Welcome to Bordeaux’s premier nightlife guide.
On this page, you’ll discover the vibrant and varied nightlife scene in Bordeaux. You’ll find the perfect venue for you and your preferred night out. Whether you want to go all-out clubbing or if you’d like a more laid back dinner and drinks with a view, we’ve got your covered.
Enjoy!
An Intro to Bordeaux, France
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonnein the Gironde department in southwestern France, it is the sixth-largest in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, and Lille. Its inhabitants are called “Bordelais” (for men) or “Bordelaises” (women). The term “Bordelais” may also refer to the city and its surrounding region.
Being at the center of a major wine-growing and wine-producing region, Bordeaux remains a prominent powerhouse and exercises significant influence on the world wine industry although no wine production is conducted within the city limits. It is home to the world’s main wine fair, Vinexpo. After Paris, Bordeaux has the highest number of preserved historical buildings of any city in France.
Here in this article, we will provide all the necessary information related to nightlife attractions of Bordeaux, including comprehensive information related to it’s most excellent destinations:
The Nightlife of Bordeaux
Recommended to plan your visit to Bordeaux during your next vacation, indeed it will be a classical & traditional journey to the “sleeping beauty” (the city’s nickname) and will be a great experience, but imagine if you could live a typical “bordelaise” nightlife experience. Well, it surely suffices to mention here that, you will not be disappointed at all during your trip, as the city features an abundance of nightlife options to suit any taste.
Walk on the docks
You will be amazed walking aside the docks of Bordeaux in the late evening. After a beautiful day out in the historic heart of Bordeaux, it is time to walk on the docks. Take a VCub and discover the ‘Rive Droite’ (right bank of the river), going from the Pont Chaban-Delmas to Pont de Pierre. To rest after this bike ride, take a break on the lawns of the docks like any self-respecting Bordelaise!
The Bordeaux wine festival
The largest city of wine without a wine festival is justice denied. Every year in June, Bordeaux celebrates a great wine festival. In the heart of the city, a road of 2km filled with winemakers and traders eager to meet with you and discuss their wines. Make sure you have as Pass Dégustations (A Tasting Pass), and you can enjoy a few good glasses of wine to shake your liquor desire!
A trip on the seafront
Are you tempted to visit the Pyla Dune on the coast? Arcachon is just a few kilometers away. Come and enjoy the sun on a beautiful Atlantic coast sandy beach with the oyster menu, bread, butter and of course white wine to accompany your lovely and quality time. Enjoy a sunset at the top of the Dune du Pyla, breathtaking views and impressive colors await you.
Best Bars in Bordeaux
The city is comparatively small and all the places to go out are in concentrated, walkable areas. In Bordeaux, you can start drinking during Happy Hour and switch bars every hour until the last call and you won’t have to walk more than 20 feet. Check out our recommended options here for the best bars available in Bordeaux and all are ready to make you happy and kill your liquor desire:
Point Rouge
Don’t be fooled by the sober entrance of “Le point Rouge”, because as soon as you enter this venue, you will be mesmerized by the chic décor and will immediately feel at ease thanks to its cozy atmosphere, cool playlist, and friendly staff. With plenty of choices for original cocktails and drinks, you will be all set to spend a wonderful evening.
Meltdown
The Meltdown is not just a sports bar, it is an e-sports bar! People who are into gaming will be delighted as the staff provides everything you need, free of charge. You only pay for what you drink and can stay for as long as you want. Once your game is over, take your drink and watch the best e-sports events, which are streamed at the bar.
Les Chantiers de la Garonne
You must feel relaxed while sitting on a long chair, feet in the sand, a cold craft beer in hand, all along with listening to some soothing lounge music as the sun goes down. Experience this blissful moment after booking a spot at Les Chantiers de la Garonne. You should also order a plate of seafood to share to go along with your wine and enjoy the rest of your evening. Great memories guaranteed.
La Comtesse
La Comtesse has built its reputation on its cocktails, the mojitos are to die for. There is real flair in its mix of vintage furniture and baroque decoration, shamelessly pairing chandeliers and gold frames with plastic dolls and kitsch religious imagery to give the whole place an offbeat, slightly otherworldly feel.
Best Bar Restaurants in Bordeaux
Bordeaux has some pretty fancy restaurants, which flatter the wines with a dining ceremony that is almost excessive. But dining in Bordeaux doesn’t necessarily have to be posh. The city is also steeped in traditions from southwestern France and its heartier dishes. Here we have come up with some of the best and premium restaurants in Bordeaux, so get your teeth into the dishes at these restaurants:
Belle Campagne
Occupying a duplex space in the city’s increasingly hip Saint Pierre district, this attentive locavore table details the provenance of everything it serves on its seasonal menu, which changes every two months. It is the bounty of the farms of south-west France, including recent dishes like a velouté of white asparagus from Les Landes and free-range organic guinea hen filet stuffed with foie gras.
Racines
The master chef offers a short chalkboard menu of two starters, two mains, and two desserts daily, and they vary according to his inspiration and what he finds in the markets. An excellent recent meal here began with grilled scallops with orange and parsnip cream, then cod with a sort of risotto made from finely diced potato and celery, and a passionfruit dessert. Friendly service, good wines by the glass and fine value for money.
La Cagette
A prix-fixe lunch menu at La Cagette is one of the best buys in Bordeaux, and it is fascinating to watch the chef cooking dishes like quiche with Tomme cheese and green onions, meatloaf, sea bass roasted with chermoula (a Moroccan spice mix), and simple desserts like freshly made yogurt with strawberries and orange-flower water.
Le Chien de Pavlov
Bordeaux native Mary Henchley and Breton Maxime Rosselin are the duo behind this lively contemporary bistro where the good-value menu changes with the season. Dishes such as crab and makrut-lime ravioli, sea bream with pink lentils and citrus yuzu sauce, and a honey soy sauce and ginger-garnished veal chop with salsify (a herb-like vegetable) for two, show off their love of bright flavors and contrasting cosmopolitan tastes.
Best Nightclub in Bordeaux
If you are a late-night party lover, you can enjoy a more serious club scene on the waterfront near the Saint-Jean train station. Along Quai du Paludate, the clubs don’t open until midnight and don’t close until the following morning. Refer our recommendations here and keep the nightlife activities going on at the optimum best night clubs in Bordeaux:
Calle Ocho
Imagine the surprise, as four locas from Miami (two of whom are marooned in Europe suffering from pachanga withdrawal), to stumble upon a bar called Calle Ocho in Bordeaux. This place is straight out of Little Havana in Miami, complete with Cuban flags, mojitos, and people banging on pots and pans to salsa music.
L’Empire
One of the renowned and frequent nightlife spot this classy little joint called L’Empire, which looks like an overpriced restaurant in the evening. It is local enough that they played French music that had the entire place bursting into song. They had a good mix of contemporary club songs and old school hits including Michael Jackson and AC/DC. Honestly, any DJ that can transition from the Spice Girls to Nirvana gets the seal of approval.
La Plage
Rocking it for a good couple of decades, La Plage (or The Beach) is an enormous nightclub with an imposing all-black façade on the quayside and several dance floors inside. DJs spin all sounds.
Mancuso
‘Delicate music, drinks, and food’ is the driver of this chic retro-styled café & night club, named after New Yorker DJ David Mancuso who made The Loft private parties so famous in NYC during the 1970s. Dedicated audiophiles can play and listen to vinyls – all sounds – over coffee or craft beer, a simple ceviche or salad lunch, or shared evening plates.
Conclusion
Let us sum up things, here in this article we went through a brief introduction of Bordeaux along with a brief introduction of city attraction. We also went through different activities and places to enjoy the nightlife.
We then went through a comprehensive list of bars available in the city. These exotic and swanky bars are just awesome and worth visiting. No doubt, Bordeaux has some of the classic and cozy bars to cater to your boozing needs.
To fulfill your food craving we also looked at a list of bar-restaurants which provide delicious and exotic culinary experience along with a touch of booze. This delightful and amazing combination of food and booze pushes the limits of Nightlife entertainment and adds a great value to your journey.
And finally, we explored a detailed list of nightclubs of the city that provide premium nigh-time entertainment for your optimum satisfaction. Make sure to give a try the above recommendation which will add value to your tour, so that you won’t regret yourself choosing bad options.
Video To Watch To Discover
How is the nightlife in Bordeaux?
Bordeaux’s nightlife has always been vibrant and restless. Packed with restaurants, bars, and nightclubs, the city has everything to please electronic or rock music aficionados, be they gay or straight, students or in their thirties… In Bordeaux, the nights will fly by, and it is not uncommon to party until dawn!
Does Biarritz have good nightlife?
In Biarritz night revellers will find the ambiance of their choice. Certain night clubs directly overlook the ocean. Famous DJs come here to weave their mixing magic, while late-night bars keep the most enduring going right into the small hours.
