4. Ladurée (Upper East Side, SoHo)

One of the best known macaron creators in the world, this luxury French bakery was founded in Paris in 1892 by Louis-Earnest Ladurée whose grandson, Pierre Desfontaines, claims to have invented the “double-decker” macaron, placing two macarons together with ganache. Also famous for their beautiful macaron boxes and French decor, Ladurée has boutiques all over the world, including one on Madison Avenue and their recently opened tearoom in SoHo. Outside the traditional flavors, Ladurée also offers orange blossom, rose petal, salted caramel and seasonal macarons.