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Restaurants in Bordeaux
Eating is serious business in Bordeaux, where tantalizing restaurants seem to line every street. Vegetarians rejoice: You’ll find today’s Bordeaux increasingly caters to your tastes. If you aren’t ready for a full meal, fear not. Tapas are currently all the rage; you can even tapas-hop from bar to bar on rue du Parlement-Saint-Pierre. Keep an eye out for tearooms, too—a great option for breakfast or a quick snack.
Out in a working-class quarter just east of the place de la Victoire lies Bordeaux’s best and largest covered market, Marché des Capucins at place des Capucins (Tues–Fri 6am–2pm; Sat–Sun 5:30am–2:30pm; tram B: place de la Victoire; tram C: Sainte Croix). The city’s chefs head here as soon as it opens, and all food fans will go nuts when they see the vast selection of goodies before them: fresh vegetables, fruits, meats, fish, cheese, bread, charcuterie—not to mention all the delicious prepared foods waiting for you to pounce. You can buy dried sausage, pastries, olives, and salads to take away, or you can treat yourself to one of the dozen or so food stands that serve from their bars or seating areas. On Saturdays, tapas are everywhere and everyone seems to be selling them, from the charcutier to the cheese guy. Other stands serve their treats on a daily basis. Crepes, couscous, and steamed mussels are all on hand. La Maison de Pata Negra (www.maisondupatanegra.com; tel. 05-56-88-59-92), specializes in the famous Spanish ham but also terrific tapas (1.50€–4€, technically, pintxos, served on slices of bread), made with various smoked meat combos as well as grilled bonito, or even sautéed foie gras. Other favorites include Chez Jean-Mi (www.facebook.com/chez.jean.mi; tel. 06-81-20-24-49), where if you stand too close to the bar, you’ll suddenly find yourself savoring a plate of six sparkling fresh oysters with a cold glass of white wine (7€), and Bistro Poulette (tel. 06-25-56-17-97), which keeps things simple: a plate of mussels and fries, plus a tiramisu and a glass of wine for 20€.
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9 Results
- Seafood
L’Observatoire du Gabriel
The setting is as spectacular as the cuisine at this immensely stylish gastronomic restaurant. Within the 18th-century splendor of the main building of Place de la Bourse, you’ll taste exquisite things done to all sorts of seafood, on a menu that changes with the seasons. Budgeteers…$$$Around Town - Modern French
L’Univerre
If you like wine, this is the place to come in Bordeaux. You are likely to be sharing the dining room with a wine broker, merchant or a producer or two, as they make the most of a well-priced and wide-ranging list that includes wines from all over France and further afield. You can…$$Around Town - Traditional French
La Tupinia
This is the place for good solid comfort food from southwest France. Bring a big appetite to devour plates of Basque chicken, Charolais beef, grilled duck breast and Bigorre pork. Happily, among the meat feasts, there are vegetarian options that show some creativity.$$Around Town - Modern French
Le Chapon Fin
Founded in 1825, this famous restaurant is known almost as much for its unusual decor as for its food. Dramatic man-made rocks deck the walls of this gourmet grotto, soaring almost 7.5m (25 ft.) to a skylight that floods the interior with light. A delicate Belle-Epoque trellis…$$$Around Town - Traditional French/Seafood
Le Petit Commerce
This unassuming restaurant is so successful it had to open a second dining room across the narrow street. Fish, fish, and more fish is the motto here, though a steak or veal roast can be found on the menu as well. Book ahead, as this is just as popular as ever. Book ahead, as this is…$$Around Town - Classic French/Seafood
Le Pressoir d’Argent
The gourmet restaurant in the Grand Hotel now has Gordon Ramsay installed as head chef (or rather overseeing the restaurant from his base in London, with Gilad Peled as full-time head chef in Bordeaux). Named after its rare silver lobster press, this gastronomic palace honors seafood…$$$Around Town - Italian
Peppone
You might think you don’t come to Bordeaux for Italian food, but with a queue forming outside this restaurant pretty much every evening, you’d be missing out of one of the liveliest and most enjoyable restaurants in town. Take your pick of wood-fired pizza and freshly-made pasta, all…$Around Town - Contemporary French
Racines By Daniel Gallacher
Scottish chef Daniel Gallacher planted new roots (racines) in Bordeaux in 2015, and hasn’t looked back. He deliberately keeps the seasonal menu short and sweet, with classy and creative dishes that make the most of local seafood and produce. While the focus is French, Gallacher…$$Around Town - Modern French
Soléna
A Bordeaux native meets a San Francisco expat and the next thing you know, a restaurant is born. Chef Aurelien Crosato helms the kitchen, Serena Lee runs the dining room, and you enjoy delicious dishes based on farm-fresh, seasonal ingredients. Mesquite-smoked local sturgeon might…$$Around Town
