Ladurée (Paris, FRANCE) ★★★★★

It was an unbelievable feeling for us when we heard about Ladurée re-opening its flagship restaurant and tea salon on Champs Elysées in late 2012. After we confirmed our tickets to Paris in early 2013, it became apparent to us that visiting Ladurée will be on top of our priorities. 




Of course, we had a clear advantage of staying very close to the Champs Elysées this time. Our hotel was just 2 blocks away from this famed Ladurée outpost making things rather easy for us.

After a long 12-hour flight, we decided to crash and get a few hours of sleep before heading out. The first thing that popped up after we woke up - breakfast at Ladurée?

By 11:30am, we were all set and ready to go. We wasted no time hitting Champs Elysées to look for that famous Ladurée flagship store and there it was.

In addition to a few traditional Parisian-style tea salons on the first floor, we were somewhat surprised to find an equally adorable bar next to the pastry counter on the ground floor.

Pan seared foie gras with green asparagus for breakfast? Isn't that a bit greasy to start our day off?

We certainly didn't think so. In fact we thoroughy enjoyed the thick slice of foie gras that was pan seared to perfection. And those asparagus were some of the sweetest we have ever tasted!

The salmon tartare served with garden greens. Not bad.  



How could we ever leave here without trying one of their signature hot chocolate? Powered by a special secret recipe, this was every bit as fulfilling as advertised.



Dessert is also a must-do here. Instead of their succulent macarons, we ordered one of their traditional pastries, Saint-Honoré.

This was a perfectly caramelized cream puff pastry that was filled with light vanilla cream and Chantilly whipped cream topping with some grilled flaked almonds. A perfect ending to a wonderful lunch!

What a great start for us on this road trip. We are definitely due for a return visit. We have another five three Michelin starred restaurants waiting in the wing for us. Let's hope they don't disappoint.

Food Rating: 6.5/10

Price: €€€

Address: 75 avenue des Champs Elysées, 75008 Paris, France
Closest Metro Station: George V
Tel: +33 (0)1 4075-0875
Website: www.laduree.com

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