Maison Ladurée New York: The Beloved Parisian Macaron Shop, Now On Madison Avenue

Maison Ladurée New York

The normally placid climes of the Upper East Side were thrown into a frenzy a couple of weeks ago with the opening of  the cultishly adored Parisian baker Maison Ladurée, right in the heart of Madison Avenue shopping territory. The lines were out the door and down the block; film crews and the paparazzi were on hand; the wait for a box of Maison Ladurée’s fabled French macarons were approaching an hour. Or more. We waited a bit before braving the well-heeled mobs–and you have to be at least somewhat comfortably off to shell out three bucks for one of Maison Ladurée New York’s two-bite delights–but after devouring a half-dozen of these beauties, we totally get it. The macarons at Maison Ladurée New York (most flavors, anyway) are almost knee-bucklingly good. 

Maison Ladurée New York

Our six pack of Maison Ladurée macarons set us back about $20 (it would have been more had we opted for the pretty gifty box, in black or pink), but really, it was worth it. The texture of the Maison Laudurée French macaron is sublime, striking the perfect balance between soft and chewy. The colors of these très élégant treats are, paradoxically, deliriously fun and festive. And the flavors–or, at least, the six we tried– were both honest and intense. 

 Maison Ladurée New York   

Our two favorite Maison Ladurée macarons were for us obvious: both the Chocolate and the Caramel With Salted Butter (mon Dieu!) got our eyes rolling back into our head, such a perfect mix of decadent sweetness and a sophisticated depth of flavor. Coconut was a close second, the Pistachio did not disappoint, and the Raspberry delivered a terrific tarty bite. The only misfire for us was the neon-green Granny Smith Apple, which ventured a bit too far into Jolly Rancher territory. 

Maison Ladurée New York

Maison Ladurée New York also sells chocolates and fancy pastries, but we’re saving those for another time. Right now we still have about a dozen macaron flavors to sample–and new seasonal varieties coming in all the time!–so if you’ll excuse us, we’re going to get right to that…

Maison Ladurée New York

Maison Ladurée New York macarons details 

Maison Ladurée New York is located on Madison Avenue between 70th and 71st Streets and is open on Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m., and on Sunday from 12:00 noon until 6:00 p.m. For more information and a look at some of the other Maison Ladurée macaron varieties, please see their international website, here

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