Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth With These Macarons in Metro Manila

What are the makings of a great macaron? The French, as we know them, take their cuisine seriously, so we're afraid there are no right or wrong answers here (only right ones). Macarons must possess these unimpeachable qualities to make them great: a smooth top, the perfect filling-to-shell ratio, and they must be full and not hollow. They should also have a soft and chewy bite to them (not crispy), and they should have "feet," or that frill along the base that shows they were well-baked.

Now that you know what makes a great macaron, you're likely wondering, "Where can I find them?" Well, we've got you covered. Here are some places where you can get the best macarons in Metro Manila.

Macarose

You'll love Quezon City-based Macarose if you appreciate variety, thanks to its 29 macaron flavors that range from raspberry, strawberry, pistachio, and blueberry purple to fruity pebbles, Belgian dark, coffee, and red velvet, among many others. This local bakeshop also accepts orders for custom macarons, say if you want them shaped into hearts for a special someone, in the design of your favorite character for some giggles, or have a message etched on them for a loved one's birthday!

Macarose accepts orders via Viber and currently only takes online payments.

Alchemy by Meryl

If you love both macarons and chocolate truffles, then Alchemy by Meryl is the only way to go. This pastry shop has macaron flavors like salted caramel, chai spice, banana walnut, passionfruit, jasmine, and even ube, to name a few. A box of seven macarons costs P350 and P750 for a box of 16. Their chocolate truffles, meanwhile, are priced at P350 for a box of 12. It's difficult to beat this kind of price and quality!

You may place your orders through Instagram, their Google Form, or via text.

Nibble MNL

Another place to get your scrumptious stash of macarons is Nibble MNL, whose macaron flavors change monthly, so you can sample different types of macarons each and every time. For now, their holiday flavors include cheese pimiento, yema, vanilla bean, pecan bourbon, hot chocolate mallows, caramel macchiato, cookie butter, and candy cane! A trial box of eight fixed flavors will cost you P440, whereas a dozen costs P660 and a full box of 18 pieces is priced at P990. Meanwhile, a party box of 40 pieces of macarons costs P2,000.

Nibble MNL is also selling holiday macaron towers this Christmas season, so if you'd like a Christmas tree-shaped macaron tower as your dining table centerpiece, be prepared to shell out P3,000.

Merry Macarons

Merry Macarons is the first in the Philippines to create sculpted macarons, so head their way if you'd like to try these treats in the shape of sushi, cute ducks and rabbits, Snoopy, and even Totoro of Studio Ghibli's "My Neighbor Totoro," among others.

Some of the flavors Merry Macarons sells are chocolate, white chocolate, passionfruit, cookies and cream, Earl Grey, and pistachio. For regular orders, do allow four days of lead time for Merry Macarons, seven to 10 days for bulk orders, and two weeks for orders with special packaging.

Other Places to Get Macarons

• Ladurée
• TWG Tea Salon & Boutique
• Bizu Patisserie
• Paul Boulangerie