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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.
In 2007, 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.
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.
Restaurant of the day: 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 forress 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.
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
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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