If there’s one pastry shop or café you have to visit in Paris, it has to be Ladurée. World-famous for its colorful macarons and pastel tarts, this adorable patisserie saw the light of day at 16 rue Royale in 1862. Today tourists from all over the world flock to the Ladurée shops in Paris and we understand why. Apart from the Eiffeltower and the Louvre, there’s probably nothing more French (or Parisian that is!) than Ladurée. Stop by for a bite of heaven next time you’re in the city of love - and get a taste of what’s waiting right here. 

The beginning
It’s inevitable to mention Paris in the 19th Century when talking about Ladurée since the brand took its beginning in the heart of the city more than 150 years ago. Back then a miller from the southwest of France, monsieur Louis-Ernest Ladurée, decided to open a bakery with his family, but it was not before 1871 when a fire broke out, that the bakery turned into an actual pastry shop with the logo and pastel colors we know today.
The macaron arrived to France from Italy in the 16th Century and the recipe has hardly changed since then, but it was not before the 1930’s that Ladurée rose to fame because of their version of the macaron. The grandson of Louis-Ernest made the version with two macaron shells and ganache filling famous, and it rapidly became the signature of the pastry shop.

Chocolate and macarons
Today there’s six Ladurée stores in Paris, one in Versailles and three at the Charles de Gaulles Airport, for which reason there’s no excuse not to drop by and indulge in one of the famous delights. But what can you expect if you’re not a Ladurée fan already and know the menu card by heart? Well, apart from an abundance of macarons in all the colors of the rainbow, you’ll find tarts, millefeuilles and even signature chocolates by the name of ‘Les Marquis de Ladurée’. The last-mentioned is a fairly recent invention, but it goes very well with the whole concept of luxury treats and the ‘art de vivre’ approach of Ladurée. If you’re a true chocoholic you can’t go without having a taste of the rose, caramel, violet or ginger chocolates in pretty pastel colors. Or the crispy chocolate-coated macarons for that sake. 

The original delight
If you choose to stick with the original sweet treat of Ladurée, the macarons, go for one of the boxes with an assorted selection of macarons. My personal favorite is the ‘Incontournable’ box consisting of the following flavors: coffee, salty caramel, chocolate, bergamot, lemon, orange flower, raspberry, chocolate/coconut, strawberry, rose petal, pistachio and vanilla. The price for a box of 12 flavors costs 28,20 euro. 

Now, it’s not only possible to satisfy your need for sweets at Ladurée; in selected shops around the world (Dubai, London etc.) a lunch card is also presented for hungry visitors. Indulge in a plate of smoked salmon éclair, a summer truffle omelette or perhaps an array of club sandwiches. The simple is perfection and perfection is key at Ladurée.

Want more? Check out www.laduree.com.

You’ll find Ladurée stores in the following cities:

• Antwerp
• Bucharest
• Crans-Montana (Switzerland)
• Dublin
• Geneva
• Istanbul
• Lausanne
• London
• Lucca (Italy)
• Luxembourg
• Milan
• Monaco
• Rome
• Stockholm
• Zurich
• Bangkok
• Beirut
• Casablanca
• Dubai
• Hong Kong
• Kuwait City
• Nagoya (Japan)
• New York
• Osaka
• Qatar
• Riyadh
• Sao Paolo
• Seoul
• Singapore
• Sidney
• Tokyo

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