Eating is a very serious matter, and enjoying what's on your plate is even more so. However, gourmets and connoisseurs agree on one thing: there's no better taste than surprise. It's the restaurants that bring it all about that create stars in the eyes and then in the bellies, the dishes that shake us up and make us feel nostalgic... and above all, it's the warm atmospheres that create beautiful memories. So, dear readers, here's the Petit Futé's selection of the Top 11 unusual restaurants in Bordeaux.
1. La ferme de Bruges, feeling like you're in the countryside without leaving the city
Living in the city isn't all rest and relaxation, and to be honest, a little break is never too much. La ferme de Bruges is like being in the countryside without having to drive for hours. Located just a few minutes' drive from Bordeaux, this charmingly rustic restaurant is one of the best value for money in town. Wash-house, old well; the bric-a-brac inside and out... you'll feel right at home here enjoying traditional brasserie dishes. In summer, the atmosphere is festive, with a friendly guinguette feel. This is one of Bordeaux's unusual restaurants that you won't want to miss!
Address: 9 avenue de Chavailles, 33520 Bruges, Bordeaux, France
Prices : Starter, main course and dessert menu from €26.80
Good to know: The guinguette on the Bruges farm is called La Fermette. It's a place to sing, dance and eat tapas, but it's also the ideal place for after-work parties.
Even though we love a bit of the countryside and Bordeaux is the city, we love wandering around, visiting museums and discovering new addresses. Are you there for the weekend? Check out our 17 must-do things to do in Bordeaux.
2. Chez les Ploucs: one of Bordeaux's unusual restaurants where no fuss is made!
Let's go and eat at Chez les Ploucs! If, like us, you follow L'amour est dans le pré assiduously every Monday, the spirit of Les Ploucs might just appeal to you. Checked tablecloths, potholes, bales of hay... as they like to say in this unusual restaurant in Bordeaux: happiness is in the meadow. At Les Ploucs, you won't have to worry about a thing, the staff are all dressed in dungarees and berets, and welcome you with a smile, warmth and good humour. On the à la carte menu, which is written out like a schoolboy's notebook, there's no fuss either: Tonton Arsène's giant salad, Mère Plouc's cassoulet, boudin with garden apples and frérot's chocolate mousse... the dishes are generous and delicious. Once you've eaten your fill and left the restaurant, you'll feel like you've really embraced the Plouc way of life.
Address: 10 rue des Faussets, 33000 Bordeaux
Prices: Starter, main course and dessert menu from €19.80
Good to know: The restaurant offers a children's menu, main course + dessert, enough to delight your little ones.
The Ploucs' art of living also means enjoying Bordeaux without spending huge sums of money. That's why we've put together a selection you just might like: check out our Top 11 free things to do in Bordeaux.
3. La Grande Poste, a restaurant and lively venue
La Grande Poste, an address that goes down like a letter in the post. Built in the former post and telecommunications centre in Bordeaux, this restaurant is a real place of life. Every month there's a new menu, always more tempting than the last. Whether it's for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a drink in the evening, this huge space will give you a warm welcome. In the evening, the place transforms itself into a tapas bar and a theatre (with a varied programme!)
Address: 7, rue du Palais Gallien, 33000 Bordeaux
Prices: Starter + main course / main course + dessert €20, full menu €25
Did you know? On the first floor of the Grande Poste, there are the échoppes. These are temporary shops designed to showcase local craftspeople and artists each month.
Even though La Grande Poste offers breakfasts, we saw you coming. You're on the sweet and savoury team, so your favourite food is brunch. Just in time, discover the 10 best brunch addresses in Bordeaux.
4. Meals for geeks, one of the unusual restaurants in Bordeaux for immersing yourself in pop culture
Star Wars, Back to the Future, Chihiro's Journey... so many memories. We're all a bit geeky at heart, so it's safe to say that you'll love Le Repas Pour Geek, a restaurant where you can enjoy a delicious meal while immersing yourself in pop culture. Surrounded by figurines from mythical films and video game objects, you'll enjoy fine cuisine with dishes such as espuma of onion soup, cod curry and onigiri. For those with a sweet tooth, there are cookies and muffins to round off the meal.
There are good films... and good food, and Le Repas pour Geek is definitely one of them.
Address: 51 Rue de la Fusterie, 33000 Bordeaux
Prices: Starter, main course, dessert €25 / €15 starter + main course or main course + dessert
Individual dishes from €7 to €16
Does this selection of unusual restaurants appeal to your geeky side? Then you'll also find yourself in the Top 15 unusual things to do in Bordeaux.
5. Ganache, almost caged but with panache
You're feeling oppressed, a bit like you're locked in a cage. Don't count on Ganache to take away that feeling with its original decor. Surrounded by pretty wooden cages, you'll delight in fine French cuisine. Lovers of traditional cuisine and keen to discover new addresses, you'll be won over not only by the dishes on offer but also by the wine that goes with them.
Very dear gourmets, whether it's for a romantic dinner, a meal with friends or a business lunch, you'll be singing in the cage, the melody of happiness, that of your well-filled bellies.
Address: 43, rue Saint-Rémi, 33000 Bordeaux
Price : Set lunch menu at €24 (starter, main course, dessert). Evening menu from €50
Unusual is all very well, but are you looking for something exceptional, refined and delicate? Discover our article Exceptional restaurants in Bordeaux.
6. Blind Bordeaux, from Love is blind to Drink in blind, there's only one step away
Are you a big fan of Love is Blind? We're offering you the same thing, but in a restaurant version, with Blind Bordeaux. In the heart of Bordeaux, comfortably seated on the terrace or in the dining room, in a cosy, chic setting, you can discover wines from all over the world. While guessing the grape variety and origin of the contents of your glass, you can pick a savoury treat from a Basque and South American-inspired sharing board. In the end, Blind Bordeaux is like good wine that improves with age: the more you visit, the better wine connoisseur you'll become.
Address: 12, rue Castelnau d'Auros, 33000 Bordeaux
Prices: Menu from €49, average glass of wine between €6 and €8
Good to know: Blind Bordeaux takes great care with the wines you taste. The sommeliers open and serve the bottles behind the counter to check the quality of each wine.
The best thing to do one evening is to eat at the restaurant and then, once your stomach is full, go back up to your hotel room in not even two minutes, lie down on a bed... and seal up. Fancy doing the same? We'll help you choose from the best hotel restaurants in Bordeaux.
7. Sicambre, a restaurant cruise on the Garonne
Whatever the season, weekday or weekend, you love being near the water. In summer, you can sip a drink by the sea, but in winter, it's a bit more complicated. But getting away from it all on the water's edge isn't all that difficult. Sicambre is a boat restaurant offering a meal cruise on the Garonne. With a three-course menu, you can discover Bordeaux from the Garonne, but also from your plate.
Address: Opposite 24, quai des Chartrons, 33000 Bordeaux
Prices: Garonne menu from €59
Good to know during or after your meal, you can sit out on the terrace for a drink and a view.
If you were looking for something a little out of the ordinary, this restaurant-cruise has just what you're looking for. It would be a shame to stop there, so check out our top 10 unusual places to stay in Bordeaux.
8. Dans le noir, one of the unusual restaurants in Bordeaux where you can only see the flavours
Did you love the concept of Blind Bordeaux? If that didn't scare you too much, we'd like to take things a step further with a Dans le Noir tasting. We'll get you ready! You arrive at the restaurant. Once through the front door, a blind or partially-sighted waiter escorts you to your table. You're in a room plunged into total darkness.
Did you know that? You can't take a photo of the restaurant because the menus and tables are kept secret. So the surprise is guaranteed!
Now it's time to get your bearings. You fumble around the table, find your cutlery and serve yourself (not without difficulty) water and wine. The first course arrives, and you have no idea what ' s on your plate (or even where it is exactly). You find your cutlery and begin your tasting. Only the flavours, textures, aromas and sensations can guide you now. With the other guests in tow, you embark on a collective guessing game. Each of you tries to enlighten the other about your plate. When you leave, you'll feel excited, you've had a great time and, above all, you've enjoyed yourself.
Address: 63, rue Lucien Faure, 33300 Bordeaux
Prices: Full menu from €54
Looking for a gift idea? Treat your nearest and dearest to a Blind Bordeaux dinner from among the various offers available on the website.
You love the concept, but when you think about it... you've got your toddlers with you. Is it really a good idea to take them along? Before you go on wracking your brains, here's our Top 10 kid-friendly restaurants.
9. Wave Surf Café, surfing your appetite until a burger catches up with you
Ever wondered if it's possible to surf in Bordeaux? We have! To make your dreams come true, head to the Wave Surf Café. Artificial waves at 25 degrees, a 35-50 minute session of bodyboarding or surfing with an instructor... it's tempting, isn't it? Especially for the after-work snack. That's all we need to tell you... just Pizza, a burger, surfing and Bordeaux: it's enough to make you jump in head first, isn't it?
Address: 170, cours du Médoc, 33300 Bordeaux
Prices: €10 on average
Good to know: Musical evenings and artistic events are organised at the end of the week.
Water activity, burger, pizza... You're thinking straight away of your kids, for whom these 3 words are a bit like Christmas. Only problem is, you're on a weekend in Bordeaux and you haven't got a swimming costume in your suitcase. Don't panic, here are our top 15 activities to do with children.
10. K Baroque, a theatrically good address among Bordeaux's unusual restaurants
What would this selection of unusual restaurants in Bordeaux be without a cabaret restaurant? A little less cheerful, that's for sure. K Baroque has a purple, theatrical and romantic decor. Nestling on the Quai des Chartrons, overlooking the Garonne, the restaurant's fairytale atmosphere is a showcase for gastronomy. Hearty and delicious, this address is perfect for a dinner for two or with friends.
Address: 1, quai des Chartrons, 33000 Bordeaux
Prices: Menu from €60
You were more than delighted to find yourself in the dry, in a warm cabaret atmosphere, but the meal is over and above all, it's (almost) obvious: when it's raining, you can't decently spend your day in a restaurant. Are you sceptical? Let us prove it to you with our article: What to do in Bordeaux when it's raining.
11. The central Pub: focus on the good stuff and rock 'n' roll attitude
For all you pub-lovers out there, the Petit Futé has found you a new address in Bordeaux. The Central Pub is a restaurant with a terrace, in a vibe that we love: rock and roll attitude! Great English food, giant salads with warm goat's cheese, flammekueches and homemade burgers, there's something for everyone on the menu. After your meal, will you be tempted by a game of pool upstairs? We'd love to! The Central Pub is a place where you feel right at home, divinely well.
Address: 7, quai des Queyries, 33800
Prices: Starter + main course or main course + dessert from €23 / full menu from €28
It's so nice to feel at home somewhere other than your beloved little house. That must be what the good life's all about... At the same time, it's not all that surprising to feel that way when you're in Bordeaux. Did you know that Bordeaux is a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
