Macaroons from Maison Adam, the sweet treats of Saint-Jean-de-Luz

The pastry chef, Mr Adam, sent his prettiest maid (who went by the name of Gachucha) to serve his delicacy to the royal couple. They loved the dish, and the young maid even received a gold-mounted crystal rosary from the Queen Mother as a reward! Today, Maison Adam is a veritable institution in the small town of Saint-Jean-de-Luz. The brand has two shops, both of which have retained all the charm of yesteryear! Come and discover the origins of the macaroon in these famous shops.

Two years after this royal meeting, Gachucha married Mr Adam's nephew, his successor, thus perpetuating the reputation of the Maison Adam and its macaroons. Following the Great War, their great-grandmother Pascaline Adam took over the family business. Under her influence, and that of her husband Valentin Telleria, a cobbler from Eibar who had taken refuge in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, the Adam house developed its range of pastries and opened new shops, including two in Biarritz. The couple's great-grandsons, Andoni and Miguel Telleria-Adam, now run Adams. Raised in the family home where the workshop was created, the two brothers watched their father make macaroon dough for years, and assisted him. In this way, they learned the know-how and the recipe jealously guarded by Maison Adam.

The Adam shops are located at 4-6 Place Louis XIV, and 49 rue Gambetta. The first is open every day from 9am to 7pm. The second is also open all week from 10am to 7pm. While both shops are very pleasant, we recommend that you choose the one near Place Louis XIV. In this shop, called Etxea (house, living place in Basque), you'll smell the delicious aroma of roasted almonds. The scent comes from a conche machine and a roasting machine, the two machines needed to make the praline. The shop is also steeped in history and memories, as you can see at the back of the room the family buffet and the table where children used to have their snacks, spanning several generations.

🚌 Getting there

As the town isn't very big, most activities can be done on foot. Despite this, buses are available to make getting around easier. For the shop on Place Louis XIV, the Mairie - Herriko Etxea (Saint-Jean-de-Luz) stop on line 43 is just a few minutes' walk away, as is the Halte Routière stop on line 3. For the second shop, take the same lines but exit at Jai Alai on line 3 and Gambetta on line 43.

If you head to Place Louis XIV, you can also adapt to Luzian fashion: enjoy a coffee in the square, while dipping into your bag of freshly bought macaroons!

👛 Prices

A box of macaroons costs between 16 and 54 euros, depending on the number of cakes it contains.

• Box of 12 macaroons: 16 euros
• Box of 24 macaroons: 30 euros
• Box of 36 macaroons: 42 euros
• Box of 48 macaroons: 54 euros

If you're not on site, no problem! You can easily order online.

👉 Further information

The Adam house offers other pastries such as Basque cakes, chocolates or moelleux and gift boxes are also available. More information on the Maison Adam website

⭐ Place Louis XIV Hyper Centre