The beginning of next week, March 20th, marks the twelfth celebration of International Macaron Day, which started in Paris in 2005 as a way of raising money for charities. 

The idea came from French baker Pierre Hermé, who started the tradition by offering a macaron to customers visiting his shops in return for a financial donation. 

Aside from being one of the most Instagrammable calendar events around, it’s also obviously a brilliant excuse to eat macarons for a great cause. 

So if, like me, you’re also a bit obsessed with colourful discs of sugar and almonds crammed with ganache, why not pay a visit to these bakeries below?

1. La Maison du Chocolat 

The only outlet to use chocolate ganache infused with different flavours in all of their macarons, La Maison du Chocolat was founded in the late 1970s in Paris by Robert Linxe, the ‘Wizard of Ganache’. 

 

Address: Harrods Food Hall, 87-135 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7XL.  

Nearest tube station: Knightsbridge. 

Opening hours: Open every day from 10:00 to 21:00. 

Other branches:

Selfridges Food Hall, 400 Oxford Street, London W1A 1AB

(Nearest tube station: Bond Street).

2. Pierre Hermé 

The man behind International Macaron Day, whose creative flavour combinations include jasmine flower and jasmine tea, chocolate and passion fruit and apricot and pistachio, has inspired lots of chefs, not least Great Bake Off finalist James Morton, who appeared on the show in 2012.   

Address: Seven Dials London, 38 Monmouth Street, London WC2H 9EP. 
Nearest tube station: Covent Garden. 

Opening hours: 10:00 to 19:00 from Monday to Thursday, 10:00 to 20:00 on Friday and Saturday, 12:00 to 18:00 on Sunday.

Other branches: 

13 Lowndes Street, Belgravia, London SW1X 9EX 

(Nearest tube station: Knightsbridge). 

Selfridges Food Hall, 400 Oxford Street, London W1A 1AB

(Nearest tube station: Bond Street). 

3. Yauatcha

As well as having a Michelin star to its name, dim sum restaurant Yauatcha also has a pretty good pâtisserie counter. 

Try the incredible smoked salted caramel macaron or the raspberry and chocolate macaron if you visit, which are both absolutely delicious. 

Address: 15-17 Broadwick Street, Soho, London W1F 0DL. 

Nearest tube station: Oxford Circus.  

Opening hours: 12:00 to 22:15 from Monday to Thursday, 12:00 to 22:45 on Friday and Saturday. 

Other branches: 

Yauatcha City/Yauatcha Pâtisserie, Broadgate Circle, London EC2M 2QS 

(Nearest tube station: Liverpool Street). 

4. Ladurée 

Set up in the late 1800s and known for its ornate decorations inspired by the Opéra Garnier opera house in Paris, Ladurée and its macarons shot to fame after a starring role in Sofia Coppola’s 2005 film Marie-Antoinette, the Austrian archduchess known to her disgruntled subjects – among other even less polite names – as ‘Madame Deficit’. 

Address: 1 Covent Garden, The Market, London WC2E 8RA. 

Nearest tube station: Covent Garden. 

Opening hours: 08:00 to 23:00 from Monday to Thursday, 08:00 to 23:30 on Friday and Saturday, 08:00 to 22:30 on Sunday. 

Other branches:

Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7XL

(Nearest tube station: Knightsbridge). 

71-72 Burlington Arcade, Mayfair, London W1J 0QX

(Nearest tube station: Piccadilly Station). 

5. Pierre Marcolini 

Pierre Hermé’s namesake and a talented pastry chef and chocolate-maker in his own right, Belgian-born Marcolini opened his first shop in Brussels in 1995. 

Luckily, he’s now opened two outlets in London, as well as in America and Asia, to add to the original store. 

If you visit, make sure you try the Framboise macaron, with a lovely rich chocolate and raspberry ganache. 

You can also check out the website here for information about upcoming events and to buy goodies from the online shop(!!)  

Address: Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7XL. 

Nearest tube station: Knightsbridge. 

Opening hours: Open every day from 10:00 to 21:00. 

Other branches: 

Selfridges Food Hall, 400 Oxford Street, London W1A 1AB. 

(Nearest tube station: Bond Street). 

37 Marylebone High Street, London W1U 4EQ. 

(Nearest tube station: Baker Street). 

6. William Curley 

As well as winning the British Chocolatier of the Year award four times and being the mastermind behind a successful dessert bar (which I’m very keen to visit!), Scottish chocolate-maker and pastry chef William Curley also makes a mean macaron. 

I had the coffee, hazelnut and salted caramel macaron which was, as you might expect, off-the-scale deliciousness. 

Address: Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7XL. 

Nearest tube station: Knightsbridge.  

Opening hours: Open every day from 10:00 to 21:00. 

What are your favourite macaron flavours, and where are your favourite macaron places in Britain and abroad? 

For more food and drink posts, why not read my list of the best crêperies and best French bakeries in London here and here? 

Or how about finding out to make the perfect French hot chocolate, or where to go for the best food and drink in Paris?