If you love macarons, chances are that you know Ladurée. Known as the inventor of the double-decker macaron, the company is selling about fifteen thousand of them every day. Ladurée started as a bakery founded by Louis-Ernest Ladurée in 1862. The store opened on rue Royale, at the heart of the busy Place de la Madeleine and Village Royale district. The famous macaron only came later on when Pierre Desfontaines, Laduree’s grandson, created it in 1930. Simple macarons were common at that time in France thanks to Queen Catherine de Medici who had brought them from Italy in the 16th century. The Ladurée innovation came from sticking two macaron shells together with a creamy ganache as filling. Et voila, the legend was born.
The same Desfontaines also had the genius idea to open a tearoom inside the bakery to allow women to have a place to socialize since at that time, they were not allowed in cafés. The original bakery & tearoom is still present on rue Royale and attract tourists and locals in large number. Be ready to wait in line if you decide to stop by!
Like most of its competitors, Ladurée has undergone a big expansion in the last 15 years. Since the acquisition of Ladurée by Groupe Holder (owner of the PAUL bakery chain) in 1994, the famous “Maison” has opened an imposing tea salon and restaurant complex on Champs Elysées as well as stores in Japan, Ireland, Monaco, England and Switzerland.
Ladurée on Champs Elysées.
Breakfast at Ladurée.
The tea room on Champs Elysées.
The old charming Champs Elysée building is worth a visit. It’s a nice place to come for the breakfast or later during the day, for a drink at the chic Gaudi-style (contemporary / art deco) bar. Although a bit pricey, a visit in this temple of delight is definitely part of a true Parisian experience.
With 26 different macaron flavors to try and constant new additions depending on the season, it is hard is to leave Ladurée empty. To satisfy your appetite and your budget, the company has developed a large selection of macaron boxes from the “Napoleon” box of 6 (12.50€) to the “Crystal” box of 24 (37.50€). The Ladurée macarons are always fresh and tasty, although some will argue that the legendary brand did loose a bit of its soul when transitioning to a faster growth path. It is true that in Paris, competition is rather intense in the macaron arena. So the better way to choose your winner, is (unfortunately) for you to try all the different grand names. Enjoy!
Crystal box of 24 (37.50€).
For more information
Ladurée Champs Elysées
75, avenue des Champs Elysées (8th arrondissement)
Tel: +33 (0)1 40 75 08 75
Open Monday to Sunday
7:30am – 11:30pm
Ladurée Royale
16 rue Royale (8th arrondissement)
Tel: +33 (0)1 42 60 21 79
Open Monday to Saturday
8:30am to 7:30pm
Sunday: 10am to 7pm
Company's website
Check out our interactive map of Paris to see where I took all the pictures featured in this article.
Great post/write-up and beautiful images about the macaron. Very informative! =)
ReplyDeleteWe went to Ladurée and had one of the outrageously expensive cocktails. SO worth it!
ReplyDeletewow... In March I will be visitng London and Laduree is on my list! I'd also be coming to Paris in May so... be still!
ReplyDeleteP.S. This was the "Laduree night" for me, I talked over and over about it and it seems the fate is with me ;)
Hugs!
Ina aka floridecires from Flickr