Laduree, Paris
(The beautiful menus at Laduree)
Laduree is known as one of the best macaron makers in the world. And interestingly enough the macaron as we know it, two pieces of the macaron shell sandwiching a cream filling originated from the Laduree family. Louis Ernest Laduree originally founded a bakery in Paris, which was later burned down. He then replaced it with a pastry shop that was designed very beautifully by a designer named Jules Cheret. He brought in painted cherubs and incorporated the signature celadon colour on the facade. This color is a common theme in the brand now. His grandson Pierre Desfontaines came up with the original idea of stacking the two macaron shells with a cream filling in between. The macaron shell itself came from Italy, thought to have been brought over by Catherine de Medici. These days however, when we think of a macaron, we think of the double decker cookie, with the cream filling. And we have the grandson of Laduree to thank for that. No wonder there is this amazing hype and draw to this place. It’s an institution. You not only experiencing the grand and fantastical aspect of this boutique and cafe but also taking a piece of history with you.
Now on to the photos.
Entrance of the building. And this is just the line you see outside. Wait till you see the line inside after you get in.
Once you feel like you’ve made it inside, you will be greeted by yet another line that wraps around itself before you can even begin perusing the selection. Tip, go early in the morning or late late afternoon. Note that there is a boutique line as well as a cafe line. In the cafe line, you can eat at their cafe and buy anything from the boutique. The boutique line only allows you to buy from the store and not order from the cafe or sit down. The location on Champs Elysees is multi-storied so it’s worth the gander.
The beautiful display of Laduree boxes for your sweet treats
Where the treasures are!
The grand stares that lead to the second floor dining area
The bar area where they send out your drinks
Our selection: Tea, cappuccino, foie gras with passion fruit, coconut raspberry white chocolate macaroon, toasted brioche with fruit, eggs with mushrooms in crostade, Laduree frits (fries) and a selection of macarons of course
This dish was actually surprisingly good. I wasn’t expecting the cafe food to be anything stellar but the foie was delicious and the Laduree style fries were awesome as well. They were thick cut fries stacked neatly like jenga blocks.
Another look at this wonderfully paired dish. So many different flavors.
And last but not least, the star of the show: The macarons!
Heavenly bites
Loved the receipts! And yes a visit to this cafe with a few small bites can set you back over $100 USD.
