Pierre Hermé is my #1 spot for macarons. I tasted them two years ago when I went to Paris for my honeymoon, and during our recent Europe trip, I had to go again. There are several locations in Paris, and we ended up revisiting the very first one we went to from our first trip. In addition to macarons, they also sell pastries, chocolates, and beautiful desserts.
I had hoped to try the kouign amann, but unfortunately they were sold out. I settled for a chocolate filled croissant and rose flavored croissant.
Both were quite good, but not worth the exaggerated price in my opinion, especially with so many patisseries in Paris able to produce pretty good fresh croissants at less than half the price.
My main reason for coming was the macarons, which I do think are worth the splurge.
It’s hard to explain what makes the Pierre Herme macarons so special for those who haven’t had them. There are quite a few things that make the macarons unique.
Texture– The macarons I’ve eaten usually fall into one of two categories: chewy shells or soft shells. Pierre Herme’s shells seem like a perfect blend of the two. The delicate, puffy shells start with a paper-thin crunchy exterior which gives into a soft middle, and then ends with a hint of chew, before transitioning to the slightly harder filling which presents a sensation of a chewy center.
Presentation– The shells are all absolutely gorgeous and they look better in person than in the photos (I was in a rush so I didn’t have much time to take photos). They are brightly colored (but not too artificial looking to be off-putting) and certain flavors have decorations too. Some have a light shimmer (these are my personal favorite), some are studded with chopped nuts or dusted with cocoa powder.
Flavors- I love the flavor variety of Pierre Herme. In addition to a standard 24 flavors (there are about 8 available each day that rotate every few weeks), they also have limited edition and seasonal flavors. The flavors aren’t just ordinary ones either. Instead they offer flavor combinations like miléna (fresh mint and red fruit) or mogador (milk chocolate and passion fruit). Even their chocolate is a combination of different kinds of chocolate. My favorite flavor is their jasmine, unfortunately this was not available when I went this time.
The flavors are also very much present in each macaron. Sometimes with macarons, you have a hard time figuring out what flavor you are eating or it tastes very artificial. But the Pierre Herme ones don’t seem to have this issue.
Longevity- I’ve been able to successfully bring these home and have them last for quite a while without losing much in quality. In contrast, other macarons I tried to bring home from a trip ended up crumbly and brittle within a few days. They can be kept for four days in the fridge. They tell you not to freeze them, but I tested some in the freezer and they still tasted good, and it preserves them longer if you want them to last more than a week.
It was so fun to revisit this spot again on our recent trip. I’m missing the macarons already.
I like the PH better than Laduree because of their unique and intense flavor combinations. I loved all of the flavors that you brought back during your trips! : ) The PH macarons are the best I’ve ever had. Thanks for spoiling me!
I’ve had so much fun trying all the diff macarons you’ve brought me. I’m so glad that you got to experience these. I agree the flavor of the macs are really incredible
This is so neat. I might be going to Paris in August, anything else you think is a must get at Pierre Hermes? Or your favorite places in Paris??
ooh, lucky you! You can read through my Paris posts from my last trip here https://kirbiecravings.com/category/restaurants-location/paris I highly recommend le chateaubriand, chez dumonet, and chocolates at jean-charles rochoux. I’ve heard good thing about the kouign amann at Pierre Herme but i wasn’t able to try it for myself. If u are there during one of his limited edition macaron collections (you can check online), i recommend ordering a box of those. i missed out on his Asia garden collection by one week, I was so bummed! Out of his regular flavors, jasmine is my favorite. unfortunately it wasn’t available on this trip. on my last trip i got a box of just those to take home. hehe. Oh, also if you don’t care for fancy boxes which cost extra, they do provide free basic boxes, which fit 7-8 pieces inside. sometimes you have to ask for it or they try to get you to use the nicer boxes.