Ladurée’s international reputation has been built largely on the strength of its macarons. Vanilla, coffee, chocolate, salted caramel, orange blossom, rose, and pistachios are the brand’s cult flavors, says Holder Raberin, who favors rose. Seasonal variations join them in the jewel-like boutiques. She is quick to point out that many of Ladurée’s locations also offer full menus, in the tradition of the original Parisian tea salon.
Francis and David Holder decided in 1993 to purchase the Rue Royale salon where the Holder family gathered for lunch every Saturday. “I grew up going to Ladurée with my family,” says Holder Raberin. “It has for us and many people an emotional connection, a memory, a scent, a must-have flavor, a moment, a dream to visit Paris. It’s more than just a macaron, it is the Madeleine from Proust.”
