Ladurée, luxury tea house and creator of the airy French meringue cookie the macaron, has expanded its sweets repertoire with the opening of an opulent chocolate boutique in Paris near the famous Tuileries Gardens. Les Marquis de Ladurée has opened the doors to its 18th-century-inspired chocolate boutique at 14, rue de Castiglione in the city’s tony first arrondissement where, instead of macarons and classic French desserts like millefeuilles and éclairs, the display window reveals rows of ganache-covered bonbons, pralines and truffles.
On the chocolate menu, gourmands will find both classic and unexpected flavors such as rum, violet, rose, black tea and fruit or sesame.
Truffles are flavored with raspberries or wine spices, while macaron lovers can still get their fix with chocolate-covered cookies or chocolate-flavored macarons such as white chocolate and passion fruit and chocolate yuzu.
In the similar tradition of Ladurée’s tea houses, the chocolate boutique in the affluent area of Paris near the Tuileries Gardens and Place de la Concorde is a den of opulent but elegant extravagance, with a color palette that alternates between ivory and grey, embellished stucco ceilings, Italian white marble counters and a Murano crystal chandelier that serves as the centerpiece of the boutique.
Ladurée’s opening adds to an already rich and spoiled city for fine, premium chocolates and master chocolatiers.
