With
its glorious wines and exquisite cuisine
full of finesse, the Bordeaux region
is a magnificent gastronomic centre,
with Bordeaux as the capital of gourmet
pleasures. Restaurants abound in the
city. It wouldn't be fair to single
one out as they all do their utmost
to maintain the city's long-standing
reputation as "Gourmet Bordeaux".
Oysters from the Bassin d'Arcachon,
which bring the salty tang of the Ocean
Sole from the Côte d'Argent
or 'Advocates Tongues' from the Bassin
d'Arcachon
Pibales, tiny eels
prepared in the crisp and crunchy 'Spanish'
style
Eel Fricassee
with the flavours of lightly browned
garlic and parsley intermingled
Lamprey
served in a 'Bordelaise' sauce based
on red wine
Shad,
fished from the river from April to
June and grilled over vine twigs
Sturgeon,
which gives caviar and melt-in-the-mouth
flesh
Foie gras
served partially cooked or still in
its fat
Purple and green asparagus from
Blayais and the Landes respectively
Cep mushrooms
gently cooked with chopped garlic and
parsley
Young lamb from Pauillac
tender and slightly tangy
Bazas beef entrecote,
a famous attraction during the "Boeuf
Gras" fair
Entrecote bordelaise,
sprinkled with parsley and grilled over
vine twigs
Palombe (woodpigeon) salmis,
served in a wine sauce with garlic croutons
Caudéranaise snails,
traditionally eaten on Ash Wednesday
Royans,
freshly-caught sardines - eaten raw
or cooked over a wood fire
Tourin,
a soup cooked with garlic and thickened
by eggs -
the egg yolks
overcome the sharpness of the stock
Tricandilles,
pork tripe seasoned with garlic and
a dash of finely ground fresh pepper
Grenier médocain, the
local andouillette and
gratton de Lormont,
a sort of terrine
Canelé
the local pastry delicacy - both creamy
and crunchy
And
all of this washed down with one
of our very best red wines from
Graves, the Médoc or Saint
Emilion de Pomerol, or a more
modest, but still generous wine
from the Côtes de Bourg
and the Côtes de Blaye or
one of our dry or medium dry white
wines from Entre-Deux-Mers and
Graves or the more mellow or liquorish
Premières Côtes de
Bordeaux and Sauternes wines.
And let's not forget the frank
and attractive charms of Bordeaux
and Bordeaux Superior wines.
Oysters from the Bassin d'Arcachon,
