If you’re a vegan, that’s all the reason you need to eat at Chocolatree. If you’re not, here are another few reasons why you should still eat at Chocolatree in Sedona.
I usually don’t dedicate a full post to restaurants and food. You know that the only time I do is when there is something really worth raving about or if there is something very special about the place. As I was writing up my Sedona Guide, I found myself writing paragraph after paragraph about Chocolatree. In full honesty, I was expecting to. It’s Kundalini Yoga & Meditation Lead Teacher Shakti Sita’s favorite go-to place in Sedona, and now I’ve come to realize–with reason.
After ATVing all morning and visiting Shaman’s Cave in the early afternoon, it was time for a late afternoon lunch. We headed to the famous lunch spot Chocolatree. It’s primarily known among vegans for having delicious vegan options. Not being a vegan, I thought: when in Sedona, do as the Sedonans do! So we tried a vegan lunch.
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I ordered the quesadilla, which was recommended to me by new local and friend of Shakti Sita, Mike. He said it was his favorite item on the menu. I was torn between ordering chocolate and one of the playful snack bars with names like “Magic Healing Bar.” I ended up ordering a dark chocolate bite. I couldn’t not order chocolate, afterall the place is called Chocolatree. Plus, buying a chocolate from Chocolatree means supporting the small-scale cacao growers they work with. Buying a chocolate from them means donating towards their sustainability programs and helping preserve a traditional way of farming, thereby safeguarding the biodiversity of cacao in Ecuador. All good stuff that makes you feel good about the food you’re eating.
One of Patrick’s favorite chocolate bars as of recent is Hu. They also have a dark chocolate salt vegan option, which kind of reminds me of the Chocolatree chocolates. Hu’s motto is ‘helping people get back to human.’ And they’re so meticulous with their ingredient selection, I promise you just one bite makes you feel more grounded with earth and mother nature.
Being a gluten splurging carnivore, the food didn’t tickle my taste buds or have them exploding with flavor. It was a tranquil meal. Very simple and neat. It reminded me of Smood in New York, something that doesn’t quite have me raving the first time around, but I can see myself craving this very particular quesadilla again down the line. However, vegans rave highly of the food, which is a good sign. Most importantly, all their food is sourced organically and made from scratch by people they call “food magicians“. But, what really made Chocolatree worth visiting for me is it’s the ambiance.
Chocolatree‘s backyard is known as the garden sanctuary. It’s rich in trees, vines, flowers, and yes–even the food you’re eating is from their garden–so veggies, fruits, berries and herbs. You will find people working in the open aired garden, reading, meditating by the Buddha shrine, or taking a respite through the garden with it’s positive messages and wind chimes. As you wander around for the perfect place to sit, keep an eye out for their 2 standing shiva lingams. These stones are symbols for peace and ground us to mother nature, making anyone and everyone who steps foot into Chocolatree a part of something bigger and more divine. Isn’t that all the reason you need to visit?
>> Next: How to Reach Shaman’s Cave, Robbers Roost Trail, Sedona
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