Bordeaux’s best food & drink

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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