On my last visit to Paris a few months ago, visiting Ladurée was high on my list of things to do. We decided to go for dinner there one night. Their menus are not extremely expensive (but still pricey) and we figured that we deserved one night of eating out of budget. After a quick look on their website, we decided on Ladurée Champs Elysées because, well, look at the pictures on the website.
If I had to summarise the meal in two words it would be: “never again”.
Despite having made a reservation, we were seated in what was probably the worst table in the worst part of the restaurant. Not in the pretty area that I had seen in the photos, but in a really tacky badly lit bit with indoor palm trees that wasn’t pretty at all. Plus we were right next to the till, which was very very annoying and not at all like the romantic evening that we had imagined. Now, this would be okay if the place had been actually full, but people with no reservation got better tables. I was not impressed.
We settled for the cheapest bottle of wine and I have to admit I got a bit overexcited when we were brought bread and butter and the butter came in a cylindric shape, wrapped in a Ladurée paper that made it look like it was an incredible delicacy despite being just that, butter.
The starters were okay. Cliff dared to try foie and didn’t entirely dislike it, just the idea of it. I had a little bite and, although it was good, I must say I’ve had better, not even in France, and for a fraction of the price.I had something with a fancy name that I can’t remember. Basically it was a mini baguette with prawns, orange and mango inside. Pretty adventurous. It was nice, but not mind-blowing. So far our romantic night seemed to be failing, but we still had hope in the main course.
But the main course didn’t arrive in about an hour, and I’m not even exaggerating. The couple sitting down next to us, who arrived when we were finishing our starter, finished eating before us, and one of them was eating the same as one of us. Other customers literally came, ate and left in the space between our starter and main. After giving the waiter angry looks for what seemed like hours, he muttered “your food is coming soon”, which was obviously a lie; it still took a while.
By the time it arrived we were so angry that we found it hard to enjoy it. The fact that I didn’t even take pictures of it illustrates my anger. The food wasn’t bad, but a meal of better quality can be had for much less money in Paris. Cliff had beef with peanut sauce that tasted a bit too peanut-y. And I had duck which, like the starter, wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.
We stormed off right after we finished our meal, without eating dessert (which was the main reason to go to Ladurée, really) or leaving a tip, which got us the most horrified glance from the couple in the next table. Obviously, they had eaten their meal at a normal pace.
I knew we were paying partly for the name and the location, but I never imagined it would be such a disappointing experience.
However, a few days later we went to another Ladurée for tea and cake, the one in Rue Royale. This time the experience was completely different. Though pricey, the hot chocolate was thick and filling, real hot chocolate rather than warm nesquick with a bit of foam. Below you can see what I had:
I can’t remember exactly what they were, but mine was rose flavoured and Cliff’s was pistachio. The cream was made with rose water and it was truly one of the best things I have ever tasted. Unlike the other time, this time the service was excellent. We were served by the nicest waiter, something I wouldn’t have expected in such a busy place.
So I guess the moral of the story is: Go to Ladurée, but only for cake.
