Getting a night in Bordeaux is special for me, though becoming more familiar as my girls are getting older. My friend Ira (who owns and runs a great blog – Lost in Bordeaux) also got a night off and we got to have an amazing catch up over one incredible meal at OST in Bordeaux.
A Bordeaux Restaurant CALLED OST WITH RESTAURANT VETERANS
Located near to the Port Cailhau, the location was familiar to me! It’s down a side street in what used to be a Napalese restaurant. The dining room is clean and offers plenty of tables where couples can isolate from the crowd. By 830pm, the room was full. Owners Sophie Lours and Quentin Le Borgne serve and make their way around the tables, discussing with clients. It’s familiar, without being too imposing. A pleasure.
What brings Sophie and Quentin to Bordeaux and what is their background?
“Sophie and I are originally from Paris and Brittany, respectively. We lived for many years in Paris and Hong Kong and wanted to open our restaurant in a “quieter” city, also for our personal lives. We knew Bordeaux because we had been visiting friends who live here regularly for years, and Bordeaux ticked all the boxes: a city with a rich wine and food culture, a dynamic restaurant sector, close to the ocean, and a great quality of life! My family (Quentin) has been in the hotel and restaurant business for several generations in Brittany, so I’ve always wanted to work in this field. Sophie and I both attended the Vatel culinary school in Paris, which is where we met.
Sophie then worked for Chef Alain Ducasse, first at the Plaza Athénée in Paris, before taking over his Michelin-starred restaurant, ‘Le Rech’, in Hong Kong. She later worked for the Paris Society group in Paris and oversaw the openings of the restaurants ‘La Suite Girafe’ and ‘Gigi’.
As for me, I worked extensively for the Accor group, most recently as Director of Food and Beverage at the Sofitel Paris Arc de Triomphe, alongside Chef Christian Constant.”
IN THE KICTHEN OF MICHAEL ALVES OF OST BORDEAUX
Mickaël Alves is the chef, who, like the owners, is not from Bordeaux. Chef Alves hails from Auvergne and has been with the owners since their opening in 2024. He has a love of local and seasonal, as was clear from some of the products used in the menu. It was also great to see ingredients like salicorn (sea beans) with my octopus dish and guanciale (my weakness) with the gnocchi.
I decided to only order appetizers because they all sounded so good! One trademark of all the dishes? An element of heat, of spice. How refreshing! From wasabi beurre blanc in Ira’s trout dish, to the jalapeño and Nduja Italian sausage in the octopus, the heat varied from a hint to nose tingle (which I loved!).
BOOK IN ADVANCE TO ENJOY OST EVEN DURING THE WEEK
It’s interesting to me that the name ‘OST’ comes from the English word ‘host’. The whole concept revolves around welcoming guests as if they were at home, in a friendly and generous atmosphere. And that is exactly what we experienced. Thank you for the excellent meal OST, and your time for the interview, Quentin.
OST restaurant bookings online and recommended / 8 Rue Ausone, 33000 Bordeaux / +33 (0)5 56 01 05 01 / https://www.ostbordeaux.com
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