When a mysterious stranger, Vianne Rocher (Juliette Binoche), and her child arrive in a tranquil French town in the winter of 1959, nobody can imagine the impact they will have on this old-fashioned, buttoned-up community. Within days Vianne opens a very unusual chocolate shop filled with mouthwatering confections. Her uncanny ability to perceive her customers' private desires and satisfy them with just the right confections coaxes the villagers into abandoning themselves to temptation and happiness.Reynaud (Alfred Molina), the self-appointed leader of this town rooted in tradition, is shocked that Vianne is tempting the parishioners with her delicacies. Fearing it will ruin his town, Reynaud pits himself against the beautiful chocolatiere. But when another stranger arrives, the handsome Roux (Johnny Depp), and joins Vianne in her quest to liberate the town, a dramatic confrontation arises between those who prefer the ways of the past and those who revel in their newly discovered taste for pleasure.