Bordeaux is perhaps the world’s most storied wine region, long putting the destination on the map for bon vivants and gastronomes. There are chateaux and wineries, wine bars, and wine shops galore. And if you’re in the wine trade or a noted oenophile, you’ll be in your happy place.
But if a frenzied burst of nonstop wine touring is a bit of a heavy-handed pour, you might be pleased to discover that there’s much more to the region, and the city itself, than you may have been expecting. It’s a worthy add on for a trip to Paris and more than holds up as a getaway on its own. There’s a wonderful dining scene, no shortage of culture, art, and shopping to while away the days, and has the beauty of a historic French city and its idyllic surrounding countryside.
Stay at the New Mondrian
The Mondrian Bordeaux Les Carmes opened in November 2023, ushering in a new era for Bordeaux’s luxury hotel scene and touch of swank within the city. Staying in Bordeaux proper, as opposed to retreating to the countryside, also places you amid the action for a thriving scene worthy of exploration.
The hotel, redesigned by Philippe Starck, is housed within a wine cellar and estate from the 19th century. The combination of its roots and original structure with a contemporary edge makes for an appealing stay that has a historic feel boosted with modern creature comforts.
There’s a stylish restaurant and bar from the likes of chef Masaharu Morimoto, the eponymous Morimoto Bordeaux, his first in Europe. But the property’s standout feature is dedicated to indulgence in a different form. Its spa and holistic wellness center showcases a sultry heated indoor pool and lounge, along with a hammam, sauna, and treatments featuring products from Kos, Codage, and Ménard. The pool overlooks the hotel’s green courtyard, one of its many little gathering nooks that encourages you to grab a seat and slow down, whether with a glass of wine in hand or not.
Visit the Region’s Best New Festival
Storied wine producer Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, which has a three-century history stretching back to 1720, has begun an exciting new tradition in the region. Its annual harvest-season food festival is entering its fourth year in 2025, and showcases the best of Bordeaux in a way that isn’t usually centered: the local people and producers.
Spearheaded by winemaker Bruno-Eugène Borie’s passion for all things Bordeaux, the festival is capped by a raucous harvest feast with hundreds of revelers positioned down several enormous, lengthy tables. Leading up to the main attraction are food stands and trucks, agricultural and livestock events, a cooking competition, and of course, plenty of flowing wine.
“My ambition is to open this festival up to the world, in addition to my fellow friends in Bordeaux,” Borie says. “We want to celebrate by showing our property and showing this community who we are.”
The fact that it’s held on Ducru-Beaucaillou’s incredible estate makes the experience that much better. Its immaculate grounds are surrounded by vineyards, and includes the family home as well as the production winery itself. The site is otherwise closed to the public — as opposed to many other producers, it is not even open for scheduled tours and tastings — making this a rare chance to get an insider’s look. “All my childhood was spent here,” Borie says. “I still love it here.”
Explore Bordeaux’s Bar & Restaurant Scene
Fine dining is abundant across Bordeaux, with a dozen Michelin-starred recommendations and several dozen more listings and recommendations. Le Pressoir d’Argent from Gordon Ramsay — located at the InterContinental Grand Hotel Bordeaux, the other top choice for a stay within the city — Maison Nouvelle from chef Philippe Etchebest, and L’Observatoire du Gabriel from chef Bertrand Noeureuil are among the names to know.
Of course, as with anywhere in France, visiting only the lauded, fancier restaurants is a disservice. Much of the best eating can be found in local institutions. Consider Le 1925, a popular brasserie with several dining rooms and spaces. Deceptively simple regional specialties and seasonal offerings line the menu, backed by a wine list some 800 labels strong. You cannot go wrong.
When your palate needs a change of pace from wine, consider popping into A Bar with Shapes for a Name. It’s a new outpost of London’s highly touted Bauhaus art movement-influenced bar run by Remy Savage and Paul Lougrat. The drinks, presentations, service, and ambiance are all highly conceptual, with house libations featuring unique re-distilled spirits.
Bordeaux’s Cultural Highlights
Outside of the city, head to the heart of the region’s wine country, Saint Emilion and Medoc. Here, visit a favored producer or embark on a guided tour to one or several visitor-accessible vineyards and tasting rooms. In Bordeaux, the Museum of Bordeaux natural history museum, as well as MusBA, or the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux, are at the top of the list, along with the Grand Theater of Bordeaux.
And yet there’s no escaping that wine is what Bordeaux is known for, and to say that the beverage quite literally built up the city and the region is no exaggeration. Visit The Cité du Vin as an interactive way to explore that background, along with the world of wine at large. When the museum opened in 2016, it helped to change the idea of how to showcase wine and build an in-city experience dedicated to it. Take in multimedia spectacles such as cinematic flyovers of different wine regions, and learn about how the planet and the environment shape what ends up in your wine glass. Of course, there are plenty of tastings and workshops, as well as other one-off events and exhibitions, so be sure to check their calendar to see what’s on offer.
Getting There: Flight connections are abundant between Bordeaux and Paris, but the train provides a comfortable and civilized option as well. Direct routes between the two cities takes only two hours, and once you see for yourself the convenience of hopping on and off between each city center, you’ll come to understand the beauty of a little secret: many Parisians decide to split their time between the locales, while the Bordelais relish the close-by capital but prefer the charms of their lower-key home.
Featured Image Courtesy of Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou; Travel Curator may earn a commission from booking links on this page.
