Is there a confectionery more synonymous with the French than the macaron? I doubt it. And when talking about this sweet meringue-based dessert, no other place has gained more notoriety than Laduree in Paris.
I discovered this when I met my friend Lars who just happened to be in the city at the time. Based in Sydney, she was touring Europe and her enviable itinerary included all the beautiful cities of Spain, Portugal, and Belgium. We met at Place de la Concorde, and she insisted that our first stop be the Laduree bakery at Champs Elysees. Nope, not the Eiffel, or the Arc de Triomphe, or the Louvre which was just a stone's throw away from where we stood.
"You have got to try these macarons!" she said.
So try them I did. At roughly one euro a pop (we each bought a box of 26) these things don't come cheap! They are, admittedly, also not mind-blowingly special although quite well-made. Each cookie is compact, crunchy, and transforms into that wonderful chewy consistency as it melts in your mouth.
A must-try? Probably not. I personally found the ones sold at Jean-Paul Hevin much better (and mildly cheaper). But if you want to offer an ode to things traditionally Parisian, then visiting this institution made famous by a tiny dessert is a definite must.
Laduree Champs Elysees
75 Avenue des Champs Elysees
75008 Paris, France
T: +33.01.4075.0875
Laduree Royale (The Original)
16 Rue Royale
75008 Paris, France
T: +33.01.4260.2179
