For this week only, until October 18, the concept store Colette will be selling a box of limited edition Ladurée macarons with two flavors – cola and peanut butter – created by Pharrell Williams.
What a feat of brand synergy – Pharrell gets attention for his concerts this week at Le Zénith and Ladurée gets for one week to appear more young and vibrant, less like a multinational corporation peddling stale souvenirs at the airport.
Well done marketing team!
Join the hushed masses who queue worship at the altar of pastry demigod Pierre Hermé. Tarts, cakes, chocolates, ice cream and, of course, macarons.
Address: 72 rue Bonaparte, 75006
Nearest transport: Saint-Sulpice (4)
Hours: Open every day 10am-7pm
Telephone: 01 43 54 47 77
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Address: 185 rue de Vaugirard, 75015
Nearest transport: Pasteur (6, 12)
Hours: Monday-Wednesday 10am-7pm, Thursday-Saturday 10am-7:30pm, Sunday 10am-6pm
Telephone: 01 47 83 89 96
Address: 4 rue Cambon, 75001
Nearest transport: Tuileries (1)
Hours: Monday-Wednesday 10am-7pm, Thursday-Saturday 10am-7:30pm; Closed Sunday
Telephone: 01 43 54 47 77
Address: 58 avenue Paul Doumer, 75016
Nearest transport: La Muette (9)
Hours: Monday 1pm-7pm, Tuesday-Thursday 10am-7pm, Friday-Saturday 10am-7:30pm, Sunday 11am-7pm
Telephone: 01 43 54 47 77
Address: 18 rue Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie, 75004
Nearest transport: Hôtel de Ville (1,11)
Hours: Open every day from 10:30am-10:30pm
Telephone: 01 43 54 47 77
Address: 89 boulevard Malesherbes, 75008
Nearest transport: Villiers (2,3)
Hours: Open every day 10am-7:30pm
Telephone: 01 43 54 47 77
L’Express (2015) “L’inventeur de la pâtisserie Haute Couture est sans doute le seul chef pâtissier de renommée planétaire. Ce maître du sucré a construit patiemment une offre pléthorique de gâteaux, macarons et gourmandises tous aussi beaux que bons.”
David Lebovitz (2013) “Filled the rest of the box with Praline-noisette (caramelized hazelnut), which was delicious, Infiniment caramel which had a cushion of salted butter caramel in the middle (sweet, but with a nice touch of burnt afternotes) and Lemon-speculoos (spice cookie) which I liked, but I was hankering for another one of those raisins-soaked-in-sherry numbers. Jardin dans les bois (Garden in the woods) was a sweet little sandwich, cushioned with cream imbibed with aged rum and a little hint of woody cedar afterward.”
Dorie Greenspan (2009) “Have anything — oh, if only you could have everything — at Pierre Hermé, hands-down the best and most exciting patissier in Paris and no, I’m not impartial. If you’ve never had the Ispahan macaron — rose, raspberry and litchi — you must.”
David Lebovitz (2008) “I like Pierre Hermé very much. He’s a genius, and his stuff is gorgeous and the fellow deserves all the accolades that are bestowed upon him. He seems like a nice guy and his shops in Paris are swanky as all get-out.”
The chocolate here is fine… the macarons are exceptional and exceptionally priced at one euro a piece. His version of the salted butter caramel macaron is our favorite in the city, and he’s got a real gift for balancing floral and tart flavors to keep them (rose, violet, poppy flower) from tasting like soap. Not to be missed.
Address: 120 rue St. Dominique, 75007
Nearest transport: Ècole Militaire (8) or Pont de l’Alma (RER C)
Hours: closed Sunday, closed Monday
Telephone: 01 47 05 19 17
Website
Address: 35 rue Daubenton, 75005
Nearest transport: Censier-Daubenton (7)
Hours: closed Sunday
Telephone: 01 47 07 37 51
The grande dame of Paris pâtisseries, and where Macaron Mania began.
Address: 16 rue Royale, 75008
Nearest transport: Madeleine (8, 12, 14)
Hours: Monday-Thursday 8:30am-7:30pm, Friday-Saturday 8:30am-8pm, Sunday and Holidays 10am-7pm
Telephone: 01 42 60 21 79
Website
Address: 75 avenue des Champs Elysées, 75008
Nearest transport: George V (1)
Hours: Monday-Friday 7:30am-11:30pm, Saturday 8:30am-12:30am, Sunday 8:30am-11:30pm
Telephone: 01 40 75 08 75
Address: 64 boulevard Haussmann, 75009
Nearest transport: Havre-Caumartin (3, 9)
Hours: Monday-Wednesday & Friday-Saturday 9:30am-8pm, Thursday 9:30am-10pm; Closed Sunday
Telephone: 01 42 82 40 10
Address: 21 Rue Bonaparte, 75006
Nearest transport: Saint-Germain-des-Prés (4)
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30am-7:30pm, Saturday 8:30am-8:30pm, Sunday and Holidays 10am-7:30pm
Telephone: 01 44 07 64 87
Address: 3 rue Lincoln, 75008
Nearest transport: George V (1)
Hours: Monday-Friday 9am-11:30pm, Saturday-Sunday 10-1:30am
Telephone: 01 40 75 08 75
Address: 14 rue de Castiglione, 75001
Nearest transport: Tuileries (1), Concorde (1,8)
Hours: Monday-Friday 10am-7:30pm, Saturday 9:30am-7:30pm; Closed Sunday
Telephone: 01 42 60 86 92
Time Out (2012) “While you bask in the warm glow of bygone wealth, indulge in tea, pastries (the pistachio pain au chocolat is heavenly) and, above all, the hot chocolate. It’s a rich, bitter, velvety tar that will leave you in the requisite stupor for any lazy afternoon.”
Le Figaro (2011) Ranked #4 in their test of the city’s best strawberry tarts.
David Lebovitz (2010) “…something in me refuses to believe that a solid company that was proud of what they offer would be so unwelcoming to visitors. It’s truly sad when one of the great classic pastry shops of Paris discourages customers and guests…..at this point, I’ve crossed Ladurée off my list.”
Camille Malmquist (2008) “We were disappointed with the réligieuse…Surely a pastry institution such as Ladurée can put out something better than this….And they do: the St. Honoré. Good puff pastry base, copious diplomat cream nestled between tiny filled choux puffs, topped off with a generous amount of whipped cream and toasted almonds for good measure. But wait! The best part! The caramel holding it all together was still crunchy!”
David Lebovitz (2007) “Yes, everyone comes here for the macarons, which are justly famous. So much so, in fact, that Ladurée sells an astounding 12,000 per day. But it’s too bad the morning pastries get overlooked in the macaron madness.”
A beautiful, old-fashioned pastry shop and tea salon, with privileged locations at Trocadero and the Place des Vosges.
Address: 4 place du Trocadero, 75016
Nearest transport: Trocadero (6, 9)
Hours: Open every day, 8 a.m.-midnight
Telephone: 01 47 27 98 85
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Address: 25 place des Vosges, 75004
Nearest transport: Chemin Vert (8) or Saint-Paul (1)
Hours: Open every day, 8 a.m.-11:30 p.m.
Telephone: 01 48 87 94 07
Le Figaro (2014) # 7 madeleine in Paris
Travel + Leisure (2012) “Its éclair au chocolat was voted best in the city in 2007, and although Paris is rife with more well known purveyors of macaroons, to bite into a délice des framboises is to understand why this place remains a favorite among famously low-key habitués such as Philippe Starck.”
François Simon (2009) “102 € pour une salade, un millefeuille et deux cappuccinos, avant l’euro, on se serait étranglé de rire en appelant le patron. Bien sûr, beaucoup trop cher, vu la qualité.”
A mint green & marble pastry palace from Jean-François Piège, whose rue Saint-Dominique mini empire includes Brasserie Thoumieux, Restaurant Jean-François Piège, and Hôtel Thoumieux. The salted butter and pear tart was particularly pleasing, but skip the disappointing and aggressively chewy macarons.
Address: 58 rue Saint-Dominique, 75007
Nearest transport: La Tour-Maubourg (8)
Hours: Closed Tuesdays
Telephone: 01 45 51 12 12
Website
L’Express (2015) “La boutique Gâteaux Thoumieux s’est imposée en moins d’une année parmi le Top 10 des meilleures enseignes sucrées de la capitale… Si vous passez par cette adresse, ne ratez pas l’une des déclinaisons du chou-chou (un chou intégré dans un autre chou), le millefeuille ou la tarte au citron, sans oublier l’éclair blanc manger ou de nombreux gâteaux de voyage.”
Fulgurances (2014) “Le choix est plutôt restreint, comme une ardoise de saison qui aurait les instantanés et les intemporels… Gros crush sur le chou au praliné. Une merveille de densité de goût cette petite chose. Chaque gâteau abrite un plus petit chou encore farci au praliné amande, la crème est légère et vaporeuse, pas trop sucrée, la coque moelleuse et préservée de l’humidité, absolument brillantissime.”
Adrian Moore (2014) “All manner of baked goods from glazed croissants to classic creations with a twist such as the Chou Chou (a creampuff within a creampuff) draw Parisian sweet tooths from across town to eat in and take away from the most interesting new pastry shop in town.”
Foodbox (2013) “Une vraie pâtisserie dont la production évolue avec le moment de la journée. Dès 10 heures du matin en semaine et 8 heures 30 le dimanche, les viennoiseries sortent du four avec des formes généreuses et un feuilletage parfait, ainsi que des brioches au praliné (1.3€), des chaussons au pomme plantureux (2.5€), des Kouglof ou l’ultra gourmand Kouign-amann (2€).”
Go Go Paris (2013) “Head pastry chef Ludovic Chaussard presents a delightful range of rejigged classics, including the architectural citron sablé, the chouchou – a rap on the Paris-Brest – or a contemporary take on the éclair. Prices are very reasonable for the exceptional quality, at 3-4€ a piece.”
L’Express (2013) “Les tarifs des différents gâteaux sont vraiment bas au vu de la qualité des produits utilisés : certainement, l’un des meilleurs rapport qualité/prix de la capitale…Ce sont des gâteaux simples, aux goûts francs, peu sucrés et extrêmement gourmands. Vous l’aurez compris, voici une adresse hautement recommandée pour tous les becs sucrés qui se respectent.”
Caroline Mignot (2013) “Le Saint-Dominique… cette brioche légère et pas trop sucrée est parsemée d’un fil film de cassonade avant cuisson et surtout, on y forme de petits trous au doigt (c’est osé n’est-ce pas) dans lesquels on verse avant cuisson de la crème, «double» précise le chef… L’ensemble est léger, se déguste sans pouvoir s’arrêter, je ne saurais trop vous donner une idée de cette harmonie de Saint-Dominique entre brioche, crème aigre et note de cassonade.”
Calling all sweet freaks! Pierre Hermé has opened yet another location of his eponymous bakery–this time in the heart of the Marais on rue Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie. Best of all, it will be open all summer long for you to get your fix from the macaron master.
See our updated guide page for more information on location and hours.
