Paris means many things to many people: for some, it’s the ultimate romantic destination. For others, it’s the place to go for haute couture. But for many, it’s the pinnacle of gastronomic delights.

While it’s true that French cuisine is comprised of a myriad of regional styles, one thing that remains true across the board is a love of pastries. Wander into any patisserie, and the display cases are like canvases displaying miniature works of art: tiny blossoms of marzipan or butter cream roses adorn petit fours; apples sliced thin and fanned out in geometric patterns atop a tarte tatin; profiteroles topped with an opaque glaze…these are the creations that beckon you to indulge in a gustatory pas-de-deux.

My own love affair with French pastries began early in life, and I’ve never been the same since. Show me a slice of praline or hazelnut torte, and I’ll show you a woman who’ll melt just as easily as the bite of pastry upon her tongue. I’ve often been known to take longer to decide on ordering a dessert than I do on the main course.

So it was with an immense sense of pleasure that I recently entered a branch of the French patisserie Laduree. Located in the food halls of Harrod’s Knightsbridge in London, the tea room is a magical, pastel-colored confection that also houses a circular room glittering with black-and-white Erte-esque designs. If it’s all about the presentation, then Laduree has it figured out. Classic lines. Elegant designs. Ornate packaging. The only thing I found distressing was that I couldn’t order any of their products online.

The Laduree story began 1862 when Louis Ernest Laduree, a miller, opened a bakery at 16 rue Royale in Paris. In 1871, rebuilding after a fire, the bakery was transformed into a patisserie and became famous for its macaroons: a cookie made with almond paste that’s crisp on the outside, and moist on the inside. As part of the remodel, the ceiling of the shop was painted to mimic the Sistine Chapel – except that tiny cherubs with baker’s hats took the place of heavenly angels.

At some point, Jeanne Souchard, (the wife of Ernest Laduree), suggested that the patisserie be altered to become a tea room, making it an acceptable place for “proper” women to dine alone while enjoying an afternoon tea or coffee and a pastry.

Due to its history, as well as its fundamental elegance, the Groupe Holder (owners of a prestigious chain of bakeries), became interested in the establishment, and purchased Laduree. Today, it’s overseen by David Holder – an American-schooled businessman originally from France, who’s brought with him a desire to embrace and enhance the elegance of the original product. And it certainly shows: from the soft, pastel-hued macaroons, to the stripped wallpaper and textiles that decorate the interiors of the tearooms – there’s a refined beauty to it all.

Imaginative temptations such as rose petal, pistachio, and hazelnut praline are some of the macaroon flavors available, with others such as lime basil, blackcurrant violet and chestnut offered seasonally. (Twice a year the company presents a new collection of pastries, chocolates and macaroons – with a spring/summer ‘line’ and a fall/winter one as well, geared towards Christmas and New Year’s celebrations.) Every morning the little, round cakes are created in the Laduree “laboratory,” with over 80 tons of “Gerbet” macaroons made annually.

So the next time you’re in Paris and find yourself craving a gastronomic treasure, slip into one of the four Laduree establishments for a true melt-in-your-mouth indulgence. You might even be tempted to begin referring to the metropolis as The City of “De-Lights.”