La Maison des Sœurs Macarons
Long before Ladurée made the Parisian sandwich macaron famous, Nancy was producing its own version — a single round almond biscuit, crisp outside and chewy within, with no filling and no food colouring. La Maison des Sœurs Macarons on Rue Gambetta has been baking them to the same recipe since 1793.
A Recipe Kept Secret for Centuries
The Nancy macaron was created by Carmelite nuns in the 17th century as a way of meeting their dietary rules, which forbade them from eating meat. The original recipe — just almonds, sugar and egg whites — has been passed down and is still made by hand daily at this small shop.
The Maison des Sœurs Macarons is run by descendants of the Gormand sisters who rescued the recipe after the Revolution. The shop itself is tiny, wood-panelled and almost unchanged since the 19th century — stepping inside feels like a minor time-travel event.
How to Eat Them
Buy a small bag (they come in quantities of six or twelve) and eat one immediately outside the shop while it is still at room temperature — the texture is at its best within a few hours of baking. The flavour is pure almond with a faint caramel note from the baking; it is richer and more satisfying than it looks.
They keep well for several days in a cool place, making them the ideal edible souvenir to carry home. The shop also sells small decorative tins that pack flat in a suitcase.
Other Nancy Sweets Worth Trying
While you are in sweet-tooth mode, seek out the bergamote de Nancy — a hard amber candy made with bergamot oil that has been a local speciality since the 19th century. You will find them at confectioners across the city centre, particularly at Lefèvre-Lemoine on Rue Gambetta.
For a sit-down sugar hit, the salon de thé at Maison Lefèvre-Lemoine serves hot chocolate and bergamot-flavoured pastries in a setting of velvet banquettes and gilt mirrors that feels pleasantly old-fashioned.
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