Macarons!
 

I've been in Paris four times before my imminent visit and never had a macaron. Actually, I didn't know about macarons any of the previous times I was in Paris. Now I plan to sample this delicacy. Any recommendations on the place to get the ultimate macaron, so I will understand what the fuss is all about?

Laduree are my favorites ( locations throughout the city and also at CDG), but a lot of people think that Pierre Herme's (rue Bonaparte) are the best. The only one I ever had in Paris that I did not like was from Le Bon Marche's food hall; surprising, given it's reputation for fine food.

There is nothing to fuss about.

Laduree's macaroons are yummy. In case you miss them while traveling around Paris, you can even buy them at the airport in lovely little gift packages.

My most favorite is pistachio.

You should know that the macarons sold at the McCafé locations in certain McDonald's are made in the very same factory as the ones sold by Ladurée.

I like Laduree and Dalloyau for macarons in Paris.

Freshness is key, however.

There is nothing worse than a stale macaron!

Thin

Love Laduree! We never made it on last trip and I was so disappointed.

Kerouac--are you talking about McCafe's in Paris.
Never stepped in one, thus just wondering.

Kerouac, I was afraid to mention McCafe but that is where I bought them. I thought they were really good and much less expensive that Laduree.

Hugo et Victor

Un Dimanche a Paris

I prefer both to Laduree and Pierre Herme but you should give them all a try ;)

On one trip to Paris we bought macarons at a Laduree. At the end of the day we were too tired to go out for dinner… ordered some simple things and wine from room service (at a hotel where Joel Robuchon oversaw the food service) and had the macarons for dessert. Heaven!
(PS… spell checker keeps changing macarons to macaroons!!!)

I've bought mine at Paul's .

Stohrer's in Montorgueil had some tasty ones a few weeks ago!

I really like Gerard Mulot Plus it feels more accessible then other places. (And his chocolate éclair is outstanding!)

I made banana bread last night that was so excellent that I would not have traded it for any quantity of luxury macarons. :-)

Carette, Pierre Herme, Laudree, Angelina. Those are famous and taste great! But you can wander into tons of patisseries and find them. Try one, and if you like it, get a box! Stop in to the fancy places to try one for yourself, but you can get cheaper and still very good macarons all over the city!

Also, check out the eclairs at Eclair de Genie in the Marias. They are very popular right now and look amazing. I've yet to have one, but I definitely will be stopping by in a week when I'm there! Happy snacking :)

I also like Gerard Mulot. What a selection! So hard to choose.

I like to eat my selection from Gerard Mulot on a bench in the Luxembourg Gardens.

Thin

There are multiple locations within Galleries Lafayette to get macarons from Hermes, etc. You can do a comparison right there. And this way you can visit the dome within the galleries, which is a remarkeable architectural sight!

My favorite pastry within GL is the green tea dome at Aoki.

My macaron ritual- Stop and buy a few where ever I see them displayed-eat by the end of the block or at the nearest park bench.
I have never been disappointed.

I love the citrus-ginger macarons at Un Dimanche a Paris
4 Cours du Commerce Saint-André, 75006 Paris, France

My new obsession is the Naturelle creme puff at La Maison du Chou
7 Place de Furstenberg, 75006 Paris, France

Try not to have high expectations. I bought macarons and tried to convince myself to enjoy them. Once at Laduree, another time at Pierre Herme. Fail.

At Gerard Mulot, I indulged in other things, excluding the macaron. Divine.

Experiencing various caramels at Jacques Genin was bliss.

This fall, I am making a point of visiting La Maison du Chou, Denisea. I will keep you posted.

Can't wait to try the Naturelle creme puff.....we're staying very close to there in a couple of weeks!

Now that artsnletters' head is spinning from all of the suggestions, I think we should take up a collection to buy her a barrel of macarons before she arrives.

Thanks, everyone. I'll let you know how it goes.

I think kerouac doesn't care for macarons.

As we used to say…… anticipation is greater than realization.

Oh, it's not a question of liking macarons or not. It's a question of eating one for the first time and thinking <I>"THIS is what everybody was raving about?"<I> Since most of the fancy places charge more than 2€ per tiny bite-sized macaron, I really must confess that I can think of all sorts of ways to spend my money better.

Judy and Roberta---they have other "flavors" - chocolat, caramel and chestnut (in December-maybe they change seasonally) but the naturelle is made from fromage blanc...not too sweet.

If you are in the area and like salted caramel, then a visit to Henri LeRoux would also be in order.

To kerouac's point, many macarons are not that spectacular. My first one from Laduree was stale but some of them are wonderful.

Thanks for the creme puff flavor suggestions, Denisea. I will definitely pass on a 3rd attempt at macarons.

Pierre Herme on St. Sulpice Sq. is my favorite. It is easy to miss. It looks like a jewelry store. Even the price tags look like they belong in a jewelry store. My second favorite is Laduree. Gerard Mulot near the Odeon is very good too.

I generally go the Gerard Mulot in the 14th which is very different from the more centrally located location (no sandwiches for example). But it is a treat to watch the ladies pick up their beautiful deserts.

I'm not particularly crazy about macarons either though I've had some excellent examples. I've made them before so it's more of an appreciation of the process. There are other pastries that I actually prefer.