Bordeaux has been synonymous with some of the world’s finest wines for over 300 years, thanks to a fortuitous combination of the countryside that surrounds it and its location on the banks of the Gironde estuary.
While the former led to the emergence of well-drained vineyards, the proximity of the river has allowed the city to be not only an entrepôt for the wines, initially shipped out in barrels rather than bottles, but also the hub of the region’s wine trade that has had particularly strong associations with Britain since it was ruled by the English crown in the late Middle Ages.
But recently Bordeaux’s charms have changed. While its wine producers have lost their former dominance of many restaurants’ wine lists to the more obvious charms of wines produced in the rest of Europe, California and Australia, the city itself has undergone a metamorphosis.
Its centre, which I remembered as rather drab and dreary from my last visit 20 years ago, is now lively and easy to navigate by foot, bike or an excellent tram service. And, while all the well-known chain stores are represented, the narrow, cobbled streets leading down to the quayside are full of small, independent shops.
Finally, as one wine merchant who has had a business here for over 40 years recently divulged to me with a smile, “The biggest change is that the restaurants are now open after 9.30pm.”
LA TUPINA
6 rue Porte de la Monnaie, +33 5 56 91 56 37, latupina.com
La Tupina has carried the gastronomic flag not just for Bordeaux but for the whole of the southwest of France for decades, and has now extended to a delicatessen and less expensive café along the same cobbled street. But the basis of the restaurant’s charms continue to be its menu, its small dining areas and the open kitchen. Hanging by the fire is la tupina (kettle in Basque), which has produced the staple soup for centuries. In front are baskets of wild mushrooms, trays of meat and mounds of fresh vegetables. Highlights of our meal included a salad of French beans and foie gras, macaroni with wild mushrooms, a thick slice of slow-cooked beef cheek and one first course I will try to cook at home — slices of beetroot topped with a thin layer of horseradish, scrambled egg and anchovy. It was delicious.
KARL
6 place du Parlement, +33 5 56 81 01 00, karlbordeaux.fr
This is a useful find for those who prefer breakfast anywhere but in their hotel. Open from 8.30am, Karl serves excellent coffee, croissants, French bread and bowls of steaming hot chocolate.
GABRIEL
10 place de la Bourse, +33 5 56 30 00 80, bordeaux-gabriel.fr
Chef François Adamski has cleverly converted a three-storey building, originally designed in the 18th century, like so many Bordelais façades,
by Jacques Gabriel, into a very modern setting for his culinary talents on the airy place de la Bourse, a five-minute walk from the stylish Regent Hotel and the city’s elegantly restored Grand Théatre. The ground floor is a bar/café, the top floor a fine dining restaurant and the middle floor an excellent value bistrot. The bistrot’s menu is clearly laid out at various price points from first courses at E12 to main courses at E21 and included nine oysters on ice, long slices of bone marrow, and steak with excellent frites.
GOURMET TOURING
+33 6 32 80 04 74, gourmet-touring.com
Run by John and Sian Mears, this personable company organises wine trips for couples or groups. The Mears have considerable local knowledge and can even organise transport between wine tastings and restaurants.
WINE BARS
baravinbordeaux.fr; maxbordeaux.com
Bar à Vin has been established by the CIVB, the organisation responsible for the wider appreciation of Bordeaux’s wines, and occupies the chic ground floor of another of the city’s well-preserved old buildings diagonally opposite the Grand Théatre. On offer are regional information, useful maps and a choice of 25 wines. These are served in 15cl glasses at prices ranging from E4.50 to E7.50. Alongside is a small menu including plates of charcuterie, local cheeses and cheeses from other French regions. Max, another wine bar a five-minute walk away, is aimed at those who are already converted to wine’s charms, and serves small 2.5cl tastes of many of the region’s top wines.
Nicholas Lander is restaurant critic of the Financial Times
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