Bordeaux
La Cité du Vin
Bordeaux, hub of the famed wine-growing region, is a port city on the Garonne River in southwestern France. It’s known for its Gothic Cathédrale Saint-André, 18th- to 19th-century mansions and notable art museums such as the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux. Public gardens line the curving river quays. The grand Place de la Bourse, centered on the Three Graces fountain, overlooks the Miroir d’Eau reflecting pool. Here is our guide to Bordeaux, France.
STAY
INTERCONTINENTAL BORDEAUX LE GRAND HOTEL With 130 rooms lavishly decorated by Jacques Garcia, this hotel occupies a 1789 neoclassical mansion with a columned facade that mirrors the opera house across the street. In-house: a luxurious spa, complete with a double-height Roman bath, and Gordon Ramsay’s Michelin-starred Le Pressoir d’Argent, home to a spectacular sterling silver lobster press. 2-5 Pl. de la Comédie, 33000 Bordeaux; ihg.com/intercontinental/hotels/gb/en/bordeaux
YNDO HOTEL This intimate hotel in a former 19th-century hôtel particulier is a passion project for its owner, Agnès Guiot du Doignon. She has Filled its 12 guest rooms and grand salons with a who’s who of contemporary design — from Hubert le Gall to the Campana brothers. She also personally makes the small-batch jams served with the included continental breakfast. 108 rue Abbé de l’Épée, yndohotelbordeaux.fr
HÔTEL DE SÈZE A 55-room property in an 18th-century building that tweaks bourgeois Bordelais taste by employing jewel tones and bold fabrics. 23 All. de Tourny, 33000 Bordeaux; hotel-de-seze.com
LES SOURCES DE CAUDALIE The many-storied wine châteaux just outside the city merit a day trip or even an overnight stay. One of the strongest draws, a 20-minute drive from town and set on the estate of Château Smith Haut Lafitte, is Les Sources de Caudalie, a stylish hotel with a Michelin-starred restaurant and a spa featuring Caudalie’s grape-derived products. The hotel is a family affair: It’s operated by Alice and Jérôme Tourbier, the daughter and son-in-law of the estate’s owners, Florence and Daniel Cathiard (Alice’s sister, Mathilde Thomas, is the founder of the Caudalie brand). The Tourbiers have just added 12 new suites, appointed in a rustic-chic style inspired by fishermen’s huts at nearby Cap Ferret, as well as an indoor pool and a wine bar serving the estate’s top vintages. Smith Haut-Lafitte, 33650 Martillac; sources-caudalie.com
DRINK | DINE
BAILLARDRAN A chain of bakeries of the famous Bordelaise canele. baillardran.com
LA TOQUE CUIVRÉE Another local chain selling caneles. la-toque-cuivree.fr
DUNES BLANCHES Modern, beach-themed patisserie known for its proprietary cream-filled pastry puffs. 7 rue de la Vieille Tour; dunesblanches.fr
LE MICHEL’S Classic French onion soup, meaty dishes & cheeses with Bordeaux wines at a busy bistro with a patio. 15 Rue du Pas-Saint-Georges
L’ALCHIMISTE CAFE Bordeaux’s first cocktail bar, serving up creative aperitifs to the Bordelaise in-crowd. alchimiste-cafes.com
LE PETIT COMMERCE Cozy eatery with outdoor tables in a historic street, serving oysters, langoustines & grilled fish. 22 Rue Parlement Saint-Pierre; lepetit-commerce-restaurant.com
LE BRASSERIE BORDELAISE Intimate setting for classic dishes from Southwest France, plus a vaulted wine cellar. Order the steak frites! 50 Rue Saint-Rémi; brasserie-bordelaise.fr
LE PRESSOIR D’ARGEN Celeb chef Gordon Ramsay puts his spin on classic French cuisine complete with the titular silver lobster press and sumptuous 19th-century decor. Located in the InterContinental Hotel. Pl. de la Comédie; bordeaux.intercontinental.com/en/le-pressoir-dargent-gordon-ramsay
MILES Helmed by a gifted international quartet who met at the Ferrandi cooking school in Paris. 33 rue du Cancéra; restaurantmiles.com
LE CHIEN DE PAVLOV Tasting menus of creative, seasonal fine dining with global influences in a stylish ambiance. Try the crab-and-makrut-lime ravioli. 45 Rue de la Devise; lechiendepavlov.com
DAN A French-inflected Cantonese restaurant run by a Franco-Chinese couple recently arrived from Hong Kong. Next up in this suddenly food-mad city? A brasserie from chef Philippe Etchebest, who garnered two Michelin stars at the Hostellerie de Plaisance in nearby Saint-Émilion. 6 rue du Cancera; danbordeaux.com
AUX QUATRE COINS DU VIN Visit the cellar with more than 500 wines. 8 Rue de la Devise, 33; aux4coinsduvin.com
WINE MORE TIME A low-key wine bar/store with meat & cheese plates, some beers & sofas for groups. 8 Rue Saint-James; winemoretime.fr
ART | CULTURE | ACTIVITIES
LA CITÉ DU VIN A museum of wine with a spiraling aluminum-and-glass facade, inspired by the swirling of wine in a glass. 134 Quai de Bacalan; laciteduvin.com
BASE SOUS-MARINE Easily the city’s most unusual attraction, this 129,000-square-foot World War II–era German U-boat pen now boasts some of the most exciting art exhibitions in town. An up-close view of the concrete docks is a sight out of a James Bond film. 284 Bd Alfred Daney; bordeaux.fr
MIROIR D'EAU Landscape architect Michel Corajoud devised the striking fountain, fed by a massive underground tank. The plaza-wide pool reflects the spectacular facade of the Place de la Bourse, which was built in the 1700s during the reign of Louis XV. Pl. de la Bourse; bordeaux.fr
JARDIN PUBLIC A flower-filled fairy tale with 25 acres of impeccably manicured grounds, centuries-old trees, winding pebbled walkways, small ponds with quaint bridges, romantic fountains, and stone statues. It’s the ideal spot for an afternoon picnic followed by alfresco drinks at Restaurant L’Orangerie’s open terrace. Jardin Public, Cr de Verdun; bordeaux.fr
PLACE DE LA BOURSE Flanked by majestic golden-hued buildings with wrought-iron balconies, the Garonne’s sprawling riverfront promenade is a beauty, offering miles of serene strolling. For the ultimate vistas, make your way to the 18th-century Place de la Bourse with its magnificent palace, Three Graces fountain, and the riverside miroir d’eau—an enormous misting granite pool that brilliantly reflects the monuments at night. Pl. de la Bourse; bordeaux.fr
BERNARD MAGREZ CULTURAL INSTITUTE View the wine impresario’s impressive collection of modern art and photography. 16 Rue de Tivoli; institut-bernard-magrez.com
MUSÉE DE BEAUX ARTS View paintings by Delacroix, Matisse, Braque, and Picasso, among others. 20 Cr d'Albret; musba-bordeaux.fr
SHOP
BROCANTE DES QUINCONCES A twice-yearly antique flea market. Pl. des Quinconces; bordeauxquinconces.com
GARANCE INTERIOR DESIGN Vintage Jean Royère Polar Bear chairs and lighting by Hervé van der Straeten are part of the sophisticated edit of European design at this by-appointment showroom. Owners Marc Dauberte and Pierre Bîme are go-to decorators for modern lofts and castles in nearby wine country. Hôtel de La Tresne, 8 Rue de Cheverus
BACKSTAGE VINTAGE Stocks well-curated vintage and secondhand designer frocks and accessories. 14 Rue Maucoudinat
MAISON PETRUSSE A must for wool and silk scarves in every shade and design. petrusse.com
MIEUX A one-stop shop for chic handbags, clothes, French stationery, and sundries à la mode. 37 Rue Saint-James; boutique-mieux.fr
APACHE Doubles as Bordeaux jewelry designer Charlotte Guillard’s workshop, where she weaves metal and cord into a rainbow of statement-making pieces with a Native American bent. 47 Rue Saint-James; apachecreation.com
CABANES ET CHÂTEAUX A wild mix of aircraft parts, taxidermy, and industrial furnishings. 74 Rue Notre Dame; cabanesetchateaux.com