What to Eat in Bordeaux: Canelés, Oysters, Where Locals Eat & the Best Food and Wine Tours

The short version: in Bordeaux, eat a canelé (the caramelised little rum and vanilla cake) from Baillardran or La Toque Cuivrée, a dozen Arcachon oysters with a glass of Entre-Deux-Mers at the Marché des Capucins, and a côte de bœuf with chips fried in duck fat at La Tupina. Then drink: Bordeaux is the best city in France to taste wine by the glass, from Le Bar à Vin of the Bordeaux wine council to Latitude 20 at La Cité du Vin. For the best value dinner, book one of the Bib Gourmand bistros such as Racines or Sens. And if you only have a day or two, a guided food or wine tour is the shortcut to the right bars and the vineyards. Below: what to eat, exactly where to eat it by neighbourhood, what to drink, and the food experiences worth booking.

What to eat in Bordeaux, and where to eat it

Where to eat in Bordeaux

Bordeaux eats well and drinks better. The best deal is the set lunch: in the Chartrons and the old town, a prix-fixe lunch costs far less than dinner at the same table. Book for dinner, especially at weekends, when the good bistros fill up. Bordeaux also has several MICHELIN Bib Gourmand bistros, the guide’s good-value picks, so use them. These are the neighbourhoods to eat in.

Saint-Pierre and the old town

The tangle of streets between the Place de la Bourse and the cathedral is the heart of the old town, full of terraces on little squares. On Place du Palais, Bistrot Cul Sec (Michelin listing) is a tiny bistro run by a chef and sommelier with starred experience: a short, changing menu, a terrace on the square and a deep cellar with bottles for all budgets. On Rue du Parlement Saint-Pierre, Le Petit Commerce is the old town’s seafood bistro, with its own fishmonger across the street: razor clams, mussels, sardines, plancha prawns, oysters, hake and whole sole.

For a glass and a board, Levain le Vin on Rue de la Rousselle, near the Porte de Bourgogne, pours natural, organic and biodynamic wine with sourdough baked on site and charcuterie and cheese to share. Wine Corner on Rue de la Merci is a cosy bar in an old cellar, with French wines from small organic estates to grands crus, boards of charcuterie, cheese and burrata, and a terrace since 2025. On the riverfront, Cornichon on the Quai Richelieu is a natural wine cellar with generous sharing plates.

Towards the Grand Théâtre, Le Quatrième Mur (Michelin listing) serves weekly menus in the opera house itself, with a terrace on its outdoor gallery; booking is essential. For a big night out, the city’s two-star tables are Le Pressoir d’Argent (Michelin listing) and Maison Nouvelle (Michelin listing), both with two MICHELIN Stars.

Chartrons

The old wine merchants’ quarter north of the centre is now the city’s favourite place to eat and drink, with antique shops and bistros around Rue Notre-Dame. On the quay, Symbiose (Michelin listing) mixes a speakeasy-style cocktail bar with sharing plates scented with herbs from its own permaculture garden, Tuesday to Saturday from 19:00 until late. Cent33 on Rue du Jardin-Public won one MICHELIN Star (Michelin listing) in 2026 for Fabien Beaufour’s globe-trotting cooking, such as miso-glazed black cod from the robata grill. Between the Chartrons and the Jardin Public, Mets Mots (Michelin listing) is a Bib Gourmand in a former printworks, run by three chefs trained with Pierre Gagnaire: a full lunch, then a wine bar with sharing plates in the evening, until midnight from Tuesday to Saturday.

Marché des Capucins

The covered Marché des Capucins, south of the centre, is Bordeaux’s belly: fruit and vegetables, raw-milk cheese, South-West charcuterie, poultry, fish and oyster counters. It opens at 6:00 and closes at 13:30 from Tuesday to Saturday (13:00 on Sunday), and is closed on Mondays. The thing to do is stand at one of its oyster counters with a dozen Arcachon oysters and a glass of Entre-Deux-Mers white; at weekends, arrive early to get a stool. Opposite the market, Au Bistrot (Michelin listing) is a no-frills bistro cooking from the market (pig’s tongue salad, peasant soup, beef cheek with sauce ladled from a tureen) with fairly priced wines by the glass; it is closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Saint-Michel

Around the Basilique Saint-Michel and its tall bell tower, this is one of Bordeaux’s most mixed and cheapest neighbourhoods, with affordable international food and South-West cooking. Its great institution is La Tupina (Michelin listing) on Rue Porte-de-la-Monnaie, a country inn in the city where duck, poultry and tricandilles are cooked in the great fireplace: order the sanguette, the macaronade with cèpes and foie gras, a côte de bœuf and chips fried in duck fat. It is open every day (dinner only on Mondays) and worth booking ahead. It also keeps lamproie à la bordelaise on the menu.

Bastide and the right bank

Across the Pont de Pierre, the right bank is quieter, with a fine view back across the river. Its address for a serious meal is L’Oiseau Bleu (Michelin listing) on Avenue Thiers, a stone house with one MICHELIN Star and a quiet south-facing terrace: chef François Sauvêtre is known for his sauces, and the “Balade de Saison” menu is good value at lunch and dinner. Further along the river in Lormont, Le Prince Noir (Michelin listing) also holds one MICHELIN Star.

La Cité du Vin

The wine museum in the Bacalan docks is also one of the best places to drink in the city. On the first floor, Latitude 20 is a wine bar and cellar with nearly 800 wines from about 60 countries, more than 50 of them by the glass, a bistro corner and a terrace over the Garonne; it opens non-stop. On the seventh floor, Le 7 (Michelin listing) serves modern cooking with a good choice of wines by the glass and views over the river and the old town; it is open for dinner Wednesday to Saturday and until 16:00 on the other days.

Quick picks

• Best value dinner: the Bib Gourmand bistros: Racines (Michelin listing), with a menu that changes monthly; Sens (Michelin listing), for onion soup with Beaufort and braised beef in red wine; Madame B (Michelin listing), a chic brasserie for pork belly confit and stuffed cabbage; Panaille (Michelin listing); and Kedem (Michelin listing), for Middle Eastern small plates and natural wine.
• Oysters and white wine: an oyster counter at the Capucins, in the morning.
• Classic Bordeaux dinner: La Tupina in Saint-Michel.
• Wine bar with good food: Bistrot Cul Sec or Mets Mots.
• Special night: Cent33 or L’Oiseau Bleu (one MICHELIN Star each).

Names link to Google Maps for directions. We checked these places in October 2026. Opening days change, especially out of season, so check before you go.

The markets

The Marché des Capucins is the one to visit: go in the morning, as it closes at 13:30 (13:00 on Sunday), and it shuts on Mondays. Buy cheese and charcuterie for a picnic, eat oysters at the counter, and look for canelés among the pastry stalls. For canelés to take home, the two big names are Baillardran and La Toque Cuivrée, both with several shops in the city.

What to drink in Bordeaux

You are in the capital of the world’s most famous wine region, and the city’s bars pour it by the glass. Learn the map in one evening: the red wines of the Médoc (Margaux, Pauillac, Saint-Julien) and of Pessac-Léognan and the Graves on the left bank, mostly Cabernet Sauvignon; Saint-Émilion and Pomerol on the right bank, mostly Merlot; dry white Entre-Deux-Mers with oysters; sweet Sauternes; and Crémant de Bordeaux, the local sparkling wine.

The place to start is Le Bar à Vin, the wine bar of the Bordeaux wine council in the Maison du Vin opposite the Grand Théâtre, with a list dedicated to Bordeaux appellations that changes often. Max Bordeaux on Cours de l’Intendance lets you taste more than 70 wines, including grands crus, by the glass from Coravin dispensers. For natural wine, Complanterra in the Saint-Paul district runs tastings in a vaulted cellar with sharing boards, and Cornichon and Levain le Vin (above) are the locals’ choice. And at La Cité du Vin, Latitude 20 has the widest list in the city.

Food experiences to book in Bordeaux

In Bordeaux, the food is the warm-up and the wine is the main event. A food and wine walking tour takes you to the right bakery, cheese shop and wine bar in three hours, with canelés, oysters, charcuterie and several glasses explained by a guide. A wine tasting class in the city teaches you to read a Bordeaux label before you go to the châteaux, and a day tour to Saint-Émilion or the Médoc solves the problem of who drives. These are the best-rated options on GetYourGuide.

Our pick: the Bordeaux Wine Tasting Class with 6 Wines and Pairings, rated 4.9 (305) on GetYourGuide.

Ratings as shown on GetYourGuide in October 2026. Check the listing for live prices and availability.

Food day trips from Bordeaux

Saint-Émilion, the medieval wine village on the right bank, is the classic day out, with its limestone cellars, tastings and macarons; the Médoc châteaux and the Graves are the left bank alternatives. See our Saint-Émilion wine tours, Bordeaux wine tours and our guide to Bordeaux wine tours and Saint-Émilion day trips.

Frequently asked questions

What is the one thing to eat in Bordeaux?

A canelé from Baillardran or La Toque Cuivrée, and a dozen Arcachon oysters with a glass of Entre-Deux-Mers at an oyster counter in the Marché des Capucins. For a full meal, the côte de bœuf with duck-fat chips at La Tupina.

Where do locals eat in Bordeaux?

At the Capucins market in the morning, in the Chartrons (Mets Mots, Symbiose), in Saint-Michel (La Tupina) and at neighbourhood Bib Gourmand bistros away from the centre such as Sens and Panaille.

Where can I taste wine by the glass in Bordeaux?

Le Bar à Vin of the Bordeaux wine council by the Grand Théâtre, Max Bordeaux for grands crus by the glass, Wine Corner in Saint-Pierre, and Latitude 20 at La Cité du Vin, with more than 50 wines by the glass.

Do I need to book restaurants in Bordeaux?

Yes for dinner, especially at weekends: Le Quatrième Mur says booking is essential, and the Bib Gourmand bistros such as Panaille are often full. The Capucins oyster bars and the wine bars are walk-in.

When can I eat lamproie in Bordeaux?

Lamprey is traditionally fished in late winter and spring, and the classic dish is preserved so it can be eaten all year. La Tupina keeps lamproie à la bordelaise on its menu.

Is a Bordeaux food or wine tour worth it?

Yes, especially on a first visit: in one walk you taste canelés, oysters, charcuterie and several wines with someone who explains the appellations. Compare them above or on our Bordeaux wine tours page.

Plan your Bordeaux food trip

Bordeaux wine tours · Saint-Émilion wine tours · Bordeaux wine tours: Saint-Émilion day trips and how to book