For everybody who loves sweets, I can assure you that a trip to Paris is never complete without experiencing the famous macarons! French patisserie is vast and admired worldwide. The variety of sweets that we find in France is huge, but none is so famous as the macaron. Below, my five favorite places in Paris for these little treats.
Ladurée
Having invented the macaron, Ladurée is almost institution for this sweet and became an indispensable stop in travel itineraries to Paris. It’s the place where you can be sure that will prove the best and most classic macaron. Each season, they usually bring new flavors to surprise its most loyal customers. In addition, the brand has a very strong appeal to sell other products such as cosmetics, bath salts, scented candles, teas, cookbooks, bags, key chains and other souvenirs. The decoration of the boxes makes macarons seem small jewels coming from Versailles. Besides the pâtisserie, its units in Paris also have restaurants and tearooms. It’s a super recommended place to dine while in Paris! Another amazing local product is the ice cream little pot with macaron in!
Pierre Hermé
The super famous pastry chef Pierre Hermé began his career at the iconic Fauchon before working for Ladurée. He is very creative and hence their sweets are more inventive than those found in other places in Paris. In order to differentiate himself from Ladurée, he introduced amazing flavors in the traditional macarons. The result was excellent for having appealed to an audience that expected a little more originality and something different from the classic flavors of macarons in other pâtisseries. If you ask any Parisian what’s the best macaron in town, they’ll probably say Pierrre Hermé because Ladurée became for them something too obvious and intended primarily to tourists. I am personally obsessed with the crème brûlée macaron of this place!
Café Pouchkine
With Russian origin, Café Pouchkine is a very elegantt pâtisserie that offers a sweet tasting experience inspired by the tzar-times. If you are walking in the area of Grands Magasins (where it’s located Galeries Lafayette and Printemps), it’s always a great idea to stop at the shop inside Printemps to try these colorful macarons that are for sure among my favorites in Paris.
Gâteaux Thoumieux
The responsible for the creation of the wonderful sweets at this patisserie is the chef Jean-François Piège. He’s internationally recognized for his two French Cuisine restaurants located at Hôtel Thomieux which is almost in front of the patisserie. In addition to the amazing macarons, the other products are also delicious!
Angelina
Better known for the hot chocolate, Angelina also has wonderful macarons! With its elegant and simples décor, Angelina offers one of the best experiences of tearoom in town. As stopping there for hot chocolate is almost an obligation in any trip to Paris, I’ld say it’s also worth trying their macarons. Like the concept of its tea rooms, they are simple and classic!
