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Ladurée is a maker of luxury cakes and pastries. It is known as the inventor of the double-decker macaroon, fifteen thousand of which are sold every day. They are still one of the best known makers of macaroons in the world. Ladurée in Champs Élysées reopened recently after closing for a year following an unfortunate fire accident. The luxury tea house reopened for business and I was lucky to have had the chance to try it.
Nested in the middle of the Champs Elysees in Paris, Ladurée welcomes you all day long for breakfast, lunch and dinner choosing from a large variety of items in their 25 pages menu. It starts with the story of La Duree before moving to the many possibilities: Breakfast, Eggs, Danish delights, Brunch, Les Incontournables, Omelettes, Club sandwiches, La Duree classics, Salads, La Duree Menus, Platters, Pastries, cakes, ice-cream and the La Duree special collection.
Ladurée may be best known for its macaroons, millefeuilles and tartes, yet the lunch menu encompasses a selection of uniquely stylish dishes that deserve the title haute cuisine. From the smoked salmon éclair to the summer truffle omelette, plus a hedonistic array of club sandwiches, La Durée's master chefs make the simple sublime.
After waiting for 15 short minutes we were seated on the closed terrace just on the Champs Elysees sidewalk. Meanwhile, all you have to do is look around and appreciate every single architectural detail worth passing by for. The place has a lot to see. A long contoire where people from all across the globe come in to buy the expensive but delicious macaroons. There's another bar, old glass chandeliers, a wooden finish like French castles, a reflective tile floor, a brownish wooden finish and many other details that add a mix of class and luxury.
We ordered: Tartare de Tomate Pleine Terre, Burratina et Coulis Glace. Le Cake Minute aux Champignons des Bois et Creme Legere and some french fries.
Lovely and professional details that are up to the standard of a fine dining restaurant:
Three crunchy pieces of French bread with two long butter sticks, individually wrapped which melt at first contact with the knife. Silver cutlery, thin glass cups all placed on the disposable square paper separating you from the table. A hygienic gesture I like.
The none oily, nine pieces of french fries sticks arranged like a Mikado game in a little golden square plate - my favorite.
The presentation of the tomato tartare is very nice especially that the couli is added just before reaching the table. A long toasted bread, two mozzarella burratta and the tomato tartare underneath. The overall taste lacks some personality! As for the mushroom cake, its a success. It's a new kind of dish I never tried before. Two thin salty pieces of cake, sour cream, fresh mushroom cuts and a fresh green lettuce mix.
A beautiful cafe, interesting decoration, tasty food and an amazing ambiance are a few of the things that make La Duree memorable. A bit too expensive for what it is but surely worth trying once in a while.
