Bordeaux Blog: The best places to eat

Bordeaux is a pretty small city but makes up for it in terms of places to eat. If you're strolling around, unsure of what to eat, there will always be something to take your fancy. At night the square and streets leading off Place de la Bourse become alive with restaurants and bars. In this blog post I'm going to give a quick overview of the best places to eat and drink.

Food

La Casicucia

You can find this hidden gem off Place du Parlement, La Casicucia serves the best pizza and pasta I personally think in Bordeaux. Also, another bonus, for 8 euros you can get une carafe de vin which is about 4 glasses worth!

Left: Pizza with a creme fraiche base, tuna, onions and peppers, Middle: Spaghetti Carbonara and Ham and Mushroom Pizza, Right: Creme Brulée

L'Osteria

Another Italian, as the famous Ellie motto goes: when in France go Italian. The pasta or pizza is always so good when cooked in europe, it must be the climate.

L'Alysson

Now for my favourite restaurant in Bordeaux. It's a french brasserie and genuinely does the best french food. It's a winner if you want traditional french cuisine but not too expensive, and still great quality. I always order a monaco to drink and confit duck, with a creme brulée for dessert. You can see pictures in my Bordeaux Blog: 'When the Parents Came to Stay'.

L'Entrecote

Does simply steak and chips and nothing more sound good to you? Because that's all they serve, but waiting in the famous queue, it's sure worth the wait!

Vanzetti

This Italian isn't my favourite place, but it was recommended by my housemate Jenny, she loved the cheesy pasta and always spoke about how good it was! This restaurant is pretty retro Italian, with rusty red coloured tables, and Italian flags, with mopeds on the walls and posters of iconic sights in Italy. And it's the the only place I've found so far that sells Garlic Bread! I went with my friend Anna when she came to stay, it was a nice atmosphere.

Spaghetti Carbonara al Vanzetti

Pepperone (as a tribute to Charlotte)

This Italian was recommended to me and Charlotte by the kids who we live with, they said the pizzas are the best in all of Bordeaux, which means they're good!! The restaurant itself is cute and popular with locals, therefore it's best to go as soon as it opens, unless you're unlikely to get a seat! With balconies overlooking Bordelaise streets, you have the choice to eat in or outside on one of the balconies.

Pitaya

For this thai restaurant, you can either eat in or takeaway, and you're guaranteed a good meal. They're also really flexible with nut allergies which is a bonus!!

Kitchen Garden

This restaurant is said to be the best vegetarian in Bordeaux. With it's white walls, and abundant potted plants this restaurant sure is an eye pleaser. They offer brunch, main meals like burgers and desserts!

Coffee

Alchimiste

My most favourite place in Bordeaux ever. I love going here for breakfast or for just a coffee, chilling in this aesthetically pleasing cafe, which serves the best cappucinos ever.

The chocolatines were the best I have ever eaten, and the interior to this little cafe is stunning, it feels like you're in ikea!

L'Alchimiste Cappucino, with trois chocolatines

SIP

SIP serves great traditional coffee with style. It has a cosy zen atmosphere, with 3 floors, kind of like a mezzanine style with stairs up to each level. They serve a variety of cakes and sweet treats, with coffees and teas a plenty.

Móna

Mona is another hidden wonder, situated near to Alchimiste, it's always difficult to find a seat. They serves an amazing array of cakes and drinks, my favourite is the chocolat chaud viennois au caramel, it's basically a hot chocolate with cream and caramel and absolutely amazing, and the lemon meringue tart is second to none!

Mona chocolate cake and on the left, a caramel hot chcolate, on the right a café creme

Juliena Salon de Thé

Hidden in the Chartron region of Bordeaux, Juliena's is a wonderful little coffee shop with so much style. It's really modern and serves hot chocolate with a straw! (cute but not for the environment!)

Une tarte au citron et un chocolat chaud viennois

Les Dunes Blanches de Chez Pascal

Eat in or takeaway, Chez Pascal serves a specialty of Cap Ferret, choux pastry balls with cream in the centre, and boy are they tasty! Highly reccommended!

Brunch

Breakfast club

Sometimes you need a little bit of England in France. The Breakfast Club is the most famous English restaurants in Bordeaux, serving Brunch all day, but it's most popular on a Sunday!

How amazing does this brunch look?

Plume

Completely home made cooked food, and makes a perfect brunch.

Bars

Couleur Café

I cannot rave on about how amazing the mojitos are here. They are incredible. They do 3 flavours, a pure mojito (simple but effective), passionfruit mojito (the best) or strawberry mojito (super sweet). Couleur Café was the first place I went to in Bordeaux, and then the first place I took my parents.

I think I have been here at least 20 times, and the cocktails never fail to amaze me

Bar a vin

Low prices, but amazing wine. This is literally all I can say for this bar, it's deco is state of the art, it feels really posh but because it's part of the l'école de vin, the wine prices are super cheap!

Staring mesmerised at the wine variety

Apollo

Stylish bar, very popular, does good mojitos. Always good music playing.

Another mojito, another location

Chez le Pepere

Very french and well known to the locals, reasonably priced wine and near to my house! Perfect location just off Place Gambetta.

Hope you enjoyed this edition on food and drink choices in Bordeaux.

Keep posted for more updates on useful facts about Bordeaux (and random ones) as well as the typical life of an English girl trying to be French in a foreign city.  Much love Ellie xx