Miel Bon Bons I Fine Chocolate & Macarons l Extraordinary Desserts — Restaurant in Durham

If I was basing this review off first impressions, I'd give it 5 stars. Unfortunately, our experience didn't end as well as it began.

When we arrived, we thought 'Oh, this is cute. It reminds us of the nice coffee shops in San Francisco.' We got inside, was impressed with the macaron selection, the chocolates and even the chocolate Millennium Falcon. The espresso selections were fairly basic but seemed reasonably priced compared to local competitors.

So we ordered 3 macarons, 2 pieces of chocolate and a white chocolate mocha, which cost about $21 total. The macarons were tasty, with our favorite being the rose, much to our surprise. The chocolates were okay. The key lime was mostly caramel filling with a sudden burst of key lime. The caramel itself was tasty though, but we weren't expecting any caramel in a chocolate labeled key lime. The ginger chocolate had no hint of ginger unless it was the mild spice I would get every few bites, which was disappointing. The mocha espresso was great, so much so, we went back in and ordered a 2nd one to take with us on our drive around town. This is where things went bad and what led to only 3 stars.

I don't know what happened, but our 2nd drink was pretty much just an expensive white chocolate milk. There was no hint of espresso at all. Even looking at it later, I guess I should have noticed right away that it was a very pale light beige color, much lighter than our first drink (pictured). We couldn't even drink it because of how sweet it was and ended up tossing it. It almost tasted like it had caramel in it too, not at all what we asked for. Unfortunately, we didn't discover this until we were miles away and it was too late to return then. I don't know if the worker (who was at least very kind) was distracted because of another customer waiting or what, I just know there was no espresso added the 2nd time. So that was another $5 wasted on an undrinkable coffee.

I may give them another chance, but the end of our visit definitey left a bad taste, pun intended,...

I was initially excited to patronize this bakery with hopes of getting a custom cake for my graduation party in May however my experience at this establishment was utterly sour! I am a black, female, health professional in my 20s who stopped in after clinic to speak with Bonnie about my vision for a 8” custom cake order. To my surprise, Bonnie was extremely passive aggressive throughout our entire interaction. She started by asking me about my cake request “Is this for a real graduation?” followed by explaining how she is so busy making cakes for people all over the country that cost $1K+ and might not have time for my order request once I showed her photos of what I envisioned.

I explained that it would be important to me to feel as though my cake order would be a priority and to just simply let me know if she had no desire or motivation to fulfill the request. She follows up by suggesting I simply just buy a cake and place a store-brought cake topper on it instead for my doctoral graduation party. When I asked for a quote regarding the custom order, Bonnie gave me a wide price range and told me I would have to pay in full upfront. When I sought clarity on the building process regarding the use of fondant for a cake orders, she suggested that I think about my budget first and return later in the week to actually place the order. Yet again, reiterating that I would have to pay in full upfront or half of it (newly added option from 10 minutes ago) before placing an order.

I never once brought up money because cost was never an issue for me but payment seemed to be her main concern although I never saw an order form. The microagressions were rampant so I won’t be back. The only thing that she presents to be worth her time are elaborate custom cakes for certain types of events that require...

Update December 2019: I had to buy the bûche de noël after trying it earlier during the year. I was thinking I would get something that was sold in the store but wow! Instead I got an amazing looking bûche de noël! Definitely order one in the store for a special occasion! (or feel free to order one just because you feel like it.)

Update 2019: Bonnie is a wonderful chef. As always, the French Macarons are probably the best in the triangle area. The pastries are a great addition to the shop. Also, the cakes are wonderful too. The names are a bit too complicated for me to pronounce but the chocolate roll cake thing was amazing. It was like a soft sponge cake dissolving in your mouth while releasing rich chocolate flavor. If you do get it make sure to eat it slowly to fully appreciate the flavor. I can't talk about the new espresso machine because I don't drink coffee but the tea was good too. I tried the Mariage green tea and the herbal flavor was wonderful. Also, her new shop location and looks are fantastic!!!! Make sure to check it out! Definitely a place to go for afternoon tea time (who doesn't do afternoon tea time!) or weekends just to relax!

Past review: Miel Bon Bons has one of the most delicious Macarons and chocolate in town if not the best. I would recommend this place to anybody in a heart beat! Make sure to check out the pistachio macarons if you...