Dynamic Gastronomy
Image credit : La Grande Maison
In March earlier this year, Michelin-starred French chef Joël Robuchon opened a restaurant at La Grande Maison – a small boutique hotel located on the city’s left bank owned by wine magnate and art collector, Bernard Magrez. The “Chef of the Century”, as Robuchon was crowned by the Gault et Millau guide in 1989, is the most Michelin-starred chef – 25 at the last count, and has restaurants all over the world. With his newest Bordeaux venture he is aiming for three stars, which will make it the first in Bordeaux! Surrounded by sumptuous old-world interiors, the restaurant also boasts a huge Bordeaux wine list, including an impressive 259 Grands Crus.
Image credit: Le Pressoir d”Argent
Last month Gordon Ramsay launched Le Pressoir d’Argent, in the heart of Bordeaux, opposite the city’s opera house. It’s a fine-dining restaurant situated in the five star hotel, Le Grand Hôtel de Bordeaux & Spa. The space is Ramsay’s second restaurant to open in France and is headed up by Executive Chef, Gilad Peled. Gordon Ramsay has said of the opening: “To open a restaurant in the wine capital of France with its world-class vineyards and glorious regional produce is extremely exciting.”At the beginning of September, two-Michelin starred French chef and host of Cauchemar en Cuisine – France’s equivalent to Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares, Philippe Etchebest, opened his newest restaurant, the Quatrième Mur next to the city’s theatre. With his first restaurant based in Saint-Émilion, the chef knows the region well, but his opening in the city of Bordeaux goes to show how important it is for him to be a part of the culinary culture of the region.
Image credit: Le Figaro
With three openings in such a short space of time, we’re sure others will follow suit, cementing Bordeaux as a foodie centre! And many of Bordeaux’s châteaux are also opening restaurants, attaching them to their vineyards to not only introduce the wines to visitors, but also to showcase how well their wines pair with food. Château La Dominique is a great example: a terrace restaurant (La Terrasse Rouge) was incorporated into the renovation of the new wine cellar designed by French architect Jean Novel. Overlooking the Saint-Émilion vines, it opened last year and has become a favourite amongst Bordeaux wine fans and locals.
Introducing the Street Stars of Bordeaux:
On the flipside and probably not what you would expect from Bordeaux is a whole fleet of ‘premium’ food vans that have opened over the past year in Bordeaux.
These include: Rolling Jack (hot dogs and club sandwiches), B.B.S. (burger, bagel, samosa), El Taco del Diablo (this gourmet taco truck also has a small restaurant in the Jardin Public, open lunchtimes only). The truck moves around the city depending on the day, but is always on Place des Chartrons on Monday nights.
Bon appétit!
