Bordeaux, France: a City Tasting Tour

You can’t come to Bordeaux without tasting its famous canelés. This little cake, soft inside and crisp out, flavoured with rum and vanilla, has been the pride of the city since the 17th century.

To taste a canelé worthy of the name, locals will certainly recommend that you head for La Toque Cuivrée, a Bordeaux establishment featuring large canelés (70 cents), lunch canelés (50 cents) or “bouchées” (40 cents). The shop also takes orders online for those who are unable to get there in person.

When someone mentions southwest France, we necessarily think of duck. As confit, foie gras, terrine or magret, it is enjoyed in all its forms, provided it is well made. For a quality duck, go to Maison Lafitte.

This duck specialist has received many medals at the general agricultural competition, including the 2014 gold medal for its foie gras mi-cuit au poivre.

Less known than foie gras but every bit as delicious, Aquitaine caviar is a pleasure for those special occasions. The caviar specialist here is none other than Sturia, a quality firm that has been producing sturgeon caviar for twenty years near Bordeaux.

To find all the products made by this local brand, head for the Caviar Galerie. There you’ll find a wide range of products centring on fish, as well as terrines created by the Michelin-starred chef Philippe Etchebest. The specialist vendors here will even be able to guide you to the products best suited to your expectations and will suggest recipes and tips to enhance the caviar.

The media-loving Philippe Etchebest opened his new restaurant, Le Quatrième Mur, last September on the grounds of the Bordeaux’s Grand Théâtre. A stay in the Bordeaux area is the perfect opportunity to scope out this Meilleur ouvrier de France’s restaurant, which also has a brasserie corner and a bar.

Another starred chef recently set up shop in Bordeaux: Gordon Ramsay. The Brit has breathed new life into the Pressoir d'Argent since October 2015, betting on luxury local products. Caviar, Bazas beef and foie gras... Gordon Ramsay intends to make French food even better with his touch of Scottish madness.