Bordeaux, being a city, offers visitors the chance to taste all sorts of regional dishes and products. Be it seafood from Charente Maritime, or locally raised beef from SE Gironde, you’ll be surprised by the variety. There are plenty of great options for vegetarians as well, seasonal asparagus, strawberries and of course truffle! So what foods should you try when you visit Bordeaux?
I’m very lucky that my French husbands family is from this area. We spent many a meal together and learning about what is typical of the region thanks to our weekly Sunday lunches together, caringly cooked by his grandmother. Foraging the property for cepe, pine nuts, hazelnuts and chestnuts. I miss these times together immensely.
MEAT DISHES TO TRY IN BORDEAUX
You might be happy that tripe or tricandilles, has fallen out of fashion, however popular this traditional port dish used to be a quintessential dish here in Bordeaux. Many port cities would send their best cuts on ships, which could be cured and stored for long journeys. The offal, or innards, were kept for the local populations to consume.
While it might not be a ‘dish’ as such, there is really nothing like a nice cut of grilled meat and duck fat fried French fries or potatoes here in the SW. Be it a duck breast or entrecote, pair it with a nice glass of red wine and you have a dish enjoyed year round in these parts! You have probably heard of the sauce ‘bordelaise’ and this would be a perfect local side. The delectable local beef, bazadaise, is considered the wagyu beef of France, so it’s worth a try! Potentially full of local rugby players, La Brasserie Bordelaise is an institution for all things Sud-Ouest in Bordeaux. Looking for your own cut of meat to cook? Go by my favorite butcher in Bordeaux – Bouche! Of course, be sure to include plenty of charcuterie with your apero – like jambon de Bayonne and Porc noir de Bigorre!
Of course, Bordeaux being a city means it has something from all of the local regions to offer. Now that the weather is changing to fall, a nice soup sounds lovely. Garbure is a dish which has likely been eaten in this area for thousands of years. It is a hearty, cabbage and meat based stew that can be enjoyed with some lovely Gascon bread! I have seen it in some of the more traditional restaurants in Bordeaux. It’s equally enjoyable to make at home, Annie of Papllies et Pupilles has a great recipe Garbure Béarnaise : la délicieuse recette à l’ancienne (papillesetpupilles.fr)
In summertime in particular, my husband loves grilled duck hearts. Marinated in olive oil, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper, then grilled. The perfect introduction to owfal as it’s very meaty and the texture is really nice. I just saw duck hearts as a starter at the locavore hot spot, Atelier aux Faures near the Cathedrale. On the topic of ducks…you won’t escape seeing foie gras on a menu. It may not be your thing, but this is a very local product! Read more about foie gras Duck farming and Foie Gras in South West France – Aquitaine Travel Guide.
If you are lucky enough to get your hands on some fresh game, like deer meat, a civet or meat stew is another classical fall and winter dish. To source the meat locally, check out the ‘Les Capucins‘ butcher in Marche des Capucins across from ‘Mes Souveniers d’Espagne’ who is one of the few who sells game meat when in season.
SEAFOOD FROM THE ATLANTIC SOUTHWEST
I guess it goes without saying, you’ll want to try oysters – raised all along the Atlantic Coast, generally eaten raw and plain or with some lemon, and a nice glass of Entre Deux Mers or other local white wine! Oysters in the Bassin d’Arcachon – Ostréiculture – (aquitainetravelguide.com). Why not add a caviar tasting to your time in Bordeaux? You’ll find Aquitaine caviar added to many dishes in restaurants like Le Gabriel or Le Capon Fin, but you can also go directly to the source and buy SW caviar from Neuvic or Perlita in Bordeaux.
Capbreton is the best place for a fresh seafood market, and then further south along the Atlantic into the Pays Basque you’ll find so many wonderful restaurants overlooking the ocean serving perfectly executed dishes with all sorts of seafood. Depending on the time of year, you might find grilled sardines, fresh sole, seabass or tuna.
In the Charente Maritime, for a really unique experience, try an ecalade! This is one of my favorite summertime aperos! We collect dry pine needles and delicately place mussels on a plank of wood in a particular pattern, then light the pine needles, which cook the mussels and give them the most amazing flavor! I’ve only done this at friends homes or my house (use a bigger board if you have one, our last one was too small!), but you can find some restaurants who will do this! Check out L’eclade des moules in La Rochelle, for example.
VEGETABLES FROM SOUTHWEST FRANCE
Some of my favorite local vegetables are actually foraged, so the wild ‘asparagus‘ in the spring, wild garlic ‘ail des ourses‘, and of course cepe mushrooms. The marche des Capucins is the one the best places to source these in Bordeaux, as the locals in the countryside aren’t going to tell you where to find them yourself. Once foraged, they are generally sold in the bigger cities, where the money is.
Truffle! You can pick these up from the Les Pépites Noires truffle shop in Saint Emilion, multiple locations in Bordeaux, the market in Langon from December-February, markets in Dordogne, Perigord, and of course some grocery stores during the holiday season. You’ll find them shaved over dishes in restaurants in the winter, or included in stuffing and sauces.
We have amazing strawberries from Lot et Garonne, don’t miss the chance to try mara du bois and charlotte in particular around June. There is nothing like a strawberry, in-season, in France. Other fruits to try are the melons from Nerac and the prunes (plums) from Agen, although we have so many varieties of each you need to try them all!
Believe it or not, we produce a lot of saffron here so some unique products to try would be saffron jellies (on in particular is Sauternes wine with saffron) which you can find at Dock des Epices on Rue Saint James in Bordeaux.
You’ll never escape a trip to Bordeaux without seeing Piment d’Espelette in either the groceries or epicerie shops selling the whole pepper hanging to dry. They are a three on the spice scale, can be eaten fresh or (more typically) dried.
PASTRIES, SWEETS and CHEESE FROM SOUTHWEST FRANCE
I already have a whole post on pastries that from the canelé to the jesuit! South-West France Desserts – Aquitaine Travel Guide. So many to try and there are even more that aren’t mentioned!
Chocolate shops abound, and we have some great options! Chocolate Shops and Worlds Best Chocolate in Bordeaux! (aquitainetravelguide.com)
We many not be a massive producer of cheeses, but no trip to France is complete without a few of these Southwest France Cheeses – Aquitaine Travel Guide.
If you want to take a tour and learn about the unique products from SW France, those listed and more, please feel free to send me an email aquitaineguide@gmail.com, hope to see you soon! Book Your Food Tour – Aquitaine Travel Guide
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