The 10 best restaurants in Bordeaux

Symbiose is many things at once, but it manages to nail them all. A cocktail bar and restaurant with a cute terrace on Quai des Chartrons, its interiors are all wooden beams and stone walls, designed by the four young partners who own and run it. For its small plates and tasting menu (available every Tuesday), many of the ingredients are sourced from Symbiose’s own on-site garden. Our favourite dish? The satay beef tartare. After dinner, get a drink at the speakeasy-style cocktail bar tucked away behind an antique grandfather clock. The menu of classics and signature drinks is stellar – again made with components from the garden.

4 Quai des Chartrons, 33000 Bordeaux

With its selection of good, natural wine, small plates and excellent vibes, Soif is not to be missed. This caves à manger (a French term for a wine bar serving food) serves simple, seasonal dishes on cute grandma-chic plates. Food is based on the morning market’s spoils, but signatures include pork belly and hazelnut pâté en croute, calf's head ravigote with oysters, Manex pork rillettes, and pot-au-feu terrine with foie gras medallion. The 350-strong wine list offers a mix of by-the-glass and by-the-bottle delights sourced from artisanal vintners in France and further afield. Soif is a gem in the Saint-Pierre district’s crown. 

35 Rue du Cancera, 33000 Bordeaux

Ticking all the boxes for the dream local bistro, Guillaume Samson’s Le Charabia brings a whole lot of life to the quiet Hôtel de Ville area. Join the regulars for smart small plates like pork pithivier with artichoke thistle and grapes, and brothy brown mushroom arancini with beetroot ketchup. The soundtrack is eighties new wave and wines are all organic from local makers. Come with a group, try as much as you can and try to resist the temptation to move in for good. During the warmer months, its large terrace is buzzing from noon until night.

26 Rue du Maréchal Joffre, 33000 Bordeaux

It might not look like much from the outside, but head beyond Madame Pang’s discreet shopfront to discover a slice of subterranean Hong Kong by way of Bordeaux. Grab a spot at the marbled bar or make yourself comfortable on the velvet benches to enjoy sophisticated dim sum classics – think crab cakes with coriander, plump braised pork bao and satay chicken dumplings. The drinks list is equally impressive; highlights include the Kaika, a blend of rum, green tea, yuzu liqueur, umeshu and rice vinegar, as well as an exciting selection of Japanese beers. Need a final symphony to close the meal? Go for the bao buns filled with Fourme d’Ambert blue cheese. The sweet-toothed, meanwhile, will love the pandan semifreddo. 

16 Rue de la Devise, 33000 Bordeaux

Perched on the seventh floor of the Cité du Vin, the aptly-named Le 7 has floor-to-ceiling windows that offer spectacular views over the city and the Garonne river. Chef Djordje Ercevic delivers bistronomy wonders that blend local produce with far-flung flavours. Try the beef carpaccio, chickpea hummus and oyster tartare, or tuck into crispy veal sweetbreads with foaming butter, spring onions, smoked bacon and Bordelaise sauce. Pastry chef Marilou Tamarelle is sure to wow on the dessert front – unsurprising really, since she trained with heavyweight Thierry Marx. Our favourites? The lemon yuzu meringue and deconstructed chocolate tart. Naturally, wines here are second to none, with 500 types from over 50 countries. Look out for the 25 icons of the region, including Château Margaux and Cheval Blanc.  

134 Quai de Bacalan, 33300 Bordeaux

On an old ferry moored in the Bassin à Flots district is iBoat, an artistic and cultural project that’s gone from strength to strength since it began its (stationary) voyage in 2011. It’s, at once, a seafood restaurant, a concert hall and an artists’ residence, and has earned an international reputation for its hosting and programming of electronic music. Part of the package is a neighbouring former ballroom called Blonde Venus. In winter, Blonde Venus hosts cabaret, flea markets and classes; in summer, the outdoor space welcomes crowds for al fresco drinks and events ranging from DJ sets and concerts to cinema screenings and second-hand clothing pop-ups. A perennial pearl of a venue. 

Bassin à Flot n°, 1 Cr Henri Brunet, 33300 Bordeaux

At street level, Bocce Saint Paul lures you in with its zingy indigo frontage and eye-popping green chairs. And while you might come for the colour combinations, you’ll stay for the Neapolitan pizza. Made with organic flour, all ingredients come from Italian producers; meaning fresh bresaola from Lombardi, Datterino tomatoes from Sicily, and a to-die-for 24-month-old parmesan. Menu highlights include the mortadella with truffle and pistachio, or capocollo and smoked mozzarella, best accompanied with a bottle of organic Italian wine from the restaurant’s short but perfectly formed cave inventory. If you fancy a game after dinner, the team has turned the vaulted wine cellar into a petanque court. You can even plug in your own music to provide the perfect soundtrack to your winning streak. 

31 Rue Bouquière, 33000 Bordeaux

A light-filled, wood-panelled space, Casa Gaïa focuses on tapas plates and salads made from organic ingredients. All ingredients can be traced back to local producers; the trout, for example, comes from Ferme du Ciron, an artisanal fish farm in Lot-et-Garonne. It’s served with Espelette pepper, grilled vegetables and chard leaves. Melt-in-the-mouth doesn’t even cut it. Other dishes include octopus a la plancha with Bordelaise ricotta and chocolate cake made with sweet potato, salted caramel and green tea cream. Don’t miss the gorgeous natural wines. 

16 bis Rue Latour, 33000 Bordeaux 

Opened in 2017 in front of the Cité du Vin wine museum, Halles de Bacalan has become a hotspot for Bordeaux foodies. Bringing together over twenty farmers, artisanal traders and regional chefs in a giant hall, this is a food court with a difference. From Tuesday to Sunday, stock up on goodies for at-home feasting, or pause for aperitifs and bites from a selection of stalls – truffle pasta, grilled squid, pizza and chocolate mousse. Although dishes will taste just as good indoors, eating on the market’s terrace – which looks out across the water and is the biggest in Bordeaux – is an unbeatable experience. 

15 Quai du Maroc, 33300 Bordeaux

Damien Desgraves arrived in Bordeaux in 2019 with one hell of a mission: to reinvent the cannelé, the city’s iconic pastry. Overhauling the recipe, he used organic ingredients to get that marvellous caramel colour, crispy outside, melt-in-the-mouth inside, with a delicate touch of rum or vanilla. His next challenge was conjuring up a recipe without milk or butter. The result is a veritable vegan miracle. All these delicacies (including madeleines and Saint James, a rum-glazed cake made with almonds and orange peel) are available at Cassonade, the pint-sized shop on rue Saint-James, near La Grosse Cloche, the giant bell at the former gates of the city. 

53 Rue Saint-James, 33000 Bordeaux