Bordeaux is the kind of city that makes you sigh, “I could live here” around every corner. Home to some of the world’s most famous wine, it’s a truly gastronomic city with copious wine bars – serving local wines as well as Bordeaux culinary specialities. I only spent a couple of days in the city proper, as part of a much wider trip to the Bordeaux region’s Right Bank, but we managed to fit in just enough wine bars and restaurants to make it worthy of a separate post.
Of course, any wine lover will likely want to visit the Cité du Vin – a huge, decanter-shaped building that takes you on a sensory journey through the history of wine. From there, take a stroll (or bike/tram ride) down Quai des Chartrons next to the Garonne river, perhaps stopping for a restorative coffee before you reach Bordeaux’s old town. Most of the listings in this guide are clustered in and around the Saint-Pierre neighbourhood in the very centre of Bordeaux because I had limited time to venture further afield. If I’d had more time, I would’ve explored several of the sights listed in Mary Anne’s excellent Bordeaux guide, and followed more of the recommendations by Ira Szmuk on her Instagram account @lost_in_bordeaux. But perhaps these are just reasons to come back!
Planning your visit to Bordeaux
Before you can pour your first glass of Bordeaux wine, here are a few trip essentials to help you plan your visit:
- Getting to Bordeaux: Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport is well-connected across Europe, with budget and national carriers from the likes of easyJet, Ryanair, Vueling, British Airways, Air France and KLM. Skyscanner is good for comparing routes from wherever you’re starting, while Expedia and Omio are handy if you’re also looking at rail options – particularly if you’re coming via Paris on the TGV.
- Getting around: Bordeaux’s tram network is excellent and covers the city centre and surrounding areas comprehensively; the old town itself is easily walkable.
- Where to stay: The Saint-Pierre/old town area puts you right in the heart of the action, within walking distance of most of the wine bars and restaurants in this guide. Booking.com has the full range, from grand hotels to boutique guesthouses.
- Tours & experiences: A ticket to Cité du Vin is well worth it for any wine lover, and GetYourGuide and Viator both have a great range of vineyard day trips and tastings if you want to venture beyond the city.
- Further reading: Planning a trip to Southwest France? Read my food and wine guide to Bordeaux’s Right Bank!
Bordeaux wine bars
All of these wine bars are clustered in or around Saint-Pierre, Bordeaux’s old town – close enough together that a wine bar crawl is a very realistic (and very enjoyable) way to spend an evening, provided you limit yourself to a glass and a little something to eat at each stop.
Le Bar à Vin
Located on the ground floor of the Maison du Vin de Bordeaux – home of the Bordeaux Wine Council, housed in an 18th-century building – Le Bar à Vin is a stunner: huge stained glass windows, in-keeping artwork and high, ornate ceilings. The rotating by-the-glass list runs to around 30 wines, and the prices are insanely reasonable (if that’s not an oxymoron): high-quality pours from just €3 a glass. I loved both whites I tried: a Graves de Vayres with notes of pineapple, peach and toast, and a super complex, smoothly oaked Pessac-Léognan. Plates of cheese and charcuterie come in at €15; the cantal was the standout, though the food felt slightly less of a bargain than the wines.
Wine More Time
Wine More Time has an enoteca feel, with bottles lining the walls like bookshelves. Plenty of by-the-glass options, or grab a bottle at shop price plus €10 – a format that makes it very easy to drink well without doing too much maths. We enjoyed a light, juicy red Sancerre and a chilled, fruity clairet Bordeaux. Another meat and cheese plate materialised, and this time the honours went to the crémeux de Bourgogne and the pork terrine.
La Bande à Roro
We only stopped in at La Bande à Roro for a quick in-between wine, but enjoyed the local reds we tried – including a blueberry-jam-scented Fronsac. The selection isn’t huge, but the service is warm and the vibe is pleasingly local, with upturned barrels doing duty as tables.
Buvette
Buvette specialises in natural wines: we had a very glouglou Beaujolais gamay and a farmyard-y local Bordeaux blend. If you fancy a spacer (or you’re on designated driver duty) the kombucha is a genuinely grown-up option, ours coming in a fig leaf and lychee flavour. Great people-watching from the terrace, too.
Complan Terra
Complan Terra was full on both occasions we walked past, which was gutting – it looks absolutely brilliant. One to add to your list, even if I can’t tell you much more than that.
Bordeaux restaurants and food specialities
I was so busy exploring Bordeaux’s wine bars that I didn’t go to many proper restaurants in Bordeaux. However, the first place listed below made an excellent birthday lunch, while the rest were a few foodie stops along the way.
Le 1925
Just off the Place des Quinconces, Le 1925 is the epitome of the classic French brasserie: navy velvet banquettes, gold-leaf borders, 1920s-style light fixtures and very shiny glassware. The food is equally classic brasserie fare: squeaky-fresh oysters, steak tartare with a pleasantly pickly piquancy, veal liver served pink in the middle with sweet shallots and a jus made from Pineau des Charentes. The wine list is lengthy and slightly intimidating (name of chateau, vintage and region are all the info you’re getting – good luck) but even a shot in the dark landed us with a good bottle. Le 1925 feels a bit special, but not so fancy that you’d feel out of place walking in wearing trainers with two dogs in tow. (I would know.)
Cassonade Cannelés & Spécialités
Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, cannelés look like mini bundt cakes and are an absolute speciality of Bordeaux. We got ours at Cassonade (which has a couple of different locations in the city) and tried both the traditional rum-laced version and the vanilla version – both delicious with a short ‘n strong espresso. My friend tells me Cassonade’s chocolat chaud was a winner, too.
Fromagerie Deruelle
Of course, cheese is an obsession everywhere in France – and Bordeaux is no exception. In the centre of the city, pop into Fromagerie Deruelle for local fromage, as well as rillettes, foie gras, bread and other picnic essentials. We came home with a gorgeous log of goat’s cheese, wrapped in nettles and oozing off the plate as soon as we cut into it. Truly, is there anything better than cheese?
Sansas Glacier
We experienced a searingly hot week in May, in which copious amounts of ice cream were the only logical thing to consume. Sansas Glacier is on a sort of “restaurant roundabout” along with a whole bunch of other foodie finds, but these guys specialise in coffee and glace. I got the mango sorbet (fresh and refreshing) and the pistachio ice cream (replete with crunchy, nutty little chunks) and managed to stop sweating for about 30 seconds. If you have slightly longer before your ice cream starts to melt, I suggest taking it to the nearby Jardin Public (public garden), which is as green and shady and restful as you might imagine.