Macarons from Colette, Toronto

I knew of Colette Grand Cafe, but had never before step foot in the space. I do happen to work near the cafe though, so one day I found myself buying a cookie for a work blog post. Upon going into the cafe, I was immediately transported to Paris. The decor is absolutely stunning - done in perfect imitation of a cafe in Paris. To add to the already beautiful situation, I found that they sold macarons. I immediately started planning when I would visit to buy the macarons. That faithful day came a few weeks later when I went to purchase macarons from Colette Grand Cafe.

To be honest, as gorgeous as the cafe is, the rest of the experience isn’t worth the ambiance. Both times that I went into the cafe, I found the staff to be rather rude. They’re not very welcoming and flat out ignored me until I was reluctantly asked what I would like. I was, however, willing to look past that if the macarons were exceptional. Unfortunately, they also fell far short of the high standards I held for them.

Macarons from Colette Grand Cafe

I purchased six macarons from Colette. They had 8 flavours available, but the 6 that I went for were Salted Caramel, London Fog, Passionfruit, Rose Lychee, Jardin Chocolate, and Chocolate.

Overall, the macarons were rather inconsistent in the texture, size, and the depth of flavour. They also came in at $18.08 for 6, which is more expensive than most patisseries. In my opinion, they were overpriced given the inconsistencies, as well as the lack of good service.

The salted caramel had a very strange, wet texture and was very very soft. The Rose Lychee had good flavour, but also had the very strange wet kind of texture. The jardin chocolate was an interesting mix of basil, mint and chocolate, but was a bit too bitter for me. The London fog and chocolate macarons didn’t have very bright flavours. The passionfruit, however, I have no complaints about - that one was great.

Overall, I wouldn’t buy macarons from Colette again. I may have just gone on an off day, but the lack of good service alone is enough to keep me away. If the macarons had been better, I would have considered it, but I think there are other places in the city where you can get better macarons. They would also be served by someone with a smiling face.

If you’ve ever tried macarons from Colette Grand Cafe, I’d love to know what you think. Should I give them another chance, or do you agree with my review? Let me know!

xo, tess.