Macarons Et Madeleines

I am always looking for new gems in the city, especially when it comes to any kinds of pastries. There were a few things that turned me off about this little shop on separate occasions;
1. The order I wanted to place for various macarons flavours was short notice and could only offer me the flavours of the week (frustrating when I assume you have a full staff and should be capable of doing these types of things two weeks in advance)
2. The gentleman that was serving me (with a very tall chefs hat) was not very amicable and did not how to properly use the computer system
3. The madeleines that are on display to order are far too burnt
The only reason I keep going back is for the fact that Ottawa doesn’t offer many places with freshly done macarons but its slowly coming to a point where I don’t even want to bother anymore.

If I could give this place a zero star review, I would. I didn’t even get to try the food because the customer service was so terrible.
I had never been to Macarons Et Madeleines, so as a food blogger in the Westboro/​Wellington area, I knew I had to check it out. Much to my dismay, the head chef was very rude which lead to me leaving the premises angry and empty-​handed.
At other bakeries (of the same quality standard), I have found that typically macarons are sold individually and as you buy more the price decreases (a novel marketing idea!). Since it was my first time there, I asked someone who looked like the owner (a male wearing a chef’s hat) this question: «If I buy 6 macarons or 12 macarons, does the price stay the same?» To which he sarcastically answered, «Even if you buy 20 macarons the price will be the same.» And I said, «Ok. Thank you.» Then he added, «If you buy 1 billion macarons the price will be the same.» And I said again, «Ok. I understand.» And then the rant began. He started by saying something along the lines of «the cost of the ingredients doesn’t decrease with the cost of the macarons» and went on to explain this concept. So I took that as a «Yes, the price stays the same the more you buy» and thanked him for clarifying. I suppose me thanking him and acknowledging that I understood opened the flood gates for discussion because he proceeded to lecture me about the topic. He ranted that no one ever asks him about the quality of the product or where it comes from they just ask about the price. I told him I understood and it looked as though he was leaving, but then he sharply turned back to me to resumed his tangent and said he had one more thing to say which was essentially «if I went to a grocery store and bought 12 apples, does the price decrease?» I said, «That’s true, it doesn’t. I understand.» Then he continued to argue at me (key word is «at» since I wasn’t responding other than validating his points), he asked me if I thought any other place does that (and didn’t look to me for an actual answer) and he then argued at me some more. To which I responded, «I understand and I really appreciate your passion» thinking that that might cue him to stop berating me for asking what I thought was a simple question. But that didn’t stop him as he drove a final point home (at this point I had already stopped listening and was smiling and nodding). After all that, I left. Why should I walk into an establishment, ready to invest in the product they offer but instead get my head chewed off for asking a yes or no question? It wasn’t as though I asked, «WHY doesn’t the price decrease if I buy more?» I only asked, «Is this rule something that applies here?»
Also, I appreciate the review from the person who was behind me during this tirade. I’m glad someone else could see how patronizing this chef was to me. Overall, I am disappointed that I was treated so rudely. If you’re planning on going, I recommend placing your order and not asking any questions.

When I walked into Macarons Et Madeleines, I was planning to leave with a macaron in every flavor, but unfortunately, I only left with a bad taste in my mouth.
Each macaron is $ 2.25, which is a fairly average price for a macaron but still a bit steep when you consider what a small bite it is. Still, the macarons here looked amazing, and there were flavors I don’t often see (rose, violet, etc.), so I knew right away I was going to go big or go home. And well, I went home.
As I was standing in line, trying to decide whether to order a coffee as well, the chef himself (wearing a chef’s hat so tall it would make Lincoln jealous) came out and the girl waiting in line in front of me asked him if macarons could only be bought individually and if the price stays the same if you buy more. Most places I’ve been to that sell macarons offer something like this (ex. 12 for $ 25) to encourage people to buy more macarons and try more flavors, so I expected the chef to either say that Macarons Et Madeleines did offer such a thing or they did not.
Well, what the whole shop was treated to was a patronizing lecture about how and why buying macarons this way wasn’t an option. (paraphrasing): «The macarons would be the same price if you bought 6 or 12 or a billion! Nobody ever asks about what kinds of ingredients I used! Nobody asks about the almonds or the sugar! All they care about is price! Tell me one place that offers a bulk discount like that. And another thing, the price of ingredients doesn’t decrease if you lower the price of the macaron. And one more thing: When a bakery offers discounts like that, it speaks to the quality of the food…» (And on and on… and on.)
It was bizarre to say the least, as though he had been waiting all day to deliver this rude soliloquy and he’d finally heard his cue. The girl was polite and listened to the lesson in macaron pricing, but you could tell she felt uncomfortable being on the receiving end of a condescending monologue. She left without ordering anything, and after a little hemming and hawing on my part, I left as well and bought a nanaimo bar at Thyme & Again down the street instead.
I’m sure the macarons and other baked goods here are great, but I just don’t think the price of a macaron should include being treated like crap.

Absolutely love this little place. It is a dream to spend a few minutes with excellent coffee and perfect macarons here or outside at a café table. The pastries are perfect! Love that you are greeted French first. I stop here every time I am in Westboro.

Great little spot for a quick coffee. Had the macarons and a chocolate almond «croissant» and they were both fantastic. I’m sure everyone has their own experiences, but this was totally on par with what I’ve had in a lot of places in France, and a nice intimate space to enjoy it.

While picking up some bagels next door, I decided to try out Macarons et Madeleines since I had read about them in the paper a while back.
They have quite a bit of choice of offerings between their macarons and their various baked goods. I decided to limit myself to the macarons and as an extra treat (so I thought) I ordered a small hot chocolate.
Their hot chocolate is marketed as being made with only whole milk and dark chocolate and I ordered a small which cost $ 3.50 plus tax. What I received however should be more appropriately titled a ‘mini’ or ‘mirco’ hot chocolate in one of the smallest cups I have ever seen. In about two sips it was gone and as it was also not very strong nor very hot. While taste is subjective and some people may not mind a weaker hot chocolate, I still wouldn’t recommend it as it is way over priced.
The macarons are $ 2.25 each and not ever having tried them before, I don’t have a baseline to compare them against. I will say I tried four different colours (as they don’t name whats what) and three of them tasted okay with one not agreeing with my taste buds.
Again the price factor seems to come into play here as I think $ 2.25 for such a small ‘treat’ is a bit on the high side but thankfully no where near as overpriced as their hot chocolate.
So, for a first visit there was enough that I would go back a second time to try out some of their other baked goods. Unfortunately I continue to be a bit disappointed in many new locations in Ottawa where I find the value for money doesn’t seem to be what it was.
OTHER — METHOD OF PAYMENT
At the time of review, they do not accept credit cards, just cash or debit.
OTHER — PARKING
Parking on Wellington can be tricky as spots are limited in the area. On the plus side, there are lots of side streets so you can find parking if you need it.
SUMMARY
— Food 3 or ⁴⁄₅
— Value 1 or ²⁄₅

Ottawa, as dull as some people like to paint it has some very good food offerings. This place is definitely one of its diamond jewels.
Not sure what the member Mel L. is talking about with her rant on here but I’ve been going to Macarons Et Madeleines for over a year with never a bad experience.
The Macarons which are made at location have always been wonderful, fresh and a good variation of flavors since they always rotate, usually to the ingredients of the season.
Other French pastries which they serve like «pain au chocolat» or as some of you might call «chocolate croissants» are just as good as it gets. Their traditional croissants are delicious as well.
Since there isn’t really any seating available and I personally think that a good pastry is better enjoyed with some coffee/​tea, your best bet is to pick up some delicious goodies from here and go up the road to Bridgehead Roastery on Preston and Anderson to make this a wonderful sweet experience.
If you have any special dates/​events coming up, they do make custom orders, and very helpful if you have allergies.
If you have never been here you are missing out. Definitely a must go in the Ottawa area.

As quite the macaron aficionado, I was excited to visit Macarons and Madeleines. I had been meaning to try their macarons for some time, but never found the time.
I thought my dry spell of good macarons would finally come to an end, but boy I was wrong.
The majority of macarons from shops not specializing in macarons in Ottawa are all from a place in Quebec called Le Maison de Macaron. I made a visit there myself, there was a great variety, but it was otherwise typical. They ship the macarons to wherever they need to be, the problem is, is that the vendors leave them out for weeks at a time.
What results is a carcass of a macaron, hollow inside, with a thick, crunchy exterior.
So I developed this habit where I ask, «When did you recieve/​make these macarons?» If it’s older than two days, I would thank them for their time, and leave if I couldn’t find anything else to buy. Frankly, my mouth is tired of producing saliva in overdrive so I can swallow those once-​been macarons.
The shop is located in Chinatown, which is one of the main reasons I haven’t been able to make a trip. It’s off the beaten road, in a residential area. I was greeted with a cat, which is fine, I love animals, I rod hourses when I was younger, but is totally inappropriate in a place where food is made.
I once again asked this question to the chef. I didn’t really think I needed to because they had «macaron» in the shop title and the chef went to Le Cordon Bleu. One of my friends went there and she is an excellent chef. The cashier responded, «This week.» I asked, politely, even with a smile, what day. After about two minutes of not answering this, the chef finally gave in and said, «Monday.», about five days ago.
That’s fine, a lot of places keep their macarons for that long, I was disappointed, but it’s not like this is preposterous. So once, again, I said thank you, and that I would look for something else to buy.
The chef then said, «Do you know what macarons are?» Yes, I did in fact. I bake them quite frequently, around on par to those of Le Maison de Macaron; mediocre, though certainly not to the level of Laudree, or even some places in Toronto. He then said that if I really did know anything about them, I would know that they need to «sit».
Now, I am a teenager, but I have manners. I pleasantly responded to their greetings, didn’t comment on how there was a cat in the same area that food is being prepared.
Yes, macarons do need to sit. They need to sit after baking for at minimum half an hour, at maximum over night. This depends on the recipe. Any reputable macaron shop will not sell anything over a day old, but I’m okay with anything below the two day mark, as mentioned earlier. He then proceeded to convince me that indeed, macarons need to sit for seemingly five days.
I acknowledged what he was saying, but responded I would look for something else.
He then tried to convince me that after they are first baked they are dry and as they age, they become softer. If you have ever felt macaron batter, it is wet. That is because the bulk of it is egg whites. These egg whites are dehydrated during baking, but still retain some of their moisture. This moisture decreases as they age. Elementary science, am I right? Now this isn’t entirely correct, but for simplification, let’s say moisture follows the thermal equilibrium rules. There is less moisture in the air than in the macarons, so water from the macarons will go into the air. This is what happens during baking. Of course, this is caused by evaporation, not an equilibrium, but truly explaining what actually happens woudld take too long. Does it make sense for all this moisture that is released to come back in a few days? Is the air suddenly more damp than the macarons? No.
I sipped some bubble tea I had picked up.
On his tangent, because I guess he rationalized that two wrongs make a right, he continued, «That bubble tea, do they make it every day?» «They made it in front of me.» «Well the ingredients, did they pick them up today?»
This response was so flawed, I was surprised this man owned a business. First of all, the second statement implies that he picks up all his ingredients the morning before he bakes. He runs a business, I am 90% sure he buys his ingredients in bulk at Costco. Additionally, baked goods are perishable. Tea and syrup are much less perishable. If they replaced all their inventory every day like any good bakery would, they would just be irritating their suppliers.
Now, two of my friends were with me, so one of them jumped in at this point at bought a meringue (I suppose to not completely waste their time) and we left.
I run a small business selling baked goods during the summer, and let me tell you, if you are doing that sort of thing, you are completely replaceable. All people need is something with sugar and butter in it that is not burnt. You are selling yourself just as much as you are selling food.
Will not return.

This place is a jewel in Ottawa! Stefan and his wife, Julie, are fabulous and the pastry is as good as it gets. I strongly recommend the almond pain au chocolat and pick up as many macarons as you have friends – they are to die for!

Macarons Et Madeleines is a french bakery operated out of a home in a residential area known as Nanny Goat Hill. The home is open concept so you can see the kitchen and the pasty chef at work while you’re making your purchases from the «living room» area.
On this visit we picked up a chausson au pommes (apple turnover) and a almond pain au chocolat (chocolate almond croissant). Both were buttery and delicious. In my opinion both pastries were heads and shoulders above other versions available around town. Note that this is a take-​out bakery only (i.e., no seating). Enjoy!