10 Great Restaurants in Bordeaux

La Tupina is an elegantly decorated Bordeaux restaurant with a rustic feel. It has wooden tables and chairs, with racks along the walls displaying an impressive selection of wines and Cognac. A countertop displays cuts of meat, pâté and bread. Adding to the excitement is the aromas wafting from the open wood-fired stove, where you can see your meal being prepared.

La Tupina serves local favourites, such as lamprey à la bordelaise (hearty fish stew) and cannelés (sweet little egg yolk cakes) with caramel and wafer garnishes. The menu also includes in-house inventions like duck fat fried potato chips and octopus salad.

Arcada is a bistro that offers a fine Bordeaux dining experience with an intimate setting and attentive service. You’ll feel cosy at your table under the vaulted brick ceilings and surrounded by stylish decor. The culinary team focuses on high-quality local ingredients and fresh seasonal produce – the menu changes monthly with availability.

Be delighted by Arcada's beautifully plated dishes, with a sauce-on-the-bottom technique. Try an original dish like lamb roasted with coffee or artichoke marshmallow with langoustine coulis. End your evening by heading to the cellar for a nightcap of whisky and cigars.

Symbiose doubles as a cool riverside cafe during the day and a fine-dining restaurant with a 5-course tasting menu in the evening. You will be refreshed by the cool, hip vibe, light colours and rustic wood decor. The dishes are inventive, with clever combinations and often cooked in spirits.

Start your experience with an original cocktail like their Passion Zombie, a delicious blend of passion fruit and lime juices, earl grey tea, rums and cognac. Then enjoy a meal of equal uniqueness, such as chicken with mango, garlic, orange, smoked curry and pistachios. Save room for dessert as their sweet inventions are sure to please, like the salted butter tart with whisky and chocolate.

Bo-tannique is the brainchild of 2 chefs and a sommelier who combined their talents to create a sophisticated and eclectic gastronomic experience. The restaurant is elegantly decorated with exposed stone, earthy tones, and global styles. The kitchen is behind huge glass windows so you can watch your meal being prepared.  

The menu is always changing, but the emphasis remains on diverse and flavourful dishes with influences from around the world. Try a novel blend of flavours like Bo-tannique's poultry dish, served in lemongrass and kumquat vinaigrette or the fig and rosemary dessert. There are excellent wine pairings from its well-stocked cellar.

Le 7 Restaurant is the place to head to for fine French cuisine, especially after visiting the nearby Cité du Vin museum. The restaurant is on the 7th floor and features a modern design with panoramic river and city views. It’s one of the few places in the city where you can take in the sunset, scenery, and tastes of Bordeaux.

Dishes at Le 7 Restaurant are thoughtfully prepared with regional and seasonal ingredients. The engaging staff will happily recommend a pairing from their impressive selection of over 500 wines.

Restaurant Le Saint-James is where you can enjoy modern French cuisine on the outskirts of Bordeaux. The chef honours the region’s speciality products and traditions by presenting regional classics in a lighter style with zesty flavours.

Expect local favourites, such as foie gras and the world-famous Aquitaine caviar. Begin with an amuse-bouche of foie gras parfait flavoured with onion, black garlic and carbonara. You can also enjoy local seafood in a new way, such as oysters, shrimp, caviar, and clams in a rhubarb cream sorbet.

Check out Le Prince Noir for modern and creative gastronomy in a historic Bordeaux setting. The restaurant occupies an old castle, with an add-on of glass and steel and quirky artwork. The dining room features huge windows for you to enjoy the view of the Pont d´Aquitaine bridge. The artsy experience continues with eclectic cutlery and even a vintage Nintendo game setup. 

Unusual but tasty combinations at Le Prince Noir include mackerel with split peas and caviar, turbot with green beans and pig’s feet, and pigeon with apricot. Save room for one of its delicious desserts of parfait, fruitcake and meringue.

Le Quatrième Mur offers a refined dining experience within the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux. Spend the afternoon touring the historic opera house and take in its breathtaking architecture. The onsite restaurant is equally as beautiful, with high-arched ceilings, light-coloured brick, gold trims, and gorgeous crystal chandeliers.

Le Quatrième Mur's dishes are rich and flavourful, presented beautifully on white plates with delightful garnishes. Try the seasonal market fish roti paired with courgette, ricotta, pistachio and orange butter, or the pork with white raisin and garlic cream. Lavish desserts include a Greek yoghurt cake with strawberry compote and meringue.

Racines is where you can experience innovative Bordeaux cuisine, a lighter version of typical French fare with an added touch from the chef’s Scottish roots. The ambience is comfortable, and the decor is contemporary – with chalkboard menus and a cool wall of racks and shelves cleverly displaying the selection of wines.

Must-tries at Racines include pork with honey, carrot, cumin, apple and sesame. Enjoy fresh local seafood with baked haddock fish cakes, tuna steak, or pear and garlic dorade dish. The restaurant's knowledgeable staff take time to describe dishes and wines in depth.

Le Cent 33 is one of the standout fine-dining spots within the fashionable Chartrons district of Bordeaux. The restaurant impresses diners with its modern and elegant decor, which is a mix of light and dark shades, as well as cosy wooden furniture

Expect quality cuisine with intense, contrasting flavours and hints of Asian influences. Try the popular miso-glazed black cod or warm octopus salad. You can also enjoy freshly baked bread and French classics like sauteed rabbit and pigeon breast. Le Cent 33's friendly staff will explain the origins and ingredients used in each course.