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Travel bucket list idea:

Last updated: 23 June, 2023
Expert travel writer: Dana Facaros

Bordeaux is where all the famous specialities of southwest France come together accompany: tender lamb from Pauillac, beef from Bazas, ceps (boletus mushrooms) from the Landes, duck, geese, foie gras and truffles from the Dordogne, oysters and other seafood from Arcachon and the increasingly acclaimed Aquitaine caviar from the Garonne and Dordogne rivers.

The traditional cuisine of the city is very bourgeoise and a bit heavy; food was meant to go with a bottle of wine rather than vice versa.

What to try

People here like a good steak, an entrecote bordelaise, with a sauce made from shallots and red wine. The southwest’s duck and goose appear in foie gras, confits and magrets (steak-like breasts). One odd speciality here is lamprey, in a sauce made of its blood with a touch of chocolate.

Along with its fabulous wines, the true symbol of Bordeaux may be the tiny, toque-shaped pastries called caneles.

Also see our round-up of traditional French foods to try in France.

The dining scene

Bordeaux has its grand bourgeois restaurants with mind-blowing wine cellars, but you’ll also find wine bars where you can educate your palate with wines by the glass while nibbling on platters of charcuterie, cheeses, or a light meal. Bistros are popular for less formal dining, and good places to find creative, informal bistronomique cuisine.

It’s a great city for markets, with pride of place going to Marche des Capucins.

Bordeaux Wine & Trade Museum

Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

People sit at a table with glasses of wine ready for tasting in front of them

This small museum is a must for those interested in the long history of wine-making in France. Guided visits take you to the wine cellars to see exhibits of wine-making equipment dating from the present back 2,000 years. The tours explain the different grape varieties, how they make Bordeaux’s famous ‘Grand Vins’, and end with a wine tasting.

Adult price: £35

Min age 18

Best for ages 18+

Duration: 2 hours 30 mins

When: Varies

Frequency: weekly

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Chartrons Quay Food Market

Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Tasty oysters on the half shell served flat lay on wooden background directly above view

Every Sunday morning, join the local Bordelais at this lively, gourmet outdoor market along the Quais des Chartrons – with particularly good seafood and wine.

Best for ages 18+

Halles de Bacalan

Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Exterior view of the building, with slatted wooden roof and the Wine City Tower behind

Although it only opened in 2017, this vast new food hall by Wine City has become one of the most popular foodie hangouts in the city, with a mix of stalls run by farmers, chefs and producers.

Best for ages 13+

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La Toque Cuivree

Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Close up of a branded sign

This pastry shop makes cracking versions of Bordeaux’s famous cinnamon and orange canele pastries; they also do rum-soaked caneles in jars and savoury versions with chorizo, now available in several locations in the city.

Best for ages 18+

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La Tupina

Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Chef preparing food in an atmospheric kitchen

Long-time favourite in a cosy dining room near the quais, this is the best place for Aquitaine caviar and foie gras, and traditional Bordeaux soul food like lamprey and goose confit.

Best for ages 18+

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Le Bar a Vin

Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Red wine being poured into a glass

Exceptional wine bar in an 18th-century prow-shaped townhouse run by the Bordeaux Wine Council, with 30 wines by the glass served by knowledgeable young wine students, along with cheeses, cold meats and chocolates.

Best for ages 18+

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Le Chapon Fin

Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Interior of a large restaurant with classic decor

Since 1825, the ornate rococo dining room and glassed-in garden have welcomed the beau monde of Bordeaux and the world, with a formidable wine list to choose from, famous for classic cuisine and over 200 wines by the glass.

Best for ages 18+

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Le Pressoir d’Argent

Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Close up of a wooden board with beef wellington slices on

Enjoying a grand setting in the Intercontinental Hotel and named after the world’s only silver duck press, this is now part of Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant empire and one of the city’s top restaurants.

Best for ages 18+

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Marche aux Capucins

Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Close up of a vegetable stall in a market

The ‘Belly of Bordeaux’ is the city’s biggest and busiest covered market, offering delicacies from France and around the world. Join the locals for a mid-morning snack – a half dozen oysters on the half shell – at Jean-Mi’s stand.

Best for ages 18+

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Max Bordeaux Wine Gallery

Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Inside the gallery, where there are racks of wine bottles

Bordeaux’s world-famous Grands Crus are expensive, so you want to be sure you’re buying a wine you really like. At this high-tech wine gallery, you can sample a sip from 48 of the finest bottles – each of which has been allowed to breathe to perfection.

Min age 18

Best for ages 18+

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Wine City

Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

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Bucket List Experience
Exterior of Wine City building on a sunny day

A museum dedicated to the history of wine and its relationship with Bordeaux, housed in a spectacular modern architectural jewel.

Adult price: £18

Best for ages 18+

Price: Free
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 13+
When: All year around
Duration: -

Getting there & doing it

Conveniently, both the sights and best places to eat are concentrated in the historic centre. You’ll find convivial spots with outdoor dining around Place du Parlement and nearby Rue St-Remi, and rather smarter restaurants and wine bars in the Golden Triangle. Many of the best restaurants are in four- or five-star hotels.

The Michelin guide is always useful for locating good restaurants, with an online site that allows you to book them as well.

When to do it

On Sunday mornings, enjoy the favourite Bordelais pastime of slurping fresh oysters with a glass of white wine at the open-air Marche des Quais, on the Quai des Chartrons. Gourmet Sunday brunches, often in fancy hotel restaurants, are also popular.

Every July Bordeaux celebrates its wine and food with a huge party, alternating between wine festival, the Fete le Vin or the river festival Fete de le Fleuve.

Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

Gourmet tour of Bordeaux and its sweet specialties

Bordeaux

Gourmet tour of Bordeaux and its sweet specialties
Visit Bordeaux tasting delicious local specialties! During these two hours of guided tour, you will discover the historic center of Bordeaux, its main districts, monuments and squares: Saint-Paul, Saint-Pierre, the Grosse Cloche, the Saint André cathedral, the Monument aux Girondins or the Grand Theater... But above all, we will stop at 4 independent traders, each carrying a sweet specialty of the region that you will taste on the spot and with greed. It's not just canelé in Bordeaux, you'll see!

Price: €22

Min age: 0

Rating 5 / 5 [15 ratings]

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Bordeaux Cheese & Wine Tasting Experience

Bordeaux

Bordeaux Cheese & Wine Tasting Experience
Enjoy a unique cheese & wine tasting experience during your stay in Bordeaux. In one of the most uncommon restaurant in town, discover the art of Cheese & wine pairing as you enter the "100 cheese cellar". Here, you will be introduced with cheeses from all over France from the most common to the lesser known. Then, rejoice as your tasting will include a selection of 9 different cheeses that will be paired with 3 Bordeaux wines.

Price: €44

Min age: 4

Rating 4.47 / 5 [67 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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NO DIET CLUB - Unique food tour in Bordeaux !

Bordeaux

NO DIET CLUB - Unique food tour in Bordeaux !
Hello ! We are Claudia and Anthony, two day-one food fanatics :) After 3 small years since it’s launch, the No Diet Club has already filled thousands of bellies, achieved an overall grading of 4,9/5 et counts over 4000 reviews! Many thanks, friends! Our goal is simple, we’re here to make you discover the “crème de la crème” of gastronomy, very far from all the touristic clichés. A balance between local specialities and what the locals really eat on the daily. Today, we’re very fortunate to be working alongside a young and dynamic squad of tour guides a little all over France and internationally to provide you with the ultimate mind blowing selection in each city! LET’S GET THICK! Join our 120,000 subscribers on Instagram @ no_diet_club

Price: €59

Min age: 0

Rating 4.83 / 5 [110 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Bordeaux Historic and Gourmet Food Walking Tour

Bordeaux

Bordeaux Historic and Gourmet Food Walking Tour
Discover the rich history of Bordeaux and taste many delights on this 3-hour historic and gourmet food tour. Exploring the city on foot with your food-lover guide, visit well-known local shops to meet the owners. Please advise us if you have any food allergies - special requirements. No alternatives will be available the day of the tour.

Price: €76

Min age: 4

Rating 4.60 / 5 [79 ratings]

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Bordeaux Traditional Food Tour - Do Eat Better Experience

Bordeaux

Bordeaux Traditional Food Tour - Do Eat Better Experience
Our Bordeaux food tour is a walking tour around the historical center of Bordeaux. The tourist is guided by a "Foodie", a local "buddy" able to explain every detail of the selected restaurants, their preparations, and the relevant history/curiosities. Do Eat Better tours are a mix of high-quality gastronomy as a way of showing French culture and lifestyle and a walking experience together with a local friend. This is the reason why we accept small groups only: we want to focus on a genuine exchange and give to each tourist the highest attention possible.

Price: €99

Min age: 0

Rating 4.83 / 5 [136 ratings]

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Bordeaux Super Saver Historic Gourmet Walking Tour with Lunch and Médoc Tour

Bordeaux

Bordeaux Super Saver Historic Gourmet Walking Tour with Lunch and Médoc Tour
Enjoy a full day of gastronomic delights with this Bordeaux Super Saver, combining a gourmet food tour in Bordeaux’s city center and a wine-tasting tour in Médoc. Drive to the nearby Médoc wine region to visit two lovely château wine estates. Tour the vineyards and cellars, learn about the winemaking process, and sip Bordeaux wines paired with small bites. Numbers are limited to eight on this small-group tour, ensuring a more personalized experience. Please notice that a picnic lunch is included. Please advise us if you have any food allergies - special requirements. No alternatives will be available the day of the tour.

Price: €169

Min age: 18

Rating 4.63 / 5 [11 ratings]

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Bordeaux Market Tour with Aquitaine Travel Guide

Bordeaux

Bordeaux Market Tour with Aquitaine Travel Guide
Anne is a culinary school graduate who has cooked in some of the best restaurants and traveled cooking for clients in private yachting. Simona has traveled the world working in food security and now focuses her life in the French countryside growing as much on her land as possible. We look at food tours from an historian and chefs point of view. We try to give the whole, complete story to what you see and taste with fun personal antidotes. It's amazing all of the products that the SW of France has to offer, so this tour is always evolving with new products, small shops and chef owned restaurants to visit.

Price: €210

Min age: 12

Rating 4.96 / 5 [29 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

Bordeaux

Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Bordeaux

A vintage wine and culture destination with delicious tastings, grand architecture, gourmet restaurants and a glorious coastline.