Hello everyone! I had only vaguely heard of Ladurée over the last few years and it was mostly my American friends in NY who mentioned it. So when they opened up at Yorkdale last week, I knew it was only a matter of time until I would finally try their famous macarons. (Long story short: I waited in line so you don’t have to.)
There was a line outside the shop that wasn’t too huge when I arrived around 4pm. I ended up waiting for about 20 minutes outside and then roughly 5 minutes once inside to order. While you’re outside, you get a glimpse of the beautiful storefront and the interior. 
It basically looks like a dreamy and feminine Parisian cafe (or what I assume they look like as I’ve never been to France.)
Love the neon sign and chandelier! 
They have tons of giftbox options. While they are quite lovely, this is one of the main problems I had with Ladurée. Most bakeries will give you a box if you buy 6 macarons, but this is not the case here. They’ll give you a free box if you buy 8, but if you want to just buy 6, you must either take them in a regular paper bakery bag, or pay extra for a gift box. That’s right. If you buy 8, its $26, but if you buy 6 in a gift box, it’s $27. I’ll take the “free” box any day.
I bought 8 to be able to share and sample a variety of flavours. The definite hits were vanilla and maple syrup. Both had very strong flavours and the filling was creamy. The cookie parts were perfectly crispy on the outside, yet soft on the inside. 
Unfortunately, I actually disliked the lemon and chocolate macarons. I found the lemon had a bitter aftertaste and the chocolate had a strange almost pungent initial flavour. 
I don’t regret popping in because hey – I love macarons. And really, if I’m ever at Yorkdale and am craving a macaron and there’s no one in line, I might go in and pick up a couple of them for a wee treat. But at $3.30 each, they’re a little steep for what they are. AND I was actually disappointed that they’re not even baked here. They’re baked in Switzerland and shipped here. While there is obviously a reason they’re so successful, I personally prefer to support local businesses and products made here whenever possible *cough NADEGE PATISSERIE cough* especially those that don’t charge for a box.
Final verdict? I will likely stick with local macaron shops. The more I think about it, the more I’m bothered by the whole gift box nonsense. Trust – if you’re familiar with my blog and who I am, I have no problem paying for great food. But at that price point, I expect to at least have all boxes available and included in the cost. As always though, I am just 1 person expressing my opinions – maybe you won’t be hung up on the box thing. Definitely worth a try if you’re a dessert person.
Ladurée Toronto is located at Yorkdale Mall (3401 Dufferin Street.) You can check out their Canadian IG at @ladureecanada.
Stay Gorgeous! 