On a rainy afternoon (read: 97% of London afternoons), an enlightened place to seek cover is within the moneyed warmth of Harrods. Department store extraordinaire, this city-block length building has it all: designer clothes, haute food halls, perfumerie, cashmere anything, the biggest selection of Krispy Kreme I've ever seen, and the Ladurée tea salon.

Nestled into a corner of this immense shopopolis, when you enter Ladurée you are met with red velvet curtains, ceiling-high confection displays, mirrored walls, bright chandeliers, and rows upon rows of the sugary shimmer of macaroons.

I snagged a corner table in the balcony seating section, which is all luxurious red velvet chairs and decadence. I sat next to a window and watched the rain stream down whilst I perused the menu. Cheap it ain't, but we are in Harrods, after all, and rainy London days are perfect for splurging.

I was by myself, however, so I refrained from ordering the full-on afternoon tea, which is around 22 pounds and comes with a variety of finger sandwiches, scones or croissants, tea or coffee, and of course, the famous Ladurée macaroons. Instead, I opted for a pot of the Melange tea, which was an infusion of cinnamon, vanilla, violet, and rose. It was as heavenly as it sounds: fruity and creamy all at once. I added neither sugar nor milk, it was perfect as it was. I also ordered four macaroons, only 3 of which I was able to finish: 2 pistachio (my favorite flavor, oh, ever), one vanilla, and one coffee (couldn't do that one).

My tuxedoed garcon whisked over a shiny silver pot of tea and my four macaroons, and it was all uphill from there.

Comprised of three bare essentials: almonds, eggs, and sugar, the macaroon is a mystery to me. Three ingredients only, and approximately three levels of heaven later, you wonder how they do it. That's the French way, though..they somehow construct the most elaborate yet delicate flavors out of the simplest, barest elements. The macaroons are made every morning, yet they sit for 2 days before being sold, so that they may achieve their most perfect consistency.

The macaroons had a perfectly soft, nutty/creamy interior, with a sugared, slightly crispy wafer shell that melts most democratically into the cream with each bite. Divine.

In sum, glide past the donuts and head straight to the tea salon. If you don't have time for full-on tea, you can do takeaway boxes or singles of any macaroon you like.