Restaurants in Bordeaux

Côté Rue

Picky eaters might have to think again – or just get used to have one course after another of exquisitely produced dishes laid in front of them. There’s only one six-course dinner – it changes regularly and combines creative flavours that don’t get lost amid the presentation.

La Grande Maison

Joël Robuchon co-founded the Michelin-starred restaurant in La Grande Maison hotel with Bernard Magrez, but left in 2016. Now equally celebrated chef Pierre Gagnaire is in charge, maintaining the same stratospheric level of haute cuisine in elegant surroundings. The menu changes with the seasons but the innovative cooking is consistently excellent.

La Tupina

The interior is rustic but the quality is sky high in this intimate restaurant in the self-styled “Gourmet Street” – really a cluster of streets around rue Porte de la Monnaie. At its heart is the large fireplace, where the best meats of the South West are grilled to perfection.

Racines

Scottish chef Daniel Gallacher wanted to put down roots in Bordeaux, which he has with Racines – which translates as roots. He’s deliberately kept the menu short, with only two choices for each course. Whatever you get is what Gallacher picks up at the market, but it will be cleverly and deliciously French.

Belle Campagne

If you want finger food, stay on the ground floor. But for a richer experience, head upstairs for creative cooking that uses ingredients that come within a 250km radius of Bordeaux. It’s all seasonal, but the fish comes from local boats and you can assume duck will appear in some form.

Brasserie Le Noailles

You’ll think you’ve landed in Paris when you step inside the 1930s interior of Brasserie Le Noailles. The atmosphere might be pure Parisian but the food is firmly from the south west of France, with plenty of bordelaise touches and rich flavours. As expected, the wine list is superb.

Restaurant Mélodie

The set menu in this friendly restaurant is astounding value for the quality of cooking you get, and the ambience within its stone interior is wonderfully cocooning. It’s classic south-west French fare – plenty of duck and goose, plus hearty steaks and traditional desserts.

Very Table

The owners like to keep things simple: seasonal organic dishes – one vegetarian, one for carnivores – in equally simple but homey surroundings. There’s also a food shop and a cookery school. Come for lunch or an aperitif from Monday to Thursday, as Friday is the only night when dinner is served.

Potato Head

You might wonder at the odd name (inspired by a beach café in Bali chanced upon by the owners). But this cute little restaurant with an equally cute courtyard garden is the place for a hearty lunch of slow-cooked meat dishes, pastas and generous salads. They also do a mean Sunday brunch.