LADURÉE: BITE-SIZED HYPE
Hemingway once described Paris as a 'moveable feast'. Almost like he had this exquisite bakery in mind when he said those words. Moveable or not, that's what Ladurée is - a feast. This place is so epic that no Parisian adventure is complete without a visit to this holy Mecca of macarons. Exactly why we decided to add this to our must-see list. Tucked along the bustling streets of Champs-Élysées, Ladurée is easy to miss. It doesn’t shout out to you like most brands on the street. It doesn’t pursue you. In fact, you pursue it. That's probably what makes it the legend it truly is. Just to give you a brief history, Ladurée is one of the oldest and most popular bakeries in France. The fact that it has been in service since 1862, that’s more than 150 years, says a lot about this luxury boutique.
So, when we were at Champs-Élysées, we decided to sample this bite-sized hype touted as the world’s most delish macaron makers. After a teensy bit of scouting, we finally found this little haven. And it was delightful. Pleasant shades of green and gold, with a quaint little awning, made for a rather cozy welcome. A beautiful fusion of old-world charm and new-age chic, Ladurée is divided into two sections. One is a restaurant, and the other is a boutique for those in a mood for takeaways. We opted for the latter. The first thing that struck us when we walked in was the sheer variety of colourful macarons, pastries and other baked goodies. After a quick look at their scrumptious flavours, we settled for Vanilla, Orange Blossom, Caramel and Chocolate. In our heads, we had already imagined a melt-in-the-mouth experience. But after all this, did they taste like little drops of heaven? Well, what can we say! Imagine a perfect balance of bite, heft and fluff, and a filling that lingers on long after it's devoured. Out of the four, Caramel was the finest, which made us go for a second helping as well. We would have loved to try their Chocolate Éclair too but we were too full from a heavy lunch, and we had our fill of gluttony with the macarons.
So yes, the hype maybe bite-sized, but it is real, so very deliciously real.