Recommendations for places to eat and drink in Bordeaux
May 21st, 2006, 07:16 AM
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Recommendations for places to eat and drink in Bordeaux
My wife and I wil be in Bordeaux for two weeks soon and are interested in recommendations for places to eat and drink. We have guidebooks (thanks to the good suggestions of fodorites) but were interested in folks' personal experiences. So, name your favorite resturaunt and/or meal as well as bar, cafe, nightclub or anything else.
Thanks so much!
Thanks so much!
May 21st, 2006, 12:41 PM
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Much of the oyster crop these days is farmed, Ira, so I am not sure that eating them in the R months leads to depletion. Anyway, Belon oysters are native to Brittany, not Bordeaux, as you probably know.
May 21st, 2006, 12:47 PM
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Getting back on the subject here, if you will be in the Medoc area during your trip, I would recommend Lion d'Or in Arcins.
In Bordeaux itself, we had a great seafood meal at Chez Phillippe on the Place du Parlament. I have also heard good things about Didier Gelineau on Rue de Pas St. Georges but did not eat there myself, unfortunately.
In Bordeaux itself, we had a great seafood meal at Chez Phillippe on the Place du Parlament. I have also heard good things about Didier Gelineau on Rue de Pas St. Georges but did not eat there myself, unfortunately.
May 21st, 2006, 01:18 PM
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Here's part of a little blurb about Bordeaux I wrote for one of my itinerary clients awhile ago, including restaurants:
Bordeaux itself is a marvelous city, albeit it one that doesn't attract too many Americans. The old-city pedestrian area fanning out from the rue Ste-Cathérine (off the Place de la Comédie) is a maze of streets full of small versions of the major department stores, many specialty shops, cafés, and restaurants. In summertime there are often musicians and street performers entertaining crowds in this area.
You'll definitely want to visit the Grand Théatre, arguably the most beautiful theatre in Europe; the Esplanade des Quinconces, the newly cleaned-up cathedral, the Musée des Beaux Arts, and the old merchants' quarter, the Quartier des Chartrons, with its beautiful 18th-century architecture. Be sure to wander around the Place du Parliament, but with the exception of Chez Philippe (a marvelous seafood restaurant), don't eat at the tempting array of restaurants there - they exist pretty much to pull in Americans who walk up from cruises on the quai and are quite uniformly mediocre and overpriced - too bad, because the square itself is lovely. There's a fresh market right behind the square on Saturdays.
To help you get oriented to the surrounding area, I'd suggest you stop at the very helpful Tourist Office at 12 Cours du 30 juillet in the center of town. The Maison du Vin at 30 Cours du 30 Juillet can give you boodles of information on the local wine châteaux and tours thereto, if you want to do that, or you can get information for going yourself.
Don't overlook the attractions east of the city, either. Arcachon is a lovely seaside town where all the wine widows built their mansions in the early part of the century. Have lunch there on the water and slurp some of the best oysters in the world, then stop for an ice cream at the stand on the boardwalk - some of the best in France. Try to find time to see the Dune du Pylat also - certainly one of the wonders of France. Go out to Cap Ferret and take the little train around the dunes, then stop at one of the casual cafés along the water where the oyster beds are lined up and have a glass of good white wine and some more oysters.
:
Restaurants
Bordeaux overflows with great restaurants, and wine bars, of course.
Some of our favorites are:
Bodega-Bodega, 4, rue des Pillers-de-Tutelle (tapas and typical Andalusian food - I know, not what you came to France for, but it's nice after a few days of foie gras and confit de canard);
Chez Dupont, 45, rue Notre-Dame, a lively bistro with hearty meals like pot-au-feu and fricassée of sea scallops in morille sauce;
le Bistrot d'Edouard, 16, place du Parlement (an absolutely delightful square, but don't just walk into any restaurant here - most of them are tourist traps with terrible food), serving SW France specialties);
Restaurant le Port de la Lune, 59, quai de Paludate
Restaurant Gravelier, 114, cours de Verdun
la Boîte à Huitres (for the freshest shellfish with white wine or champage - it's literally a hole in the wall), 8, rue de la Vielle-Tour
Didier Gélineau, 26 rue du Pas-Saint-Georges.
La Tupina: 6, Porte de la Monnaie - bistro-type food in a classic Bordelais atmosphere. Local specialties. Moderate to expensive
Le Clavel-St-Jean, 44, rue Charles-Domercq. Wine bar (one of the few where you can order by the glass), modern décor, varied and delicious menus. Moderate.
Le Chapon Fin, 5, rue de Montesquieu. Bordeaux's hallmark restaurant. Traditional Bordelais cuisine, beautifully prepared. Expensive.
Bordeaux itself is a marvelous city, albeit it one that doesn't attract too many Americans. The old-city pedestrian area fanning out from the rue Ste-Cathérine (off the Place de la Comédie) is a maze of streets full of small versions of the major department stores, many specialty shops, cafés, and restaurants. In summertime there are often musicians and street performers entertaining crowds in this area.
You'll definitely want to visit the Grand Théatre, arguably the most beautiful theatre in Europe; the Esplanade des Quinconces, the newly cleaned-up cathedral, the Musée des Beaux Arts, and the old merchants' quarter, the Quartier des Chartrons, with its beautiful 18th-century architecture. Be sure to wander around the Place du Parliament, but with the exception of Chez Philippe (a marvelous seafood restaurant), don't eat at the tempting array of restaurants there - they exist pretty much to pull in Americans who walk up from cruises on the quai and are quite uniformly mediocre and overpriced - too bad, because the square itself is lovely. There's a fresh market right behind the square on Saturdays.
To help you get oriented to the surrounding area, I'd suggest you stop at the very helpful Tourist Office at 12 Cours du 30 juillet in the center of town. The Maison du Vin at 30 Cours du 30 Juillet can give you boodles of information on the local wine châteaux and tours thereto, if you want to do that, or you can get information for going yourself.
Don't overlook the attractions east of the city, either. Arcachon is a lovely seaside town where all the wine widows built their mansions in the early part of the century. Have lunch there on the water and slurp some of the best oysters in the world, then stop for an ice cream at the stand on the boardwalk - some of the best in France. Try to find time to see the Dune du Pylat also - certainly one of the wonders of France. Go out to Cap Ferret and take the little train around the dunes, then stop at one of the casual cafés along the water where the oyster beds are lined up and have a glass of good white wine and some more oysters.
:
Restaurants
Bordeaux overflows with great restaurants, and wine bars, of course.
Some of our favorites are:
Bodega-Bodega, 4, rue des Pillers-de-Tutelle (tapas and typical Andalusian food - I know, not what you came to France for, but it's nice after a few days of foie gras and confit de canard);
Chez Dupont, 45, rue Notre-Dame, a lively bistro with hearty meals like pot-au-feu and fricassée of sea scallops in morille sauce;
le Bistrot d'Edouard, 16, place du Parlement (an absolutely delightful square, but don't just walk into any restaurant here - most of them are tourist traps with terrible food), serving SW France specialties);
Restaurant le Port de la Lune, 59, quai de Paludate
Restaurant Gravelier, 114, cours de Verdun
la Boîte à Huitres (for the freshest shellfish with white wine or champage - it's literally a hole in the wall), 8, rue de la Vielle-Tour
Didier Gélineau, 26 rue du Pas-Saint-Georges.
La Tupina: 6, Porte de la Monnaie - bistro-type food in a classic Bordelais atmosphere. Local specialties. Moderate to expensive
Le Clavel-St-Jean, 44, rue Charles-Domercq. Wine bar (one of the few where you can order by the glass), modern décor, varied and delicious menus. Moderate.
Le Chapon Fin, 5, rue de Montesquieu. Bordeaux's hallmark restaurant. Traditional Bordelais cuisine, beautifully prepared. Expensive.
May 21st, 2006, 02:57 PM
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La Tupina, especially if you are an amateur of Armagnac as an after-dinner drink.
http://www.latupina.com/anime.html
http://www.latupina.com/anime.html
May 21st, 2006, 03:11 PM
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Hi.
I recommend visiting St. Emilion (just posted on it, and it brought back great memories) -- it feels slighly medieval.
Also, the Bordeaux Wine Bureau hosts a tasting class that is a fun preface to visiting chateaux -- they provide the class with several unlabeled vials of scents that you'll encounter in boquet and you guess the source.
Lastly, I second the Arcachon recommendation. Get lost in the residential area around the park (I have a dim memory of the neighborhood labeled as "winter" something): the mansions are kind of creepy in a good way. Then gorge on bi-valves and dry white wine downtown.
Have a good trip.
I recommend visiting St. Emilion (just posted on it, and it brought back great memories) -- it feels slighly medieval.
Also, the Bordeaux Wine Bureau hosts a tasting class that is a fun preface to visiting chateaux -- they provide the class with several unlabeled vials of scents that you'll encounter in boquet and you guess the source.
Lastly, I second the Arcachon recommendation. Get lost in the residential area around the park (I have a dim memory of the neighborhood labeled as "winter" something): the mansions are kind of creepy in a good way. Then gorge on bi-valves and dry white wine downtown.
Have a good trip.
May 21st, 2006, 03:12 PM
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StCirq - thanks for the great post and information. I really appreciate it. That will go a long way to keeping up busy while we're there. You're right about Arcachon and Dune de Pylat. I've been to both before and are worth the trip. My wife has never been to Arcachon and I think this is where she'll be spending some of her days while I'm working.
Thanks to you too ekscrunchy. We will definately check out your two suggestions.
Michael: have heard excellent things about Tupina tho it might be out of our price range. Maybe as a splurge.
Thanks to you too ekscrunchy. We will definately check out your two suggestions.
Michael: have heard excellent things about Tupina tho it might be out of our price range. Maybe as a splurge.
