In a small, tranquil French village suffocated by tradition, an unconventional woman named Vianne and her young daughter arrive and open a chocolate shop just as Lent begins. Vianne's luscious confections and warm spirit gradually begin to awaken a suppressed sense of joy and desire among the villagers. She befriends Armande, a feisty elderly woman, and her grandson, Luc, while triggering the ire of the conservative, pious mayor, Comte de Reynaud. The mayor perceives Vianne's shop as a threat to the social and moral fabric of the village and embarks on a campaign to shut it down, painting Vianne as an immoral outsider intent on corrupting the town.

As Vianne continues to spread her charm, the village starts to reconsider their rigid ways. Her chocolate becomes a catalyst for change, mending the broken relationships of the townspeople. Vianne also encounters Roux, a charming riverboat gypsy, whose free spirit and outsider status resonate with her own. Amidst this, the tension between Vianne and Comte de Reynaud escalates, posing a threat to her blossoming business and the newfound joy she's brought into the village. The tug-of-war between rigid tradition and the indulgence of life's pleasures reaches a critical point, making the villagers choose which path to follow.