for a...

If Willy Wonka had a Guatemalan cousin, her name would be Jessica! My wife and I took the chocolate-making class at Ek Chuah Chocolate Café, and it was hands down one of the highlights of our honeymoon. From the moment we stepped in, the aroma of cocoa whispered, “You’re about to have the best time ever,” and it did not lie.

Jessica was absolutely amazing — equal parts chocolate expert, comedian, and life coach. She didn’t just teach us how chocolate is made… she turned it into a full-blown experience filled with laughter, history, and (of course) lots of tasting! She made learning so engaging that even the “educational” parts felt like a party.

And just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, the Ek Chua team surprised us with a special honeymoon plate they made just for us! ❤️ It was such a thoughtful gesture that made us feel celebrated and spoiled…I’m not saying I teared up, but I’m also not not saying that.

Everything about this place went above and beyond — the warmth, the humor, the hospitality, and the chocolate (which I’m convinced is 80% love and 20% magic). If you’re in Antigua, do yourself a favor and book this class. And if you get Jessica as your teacher, congratulations… you’ve officially won the golden...

Could be the chocolate talking (I ate A LOT!) but if I could give the Chocolate tour 10 stars I would!

Our chocolate guide, Jose was both extremely knowledgeable and entirely personable. His English was impeccable. He taught us so much and we, my hubby and I, had an absolute blast grinding, making and tasting our own chocolate.

Would absolutely recommend - I have left with a newfound appreciation for the chocolate making process and love for cocao tea (a must try!). ❤ Apologies to my dentist! 🙃

🔸️Its worth mentioning that there is a wait time of around 30 mins for the chocolate to set at the end. This was fine for us as we have accommodation around the corner, but it's worth considering if you have limited time or are from...