Local Restaurants

Most you can book online - see hours opening hours/menus online too. Most have a decent wine selection and a value lunch menu. Some are not great for vegetarians.

Chez Titut €€(€) **(*) 22 Place de Prévot, 33670 Créon - Local. It’s close, after all.
1.2 km from Bauduc (last visit 2026) +33 5 56 42 98 40 Inside’s fine. Outdoor tables
Our local restaurant in the main square, large garden out back, value weekday lunch.

Near Saint-Émilion
Le Jardin €€(€€) ***(*) Château Petit Faurie de Soutard, outside 33330 St-Emilion
21km (last visit 2026) +33 5 57 51 12 78 Book online via google maps. Outdoor tables
Excellent place: garden with views, inside fine too, good wine list. Value weekday lunch.

La Table de Catusseau €€(€) ***(*) 86 Route de Catusseau, near 33500 Pomerol
25km from us (last visit 2026) +33 5 57 84 40 40. Book online. A few outdoor tables
Fine, modern dining for a fair price in the heart of Pomerol. Eat in or on small terrace.

Le Caffe Cuisine €€(€) **(*) Place du Marché, 33420 Branne. Outdoor tables.
18 km from Bauduc (Ange last visited 2026). +33 5 57 24 19 67 Guests enjoyed this too.
Classic food with a modern twist, fun place. On the Dordogne, not far from St-Émilion.

In Bordeaux
Zephirine €€(€€) **** 62 Rue Abbé de l'Epée, 33000, Bordeaux. Worth a detour.
27km (last visit 2025) +33 9 72 45 55 36 Must book: google maps/online simplest way.
A firm favourite of ours in Bordeaux: outstanding quality, service, original and fun.

Amicis €€(€€) **** 19 Rue Mably, 33000 Bordeaux. A new favourite, delicious food.
27km (last visit 2025) +33 5 56 52 80 41. Again, must book: google maps then online.
Two in one: downstairs for the smart but cosy menu de marché, Michelin star upstairs.

Vivants €€(€€) **** 13 Rue des Bahutiers, 33000 Bordeaux. Open for dinner only.
27km (Last visit 2026) +33 9 78 13 55 Smallish dining room. Must book ahead.
You have to book the menu & number of courses: 6 for us wasn’t too many. Delicious.

Au Bistrot €€(€) *** 61 Place des Capucins +33 6 63 54 21 14 33000 Bordeaux
25km (last visit 2026) Popular with Bordelais. Traditional, easy-going, near the market.
Everyone seems to love this place. Enjoyed a fun and tasty lunch, hospitable service.

L’Entrecôte €€ *** Cours 30 Juillet, 33000 Bordeaux. Ask us for how to queue (!).
26 km (last visit 2026). No bookings, queue: Opens 12pm and 7pm. Queue well ahead.
Bordeaux’s busiest restaurant, the one we’ve been to most en famille. Great steak-frites.

On the coast
Chez Hortense €€€(€) **** 26 ave du Sémaphore, La Pointe, 33970 Cap Ferret
100 km, on the sea (last visit 2025). +33 5 56 60 62 56 - Call to book. Outdoor tables
Wonderful, classic, old school fish restaurant with vine-covered terrace with sea views.

Club Plage Pereire €€(€) **(*) Plage Pereire, near Arcachon. Outdoor tables
90 km. +33 5 57 16 59 13 We used to be regulars, yet to get back in. Always full online.
A popular, spacious summer restaurant on the beach near Arcachon. NB Book early

At a glance: local to Bauduc

Les Halles de Créon €(€) ** Less than 1km from Bauduc. Local. Open day/eve.
Handy deli, bar and eatery near Rue Bauduc. Choose from the deli and eat sur place.

Chez Titut €€(€) **(*) 22 Place de Prévot, 33670 Créon Best to book ahead.
1.2 km from Bauduc (last visit 2026) +33 5 56 42 98 40 Inside’s fine. Outdoor tables
Our local restaurant in the main square, large garden out back, value weekday lunch.

Restaurant de l’Abbaye €€ **(*) La Sauve +33 5 56 23 21 58 Best for lunch maybe?
5 km Tasty weekday lunch menu or a quiet dinner (last visit 2024) Outdoor tables
He cooks while she runs front of house. Good on terrace, we pay €5 corkage for Bauduc

L’Atmosphere €€(€) **(*) 1 Route de Libourne, 33750 St Germain du Puch
11 km +33 5 57 24 52 34 10 mins away (last visit 2025) Outdoor tables near road
Popular for Monday lunch or dinner as most are closed. Good lunch menu, dinner too.

Le Jardin des Mirabelles €/* TBC 68 La Réole lieu dit 33420 Camiac-et-St Denis
5 km from Bauduc. +33 5 54 99 00 00 We’ve been just the once for lunch - pretty good.
The restaurant of Château Camiac hotel nearby, under newish owners. Outdoor tables.

Bistro Regent €€ ** Rond point de l’Entre Deux Mers, 33670 Créon
1.5 km +33 5 56 23 38 30 (our last visit 2022?) Just comes across as a bit functional.
A well-known, modern chain with formula for decent steak frites & special sauce.

Aroma pizza € ** 47 Boulevard Victor Hugo, 33670 Créon We’ve ordered too often.
1.5km +33 5 56 23 99 75 Under new ownership from late 2025. Menu online on google.
A popular evening takeaway – it can get busy so you must phone for a time to collect.

McDonalds Le Petit Greley, 33670 La Sauve Perfectly decent ‘golden arches’ nearby.
2 km Nr Carrefour supermarket and petrol station. We don’t go there nearly enough.

Places to try – all 4.5 – 4.8 stars on Google

Auberge du Lion d’or Place de l’Eglise, 33760 Targon
10 km We must give it a try it soon, probably for lunch.

L’Auberge d’Haux 133 Le Grand Chemin, 33550 Haux 7 km

Château Fage La Maison des Vignes Fage, 33500 Arveyres - 15 km

La Maison Georges 4 Place Cazeaux Cazalet, 33410 Rions - 17 km

La Table BioEthik 19 Route de Branne, 33410 Cadillac – 21 kms

At a glance: value weekday lunch menu, good for dinner too

Some repeats from the previous list but where to head for a well-priced lunch menu

Local to Bauduc

Restaurant de l’Abbaye €€ **(*) La Sauve +33 5 56 23 21 58 Best for lunch maybe?
5km Tasty weekday lunch menu or a quiet dinner (last visit 2024) Outdoor tables
He cooks while she runs front of house. Good on terrace, we pay €5 corkage for Bauduc

10-20 minutes away from Bauduc

L’Atmosphere €€(€) **(*) 1 Route de Libourne, 33750 St Germain du Puch
11 km +33 5 57 24 52 34 10 mins away (last visit 2025) Outdoor tables near road
Popular for Monday lunch or dinner as most are closed. Good lunch menu, dinner too.

Le Caffe Cuisine €€(€) **(*) Place du Marché, 33420 Branne. Outdoor tables.
18 km from Bauduc (Ange last visited 2026). +33 5 57 24 19 67 Guests enjoyed this too.
Classic food with a modern twist, fun place. On the Dordogne, not far from St-Émilion.

Near Saint-Émilion – 30 mins away

Le Jardin €€(€€) ***(*) Château Petit Faurie de Soutard, outside 33330 St-Emilion
21 km (last visit 2026) +33 5 57 51 12 78 Book online via google maps. Outdoor tables
Excellent place: garden with views, inside fine too, good wine list. Value weekday lunch

Pomerol – 30 mins away

La Table de Catusseau €€(€) ***(*) 86 Route de Catusseau, near 33500 Pomerol
25 km from us (last visit 2026) +33 5 57 84 40 40. Book online. A few outdoor tables
Fine, modern dining for a fair price in the heart of Pomerol. Eat in or on small terrace.

Bordeaux city – 45 mins on the 470 bus, plus 10 on tram. Or 45 mins by car/park.

Zephirine €€(€€) **** 62 Rue Abbé de l'Epée, 33000, Bordeaux. Worth a detour.
27 km (last visit 2025) +33 9 72 45 55 36 Must book: google maps/online simplest way.
A firm favourite of ours in Bordeaux: outstanding quality, service, original and fun.

Amicis €€(€€) **** 19 Rue Mably, 33000 Bordeaux. A new favourite, delicious food.
27 km (last visit 2025) +33 5 56 52 80 41. Again, must book: google maps then online.
Two in one: downstairs for the smart but cosy menu de marché, Michelin star upstairs.

At a glance: Restaurants close to town of Saint-Émilion

Distances are from Château Bauduc, 33670 Créon

Le Jardin €€(€€) ***(*) Ch Petit Faurie de Soutard, 3 km from 33330 St-Emilion
21 km (last visit 2026) +33 5 57 51 12 78 Book online via google maps. Outdoor tables
Excellent place: garden with views, inside fine too, good wine list. Value weekday lunch.

La Table de Catusseau €€(€) ***(*) 86 Route de Catusseau, near 33500 Pomerol
25 km (last visit 2026) 6 km to St-Em +33 5 57 84 40 40. Book online. Outdoor tables
Fine, modern dining for a fair price in the heart of Pomerol. Eat in or on small terrace.

Le Caffe Cuisine €€(€) **(*) Place du Marché, 33420 Branne. Outdoor tables.
18 km from Bauduc (Ange last visited 2026). +33 5 57 24 19 67 Guests enjoy this too.
Classic food with a modern twist, fun place. On the Dordogne, 8 km from St-Émilion.

Atelier de Candale €€(€) **(*) 1 Grandes Plantes, Saint-Laurent-des Combes
26 km and 3 km from St-Emilion +33 5 57 24 15 45 (last visit 2026) Outdoor tables
Pretty terrace overlooking vineyards and a tasty, good value lunch menu. Decent wines.

Les Belles Perdrix de Troplong Mondot €€€(€) **** Château Troplong Mondot
28 km 5km from St-Emilion +33 5 57 55 38 (GQ last visit 2024) Highly recommended.
Michelin star cuisine, excellent. Lovely terrace for drinks first. Decent value fine wines.

La Terrasse Rouge €€(€) **(*) 1 La Dominique, 6 km outside Saint-Émilion
25 km +33 5 57 24 47 05 (last visit 2024) Impressive modern terrace. Outdoor tables
Views over Saint-Émilion & Pomerol vineyards, next to Cheval Blanc. A bit hit & miss.

Le Clos Mirande €€(€) *** 9 Mirande, 33570 Montagne 6 km north of St-Émilion
32 km +33 5 57 74 50 16 (last visit 2025) Outdoor tables with vineyard views.
Classic French cuisine, and very good with it. Some fair value wines. Most enjoyable.

Le Grand Barrail €€(€) **(*) 4km west of St-Emilion on D243 Route de Libourne
25 km Hotel, Spa and Restaurant +33 5 57 55 37 00 Newish owners have done well.
Popular, increasingly pricey hotel with decent restaurant. Reasonable value for lunch.

Auberge Saint-Jean €€(€) **(*) 8 Rue de Pont, 33420 St-Jean-de-Blaignac
22 km +33 5 57 74 95 50 (our last visit 2021) 10 km south of Saint-Émilion
Michelin-starred dining in a modern room & terrace overlooking the Dordogne river.

Very inexpensive for lunch:

La Puce 323 Grand Bigaroux, 33330 Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens, Saint-Émilion
24 km +33 6 42 39 51 97 Good menu for so few euros but watch out for speed camera.
Inexpensive, popular lunch spot near the Union des Producteurs, 4km from St-Emilion.

Les Platanes 30 Route de Perigueux 33500 near Pomerol +33 5 57 51 99 64
25 km. Great value, tasty food for lunch near Pomerol on the busy, main N89 road.

At a glance: Restaurants in Saint-Émilion

L'Envers du Decors €€(€) **(*) Rue du Clocher, 33330 Saint-Émilion Popular.
25 km (last visit 2025) +33 5 57 74 48 31 Well known, owned by Pavie Outdoor tables
Good brasserie, decent wine list, centre of town, with enclosed walled garden out back.

La Table de Pavie €€€€€ ****(*) 5 Place du clocher Saint-Émilion 2-star Michelin
25 km (last visit 2026) +33 5 57 55 07 55 Some good value wines, top terrace for drinks.
We’ve had some outstanding dinners thanks to generous friends. Tasting menus €250+

L’Huîtrier Pie €€(€) *** Rue Porte Bouqueyre, 33330 St-Emilion Small dining area
25 km (last visit 2024) +33 5 57 24 69 71 No pies here: the name means ‘oyster catcher’.
Modern French cooking, tasting menu in various guises was good value. Very good.

Logis de la Cadene €€€(€) ***(*) Place du Marché au bois, Saint-Émilion
25 km +33 5 57 24 71 40 (last visit 2025) Owned by Angelus. A few Outdoor tables
Several dinners, fun, Michelin star food. Cuisine a bit weird, fearfully expensive wines.

Chai Pascal €€ **(*) 37 Rue Guadet, 33330 St-Emilion Almost café cum restaurant.
25 km (last visit 2023). +33 5 57 24 52 45 Simple and frequented by local winemakers.
Relaxed wine bar and restaurant which has a good value wine list. Smallish lunch menu.

Le Tertre 5 Rue du Tertre de la Tente, 33330 St-Emilion It’s on our wishlist.
25 km +33 5 57 74 46 33 Closed Wednesday and Thursday. Gets booked up.
This small restaurant changed hands a few years ago and now highly rated by many.

At a glance: Bordeaux restaurants

L’Entrecôte €€ **(*) Cours 30 Juillet, 33000 Bordeaux. Ask us for how to queue (!).
No bookings, must queue - 26 km (last visit 2026). 12pm and 7pm. Queue well ahead.
Bordeaux’s busiest restaurant, weirdly the place we’ve been to most. Great steak-frites.

Zephirine €€(€€) **** 62 rue Abbé de l'Epée, 33000, Bordeaux. Worth a detour.
27 km (last visit 2025) Must book – google maps then online the simplest way.
A firm favourite of ours in Bordeaux: outstanding quality, service, original and fun.

Amicis €€(€€) ***(*) 19 Rue Mably, 33000 Bordeaux A newish favourite of ours.
27 km (GQ last visit 2025) Again, must book: google maps then online the simplest way.
Two in one: downstairs for the smart but cosy menu de marché, Michelin star upstairs.

Vivants €€(€€) **** 13 Rue des Bahutiers, 33000 Bordeaux Open for dinner only.
27 km (Last visit 2026) +33 9 78 13 55 Smallish dining room. Must book ahead.
You have to book the menu & number of courses: 6 for us wasn’t too many. Delicious.

Ressources €€(€€) **** 126 Rue Fondaudege 33000 Bordeaux One Michelin star
27 km +33 9 70 66 72 32 Outstanding cooking but only open for dinner on weekdays.
We must go again. A preference for the bigger tables at the front than at the back.

Au Bistrot €€(€) *** 61 Place des Capucins +33 6 63 54 21 14 33000 Bordeaux
25 km (last visit 2026) Popular with Bordelais. Traditional, easy-going, near the market.
Everyone seems to love this place. Enjoyed a fun and tasty lunch, hospitable service.

L’Univerre €€(€) *** 40 Rue le Cocq +33 5 56 23 10 53 Many fans among Bdx winos
Bistro with very good food with diverse & interesting wine list, esp beyond Bordeaux.

Café Français €€(€) **(*) 5 Place Pey Berland, Bordeaux opposite the cathedral.
27 km +33 5 56 96 69 (last visit 2024) Outdoor tables. Close to 470 stop from Créon.
Classic large bistro for outdoor lunch facing cathedral, and post 2pm menu. Not for all.

Le Noailles €€(€) *(**) 12 Allées de Tourny, Bordeaux +33 5 56 81 94 45 26 km
Classic French brasserie in the centre. Former favourite but food so-so when it’s busy.

La Tupina €€(€€) **(**) Rue Porte de la Monnaie +33 5 56 91 56 37 Bordeaux
Most famous Bordeaux restaurant? Mixed experiences: some love it, others less so.

Le Michel’s €€ **(*) ext 15 Rue du Pas-Saint-Georges, Bordeaux. Outdoor tables
We enjoyed a simple lunch outside at this charming spot on Tom’s 18th in October 2021 – and this is a street with bags of character to explore. Some good wines by the glass.

Le Petit Commerce €€(€) **(*) 22 Rue Parlement Saint-Pierre, Bordeaux
26 km +33 5 56 79 76 58 (last visit 2023) Busy street in the old town. Outdoor tables
Specialises in seafood, and fun for sitting outside and watching the world go by.

La Brasserie Bordelaise €€(€) **(*) 50 Rue St-Remi, 33000 Bordeaux
+33 5 57 87 11 91 Busy place on Rue St Remi, an area stuffed with bars and restaurants.
Brasserie Bordelais is like a tardis & an institution. Mixed reviews for quality but fun.

At a glance: Médoc restaurants

Le Saint-Julien €€(€€) ***(*) 11 Rue de Saint-Julien, 33250 St-Julien Beychevelle
68 km +33 5 56 59 63 87 (GQ last visit 2025) Can take a red if you buy a white or fizz.
Traditional restaurant with very good food, run by the colourful chef Claude and team.

Bistro des Vignes €€ *** (Hotel des Vignes et Anges) 3 Quai Albert Pichon, Pauillac
72 km +33 5 56 59 01 20 (Last visit 2026) Good hotel, recent revamp. Outside tables.
A very decent restaurant. Good value lunch menu. Popular with winemakers.

Café Lavinal €€/€€ **(*) Village de Bages, passage du Desquet, 33250 Pauillac
72 km +33 5 57 75 00 09 (last visit 2026). Outdoor tables Popular spot
Modern, comfortable bistro next to Lynch Bages winery. Enjoyed the last visit. Good.

Bistro Chez Mémé €(€€) *** 30 Rue de Saint-Julien, 33250 St-Julien-Beychevelle
68 km +33 5 56 73 85 32 (GQ last visit 2022)
Took Rick Stein for his ‘Long weekend in Bordeaux’ here. Classic, small bistro for lunch.

Le Lion d'Or €€/€€€ **(*) 11 route de Pauillac, 33460 Arcins +33 5 56 58 96 79
58 km near Margaux (last visit 2023). I’ve enjoyed this more than some friends have.
Traditional and famous lunch stop in the Haut-Médoc, north of Margaux on the D2.

Au Marquis de Terme €€€ **(*) 3 Route de Rauzan, 33460 Margaux
50 km +33 5 57 08 25 33 (GQ last visit 2023). Pricey wine list. Outdoor tables
We’ve had good but less good meals here. Just off the D2. Modern inside, fine terrace

La Maison d’Estournel €€(€€) **(*) Route de Poumys, St-Estèphe
+33 5 56 59 30 25 (Last visit 2022)

Le Bontemps €€ ** 5 place de commerces 33460 Cussac-Fort-Médoc
+33 9 83 02 14 16 – 60km (last visit 2024)
Handy small restaurant for unpretentious lunch on D2 between Margaux & St-Julien

Le Savoie €€ ** Margaux 33460 +33 5 57 88 31 76 Outdoor tables
I’ve enjoyed a good, inexpensive lunch with no booking/last minute, tho mixed reviews.

Brasserie du Golf, Relais de Margaux 33460 +33 5 57 88 38 30 Outdoor tables
Overlooks the golf course, good value set lunch. Went a few times, tho not for a while.

At a glance: Michelin star restaurants

The following are owned and run by wine producers

Lunch menus during the week will be better value than à la carte for dinner, as always.

All 25-35 km away

La Table de Pavie €€€€€ ****(*) 5 Place du clocher Saint-Émilion 2-star Michelin
25 km (last visit 2026) +33 5 57 55 07 55 Some good value wines, top terrace for drinks.
We’ve had some outstanding dinners thanks to generous friends. Tasting menus €250+

Logis de la Cadene €€€(€) ***(*) Place du Marché au bois, 33330
Saint-Émilion +33 5 57 24 71 40 – 25 km (GQ last visit 2023) Outdoor tables
Michelin starred, very good, expensive wines, a few outdoor tables on a pretty terrace.

Les Belles Perdrix de Troplong Mondot €€€€ **** Château Troplong Mondot 33330 Saint-Émilion +33 5 57 55 38 28 – 28 km (GQ last visit 2024)
Excellent, newly refurbished restaurant across the valley from the town of St-Émilion.

Les Sources de Caudalie €€€/€€€€ **(**) 33650 Martillac
+33 5 57 83 83 83 - 28 km (last visit a while ago)

La Grand’ Vigne €€€€ **** La Table du Lavoir €€/€€€ **(*) Outdoor tables
Several restaurants on a vineyard, one with two Michelin stars, another more relaxed.

Hôtel & Restaurant Lalique €€€€ **** – Château Lafaurie Peyraguey, 33210 Bommes +33 5 24 22 80 11 – 35 km (our last visit 2023)
Two Michelin stars and exquisite tasting menus, all beautifully presented.

The Michelin app is certainly worth downloading on your phone. As much for the ‘knife and fork’ places to seek out as much as for the Michelin-starred restaurants.

At a glance: on the coast

Club Plage Pereire €€/€€€ **(*) Plage Pereire, near Arcachon Outdoor tables +33 5 57 16 59 13
90 km. Regulars pre-2020 but yet to get back in! Always full online.
A popular, spacious summer restaurant on the beach near Arcachon. NB Book early.

Chez Hortense €€€ **** 26 ave du Sémaphore, La Pointe, 33970 Cap Ferret +33 5 56 60 62 56
100 km, on the sea (last visit 2025). Call to book Outdoor tables
Wonderful, classic fish restaurant with vine-covered terrace and views across the sea.

La Co(o)rniche

Restaurants by area:

Entre Deux Mers – recommended places

Restaurants by area: Entre Deux Mers – recommended places

The Entre Deux Mers is the large region, local to us, between the Dordogne and Garonne rivers.

Formerly La Table, which was deservedly popular, and admittedly first on the list because of the proximity. You can walk from Château Bauduc, or park up at the end of Rue Bauduc for the short walk into town and a safe, reasonably private drive back afterwards.

Chez Titut is on the main square and has a small frontage, though with a wider and attractive garden at the back. The modern French food, based on our experience and positive feedback from several guests in 2025/26, is pretty good and booking for the garden is recommended in high season. Inside, the ground floor is perfectly nice but you feel away from the buzz if you’re stuck up on the first floor when it’s busy.

There’s a weekday lunchtime menu which is great value - as of 2026 at €17 for two courses or €20 for three - and that’s when we ourselves use it the most, while the dinner menu is à la carte. Lots of guests have shared a rib of beef for dinner and given this the thumbs up, though try to correctly gauge the amount you need if ordering as a group. The wine list is not bad and the local whites, rosé and red from châteaux like Landereau are perfectly fine, while Le Petit de Smith Haut Lafitte rouge is very good at the upper end. Open for lunch and dinner from Tuesday to Saturday in summer but do check times on google. At busy times we’d advise going earlier than later to get your order in.

Les Halles de Créon €(€) ** Less than 1 km from Bauduc. Local. Open day/eve.
Handy deli, bar and eatery near Rue Bauduc. Choose from the deli and eat sur place.

Le Fournil boulangerie and patisserie, along with Les Halles (think ‘food halls’), is an impressive set-up near the end of Rue Bauduc in Créon. The owners have done a great job in recent years at building their small empire, with an emphasis on quality, fresh produce and value.

At Les Halles there’s the fruit and veg selection when you go in, and then the long delicatessen on your right. In the middle is a wide selection of food to take away or to eat on the premises. Beyond are the tables for the spacious bar and eating area, or take a place on one of the many outdoor tables. Order drinks from the bar, and there’s a fair selection of wines in a ‘cellar’ space, which cost €10 more per bottle when you buy a bottle for drinking there.

Le Caffe Cuisine €€(€) *** Place du Marché, 33420 Branne
+33 5 57 24 19 67 – 18 km from Bauduc (last visit 2025) Outdoor tables
Classic food with a modern twist, fun place. On the Dordogne, not far from St-Émilion.

Next to the Dordogne river and just by the main bridge in Branne that connects the vineyards of Saint-Émilion to the Entre Deux Mers. As such, this could equally be classed as a Saint-Émilion location. Le Caffe Cuisine, which has garden tables in summer, has an excellent lunchtime menu that’s good value.

More expensive in the evening, of course, but they serve very good, classic food - notably the steak, or côte de boeuf. The menus are on large blackboards which get taken around tables, a system which has its advocates. On the wine front the white from Château Tour de Mirambeau is a reliable, value pick and I’d probably ask their advice on the reds once you point out your budget. Positive feedback in 2026, and we’re fans, notably Ange who goes there occasionally for her ‘girls’ lunch’.

A well-known and popular restaurant, which serves good pizzas as well as a broad selection of modern French cooking. Decent wine list, not especially cheap but the big plus is that they are open every evening, whereas most are shut on Sunday and Monday nights. Comfortable and inviting inside, there are plenty of outdoor tables on the terrace above the fairly busy road. This gets consistently positive reviews from our visitors. €20 lunch menu but naturally pricier in the evening.

Restaurant de l’Abbaye €€ **(*) La Sauve +33 5 56 23 21 58 Better at lunch maybe?
5 km Tasty weekday lunch menu or a quiet dinner (last visit 2024) Outdoor tables
He cooks while she runs front of house. Good on terrace, we pay €5 corkage for Bauduc

Taken over by a young couple in 2024: he cooks while she runs the front of house. Very decent food, reasonably priced menu - especially for a weekday lunch - and ask them nicely if you can take a bottle of Bauduc as corkage/‘droit de bouchon’ is only €5 though you should leave a tip in that event.

Le Jardin des Mirabelles €/*tbc 68 La Réole lieu dit 33420 Camiac-et-St Denis
5 km from Bauduc. +33 5 54 99 00 00 We’ve been just the once for lunch - pretty good.
The restaurant of Château Camiac hotel nearby, under newish owners. Outdoor tables.
Positive feedback on the food and service from guests who have stayed a night before a week in our farmhouse (2026).

Inexpensive and local

Bistro Regent €€ ** Rondpoint de l’Entre Deux Mers, 33670 Créon
1.5 km +33 5 56 23 38 30 (our last visit 2022?) Just comes across as a bit functional.
A well-known, modern chain with formula for decent steak frites & special sauce.

Other meats, namely chicken and duck, or salmon available as an option. Modern dining room and not the most charming of places, and the address shows it isn’t the sexiest location. But they are open for lunch and dinner seven days a week (and until 14h30 for lunch which is quite late for France), there’s a car park, the food is pretty tasty and the wines are fair value.

Aroma pizza € ** 47 Boulevard Victor Hugo, 33670 Créon We’ve ordered too often.
1.5 km +33 5 56 23 99 75 Under new ownership from late 2025. Menu online on google.
Oven fired pizza as takeaways - it can get busy so you must phone for a time to collect.

Excellent pizzas handmade to order and cooked in a proper, wood-fired oven. So popular now that you’re given a precise time to come and collect your takeaway – so call early in the evening to avoid disappointment. Open from 6pm to 10pm, Tuesday to Saturday. You can eat in too, if it suits, which some recent guests have also enjoyed.

Saveurs Nomades €(€) ** 33670 Créon – 2 km – Local. Outdoor tables

Small restaurant up a side street in Créon off the main square, with an outdoor terrace. Maria makes a mean couscous, with lamb, chicken or vegetables – which can be available as a takeaway depending on the schedule. I think it’s just during the first week of each month. I need to go back.

McDonalds (?!) Le Petit Greley, 33670 La Sauve Perfectly ok ‘golden arches’ nearby.
2 km Nr Carrefour supermarket and petrol station. We don’t go there nearly enough.

Places to try – good ratings on Google…

Auberge du Lion d’or Place de l’Eglise, 33760 Targon
10 km We must give it a try it soon, probably for lunch.

L’Auberge d’Haux 133 Le Grand Chemin, 33550 Haux 7 km

Further away…

Felicita Trattoria Vayres - 17 kms
Michelin ‘knife and fork’ recommendation

Château Fage La Maison des Vignes Fage, 33500 Arveyres - 15 km

La Maison Georges 4 Place Cazeaux Cazalet, 33410 Rions - 17 km

La Table BioEthik 19 Route de Branne, 33410 Cadillac – 21 kms

Entre deux mers - other suggestions

La Cave Cadillac €(€) **(*) 24 Rue du General de Gaulle, 33410 Cadillac +33 5 57 98 66 04 – 20 km (GQ last visit 2022) Outdoor tables Must go back.
Charming wine bar, shop and tapas-style restaurant in Cadillac, next to the church.

Fair play to Claire Townsend who created this boutique wine shop and tapas-style restaurant at the end of 2018 to great reviews, and another in 2021 called La Cave in Bazas, the famous old town a little further south. Open Tuesday to Saturday 9am – 11pm, Sunday 9am - 7pm. The website is kept up to date with the latest menus and offerings. Fun plates for sharing and tapas, and a small terrace outside by the church. A worthy destination if you fancy a trip to Cadillac, an historic old town near the Garonne.

Auberge Saint-Jean €€(€) **(*) 8 Rue de Pont, 33420 St-Jean-de-Blaignac
+33 5 57 74 95 50 – 22 km (our last visit July 2021)
Michelin-starred dining in a modern room overlooking the Dordogne south of St-Emilion.
A good restaurant by a bridge over the Dordogne river in a village a few miles south of St-Emilion. A modern, comfortable dining room overlooking the river, and the charming lady who ran the front of house kindly allowed us to bring some bottles that we wanted to taste (our generous host ordered some expensive Champagne from the list to compensate). Michelin-style dining, quality food, attentive service, and a pretty good wine list. We should go back at some point.

La Maison du Fleuve €€(€) **? 33360 Camblanes-et-Meynac +33 5 56 20 06 40 13 km (We used to go but haven’t been back for ages) Outdoor tables
Fine setting on the Garonne but mixed reports from guests in the past. Stick to classics?
Stunning location in sunny weather, especially before sundown, right on the river Garonne, 15 minutes south of Bordeaux centre and the same distance from Créon. The food is pretty good without being exceptional. Mixed reports from our farmhouse guests a few years ago – best to stick to the simple favourite dishes. Everyone agrees it’s the location that makes it.

In Saint-Émilion itself – recommended restaurants

L'Envers du Décor €€(€) **(*) Rue du Clocher, 33330 Saint-Émilion Popular.
25 km (last visit 2025) +33 5 57 74 48 31 Well known, owned by Pavie Outdoor tables
Good brasserie, decent wine list, centre of town, with enclosed walled garden out back.

Under new ownership from 2017 when the Perse family of Château Pavie and the Hostellerie de Plaisance – now the Hotel de Pavie - took over. A huge improvement and this attractive brasserie is worth a visit if in Saint-Émilion. The menu is mostly traditional with a modern twist. Excellent food on the whole, including well-sourced oysters on ice, a solid, extensive wine list and efficient service (that’s our experience, at least). For a dry white, the local Entre-deux-Mers Château Tour de Mirambeau is good value.
Our advice is to be ready to order before your waiter starts to get twitchy if it’s getting quite busy. There’s an enclosed, large garden area out the back, next to the high church walls, with plenty of tables. Essential to book ahead though at busier times. This has a Michelin ‘knife and fork’ icon recommendation.

Open Tuesday to Saturday, lunch and dinner. Two Michelin stars and owned by the owners of Château Pavie – this is the restaurant of the Hotel de Pavie in the heart of Saint-Émilion. Formerly the Hostellerie de Plaisance and we didn’t go for ages because it was just so expensive, a bit fancy, and rarely on our radar.

However, it should be on the radar for a really special occasion, if only because the food is so delicious and some wines - above a certain price point (€80) – can be keenly priced. Some of the fine wines from selected producers, though mostly out of region it seems, are close to retail prices, which is to be applauded. It’s worth taking the time to look through the large list beforehand but do ask the sommelier, Benoit Gelin, for advice. Château des Tours, for example.

This is not an inexpensive place, by any means. The menus, as of 2026, are €160 for a five-course lunch, then two extensive tasting menus for dinner at €265 or €315. Make time for aperos on the fabulous terrace beforehand while you choose - and for that wine list. The dining room is quite tall and spacious, and the acoustics could be better, so for entertainment you really have to make your own atmosphere - perhaps with a table for four or six? But an experience, for sure.

Bought by the owners of Château Angelus in 2013, the Logis is a popular upmarket destination. It’s in a lovely location in the heart of St-Emilion, with a small, covered terrace as well as some dining rooms of varying sizes. It is much smarter than it used to be, with prices to match. The modern décor in the main room now embraces pale wood paneling, tables and floors, with white walls.

The 6- and 7-course tasting menus for dinner are actually fair value at €140 and €170 respectively (€255 and €320 with a wine selection per course). The simpler menu du marché for lunch is €65. The food is beautifully presented, at times delicious and deserving of its Michelin star. But the extensive wine list needs careful navigation. It’s best to choose ‘out of region’ - Rhone, Loire, some parts of Burgundy and so on - as most Bordeaux wines are listed with eye-watering margins (as of 2026).

Here are a few price comparisons of some quite well-known Bordeaux wines, showing the prices on the wine list at Logis de la Cadene compared with the same wines and vintages listed at a single, reliable retailer nearby - both prices include TVA (VAT), and the multiple of the Logis price over the retailer’s in brackets. I can provide the names:

€190 v €36 (retail x 5.3)
€295 v €71 (x 4.15)
€380 v €66 (x 5.75)
€500 v €137 (x 3.65)
€600 v €174 (x 3.45)
€1,600 v €468 (x 3.42)

I’ve included this as a warning that markups in some upmarket restaurants can be much higher than most customers would even imagine. It’s bonkers – and caveat emptor.

Of the 10 bottles of wine that we’ve ordered from the list at Le Logis in recent years, not one has been from Bordeaux, sadly. For obvious reasons.

This has a Michelin ‘knife and fork’ icon recommendation and deservedly so. We had an excellent dinner with friends in 2024, having not been for several years. A small, friendly place - low down in the heart of St-Emilion - with a quirky name for Brits to fathom (there’s not a pie in sight – un huîtrier pie is an oystercatcher, the seabird) yet there’s no lack of ambition. Classic French cooking with a modern style - the tasting menu in various guises was good value and well presented. The dining rooms are small and the building layout is a little odd but the service, food and the simple enough wine list were all tip-top.

Chai Pascal €€ **(*) 37 Rue Guadet, 33330 St-Emilion Almost café cum restaurant.
25 km (last visit 2024). +33 5 57 24 52 45 Simple and frequented by local winemakers.
Relaxed wine bar & restaurant which has a good value wine list. Smallish lunch menu.

A relaxed wine bar and restaurant in St-Emilion which has a good value wine list, a modest kitchen and is frequented by local winemakers. You can also take wine for a small corkage fee, though ask first, but there are plenty of reasonably priced wines, including from Castillon near to St-Emilion.

The charcuterie to share as a starter is good, and the plat du jour is always reliable. It’s not a big place, so booking is recommended. It has wifi as well as a big sofa, so it’s a good stop for having a glass of wine or a coffee, and a relaxed moment on your phone or laptop.

Saint-Émilion – other suggestions in the town

We haven’t been for donkeys’ years but we certainly should go. It changed hands a while ago and is now highly rated by many. On the rare occasion we’ve tried to book, it’s been full. A small restaurant in the centre of St-Emilion, opposite Le Logis de la Cadêne and close to L’Envers du Décor, Le Tertre has a Michelin ‘knife and fork’ icon recommendation.

La Petite Perdrix - excellent bakery to try out near the car park at the bottom of the village.

Le Clos du Roy Rue de la Petite Fontaine, 33330 St-Emilion
+33 5 57 74 41 55 - 25 km
Dinner only, Wednesday to Sunday. Small upstairs dining room and a few outdoor tables, that used to serve delicious food and was a big favourite with local vignerons. We haven’t been for many years but should revisit, despite mixed reviews.

Les Trois Fontaines 19 Rue de la Porte Bouqueyre, 33330 St-Emilion +33 9 81 85 76 04 - 25 km
Fun, quite spacious and open plan wine bar with food. Went recently but that was just to enjoy a bottle of wine with friends.

Around Saint-Émilion - recommended

Highly recommended. Open Tues-Sat, lunch and dinner. On a fine day this is a top spot, with lots of tables outside in cleverly shaded areas within a well-designed, extensive garden. Inside there’s a spacious dining room which is comfortable and tastefully decorated, with plenty of tables of varying sizes. Rural views too if you’re near a window. Added to which there are a few private dining rooms for slightly larger groups. (If you don’t want to be in one of those, if you’re 7 or more people for example, it might be best to tell them ahead. Likewise, if you’d like to be in one.)

The lunch menu is very good value, though there’s a limited choice: €31 for three or €26 for two courses (as of 2026). There's à la carte too, but that's at a different price point: €20+ for starters, €30+ for mains, €18 for cheese from the trolley, and €12+ for dessert.

The cheese trolley is excellent and it’s well worth taking a punt with that if you’re going for it. Preferably wedged in between the main course and dessert.

The wine list is well chosen and extensive, and goes well beyond Bordeaux, with top values being the Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé reds on a page near the front, with the ‘house’ wines from Château Petit Faurie de Soutard and Château Soutard next door, all listed at close to shop prices. Several vintages are on offer, and you can’t go too far wrong. Some excellent wines from around Bordeaux too, including good dry whites, and don’t be afraid to ask for even quite inexpensive Bordeaux reds to be decanted. There are some cracking values to be had and Bordeaux wines are moderately priced on the whole: hooray! There are some – notably expensive wines from the Médoc - that are toppy but you can’t have it all. Unfortunately, the list isn’t shown online on their website.

Several recent wines we’ve enjoyed (summer 2024 onwards) and all were relatively good value (all Bordeaux bar one Champagne):

Château Olivier blanc 2022, Pessac-Léognan
L’Esprit de Chevalier blanc 2022, Pessac-Léognan
Château de La Rivière blanc 2022, Bordeaux (inexpensive)
Charles Heidsieck NV Champagne (€58 – a bargain)
La Croix de Gay, 2016 Pomerol
La Fleur de Gay 2016, Pomerol
Roc de Cambes 2018, Côtes de Bourg
Château Larmande 2016, St-Émilion (inexpensive)
Château Petit Faurie de Soutard 2010, St-Émilion (inexpensive)
Château Soutard 2016, St-Émilion
Château Pavie Macquin 2016, St-Émilion
Domaine de Chevalier rouge 2015, Pessac-Léognan
Château Tertre Roteboeuf 2016, St-Émilion
Château Suduiraut 2016, Sauternes

La Table de Catusseau €€(€) ***(*) 86 Route de Catusseau, near 33500 Pomerol
25 km (last visit 2026) 6 km to St-Em +33 5 57 84 40 40. Book online. Outdoor tables
Fine, modern dining for a fair price in the heart of Pomerol. Eat in or on small terrace.

Highly recommended: La Table also has a Michelin ‘knife and fork’ icon recommendation. Fine yet unpretentious dining within walking distance of some of the most famous vineyards in the world, let alone Bordeaux - Le Pin, Petrus, Vieux Chateau Certan… Open for lunch and dinner, Tuesday to Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday.

A busy, modern dining room with a smallish but comfortable terrace to the side. Seriously good food and reasonable value too, and you don’t have to go silly with the wine list.

The menu options and choices are shown on their website, including the menu du marché for €30 for three courses at lunchtime on weekdays. There’s a €48 menu plus the à la carte selection. The wine list isn’t shown online. It’s pretty good though, with some reasonably priced wines from the local area.

There is also a fair BYO policy, eg for four people or more, you can bring a bottle of expensive (local) red if you buy a bottle of Champagne to start with. But you should check with madame first. She can be most accommodating but I wouldn’t mess with her.

Les Belles Perdrix de Troplong Mondot €€€(€) **** Château Troplong Mondot 28 km 5km from St-Emilion +33 5 57 55 38 (GQ last visit 2024) Highly recommended.
Michelin star cuisine, excellent. Lovely terrace for drinks first. Decent value fine wines.

Highly recommended. The whole place underwent a major renovation in recent years, and the restaurant deservedly has a Michelin star. I loved the old version of Les Belles Perdrix in its previous guise and the modern, minimalist dining room still has great views across the vineyards stretching down the hill and beyond.

But not all the tables have the view – in the summer of 2024 we had a large table inside but with no view at all, which was a shame, coming after the lovely seating outside on the terrace overlooking the vines with a bottle of vintage Champagne. Beautifully crafted dishes and the food was delicious. Some of the fine wines on the extensive list were happily fairly priced, which encouraged us to go reasonably large.

L’Atelier de Candale €€(€) **(*) 1 Grandes Plantes, Saint-Laurent-des Combes
26 km and 3 km from St-Emilion +33 5 57 24 15 45 (last visit 2026) Outdoor tables
Pretty terrace overlooking vineyards and a tasty, value lunch menu. Decent wines.

Open for lunch and dinner in summer. Attached to Château Candale and owned by Magali and Thibault Decoster of Clos des Jacobins. I’ve enjoyed lunch and dinner here in the past, both inside and out on the large terrace. These days you can book online and a lunch outside in 2026 was very good. Friendly and efficient service and tasty food, and that was just the lunch menu. The château’s Saint-Émilion red by the glass is at a fair price too.

Le Clos Mirande €€(€) *** 9 Mirande, 33570 Montagne 6 km north of St-Émilion
32 km +33 5 57 74 50 16 (last visit autumn 2025) Outdoor tables with vineyard views.
Classic French cuisine, and very good with it. Some fair value wines. Most enjoyable.

Lunch and dinner from Tuesday to Saturday. We’ve been here on and off for many years and it’s never let us down. (We’d probably go more often if it wasn’t the other side of Saint-Émilion from us.) A charming spot, a value lunch menu and extremely good for dinner. I last had a tasty dinner with friends in October 2025. Not overly fancy but well-presented, reliable and with some delicious elements. Fairly priced wines with a few value, local options on the list - from the Saint-Émilion ‘satellite’ appellations like Montagne St-Émilion - that you might not have heard of. (We liked a Château St-Georges 2016 from St-Georges St Emilion) So it’s worth asking.

A modern, open air restaurant on the roof of the winery at Château La Dominique, out of town and quite close to Libourne. Right next door is Château Cheval Blanc with its modern winery, and opposite sit the vineyards of the plateau of Pomerol, such as L’Evangile and La Conseillante. A spectacular setting, yet in the past I thought the terrific location gave the food and service a much-needed leg up (several visits).

However, this changed with some meals post-2021 which were pretty good, despite a run-in over a moderately priced bottle of 2005 Pomerol (€150) that was horribly oxidised. Hilariously the manager had the (embarrassed) young sommelier return the rejected bottle to our table in a brown paper bag, with the instructions that we could take it home as it wouldn’t be credited off our bill.

At which point we thought it best to cancel another expensive wine that we’d ordered as a replacement, as the moment had passed. (We won the argument over not paying for the faulty bottle but my friends David, Lynn, Jane and Nigel didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.) The wine list is only viewable on an iPad, which personally I find tiresome unless the list is extensive (it isn’t) but it’s, well, that sort of place. Visitors in 2025 liked it, the food’s good and the terrace is terrific if the weather is in your favour. I need to go back to regain more confidence.

Under new ownership since 2019 and I enjoyed both a good value lunch and a much more expensive dinner here in 2020, and a couple of quite toppy overnight stays with business colleagues since 2022. This large, quite ostentatious hotel has seriously upped its game and it’s also popular as a spa destination, and more recently for weddings. A fine outdoor space, although I’ve always eaten inside. Quite modern yet formal in style, it’s ambitious though not cheap and it can be fairly quiet – if there’s not a wedding party - but really it’s pretty good. To be fair I’ve had more breakfasts in the ornate dining room than either lunch or dinner. I should give the restaurant another go, for lunch maybe – it has a Michelin ‘knife and fork’ icon recommendation.

Two inexpensive restaurants for lunch on the ‘right bank’
Near Saint-Émilion, Pomerol, Castillon and on the Gironde near St-André-de-Cubzac

Routier: ‘Roadside restaurants originally designed for lorry drivers and now well known for providing high-quality food at reasonable prices.’

On the main road Libourne to Bergerac road, just outside St-Emilion near the Union des Producteurs co-operative at Bigaroux. Inexpensive, lunch only, and very busy.
Must return as it was great value spot for the local pros, workers and artisans. I think the menu is still around €15 for soup, starter, mains, cheese, dessert and wine.

Les Platanes 30 Route de Périgueux 33500 near Pomerol +33 5 57 51 99 64
25 km. Great value, tasty food for lunch near Pomerol on the busy, main N89 road.

On the main N89 near Pomerol, NW of Libourne. Value place for locals, buffet starter, plats du jour. Get there early. Lovely tarte aux pommes as I recall. Used to go a fair bit and must return.

Also try

Les Maronniers €€ ** 2 Grand Rue, 33570 Montagne +33 5 57 74 60 42

Bordeaux – city centre

You have to like steak-frites and the wine list is restricted to just two Bordeaux reds, two whites and a rosé. After a starter of salad with walnuts, the finely sliced beef arrives on a silver platter in a delicious sauce, and leave room for the second helping of frites which is welcome and dangerous. For best results, when asked about the cuisson, order the beef ‘à point’ (medium rare) or ‘saignant’ (rare) or a mixture if you like for four or more. Anything else isn’t really acceptable.

There’s a wide choice of classic puddings, like the famed chocolate mousse - delicious - or profiteroles and so on. No bookings are allowed and as this is the busiest place in town, queue about 15-30 minutes before midday for an early lunch or likewise for an early supper queue – someone should be in the queue at least 30 mins before the doors open at 7pm, or you risk a longer wait later on. Proof that keeping it simple really works if the product is right.

Open for lunch, Wednesday to Saturday, and dinner from Tuesday to Saturday. Probably best to book online – it’s a smallish restaurant so do make sure you cancel in good time if you can't make it. We love the food and the atmosphere at Zephirine - and it's a little different. It has a Michelin ‘knife and fork’ icon recommendation.

The idea is that you share the starters (and main courses if you like) whether you’re having lunch or dinner and, weirdly, it works. The lunch menu is €36 on weekdays and €43 on weekends and holidays, and that's for three courses. The two-course option is €30 on weekdays only. For dinner, it's €72, which includes three starters to share, a main course, and dessert. (Prices are for 2026.)

You feel well looked after by the Front of House team, especially because some of the dishes require a bit of explanation after you’ve gazed at the options on the blackboard. And then the cooking is superb. Highly recommended.
It's a good wine list too, and I've often found myself going out of region rather than going for the Bordeaux options, which in themselves are pretty good anyway.

The food at Amicis is delicious. You can go for lunch and their ‘menu du marché’ on the ground floor, or the Michelin-starred ‘gastronomic’ dinner on the first floor. (We’ve also been put upstairs at lunch as we needed a larger table.) Both menus are published on their website as is the wine list, which is pretty useful because it's an extensive one.

The ‘menu du marché bistronomique’ is great value at €34 for three courses or €28 for two. Lunch Monday-Friday. Don't be put off by the slightly unusual sounding dishes because everything I've had on these menus has been extremely tasty.

The à la carte evening menu on the first floor has starters around €30, mains around €40 and desserts below €20. There’s also the prized tasting menu with seven courses for €115 (the Michelin star experience). With that you can have a wine matching experience with four glasses for €65 or six for €90.

As for the wines there's a wide choice. There are plenty of options where you don't have to spend a fortune to enjoy a quality wine - around €40 to €70 - but most of the Bordeaux Cru Classés are understandably into three figures. I've enjoyed some very good whites and reds for below €60 but they're no longer on the list, so I'd ask the sommelier for a recommendation, depending on your budget. Or of course have a good look at the wine list online before going.

Vivants €€€(€) **** 13 Rue des Bahutiers, 33000 Bordeaux Open for dinner only.
27 km (last visit 2026) +33 9 78 13 55 Smallish dining room. Must book ahead.
You have to pre-order the menu & number of courses: 4 or 5 isn’t too many. Delicious.

Tuesday to Saturday, dinner only, except (an inexpensive) lunch too on Friday. We loved the dinner we had here in 2026 for a small birthday celebration for five of us. The modern, seasonal French food was exceptional, and every part of the pre-booked, four-course menu was delicious - and not too much. Or was it five? We also ordered some small appetisers which were terrific.

Don’t be put off by the number of (blind) courses that you have to reserve upfront when booking – a 3 course menu costs €45, or 4 for €60 or 5 for €75 (2026). Trickier still, in my one experience, was the clunky credit card guarantee system online: on the upside it probably improves availability of tables as it’s a small restaurant. There aren’t many larger tables either for four or more.

My suggestion would be to go with others who perhaps don’t have any special dietary requirements, based on what some friends (including a vegetarian) have said. There’s a huge wine list with some seriously priced bottles if that’s your thing. We went out of region and - after a check with the two knowledgeable ladies who were looking after us - enjoyed a tasty Saumur dry white from the Loire and a fine Morgon red from Beaujolais. For around €100 a head for five of us, all in, this felt like a bargain for such inspired cooking and delicious food, served by a friendly and efficient team.

Vivants, which opened in 2023, deservedly has a Michelin ‘knife and fork’ icon.
Its more senior sister restaurant is Ressources, which opened in 2022 and gained in Michelin Star in 2023.

Ressources €€€(€) **** 126 Rue Fondaudege 33000 Bordeaux One Michelin star
27 km +33 9 70 66 72 32 Outstanding cooking but only open for dinner on weekdays.
We must go again. The big sister restaurant to Vivants, and this has a Michelin star.

We had a delicious dinner here with friends way back in December 2022 and we should certainly go again. But it is dinner only, Monday to Friday, which is a minor restriction for us hard-working country types. This is the sister restaurant to Vivants, another favourite, with Ressources being the more senior sibling as it opened in 2022 and gained a Michelin star in 2023. Vivants opened in 2023, and has a slightly lower key, more bistrot feel to it, and the menu selection is slightly cheaper than Ressources: the 4 course menu at Ressources costs €70, with 5 courses for €90 or 6 for €110, whereas the Vivants menu starts at €45 for 3 courses and the 4 course one costs €60. (2026 prices.)

The wine list was excellent so it would be good to see how it’s evolved (hopefully not too expensively) and if memory serves the tables at the front of the restaurant, notably the larger ones, looked more fun than the two-seater options at the back.

Au Bistrot €€(€) *** 61 Place des Capucins +33 6 63 54 21 14 33000 Bordeaux
25km (last visit 2026) Popular with Bordelais. Traditional, easy-going, near the market.
Everyone seems to love this place. Enjoyed a fun and tasty lunch, hospitable service.

Highly rated by friends who live in the city and when we suggest it to other friends, they always like it too. We had an enjoyable lunch in 2026, all very relaxed, tasty food, with efficient and friendly service. Terrific value. The wine was good too, and this was randomly proposed by the owner as it had just been delivered and hadn’t been included on the list. It’s that sort of place. Recommended.

L’Univerre €€(€) **(*) 40 Rue le Cocq +33 5 56 23 10 53 Many fans among Bdx winos
Bistro with very good food with diverse & interesting wine list, esp beyond Bordeaux.
Small restaurant that’s probably best known for its diverse wine list. Haven’t been back since 2019 so should give it a go.

Le Noailles €€(€) *(**) 12 Allées de Tourny, Bordeaux +33 5 56 81 94 45 26 km
Classic French brasserie in the centre. Former favourite but food so-so when it’s busy.

We’ve always liked this classic brasserie in the centre of town, and it’s in a fine location too. However, in September 2025 we had a decidedly ‘mixed’ experience on a midwek evening when they were, to be fair, extremely busy. My fillet steak was very good but others weren’t so impressed with the food at all.

A classic brasserie in the centre of town in a fine location. A popular choice if you’re looking for classic French food in a busy, typically French restaurant on one of Bordeaux’s finest streets. The round tables for 5 or 6 people in the window are fun spots to book if the number fits, but we’ve enjoyed our lunches at the back as much. Nothing too adventurous here, menu wise – but the steak tartare is excellent, though ask for the spicier version. Reasonable wine list, with some decent values around €35-50 a bottle. Mixed reports from guests in 2025.

Café Français €€(€) **(*) 5 Place Pey Berland, Bordeaux opposite the cathedral.
27 km +33 5 56 96 69 (last visit 2024) Outdoor tables. Close to 470 stop from Créon.
Classic large bistro for outdoor lunch facing cathedral, and post 2pm menu. Not for all.

Location, location. This fairly old-fashioned restaurant with a huge terrace area facing the newly cleaned cathedral, and adjacent to the Hôtel de Ville, is a fine spot to sit outside with friends and family and enjoy French classics like steak tartare with frites, or copious salads, with reasonably priced and attractive wines. Or go just for drinks. There’s a reduced menu after the normal lunchtime hours so a late lunch, which is not always easy to find, is at least possible here.

The vegetarian options are limited, and service is professional and friendly - in our experience - if a little unhelpful at times apparently. This gets decidedly mixed reviews online as it’s a touristy spot - but sit in the right spot, go for the classics and choose good, mid-priced wine and you’ll be just fine. (Easy for us from Château Bauduc as it’s a short walk from where the express 470 coach from Créon, and ends up at the Place de la Republique, or the Musée d’Aquitaine stop.)

Le Pressoir d’Argent €€€€ ****(*) Gordon Ramsay. Place de la Comédie, 33330 Bordeaux +33 5 57 30 43 04 – 26 km
Gordon Ramsay’s fine dining room in Le Grand Hotel deserves its two Michelin stars.
This is Gordon Ramsay’s fine dining restaurant in the smartest hotel in Bordeaux, and a terrific location opposite the Grand Théatre. Based on one dinner that we were treated to back in 2018, the food was sensational and utterly delicious. The service too was excellent. As can be expected at this level – it has had two Michelin stars since 2022 - it is a properly expensive restaurant, with a wine list and prices to match. We really need to go back for a special occasion – or perhaps just for a cheeky lunch. As it’s years since we went there we’re relying on Michelin and our Gordon’s reputation with our star rating.

La Tupina €€(€€) **(**) Rue Porte de la Monnaie +33 5 56 91 56 37 Bordeaux
25 km Classic south west France cooking, a place much loved by our friend Rick Stein.
Most famous Bordeaux restaurant? Mixed experiences: some love it, others less so.

The traditional South West cooking and classic décor, set in a narrow cobbled street behind the quays, seems to have as many distractors as fans these days. We have had both really good and indifferent meals in recent years, but most recently it was excellent, though the ‘bought in’ desserts aren’t great and it is pretty expensive. Still recommended though for its atmosphere, cooking and the uncompromising menu of classics. La Tupina notably has a Michelin ‘knife and fork’ icon recommendation.

There’s a car parking service and they will allow you to bring your own wine if you ask in advance, for a hefty fee - the wine list is seriously toppy. Corkage, or droit de bouchon, might still be available for a hefty whack.

Exploring the old town

There are scores of excellent, smallish restaurants in the attractive older parts of Bordeaux, many with a few outdoor tables when the weather demands it. Head to the area around Rue St-Remi, through to Place de Parlement and beyond to Place Camille Jullian for starters, though there are plenty of other areas to go to.

Le Michel’s €€ **(*) ext 15 Rue du Pas-Saint-Georges, Bordeaux. Outdoor tables
We enjoyed a simple lunch outside at this charming spot on Tom’s 18th in October 2021 – and this is a street with lots of character, to explore. Some good wines by the glass.

Le Petit Commerce €€(€) **(*) 22 Rue Parlement Saint-Pierre, Bordeaux.
26 km +33 5 56 79 76 58 (last visit 2023) Busy street in the old town. Outdoor tables
Specialises in seafood, and fun for sitting outside and watching the world go by.

Big bistrot Girondin €€ **(*) 64/66 Rue Saint-Rémi, Bordeaux. Outdoor tables
Lunch outside in May 2022. Good sharing plates, because the group didn’t have enough time to dig deeper in the menu. Plenty of space inside too and the quality of the food and service suggests it’s worth revisiting.

La Brasserie Bordelaise €€(€) **(*) 50 Rue St-Remi, 33000 Bordeaux
+33 5 57 87 11 91 Busy place on Rue St Remi, an area stuffed with bars and restaurants.
Brasserie Bordelais is like a tardis & an institution. Mixed reviews for quality but fun.

A busy spot in Rue St Remi, the narrow street in the centre of Bordeaux, between the Bourse and the Place de Parlement - an area stuffed with bars and restaurants. Brasserie Bordelais is like a tardis, given the small frontage and substantial interior. Great steak - griddled on the fire – with no shortage of alternatives. Sizeable, well thought-out wine list with plenty of Bordeaux values. The red wine is stored and served a tad warm for our liking, so don’t feel embarrassed if you want to ask for an ice bucket. A thumbs-up from guests who went in 2023, though it was a slight case of 'can't go too far wrong' rather than wild excitement.

Also recommended for drinks

Bar à Vins €/€€ **(*) 3 Cours du 30 juillet, Bordeaux
On the ground floor of the Bordeaux wine bureau (CIVB), opposite L’Entrecôte and close to the Grand Théatre. A large, smart bar serving a good selection of Bordeaux wines by the glass, at very reasonable prices. There are often queues to enter. Tables outside as of summer 2020.

Night Beach bar €€€ *** 2-5 Place de la Comédie, Bordeaux
The roof terrace bar on top of the Grand Hotel in Bordeaux, opposite the Grand Théatre, with spectacular views of the city. Outdoor tables.

South of Bordeaux – Graves and Sauternes

Les Sources de Caudalie €€€(€€) **(**) 33650 Martillac +33 5 57 83 83 83 - 28 km

La Grand’ Vigne €€€€ **** La Table du Lavoir €€/€€€ **(*). Outdoor tables
Several restaurants on a vineyard, one with very fine dining and another more relaxed.

The best hotel in the region is set in the vineyard of Château Smith Haut Lafitte and is well known for its fabulous Vinothérapie spa. There are two good restaurants – the two Michelin-starred La Grand’ Vigne – and the less formal La Table du Lavoir, which is stylish too and has a charm about it. Good wine list if very pricey in parts. I’ve been to both restaurants several times in the past but not since the pandemic, so we really need to return. The fact that La Grand’ Vigne still has two Michelin stars is a strong indicator that standards haven’t fallen.

Sauternes

Hôtel & Restaurant Lalique €€€€ **** – Château Lafaurie Peyraguey, 33210 Bommes +33 5 24 22 80 11 – 35 km Two Michelin stars and exquisite tasting menus, all beautifully presented.

Two Michelin stars, and it shows. We were lucky enough to be treated here one Saturday night in June 2022, and this is a gastronomic adventure. There was no à la carte for dinner at this newish establishment, just two tasting menus, one of which was vegetarian, the other mainly vegetarian but with two small additions of smoked eel (not everyone’s idea of a nice fish dish) and sweetbreads (likewise for meat). When the five of us chose the latter option, two opted for lamb in lieu of the sweetbreads, and the lamb itself turned out to be the tiniest and neatest of lamb cutlets. That said, everything was delicious, all impeccably prepared in the impressive kitchen into which we had a prime view from our table.

It was more of a journey than a meal, and the service was impeccable too, and uplifting. A terrific young sommelier worked hard, decanting and pouring, and advising of course. His wine list was a veritable tome, with an extensive list of wines from many of the leading châteaux in Bordeaux. There were numerous top estates represented, each with several vintages on offer. It’s an impressive list for sure, notably going well beyond Bordeaux, as can be imagined for a two-star Michelin. We drank very well, though my question at the time was whether the food was the right match for so many top Bordeaux reds. Or was it the other way round?

A friend who came to see us was on his way there (in 2026). He reported back the next day: “Extraordinary - every mouthful was delicious and the presentation was beautiful beyond anything I can recall. It seemed a shame to spoil it by putting your fork in! Didn’t finish until after midnight though (the meal) so we are feeling slightly jaded this morning!”

La Chapelle €€(€) *** Château Guiraud, 33210 Sauternes +33 5 40 24 85 45 – 36 km
A really charming, professionally-run bistro in the grounds of this famous Sauternes estate. Great for a reasonably priced lunch, and good wines as you’d imagine. Definitely worth a visit, not least if you’re looking at châteaux in the area, like Châteaux d’Yquem, Suduiraut or Rieussec down the road.

The Médoc – recommended restaurants

Or, more accurately, the Haut-Médoc along the route des châteaux - the D2 – to the north of Bordeaux on the ‘left bank’ of the Gironde estuary.

Coming from Bordeaux, heading north: Margaux area

Au Marquis de Terme €€(€) **(*) 3 Route de Rauzan, 33460 Margaux
50 km +33 5 57 08 25 33 (GQ last visit 2024). Pricey wine list. Outdoor tables
We’ve had good but less good meals here. Just off the D2. Modern inside, fine terrace.

Au Marquis de Terme is just one of two restaurants in the whole of the Médoc with a Michelin ‘knife and fork’ icon recommendation. It’s a joint enterprise between Château Marquis de Terme, a Grand Cru Classé estate in the famous appellation of Margaux, and chef Grégory Coutanceau. After a really encouraging start when it opened in 2021 there have been mixed reports from visitors, but it’s still worth the short detour off the D2 if you’re exploring the vineyards nearby. It’s open 7 days a week for part of the year, though check online.

The cuisine and dining room, which is over two floors, is thoroughly modern, which can feel a little out of step with the architecture of neighbouring châteaux and the strong sense of history of the surrounding vineyards. There are plenty of tables within - and outside as well on the attractive terrace, if the weather allows.

There’s a lunchtime ‘menu du marché’ on weekdays for around €33 for three courses (less for two), a more upmarket ‘retour de vignes’ at €57 for lunch or dinner, or the full monty ‘menu du Marquis’ for around €100. The food is good and the wine selection too, although prices have crept up a bit. Surprisingly on my last visit in warm weather there were no affordable dry whites from Bordeaux at all, although we did enjoy the fine Château Kirwan 2015 red, from around the corner, at a fair price. I need to return to see if they’ve rectified the dry white situation (the wine list isn’t shown online).

Two other restaurants at Margaux châteaux:

La Cantine de Château Palmer
I’d like to try this out. Open for lunch on weekdays.

La Table de Nathalie
Another new, interesting weekday option, at Château Marquis d’Alesme.

Some other restaurants in Margaux:

Brasserie du Golf, Relais de Margaux 33460 +33 5 57 88 38 30 Outdoor tables
Overlooks golf course, good value set lunch. Went a few times, though not for a while.

Le Savoie €€ ** Margaux 33460 +33 5 57 88 31 76 Outdoor tables (last visit 2023)
I enjoyed an inexpensive lunch with no booking/last minute, though mixed reviews.
The menu du jour here was very good after I stopped for a lunch outside, without a reservation. Several reds on offer by the glass and, all in all, it more than did the job.

Nomade 3 Rte des Châteaux 33460 Labarde +33 5 56 35 92 38
Michelin ‘knife and fork’ icon recommendation – tiny place but v highly rated. I must go.

North of Margaux, on the D2

Le Lion d'Or €€(€) **(*) 11 route de Pauillac, 33460 Arcins +33 5 56 58 96 79
58 km near Margaux (last visit 2023). I’ve enjoyed this more than some friends have.
Traditional and famous lunch stop in the Haut-Médoc, north of Margaux on the D2.

Classic regional cooking and some dishes – lampreys stewed in red wine, pig’s trotter, kidneys, various offal and so on - are possibly not for the fainthearted but are extremely tasty. Seasonal produce too, such as local asparagus from Blaye in the spring. Unless things have changed (since 2023), you can take a bottle of red but not white (they like to sell you an aperitif or a white wine with your starter). Le Lion d’or is a classic, and even if friends have been a little underwhelmed on occasion when we’ve been, I should take note soon of the plat du jour that’s written on the big board outside, right on the main road, and give it another crack when the dish looks tasty. Seems rude not to.

Le Bontemps €(€) ** 5 place de commerces 33460 Cussac-Fort-Médoc
60 km +33 9 83 02 14 16 (last visit 2024)
Handy small restaurant for unpretentious lunch on D2 between Margaux & St-Julien

I’ve stopped off here a few times for a quick lunch. And I’ve always liked it. Simple, tasty and good local wines by the glass.

Heading north: Saint-Julien, Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe

Saint-Julien Beychevelle

Le Saint-Julien €€€ ***(*) 11 Rue de Saint-Julien, 33250 St-Julien Beychevelle
68 km +33 5 56 59 63 87 (last visit 2025) Favourable €15 corkage, but NB for red only.
Traditional restaurant with very tasty food, run by the colourful chef Claude and team.

The chef-owner Claude Brossard has invested a small fortune in smartening up and expanding his well-known establishment on the D2, adjacent to some of the most famous vineyards in the world, let alone the Médoc. The striking (Chelsea?) blue décor might not be to everyone’s taste, but it just about works.

It’s closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. For best results go for some of his classics, like lobster salad followed by roast lamb. We’ve always enjoyed the food here while Philipp, our Swiss importer, is a particular fan of Claude and the Saint-Julien. The gastronomic menu is €60 for three courses (2026) with a few options. Consult the website for details.

The wine list is properly toppy at the upper end, to say the least. So it’s great that you can bring bottles of red - from neighbouring châteaux, naturally - with a modest corkage fee of €15 per bottle (according to signs & website in 2026). I’d check though when booking. No corkage is available for dry whites or Champagne, which you are obliged - perhaps not unreasonably - to order from the list. There are some less expensive reds on the list and there’s an impressive temperature-controlled wine cellar next to the dining room. I have lost count though of the number of bottles of fine Bordeaux red I’ve taken to Le St-Julien, when we’ve gone as a small group, and my role is buyer/cellarmaster/sommelier.

Bistro Chez Mémé €(€) **(*) 30 Rue de Saint-Julien, 33250 St-Julien-Beychevelle
68 km +33 5 56 73 85 32 (GQ last visit 2023)
Took Rick Stein for his ‘Long weekend in Bordeaux’ here. Classic, small bistro for lunch.

I took Rick Stein and his TV crew here years ago for his Long Weekend series on BBC, and it worked a treat. Rick’s director, David Pritchard, loved this place when we went up to do the recce trip a few weeks before and it lived up to its promise on the big day. It’s a fairly small, classic French bistro with simple yet tasty cooking in a famous Médoc village, right on the D2.

Run by an enthusiastic fellow, and some good value wines given the location. Essentially a lunchtime venue for when you’re visiting châteaux up here, and service can be punctual if needed. The plat du jour is usually more than acceptable for a swift, inexpensive option to the main menu. Terrific Haut-Médoc reds for the money, given that the top appellations are often just too expensive for restaurants like this now.

Pauillac

Café Lavinal €€(€) **(*) Village de Bages, passage du Desquet, 33250 Pauillac
72 km +33 5 57 75 00 09 (last visit 2026). Outdoor tables. Ask for the ‘old wine’ list.
Popular, comfortable bistro next to Lynch Bages winery. Enjoyed the last visit. Good.

Great location next to the spanking new(ish) winery at Château Lynch Bages and a popular destination for locals and wine tourists alike. Book online. It’s part of a village-style set up, with a bakery opposite that’s also owned by the Cazes family. I’ve been many times to Café Lavinal for lunch and occasionally dinner, with mixed results. It can be frustrating when you take guests who are looking for the best possible experience: we are, after all, close to some of the most famous wine estates in the world. If your expectations aren’t set too high then I think you can comfortably enjoy this, assuming you get good service and choose well from the menu – and, preferably, the wine list too.

On the latest visit in late April 2026, four of us enjoyed a really pleasant dinner. For the mains, two of us went for the Côte de boeuf and it was cooked just right. The service was also very good. There’s also an extensive wine list which is published on the website. The wines of Château Lynch Bages feel prohibitively expensive here so we chose La Dame de Montrose 2016 for €130. Do ask for the ‘old wines’ list, which have several Bordeaux that might be considered a risky purchase. We had a Château Phelan Segur 2000 for quite a bit less, so that turned out to be a steal. Both were decanted and both excellent wines in their way. (You don’t have to spend that much for a decent bottle on the list, mind.)

Le Bistro des Vignes €€ *** (Hôtel des Vignes et des Anges) 3 Quai Albert Pichon
72 km Pauillac +33 5 56 59 01 20 (last visit ‘26) Fine choice of wines Outside tables
A very decent restaurant, with good value lunch menu. Popular with local winemakers.

The ‘Hôtel 4* des Vignes et des Anges’ on the quais in Pauillac was previously called the ‘Hôtel de France et de l’Angleterre’ for several decades, so it’s always been a bit of a mouthful. It underwent a complete re-build and transformation, having been quite grotty for some time, and re-opened in 2023 as part of the Premier Best Western group. It’s a modern, comfortable hotel and fair value for anyone wanting to stay in or around Pauillac. We’ve stayed a few times overnight when visiting châteaux in the area.

Thankfully the restaurant is simply called Le Bistro des Vignes and they also do a fine job. Inside it’s again quite modern and the main dining area takes a leaf out of the restaurant Le Saint-Julien’s style guide with quite gaudy, royal blue décor, notably on the mezzanine floor. The pleasant bar area is a little easier on the eye. Outside there are lots of tables for when the weather’s good, with the edge of Gironde estuary a short walk away across the pavement and the occasionally busy road. I think this is when the restaurant comes into its own, outside, at lunchtime, and the presence of numerous winemakers is of course a positive sign.

The three-course lunch menu is €28, with two for €24 and the plat du jour alone at €20. The menu itself is shown each week online, so that can be helpful. The cooking has consistently been up to a professional standard – with some very good dishes - and the service has always been prompt for me. And most welcome in Pauillac – home, after all, of some of the most expensive wines in the world - is a list which carries plenty of affordable bottles and by-the-glass options. The list can be seen on the website which is also a plus. Highly recommended for that affordable, lunchtime pit-stop between château visits.

La Salamandre €€(€) **tbc 15 quai Léon Perrier, 33250 Pauillac +33 5 56 59 24 87 – 80 km (last visit pre-pandemic). Outdoor tables
Great location on the quais in Pauillac, facing the estuary, but very hit and miss food.

This is a busy and well-situated eatery, located close to the Hotel des Vignes, right on the quais in Pauillac facing the Gironde estuary. It used to have a great value wine list for Cru Classés and a wide choice of food. After a few less than thrilling experiences a while back, I should probably give it another go.

Of late, I’ve only used it for an afternoon expresso reviver or an early evening beer with friends, mainly because the terrace is a fine spot and easy parking is close by. There’s a choice of the bar menu or the full restaurant menu, with atypical food and oversized portions. The moules frites are popular. It gets busy outside in the warmer months so booking is advised for tables for lunch on the terrace.

Saint-Estèphe

La Maison d’Estournel €€(€€) **(*) Route de Poumys, St-Estèphe
88 km +33 5 56 59 30 25 (last visit 2022)

This is the hotel and restaurant under the same ownership as Château Cos d’Estournel, a few miles away from the main estate. I stayed there just the once and it’s most comfortable, with lovely views across the park and vineyards beyond. The restaurant and kitchen do a great job and I should return at some point. Expect to pay reasonably handsomely for a glass of Cos – between €15/€20 for the second wine (Pagodes de Cos) and €35 or more for the Grand Vin.

Le numéro 33 €€ **tbc 33250 Port of St Estephe
90 km Formerly Le Peyrat +33 5 57 75 10 28 Outdoor tables
I only mention this as I’m keen to give it a whirl in its new guise. Le Peyrat used to be a great value lunch spot near St-Estèphe, frequented by local wine people and artisans. Off the beaten track, right on the Gironde estuary near the back door of Châteaux Montrose, Meyney and Phelan Segur. Good menu for locals inside, while outside it’s the more expensive tourist menu only. At least that’s how it used to be, to our great amusement.

On the coast - so quite far

Chez Hortense €€€(€) ***(*) 26 ave du Sémaphore, La Pointe, 33970 Cap Ferret 100 km, on the sea (last visit 2025). +33 5 56 60 62 56 - Call to book. Outdoor tables
Wonderful, classic, old school fish restaurant with vine-covered terrace with sea views.

On the coast and this has always been a firm favourite of ours in the summer. Two lunches in 2026 – one with family, another with great friends from England – confirmed it’s still the place to go. Open at weekends in June through to late September, and daily in July and August. Closed in the low season. It’s hard to check opening times online as it’s not clear on Google Maps or anywhere. You must book ahead - do book ‘sur la terrasse’ - and it’s worth the long drive for lunch or supper, when combined with a day trip or a long stroll up the beach. Avoid the busiest times as the traffic can be grim. (You’d have to check which beaches might be accessible close by as things change down there on the point.)

Take the signs to ‘La Pointe’. It’s a super spot with views over the opening of Arcachon bay across to the Dune de Pyla - and more importantly simply great seafood. Try the moules cooked in oil, garlic, bacon and breadcrumbs, with frites, followed by fresh, grilled turbot. Order one moules between two – no more. It’s relaxed, very French and informal. Order a good Entre Deux Mers dry white, like Château Turcaud, which is close to us, or a Graves white - there are other fair priced wines on the list but no need to go grand.

I took Rick Stein there to film his ‘Long Weekend’ in Bordeaux and we had a wonderful time with madame, her son and their team – including in the kitchen. Preceded by the recce trip (mussels, turbot, etc) with the late, great David Pritchard, Rick’s director and producer, and his wife Fiona. Happy days then, happy days now.

Club Plage Pereire €€(€) **(*) Plage Pereire, near Arcachon. Outdoor tables 90 km. +33 5 57 16 59 13 We used to be regulars, yet to get back in. Always full online. A popular, spacious summer restaurant on the beach near Arcachon. NB Book early.

A great location for a large summer-only beach restaurant, near Arcachon. Must book, especially for the outside tables. This place has mixed reviews but we’ve been many times – in sunny weather, mind - and always had a really good time with family and friends. Reasonable prices with lots of choice from tapas to fish and seafood, and burgers, and good wines too without crazy prices. Plus a terrific view out from the beach to the Bassin and the open sea. Snooze the lunch off on the beach afterwards and stroll along by the water’s edge and then back along the promenade near the road. Great day out as long as you avoid any heavy traffic both in out of Arcachon.

Pinasse Café €€(€) ** in Cap Ferret was good but we haven’t been for ages.

Le Ponton €(€) ** 105 Avenue de l’Herbe, 33950 Lège Cap Ferret +33 6 87 74 88 56 (our last visit summer 2020). Outdoor tables

One of many oyster restaurants you’ll find on the Cap Ferret side of the Bassin, or far away across the water opposite on the approach to Arcachon. Le Ponton is in a great setting overlooking and above the water, and plum next to a small but charming beach. It’s also alongside numerous other oyster shacks in this Village Ostréicole. This is one of the smarter ones and we really enjoyed the oysters (medium probably being the safest size to go for), the chilled prawns, shellfish and paté de campagne, and a bottle of our neighbour’s white from Château Thieuley. Worth booking a table right at the water’s edge for the view. Good service and terrific value for such a treat. You can park up at the top and walk down the beachside steps. We had a morning coffee outside the Hotel de la Plage, just a short walk away.

L'Ajonciere €€, Plage du Porge, 33680 Le Porge (last visit summer 2021) As much to recommend the Atlantic beach as this perfectly acceptable restaurant nearby, in truth. A lovely day out in the sun, and off the beaten track when the traffic to Cap.

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