[Paris, France] Choosing to eat the Ladurée macarons could mean missing out on the other independent, artisanal patisserie brands in Paris. There is only that much space.
The struggle didn’t take that long. After all, Ladurée is known to be the creator of the double-disc macaron that we are familiar with today (though another baker also claimed to have ‘invented’ it first).
In a nutshell, macaron didn’t used to be served with any fillings or special flavours. The humble pastry rose to greater fame when Louis-Ernest Ladurée’s grandson suggested putting two macaron shells together with a filling of creamy ganache. That was 1930.
The Holder family (who also owns PAUL) took over the single rue bakery in 1993, turned it into a chain and expanded the brand internationally.
The current tearoom you see at Champs-Elysées was crucial for the take-off of the Ladurée brand.
Therefore, I was there. I also read a few TripAdvisor reviews that went along the lines of “The only cafe that deserves visiting at Champs Elysees”.
Tourist tip: This outlet is a walking distance to Arc de Triomphe.
The restaurant’s menu was quite extensive, with the typical brunch items from Plain omelette, served with Ladurée French fries (€18.00), Salade Ladurée (€27.00), Club Sandwich Champs-Elysées (€19.50), Ladurée Croque-Monsieur (€20.00), and main courses.
Note: Paris IS one of the most expensive cities in the world. And it IS a very touristy spot. Be prepared to wait for say 10-20 minutes before you get a seat.
You can admire the architecture and design of this timeless hotel of the style of Napoleon III, and appreciate “the art of French living” while cramped in this dining room space. I mean it positively. Not many places can do handle cramped spaces and over-crowdedness this elegantly.
I had a Poached Egg Benedict, Ladurée style (€15.50) which had the eggs supported on cylinder-shaped crispy bread, and the waiter would swift-fully pour thick yellow Hollandaise sauce over from a holder. There was so much sauce that there should be left-overs.
Despite the poached eggs being a weeny-tad overcooked, this was one version of Eggs Benedict that I enjoyed. The creamy eggy and not too tangy-tasting sauce was one reason, the other was the blend of textures of just simple egg with light-crisp bread.
The waiter recommended the Macaron flavours I should try, “Take the Orange Blossom.” The assortment of Assortment of 4 mini macarons of your choice was priced at €10.30.
He was right, the macaron had a pleasant light fruity taste, and the shell crisp and smooth. Comparatively, I found the Strawberry Candy Guimauve sticky and rather sweet.
To my other surprise, the Croissant was agreeably fluffy and buttery, much better than the usual Parisian ones.
I would be frank to say Ladurée do not serve my favourite macarons, would have preferred something with more distinct flavours and creaminess. Personal preference anyway. What’s yours?
Ladurée Champs Elysées
75, avenue des Champs Elysées, 75008 Paris (Georges V Station)
Tel: +33 (0)1 40 75 08 75
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 11:30pm (Mon – Thurs),7:30am – 00:30am (Fri), 8:30am – 00:30am (Sat), 8:30am – 11:30pm (Sun)
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