‘Lette Macarons

I am so confused! Did they change their name to Chantal?
LOVEEEEEEEEEE Pisatchio and Salted Caramel. TO DIE FOR!

[M]ona: 5 Stars
[W]ayne: 5 Stars
Average: 5 Stars
+ Accepts Credit Cards
+ Huge Variety of Flavors
+ Must Try Flavors: Caramel, Earl Gray, and Passion Fruit
[M] This little wondrous bakery has the BEST macarons that I’ve ever tasted. They have such a wide variety of flavors that you would just have to buy a large box or come back multiple times to try everything out.
[W] My favorite flavor has to be the CARAMEL one because of the sweet filling and for some reason, the dough on it is always the tastiest. Mona favors the PASSION FRUIT and EARL GRAY most.
[M] We prefer the macarons to be chewy on the dough and sweet/​tart on the inside which Paulette does it spot on. The macarons here are just TOO good to have only one so we always have buy it them in boxes of 12 or more! [
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NOTE: The macarons are priced at $ 1.60 a pop or $ 10.50 for a 6 piece box. So unless you’re buying a dozen or more pieces, I’d recommend skipping the box and buying them individually instead. It’s a better value if you do the math :)
PRICE CHART — MACARONS
— Individual … $ 1.60
— Box of 6 … $ 10.50
— Box of 12 … $ 19.00
— Box of 24 … $ 36.00
— Gift Box (2 Pieces) … $ 4.00

Just tried this place after reading the reviews on Unilocal and the rave from my roommates. They did change their name from Paulette to just ‘lette. I hope the name change doesn’t include a recipe change. The macrons are pretty tasty and full of flavor. I got a dozen so I could try each flavor and most of them did not disappoint. And it comes in a nice box.
Each one tastes great but love the Colombian coffee, Sicilian pistachio and earl grey tea. These macarons are pretty pricey — $ 1.65 for one, a dozen for $ 19, or 24 for $ 38.
Since my review, the name has changed to Chantal Guillon Macarons, which I think is the name of the owner. It is still closed for remodel when I passed by in May.

Macaroons are definitely the next cupcakes!
This place just changed their name from «paulette» to «‘lette»
These little french concoctions will surely satisfy your french afternoon tea craving! Each individual macaroons are handmade to perfection. There are 12 flavors to choose from. If you are an indecisive Libra like me I just get one of everything in the 12 pack box.
Each and every one of these will taste distinctly different.
My recommendation: Earl Grey, Sweet Wedding almond, coconut, and Colombian Coffee.

I went through a Macaron-​Phase for awhile, and Paulette’s was definitely one of the first places I went to. The boy&I decided to take a trip to Hayes to try Paulette’s and Miette’s [killing two birds with one stone, you know], and well, we definitely spent more money than two broke college students should.
The interior of the store is nice. Clean, contemporary, but… a little on the boring side. The display case of macarons though… well… that was something else. Gorgeous. Everything looked so yummy and colorful, it took me forever to decide what I wanted.
We ended up getting a box of 6. Unfortunately, they don’t cut you any slack — buying a box of 6 is the same price as buying 6 individual ones. Sigh. Not even a few cents off. But it’s okay. It was just this one time: P [so I always say.]
We got one chocolate-​hazelnut, one earl grey, one raspberry, one caramel-​something, one pumpkin, and one madagascar vanilla. I have to say, my favorite was the Madagascar Vanilla one. It was so rich and flavorful… yum. Everything else was alright. Earl Grey kind of tasted like fruit loops.
I’m glad I gave this a try, but I don’t think I’ll be coming back often. My wallet can’t take it :(But macarons are such pretty pastries, and Paulette’s colorful ones are definitely eyecandy.

J’aime beaucoup les macarons. Le violet cassis, caramel salee, noix de coco, pistache, etcetera, etcetera! C’est presque commes les que je mange a Paris. J’ai des bonnes souvenirs de Paris. Cette boutique me donne un cadeau Parisien a San Francisco. Try them with the bourbon vanilla tea.

After having brunch at Stacks’, we decided to head on over to Paulette Macarons for some yummy treats. I was pretty excited because I had been dying to try this place out after reading and hearing such great things about the macarons.
There were seriously so many to choose from, so my boyfriend and I decided to get six macarons for $ 10.50. Yes, the price is steep for these little desserts but I felt that it was well worth it. We ended up deciding on almond wedding cake, rose, coffee, pistachio, vanilla, and raspberry. My personal favorites were rose, almond wedding cake and raspberry. The coffee was good but the taste was a little overpowering for me. Overall, the macarons were little, light, and sweet — just perfect really! I also loved the packaging and the lady working that day — whom was not Paulette — was really sweet and helpful!

I closed my eyes, said «mmmmm», and was speechless while the fluffy, delicate macaron melted in my mouth.
WOW, delicious.
I never knew I could find macarons this satisfying. They seemed so… light and boring. But now, I might have to move on from cupcakes to macarons. My favorite flavors are Rose, Violet Cassis, Pistachio, Vanilla… well, basically all the six I’ve tried. How exciting that there are other flavors left to be sampled.
SUM: They’re best eaten fresh, I reminded my husband… and our box was empty by the end of the day.

More than a year later, I return. In retrospect, I realized that the flavors of my previous macarons were not exactly exciting. This time I chose my macarons by its appearance and name. (
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Sweet wedding almond: Almond ganache with bits of almonds on the cookie. Not too sweet. The rich almond flavor was delicious.
Earl grey tea: Since most of the macarons are «sweet», I was intrigued by this one. It was so good! A hint of sweetness with the soothing taste of earl grey. The taste lingered ever so deliciously in my mouth. Mmm… my favorite so far!
Still pricey!

I didn’t plan on walking in here, but Paulette’s open door revealed rainbow streams of French macarons, pulling me in before I could step into Ver Unica next door.
French macarons, for the unfamiliar, are these delicate, fluffy meringue like cream filled sandwiches of goodness. NOT to be confused for a macaroon. You can wiki that one on your own if you don’t know what it is.
Paulette whips up a very delicious batch of macarons, in literally every color and flavor. I’m not talking about your primary red, yellow, and blue or chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry — I’m talking about so much more. It’s literally the rainbow and more here, and their exotic array of flavors is what’s keeping me loyal.
They’re $ 1.60 each, but definitely the best macarons in the Hayes Valley area. Délicieux! The passionfruit is amazing, as is the Columbian coffee. The rose is definitely something to be tried. The flavors are all there, and very strong.
J’aime les Paulette!

I need to contact Columbo because this will go down in the books as the case of the missing «o». As I was strolling in Hayes Valley minding my own business, you could imagine my delight in finding a store that sold macaroons. What a wonderful idea. All that toasted coconut goodness in a mound of buttery goodness. I like them dipped in chocolate, so I could relive my childhood filled with Mounds and Almond Joys. Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t.
And sometimes you feel like a nimrod because they don’t sell macaroons here. They sell macarons (thus the missing «o») which are French and not at all like a Mounds bar. It’s this wafer-​looking cookie with a meringue-​like consistency but all glossy and color-​coordinated with the too-​sweet filling. I was wondering why I was surrounded by a rainbow of these things with nary a toasted coconut mound to be found. I bought a pistachio-​flavored one for the astronomical amount of $ 1.60 (see photo).
Didn’t love it. It has a rather saccharine flavor that I have to say must be an acquired taste. These macarons obviously have fans, and I certainly don’t begrudge the craftsmanship it takes to make them look all identical in shape and so perfectly uniform in color intensity. But me? I’d rather go to the half-​price bakery bin at Safeway and look for a bucket of coconut macaroons. Both o’s please. C’est la vie.
MACARON — 3 stars… an acquired taste specifically for the sweet-​toothed, kinda pricy for a three-​bite confection
AMBIANCE — 3 stars… of course, you expect a darling shop to go with all those colors
SERVICE — 2.5 stars… bit of an attitude if you ask me
TOTAL — 3 stars… I think I’ll pass and let the Francophiles rejoice

Biting into a good macaron is kinda like how you grade it. It’s all about the composition and textures.
It’s that delicate, light, crisp crust that easily gives way to an airy, soft cookie; which then transitions to a smooth and sweet (but not too sweet) meringue, ganache, or jam. Oh la la! (
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The one’s here at Paulette have the texture down and are awesome. Not the best I’ve ever had, but better than Miette’s. 4.5 stars. (
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You can savor all the flavors with a box of 12 @ $ 19. My favorites are the passionfruit, almond, and pistachio. Violet cassis tastes like potpourri and the caramel is way to sweet. It reminds me of a TWIX bar.
I wish they had a suggestion box, I’d really like to see a red velvet, taro, avocado, and since this is SF — an al pastor macaron! Imagine the crunch on that!

It’s been over a year since my last visit to Paulette’s. While doing the SF Avon 2 Day Walk for Breast Cancer (July 10 –11), the route on Day 2 went on Hayes Street, and I had to stop for macarons!
Special thanks to Daniel L for informing me about the Lychee flavor. It must’ve been my lucky day as the first flavor I saw was Lychee! OH MYLANTA! I practically bought all remaining Lychee flavor (3)! Zoikes!
I would carry the box in my backpack until I completed the Avon Walk (13.2 miles on Day 2)! That would be the sweetest reward, and you know what, it was? I savored every bite of the macaron that was bursting with the lychee flavor. My only regret is that I didn’t buy more of this digalicious flavor to share. Now, if I can convince Paulette to create a Mango flavor, I’d be in Macaron heaven!
The caramel was seriously the best caramel flavored macaron that I’ve ever had. I loved the rich caramel flavor so much that I practically licked the little gobs of leftover caramel off the box after finishing the macarons.
Yup, it’s true and not ashamed to admit it! :)
Can’t wait for the next visit to Paulette’s! Oui Oui!

Whoever said money can’t buy you happiness hasn’t been to Paulette.
In fact, all you need is $ 10.50.
This buys you 6 macarons — one for every color of the rainbow. (wait, I can’t count! throw in an additional $ 1.60 for another macaron to make it seven!) You have to be honest with yourself, who walks in here and buys just ONE macaron? with it’s smooth egg-​shell like exterior, almost meringue-​like interior and amazing fillings in between, one isn’t enough.
I was instantly attracted to the rose macaron. I love floral flavors in my dessert and this one didn’t disappoint. It’s like chewing on a soft, pink rose petal in your mouth. (Uh, not that I’ve chewed on rose petals before…)
I also had my go-​to macaron flavor: the pistachio. And my other go to flavor: carribean chocolate. (what? I have a lot of go-​to flavors!) The Violet Cassis had strong lavender notes. Oh, you have to try the Lychee macaron, especially if you’re a lychee fan. While I didn’t care for the Earl Grey since the flavor was too subtle for me, I finished that one too. I didn’t want to waste any because these babies are a labor of love.
Speaking of which, a lot of Unilocalers here have talked about the price and the size. Yes, it’s smaller than La Boulange or Miette’s etc, etc. Making macarons are pretty labor intensive and you need certain techniques to get that «foot» right. Thanks to Google, a French macaron really isn’t French without this foot — the cracky looking puffy ring on the sides. Factor in the cost of ingredients (hello, almond flour!) well, you get the picture. But in no way does it break the bank, especially if we’re talking about your happiness on the line.
Paulette also carries Mariage Feres French tea which goes well with your purchased treats. Sit down and have a Parisian moment, right here in SF. Money CAN buy you happiness after all.

I came to the San Francisco Paulette searching for the ever elusive Parisian inspired lychee macaron only to strike out again. It was a sunny afternoon when fellow Unilocaler David N and I stopped by this cute little shop where the bright airy ambiance was matched with organized rows of colorful macarons dangling before our eyes. It was David’s first time trying macarons so we shared an assortment of flavors that included Peach, Madagascar Vanilla, Columbian Coffee, Caribbean Chocolate, Raspberry, and Coconut for $ 1.60 each. Unlike the Beverly Hills location, this place has in and outside seating by the window so we had the opportunity to enjoy them on the spot.
These macarons were slightly crispy on the exterior that crumbled easily to couple with a touch of fluffy airy texture anchored with a layer of sweet jam or ganache. Fellow Unilocaler Gill C noted in her outstanding review that these macarons are shipped daily from Beverly Hills, and in this particular instance the sharp tasting fillings in all of the macarons really stood out. Along with bursts of fruity and chocolaty sweetness these macarons also embodied sparks of distinctive taste that sets each flavor apart without the weighted redundancy.
They are currently introducing a vanilla soft serve to acclimate old and new customers to the concept of using ice cream as a dip for their wonderful macarons. I thought this could be the newest thing this summer only if they could successfully partner with one of the gourmet ice creameries or Fraiche Yogurt in the City to upgrade all the excitable flavors up another notch.
Service was friendly but not particularly helpful when we asked for suggestions. I really enjoyed my time here in spite of knowing that my search for lychee macaron may eventually take me back to their SoCal location. 4.5 stars for the overall experience. I’d be interested in coming back whenever I’m in the area.

All hail the almighty foodie orgasm-​inducing Caribbean Chocolate French macaroon, exclusive to Paulette’s and conducive to a sunny Sunday filled with bright welcoming sunshine, a slight calming breeze and beautiful people loitering all over sunlit Hayes Valley.
My first bite led me to a state of ecstasy. The crisp outer layer crumbled within contact only to reveal the rich chocolate ganache center which melted exquisitely on my silky tongue, alike lush velvet caresses or cool satin sheets on a balmy summery night.
«hmmm» I hummed seductively in blissful silence, never wanting the peerless taste to part from my mouth.
D: Wow, the look on your face. you’d think you wet your pants or something.
L: Actually, i think i may have.