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A report on Bordeaux, the city and its environs - food, wine, makets, restaurants,
hotelsBordeaux --the city -- has developed into a treasure of French architecture, food &
wine culture, and civility since our last visit 14 years ago. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Bordeaux city is
an overlooked jewel currently in the process of a Renaissance. The zone of the World Heritage Site corresponds to the inside
of the boulevards, to and including the Garonne. It stretches out over 1,810 hectares, or nearly half of the city’s
surface area. Furthermore, the city of Bordeaux as a whole, the area outside of the boulevards and 8 surrounding communes
(Bruges, Cenon, Floirac, le Bouscat, Lormont, Mérignac, Pessac and Talence) are concerned by the so-called heritage
sensitivity area, which is also recognized
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Food Shops A specialty butcher in the Capucins market who
has excellent French, Basque, and Spanish saussages and other ingredients, incudling wonderful boudin blanc with
truffles. A fromagerie also at les Capucins market:
La Ronde des Fromages de Michèle Morand This
is the best of the cheese mongers at the market--good selection, cheeses nicely aged and cared for, knowledgeable service.
Finest fromageur/affineur in the city: We are still searching for this. There is one very good cheese
shop/affineur, though our first purchase of their cheeses--aged in house--was very mixed, and the appearance of some cheses
reveal obvious faults in ageing. We will report back soon. The
best wine shop: Cousin & Compagnie Place
du Parlement 2 rue du Pas-St-Georges
33000 Bordeaux This small wine shop in the trendy restaurant area contains a superb
choice of well-selected wines at prices from the reasonable to the somewhat expensive. Staff are extremely welcoming, helpful,
and informed. They know the wines of the shop. Bordeau is, bien sur, a forté but Cousin has a well considered
variety from the rest of France and abroad as well. Another good wine store: L'Intendant
de L'Hôtel des Vins, 2 Allées deTourney, Tel. 05 56 48 01 29 An
amazing wine store of 4 levels connected by a single spiral staircase--geogrpahical seperation by floor. The carefully selected
wines for under 20 euros appear on the first floor. The collection includes over 15,000 bottles. A good wine shop: Vinotech is the better of the larger
Bordeaux wine stores, and stocks wines from a variety of price ranges. You can sometimes find good Bordeaux wine deals at
the larger supermarkets, such as Auchon at Merideck shopping center downtown. A 2001 Sauternes for less than 10 euros is hard
to pass up! The most unique
food store: Matin d'Abille, a place devoted entirely to honey of extremely high quality. www.matindabeille.com
Bordeaux Hotels, in and out of the City
Staying in Bordeaux City, the options have strengthened
over the past couple of years. First on our list would be the Grand Hotel, a Regent property. Truly a majestic accomoodation,
with an unsurpassed location for exploring the historic city, or doing a bit of wine purchasing. The hotel faces
the impressive Grand Théâtre and is located inside the Golden Triangle, the finest shopping and pedestrian area
in the city. The
Regent Grand Hotel Bordeaux 2-5 Place de la Comedie 33000 Bordeaux France Tel: +33 5 57 30 44 44 Fax:
+33 5 57 30 44 45 Email: info.bordeaux@rezidorregent.com Another suggestion would be the 4-star Mercure Chateu Chartrons, 81 cours Saint-Louis, 33300 BORDEAUX
Outside of town, in the vineyards, Bordeaux has to its credit world-class
hotels du charme. 1. Les Sources du Caudalie is a fairy-tale property set amdist the vineyards of Chateaux Smith-Haut-Lafitte. The main draw here-aside from wine tourism--is
the Vinotherapy spa. The Caudalie beauty products and treatments are unsurpassed for quality. 2. Close to Bordeaux but nestled in a beautiful natural setting, surrounded by prestigious vineyards, in the adorable
little village of Bouliac,Le Saint-James has an unusual architectural style. Designed by Jean Nouvel who was inspired by the region’s tobacco drying barns,
Le Saint-James is a design treasure bathed in natural light. Everything here is devoted to the cult of beauty and pleasure
with exceptional wines to accompany the sublime food prepared by top chef Michel Portos. The quality of the local produce
and the influence of exotic Mediterranean flavours inspire him to create incredible dishes such as “roasted langoustines
with a sushi of crunchy vegetables and iced cream of boquerones” or the “crépinette of pigs trotters and
squid spiced with pequillos served in their juices with slices of chorizo sausage”. 3. With 24 rooms and 4 suites, Chateaux Cordeillan-Bages provides for an unforgettable sybaritic experience. In a beautiful setting of vines on the
outskirts of the Pauillac region,Château Cordeillan-Bages is an attractive 18th century mansion converted into a hotel
and restaurant. This small hotel is a member of Relais & Châteaux. Chef and host Thierry Marx's strict yet inventive
cuisine, makes every meal at Cordeillan-Bages an unforgettable experience.
R. W. Apple on Bordeaux, 2002, The New York Times
A good wine shop in Margaux, the Medoc: La Cave D'Ulysses
Great Wine Capitals of the World: Bordeaux
The Independant newspaper: 48 hours in Bordeaux
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We first visited Bordeaux 14 years ago and left completely unimpressed--by the wine culture and by the city itself,
which appeared as a gloomy, half-modern and half run-down city without identity. Now, everything has changed. As
the New York Times, the Independant of London, and many others have noted, Bordeaux has undergone a transformation, nay a transmogrification
from the city that France and the rest of the world had written off into a stunning example of civic pride, urban renewal,
high culture, gastronomy, and architectural preservation. There is more to come, as the process of cleaning facades and sprucing
up neighborhoods is in process. The immigrant quartier of St. Michele--centered on a stunning Gothic Church that
is a World Heritage Monument of UNESCO--is the next one up. The urban project launched in 1996 by Alain Juppé
and made concrete by the cleaning of façades, the development of the quays along the Garonne river, the commissioning
of the tram that runs on a ground-level power supply and the requalification of urban areas strengthened this desire to protect
and showcase Bordeaux's heritage. Bordeaux is also naturally situated at the center of the vast wine region (since it
was always the commercial hub of the whole region) and therefore forms a perfect base for visiting Medoc, Graves, Sauternes,
or Pomerol. And if you don't have time to go out too see all the vineyards, they will come to you through numerous retail
wine merchants and the Wine School. The food markets of Bordeaux count among the finest we have seen in France, Italy,
or Spain. Locales like Les Cupucins--which has a history going back to 1749 but is now housed in a modern parking structure--have
an amazing breadth and range of products, inlcuidng both permanent vendors in stalls and others who come in for the day. Vegetable
& fruit vendors spill out onto the streets outside the market as you head towards Place Victoire. Fresh seafood, an astonishing
selection of oysters, cheese mongers, butchers, and a wine shop all find their home here.
The Catholic Encyclopedia entry on Bordeaux contains interesting historical information.
Restaurants: La Brochetaille 12, rue des Piliers-de-Tutelle Tel.
05 56 81 00 64 This purely grill restaurant provides tasty meats and some fish in a quaint,
very French atmosphere. The jovial host has selected some good wines to go with his rustic fare, the local favorite of which
is the duck carcass filled with sliced duck breast and foie gras. It was delicious, though perhaps a bit pricey for the quanitity
of actual meat served. The beef à sel gros was good as well. This is not a restaurant for vegetarians. Other restaurants: La Salle à Manger 15 Rue des Bahutiers, St. Pierre district, 0 556811651 This new restaurant in the
up-and-coming St. Pierre quartier has stylish, understated character and an owner who looks after every detail. A
short list of carefully selected wines compliments a menu of well-conceived dishes. An amuse-bouche of a fish purée
followed by eggplant gratin, baked camembert with garlic (the cheese is cut horizontally and half and baked in a hot oven),
lamb chops with root vegetables, and pork loin with a basil sauce were all well-prepared and timely presented. ô de L'Hâ 5, rue de Hâ, Bordeaux, 33000, Tel. 0 556814221 This trendily stylish restaurant on a sidestreet is named after the now largely non-existent
fortress named, peculiarly, Hâ. The service was good to excellent, though it comes in a casual style. The food arrived
well presented and in timely. L'Hâ's cuisine is pretty straightforward French with a slight nouveau twist. Beef tartar
and and a chestnut "crêpe" (which was really more of savory terrine) followed by a prefectly-cooked
beef daube with a foie gras sauce and coquille St. Jacques (which came with an underwhelming 4 scallops). Good wine
list, including excellent choices by the glass. Overall, recommended. Cafe Régent, 46 Place Gambetta, Bordeaux city, Tel. 0556513658 Given
its superior position on a corner Place Gambetta, we had avoided Le Régent as it seemed overpriced. This was a mistake.
If you're looking for a more traditional French-style meal at reasonable prices, try this medium-sized establishment with
its efficient service and enticing menus. The wine list is good, and though slanted towards more recent Bordeaux vintages
and a bit pricey, well selected. The ambiance is brasserie/cafe style--not overly elegant--but very French. The cuisine
is nicely presented and provides varied tastes. The tarte fine, duck breast, and andouillete were all memorable, and the desserts
pleased everyone. Chez Jean-Mi, Bistro
à Huitres, Halle des Capucins, Bordeaux city Tel. 06 22 81 12 06 Go to the morning market at les Capucins around 11 a.m. and stay for a little snack and glass of chilled white Bordeaux
wine after your basket is full. There are just a few specialties one can trouver here: the freshest of oysters, good
bread, wine, and soupe des poissons with the traditional rouille and grated cheese--c'est parfait! 6 oysters
and soup and two glasses of wine cost 11 euro 30.
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