Thank you, Brooklyn Bedding, for partnering with us on this video! Visit https://www.brooklynbedding.com/onworldtravel and use code: ONWORLDTRAVEL to get 30% off your entire order!

Olivia and Nathan here! Bordeaux is another of one of the best cities and best places to visit in France that has an all around great lifestyle. There are so many things to do in Bordeaux, the cultural offering is unparalleled, the restaurant and shopping scene are outstanding, and the 18th century architecture is stunning. If you only have 2 or 3 days here you could get a lot out of this city but I would definitely recommend more time if you have it 🙂

🇫🇷 Save yourself hours of research & purchase our comprehensive Bordeaux guide 👇🏽
https://onworldtravel-shop.fourthwall.com/products/olivia-nathans-ultimate-bordeaux-guide

____________

Support this channel by subscribing!
https://www.youtube.com/onworldtravel?sub_confirmation=1

This is the best no-freeze water hose for RVers.
👉🏽 Use our code: ONWorldTravel for 5% off!
https://nofreezewaterhose.com/?ref=hdjck1ijlw

This is our favorite travel credit card.
https://www.referyourchasecard.com/6j/YDUCMCAYGV

This is our travel medical insurance of choice.
https://b.link/SafetyWing/ONWorldTravel

This our favorite e-sim hands down, literally use this in every country we go to!
Use code ONWORLD3 for $3 USD OFF your data plan: https://try.airalo.com/ONWorldTravel

This is what we use for digital security to protect our sensitive data while traveling.
https://aura.com/onworldtravel

This is our daily green drink to help our bellies get adequate nutrients when traveling.
http://drinkag1.com/onworldtravel

This is our VPN of choice. Enter code “ONWORLDTRAVEL” for an extra 3 months free at https://surfshark.deals/onworldtravel

This is our favorite mattress for our home and RV.
https://www.brooklynbedding.com/onwor… to get 25% off your mattress with our code: ONWORLDTRAVEL

This is our Patreon community.
https://www.patreon.com/onworldtravel

This is our Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/onworldtravel/

This is where we get all our non-copyrighted music for our videos.
Epidemic Sounds https://share.epidemicsound.com/z2su7u

This will save you some money your first Airbnb stay! We’ve stayed at over 80+ airbnbs in over 50 countries!
https://rb.gy/5eywpf

This is a link to all the travel gear we use.
https://www.amazon.com/shop/onworldtravel

△ Business Inquiries: hey.onworldtravel@gmail.com
Disclaimer: We do not take free products in exchange for content.
_____________

[ OUR STORY ]
Curious how we met, started traveling, what our jobs were, etc?
https://www.youtube.com/c/ONWorldTravel/about

[ BE OUR FRIEND ]
△ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onworldtravel
△ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onworldtravel1
△ Website & Blog: https://www.onworldtravel.com

[ Disclosure ] Some of these are affiliate links, which means we might earn a small commission if you click on any of them (at no cost to you) so thank you! We only stand by LEGIT brands!

Bordeaux, the wine capital of the world. Yes, the reds here are phenomenal. But if you think this city is only about wine, mm, no miss, it goes beyond that. Once a fading port, Bordeaux has reinvented itself. Now one of the most elegant 18th century cities in all of France. A city built on sugar, tobacco, coffee, and the human cost of empire. That history still lingers along the Gon River. But what you feel today is a rhythm all its own. Slower than Paris, warmer than the north with terraces spilling into the streets and people that genuinely seem to be enjoying life. And the food, in my opinion, it comfortably rivals Leon in Paris. It’s just 30 minutes to worldass vineyards, less than an hour to the ocean, and an astonishingly short 2-hour bullet train ride from Paris. In this video, we’re diving into the food, markets, museums, and local hangout spots that make Bordeaux shine. We’re in France, baby. And yes, of course, probably grab a glass of wine at each of them because who are we kidding? We’re also here for the wine. Wow, it’s the best red wine I’ve had in Bordeaux so far. And if you’re looking for a comprehensive map highlighting the best local restaurants, cafes, cana spots, fulleries, and activities you can’t miss in Bordeaux, we’ll have that linked below. All right, let’s get amongst it. Salty. We are standing in what’s nicknamed the belly of Bordeaux. This is Bordeaux’s Mashid Capusan. This is their weekend indoor market. It’s loud, a little gritty, but unapologetically very alive. You got men arguing over oysters. North African vendors hawking spices and olives that remind me of Marakekesh. Butchers laying out cuts. Vendors slinging vegetables. The coffee is strong. They got pastries buttery enough to ruin your day in the best way. And if you don’t stop for a plate of oysters with a glass of white wine before noon, you’re probably doing it wrong. This is the belly of Bordeaux. But now it’s time to focus on our bellies. Okay, so I got to say the biggest challenge in this market is choosing where to sit down and eat because there are so many options. I saw mul streets. I saw oysters and seafood. I saw people having shakureri boards and cheese like full-blown deu station happening. I saw people having paninis. But we landed on this incredible crepe place. They make savory and sweet crepes. We’re going savory. This lady who’s making crepes literally right in front of us is hustling. I mean, I don’t know how many crepes she’s turnurning out today, but she’s slinging them. Like, she’s sweating. She’s shaking. Like, she’s going so fast cuz there’s just like such a high demand. Every table here is full. We’re We’re at the bar. Cuz we were we were unwilling to wait for table out there. We sat at the bar. Yeah. See, massive. Olivia went with the special of the season, which is made with figs, ham from the Bayion region, honey, goat cheese, and nuts. And I went with a local staple from the Southwest region with duck, potatoes, egg, and emotal cheese. They also gave us a nice little side salad with vinegrett dressing. But I can’t wait to dig in. I’m starving. And this place is popping. The whole market’s popping. Actually, we had to wait to get our seats cuz it’s just so busy in here. But it’s an absolute vibe. All right, let’s dig in. Oh my god, that egg just Oh my god, let’s go. I have never actually had a savory crepe with duck, but you know, when in the Bordeaux region, the Southwest region, they love their duck out here, so I had to do it. That is so delicious, so savory, so rich. My gosh, the potatoes are nice and crispy on one side and soft on the other. Emotal cheese, it’s one of the best cheeses in France. Everyone knows that. But the duck is a really nice touch. Oh, the crispiness of these crepes is fantastic. You taste the butter. Whenever you find a crepe place that does savory crepes like sazan style, in French is called sazan. You know it’s a winner. I’m in heaven. Yeah. Oh yeah. I got my three right here. Let’s go. I feel like those guys are like, we’re going to be trying three cantallets at three drastically different price points. That’s exactly what we’re going to And we’re going to at the end we’re going to decide which one’s the best. I’m excited. Breakfast of champions. Let’s go. So, one of the things we were highly recommended to try in Bordeaux are their specialty pastries called cano. They’re basically these small, slightly sweet, chewy pastries with like a caramelized crust and a soft custardy interior. They’re flavored with vanilla and a hint of rum. And typically, they’re eaten as like a snack or dessert or with like a coffee or a tea, sometimes wine. Uh, but what we did today, we wanted to gamify this a little bit. So, what we did is we went out and we went to their top three spots to be able to compare them. And I was really surprised. They’re all priced very differently. Most expensive one is literally four times the price of the least expensive one, which is kind of crazy. So, they’re baked in these like fluted molds that give it this really cool shape. And we’re starting off here. So, this is the least expensive one. This is from Luk. And this one is like kind of a local staple, like a benchmark for all the locals here. is.75 cents for one large size. They also have much smaller cute little ones, too. I don’t even know if I want to go straight from top to bottom. It’s kind of big. No, I can’t. All right, here we go. Wow. Very crispy outside. I can taste the rum. I taste the rum and the vanilla. Very spongy, chewy, bouncy. M. The moment your teeth make contact with the We got the Gypsy Kings in the background here getting it. He’s actually really good. He has a good sound. But we might have to move. Dude, he’s a vibe. But anyways, the moment your teeth make contact with that exterior, you feel that crunch and then just it just seeps in and just accelerates. Now we’re moving on to Kasunad, which is a more artisal option. Smaller batch, not as big of a franchise as Lat. And these are €2 a pop. Right away though, first glance, they’re much darker and to the touch, they’re harder. So, they’re probably have a harder, crispier outside. I’m expecting a lot more crunch. I will say these with the large size, it’s a little bit awkward on where to attack these. Like, do you start from the bottom or top? I don’t even know. M. I’m getting a lot more of like an orangey background flavor on these. A little bit of rum. Not as not as rummy as the first one, but way way crispier on the outside. More sugar. All right, moving on to the most expensive of the three. Bayard. This one’s €310. From looks, I got to say it does have a kind of a superior look to it. A little bit more polished on the outside. And the bottom, too. I got to show you the bottom. The bottom just looks crazy. And here we go. M. Not going to lie, it’s a little bit disappointing, actually. Inside’s nice and fluffy, but not crispy really on the outside as much. More of just like a hard chew, but not crispy. Flavor is great. You know that when you get that melted sugar that molds together, it gets chewy. There’s more of that going on. I think I already know my winner, to be honest, out of the three. What? The first one. First one. the cheapest one. Yeah, it’s actually my favorite blend of like a really crispy outside, really strong rum flavor. Even though they say that this is the most authentic Bordeaux one. Now, I think a lot of locals have switched to that because it’s gotten outrageously overpriced. You can literally get four of the first one, and I honestly prefer the taste. Sorry. Uh Bayon, don’t mean to uh take a dookie on you. Okay, so one interesting and unusual thing about Bordeaux is it has UNESCO World Heritage recognition of its entire city center, which is insane. Instead of a single monument, almost 1,800 hectares of Bordeaux city center is recognized by UNESCO. That’s rare, not just for France, because that actually makes it the largest urban UNESCO listed area in the world. Bordeaux has a fun nickname. It’s known as label Anderi, which translates to sleeping beauty. Because for decades, its facades were really dark and blackened with soot, almost giving it this kind of ghostly abandoned look. But that sleeping beauty finally woke up with the help of lasers. In the early 2000s, Bordeaux launched one of Europe’s most ambitious urban restorations using laser technology to clean centuries of soot and schmutz off the limestone facads without actually damaging the stone. Overnight, the city literally transformed from dark and gray to golden and glowing. The city center now feels like one grand unified architectural setpiece, especially because the buildings are all pretty much the same height. And Bordeaux’s old architecture isn’t just limited to a historic core. It actually stretches across a very large area, which gives you a sense of being fully immersed in its golden limestone world rather than just stepping into a single oldtown district, which might be my absolute favorite thing about the city. So, the restaurant scene here in Bordeaux has been off the chain. Do they have so many freaking options? There’s been no shortage of great places to eat. And that’s kind of been a challenge as well is like just picking, you know, which restaurants to go to. When in doubt, we asked locals and that’s what we did today. We’re going to this place called Pickles. Just took the tram to get here. We got off at the Contemporary Art Museum stop. I’m really excited for another great meal here in Bordeaux. just got delivered two amazing starters. I went with the steak tartar with gorgonola cream. Olivia went with grilled okra with a cashew sauce and this lemon coriander ki one of my top three bites in France. Yeah, one of my top three bites I’ve had on this trip in France in Leon. It was the pate on here. It’s the steak tartar with that funky gorgenilla cream. I love it. I love it. I’m usually not a huge okra fan, but this looks pretty solid. What? Total Asian twist to this dish. Reminds me of Thailand flavored straight up. It’s got that rich nutty peanut buttery. So flavorful. The way they make this, it’s like still got a nice bite to it. It’s not slimy like okra can be, but it’s just like nice and zesty and fresh and you get that crunch from the peanuts. They know flavors. So far, we’re off to a strong start. So, what I just learned about pickles that I find so cool is that they actually change their menu every 2 weeks. And the chefs altogether, they convene and whenever they need to adjust the ingredients or adjust a dish, they will. So, there’s a lot of freedom and a lot of creativity here. And it’s always fresh and new. We’ll just put it in the middle. That’s perfect. Yes. Oh, amazing. Yes. Thank you so much, dude. Presentation. Child is grabbing it. Child is grabbing the tripod and putting it in her mouth. One thing I love they do in France is for lunch, they do these like set lunch menus that are fixed price. So, usually between 20 to€30, you get a starter, an entree, and a dessert. That’s what we went with here. In front of me, I’ve got some beautifully marinated pork topped with some kimchi and coriander on a bed of smashed potatoes. And I got to say, first impressions of both these dishes, very well executed, well worked dishes. They look fabulous. All right, let’s dig into this marinated pork. Oh my god. Oh my god. That is a good bite. Now, as you can probably tell, this is not classic traditional French food, but it is executed on a very elevated French level. It’s the French way. They French people, they take their food very seriously. They’re very proud of their food. They are proud cooks. The pork is amazing. Juicy, tender, potatoes are perfectly cooked. Very tasty. All right, I’m now going to dig into Olivia’s lentil croettes here. Texturally, this is insane. You got these fresh greens, the crispy outside of those lentil croettes. Oo, I discovered the eggplant cream underneath. I got to get some of that. Nice crunch of the onions. And then this sauce to top it all off. Oh my god. I didn’t think I was going to like this one very much. There’s a lot going on, but it it works. This is like very good. All right, I’ve got what might be the most beautiful dessert I’ve ever seen in my entire life. The presentation on this is just out of this world. I mean, look at that. There’s flowers on top. It’s I haven’t tried it. I’m excited. I don’t It looks It looks too pretty. I don’t want to touch it, you know? This is so beautiful. Um, but it’s basically, from what I understand, it’s poached pear and like a coffee sauce or a coffee flavor. But there’s a lot more going on than just that, and I’m not quite sure what I’m digging into, but I’m just going to go for it. Here we go. Little bit of the pear. A little bit of that sauce. Wo. Wo. I think that’s homemade whipped cream. Homemade whipped cream with like these little pops of honey and these little crispy like I don’t know. It’s not like it’s a crunch. There’s a crunch to it and then there’s this background coffee flavor that just kind of coats the whole thing. The pear is perfectly soft and and poached. Like, it’s just really nice. And then these flowers. I always love edible flowers. It just looks pretty. This is a winning dessert. We are standing in front of Bordeaux’s UFOshaped wine temple and very popular museum, Lae Duva. This is France’s ultimate wine museum designed to resemble both a swirling glass of wine and a giant decanter. If this doesn’t tickle your grapes, I don’t know what will. It definitely looks more to me like a UFO that crash landed along the Garon River than a giant decanter. But let’s see what’s inside. Once we stepped inside, the wine experience began and it was fullon. The museum is primarily on two floors. We walked through so many immersive exhibits that take you across the world of wine. We started off by watching a few short personal stories of wine makers from all over the world and then migrated to an entire section devoted to the history of wine with amazing visuals. There was an aroma area where we got to test our senses at oldactory stations and squeeze these aroma diffusers that would release these scent capsules and do our best to guess the notes in a vintage. Smells like jelly. There was also a unique visual display while seated at this really cool table. Sophia particularly enjoyed that one. It was so well done. To appeal to our competitive spirit and get our sweat on, we did our best to stomp as many grapes as possible before our time ran out. We should have teamed up with some strangers. That would have helped. and afterwards went to relax and lounge at the circular 360 immersive theater. Might have taken a quick snooze there. Every floor here is designed to make you feel wine, not just taste it. The lighting, the music, the variety and exhibits, even the architecture. Bottom line is there’s a ton to do here. And it all ends with the best part of all. You get to finish at the Belvadier panoramic bar 115 ft up where they hand you a glass or two of something special while you look out over Bordeaux and the Gon River. uh if you compare with Spanish but we also have some other things light all right we got our own little tasting over here we had a sparkling from Bordeaux that I already finished Greece Spain Lir France and Bordeaux which Nathan just enjoyed so with your museum ticket here, you’re allowed to add on either one glass or two glasses of wine. Of course, Olivia and I added two glasses of wine. Somehow, we ended up with six glasses. I don’t know what happened. Maybe Sophia was our plus one. You know what I’m saying? This one. Yeah, this one smells like a Come on. Say a gang green gang green. I don’t like this one. At least the smell I don’t like. Let’s see. And then taste on the other hand, this is a different story. I love this one. This one’s from Spain. We got another red over here. This one’s from different region, the Lu region of France. More mild on the nose. Smells a bit like my grandmother’s closet. Baby poop. Okay, here we go. also really nice. That’s one thing about red wine or wine in general, but especially red wine that I appreciate is the differences. How much like the smells are different, the tastes are different. I mean, I sound like an absolute noob right now and I realize that, but from an outside perspective, there’s just so much variety and history. And I think the coolest thing that I learned about wine today is that wine is alive. It is living breathing history that you get to consume and absorb within your DNA and your entire being. And to me, how many things can you do like that? I mean, this is history that you can ingest. So, when Olivia and I are out exploring, filming, traveling, having a really good bed is a big deal. It’s the difference between just getting through the day versus actually enjoying it. Over the last 6 years, we’ve slept on a lot of mattresses. Hotels, Airbnbs, cruise ships, you name it. And still, there’s no mattress we enjoy more than our custom Brooklyn Bedding signature hybrid. To me, having the right mattress is like hitting that magic reset button on your body and mind every single night. And Brooklyn Betting’s been perfecting their craft for over 30 years, designing, assembling, and shipping everything straight from their own factory in Arizona. Because they make it themselves, there’s no middleman markup, just really solid materials at a fair price. They make it super easy to try, too. With 120 night sleep trial, a limited lifetime warranty, and free shipping anywhere in the US. If you’re ready to upgrade your sleep, click the link in our description and use our code on travel to save 30% off your entire order. We are currently standing on the Gon Riverfront. The Gaon Riverfront is known as the port of the moon because it’s shaped like a crescent moon. This colonial maritime vibe kind of sets it apart from cities like Leon where we just came from. And this is a special place for Bordeaux because it became wealthy in the 18th century because of it. His prosperity came from being a major Atlantic port trading in sugar, tobacco, coffee, and also the transatlantic slave trade. But right now, just looking around, Bordeaux Riverfront is a vibe. It’s where all the locals are hanging out, enjoying life, exercising. There are a ton of people running, biking, rollerblading, and in the evening, there are hundreds of people picnicking here. If you head further down that way, there’s a skate park. And literally right in front of where I’m standing here is the Miwoir D, which is probably the most iconic and most visited landmark in all of the city, the world’s largest reflecting pool. And for any runners out there, I really recommend doing this running route that takes you from Pond Pierre to Pongjac, which is like a 7 km or 4 and a half mile run. You basically loop around here. You run all the way along, cross the bridge, go all the way back on that side, and then come around on this bridge. It’s an amazing run, and you definitely won’t be alone when you’re doing it, especially in the evenings. Like it’s popping. Like there’s so many runners out. Another thing we really enjoyed doing here was get on a river cruise. We made it. The manager of the river. No. Oh my god. And his wife is a French American, too. Oh, no way. Small world. Thank you so much. We wouldn’t have made it. We would not have made it without you. Oh, really? Thank you so much. Thank you. I appreciate it. What is your name? Buis. Buis. You saved us. Thank you. Please have a good day. Okay. Oh my god, this is great. We went with Leato Bald and we opted for their 90minute deu station cruise which includes a wine tasting and our derves. We got to taste four different wines. They shared a bunch of information about the city itself, about the history, the culture, and just in general. It was really cool to observe the city from the water. And I got answered the one question that I really wanted to know, which was why is the river so brown, so muddy and and murky looking. Um, which is a sensitive subject among the locals here. You do not want to call it brown. You want to call it golden. But I got it answered and it’s because it’s not actually dirty and polluted. It’s actually one of the cleanest rivers in Europe. But there’s a lot of marsh and a lot of swamp connected. And because of that, there’s a lot of mud. So it’s actually not polluted. It’s just muddy. And if you’re wondering why you’re not seeing anybody ever swim in it, not just because of the color, there are also some dangerous undercurrens here. So, it’s off limits to swimming. Okay. likes the birth. Demi can come. This is so amazing. The presentation was like already wow. There’s some caviar. There’s some radish. There’s some pesto sauce. There’s some cream. I don’t even know. There’s some crushed up pecans. But it’s like so refreshing and light and creamy rich at the same time. It’s like both rich and light. And it’s nice and cold. Olivia just said it was one of the best bites she had in all of France. I’m excited for this place. Messi. Wow. Oh my god. Beautiful presentation. Mercy. Toad, I went with the half duck breast served on a bed of carrot puree. You’ve got some Swiss chard, plum, roasted hazelnuts. I mean, this this is why you come to France right here. Olivia went with a salmon filt with fennel. Those figs, lemon marinated feta, and this like mint dill cream. That just looks so good. But I can’t wait to dig in. Let’s go. Perfectly cooked. That’s to die for. They got this outside a little bit crispy here. The skin and it’s perfectly cooked. And this little sweetness in the carrot puree is just like so exquisite. Sophia thinks so, too. There’s like they know how to combine flavors at this place. Like I’m really blown away. Oh my god. It’s going to be the perfect bite of me. Amazing. Oh my god. The the skin on the salmon is perfectly crispy and the fig is such a nice little addition. So, I went with a white chocolate rosemary ginache with caramelized almonds, feline crisp, and plum gel. Let’s go for a taste. This is right up your alley. That is divine. Olivia went with a matcha lemon phenolier with sorel ganache and matcha crisps with like a balsamic gel, which I’m kind of surprised we chose to go with that, but I didn’t want to do chocolate this time cuz we always do chocolate. So, here we go. What is that? I’m not a huge matcha fan, but we’ll see how this goes. It works. It works well together. I am a texture guy, though, and texture is on point. So, I’m happy with this one, actually. And the cake is like dense, dude. Look at that dense cake. So, I’ve been pretty impressed with Bordeaux’s coffee scene. Our favorite cop shops so far have been number one, Pia. Number two, Moco, where we are now. Number three, Blacklist. Number four, La Shimist. Number five, Kuro Espresso Bar. And lastly, I’d probably say Books and Coffee is good vibe. The coffee is all right, but the inside seating is amazing so far. Yeah. For the best flat whites in the city, Pia and Mo. Immaculate vibes. Heat. Heat. Oh my god, we’re in France, baby. The cheese is so superior. Oh my god, dude. The morg cheese, arugula, cornishon, homemade mayo for cheese club makes a good sandwich. I am now standing in Plast Canons. This used to be the first largest square in all of Europe. Now it’s the second cuz supposedly there’s a bigger one in the Czech Republic now. But as you can see behind me, it looks a bit hectic because they’re setting up for a fair weekend. On the other side down there, there’s this beautiful fountain with these horses jumping out of the water that was actually dismantled and hidden during World War II to prevent it from being melted down for weapons. Another iconic spot to see here in Bordeaux. I am standing in plus Gambetta which is a square that once hosted public guillotine executions that drew in huge crowds. The inventor of the guillotine Dr. Joseph Inyas Guillotan was born in Sance nearby and worked in Bordeaux. So, another kind of fun fact about Bordeaux is a question I was asking myself is like, how do these big cruise ships get to enter and like literally position themselves right in front of the city center? Because obviously it’s not through Pong Dupia, which is a stone bridge that’s fixed. It has to be through Pongjac. And so on the cruise that we just went on, I asked the guy and he said, “Thongjac is the biggest raising bridge in all of Europe, which is a crazy feat of engineering because it functions on a levy system and they can raise all the way up to be able to let these ginormous cruise ships in which is just another like really cool thing I learned about this city.” And we have another one of these. The public transport here is fantastic as well. The I might as well talk about it cuz it’s coming by, but we’ve been using it almost every day just to get around. It’s a very flat city, too, so you can walk it if you want. But just to save time, we do take the trams quite a bit. You buy tickets like one at a time. We don’t buy like a package of them. And I think they’re like 1 to2 a pop. We’ve sat down at Le Juvant, which translates to the wine school. And we were recommended this place by locals because it’s a great place to have fantastic wine. Merciu. Luca has been extremely helpful at guiding us in the right direction here. We are not uh we don’t know much about wine. So you’ve been very helpful. Thank you. Thank you. One big reason people recommended us coming here is this is actually a school that’s subsidized by the government. So they are able to serve high quality wine at a fraction of the price that you would pay outside of here. The first wine he recommended to Olivia €3. This is a really good spot to stop in and actually get to try some really good wine from the Bordeaux region. They have some from both they call it Gosh or Dwat which is the either the left bank or the right bank of the river. Santi Mongol for example is on the right bank. You can basically try wines from all over. He gave us the whole breakdown. I got lost a little bit uh in translation here. He was talking about tannins and oiness. This place also has two beautiful mosaics. I mean, these are stunning and they’re all highlighting wine. It’s a really charming place. It’s very full in here as well. It’s packed. So, I guess the secrets out and we’re not the only ones to know about this place. But, we’re going to enjoy this wine now and enjoy our last few days here in Bordeaux. Chin chin. Wow, there’s a lot going on. I was going to pretend to know what I’m talking about when it comes to wine, but it’s just really, really good. It It’s a little bit fruity. Hint of pepper. That’s delightful. Wow. Mercy. Yes. We just sat down at Melody, a charming little French beastro in the heart of Bordeaux. And we’re here for lunch. They have a lunch menu. It’s €25. You get a starter, an entree, and a dessert. I love little small places like that. Everything here is homemade, and they’re really good about using seasonal ingredients that are available to them. We started off with some kers with kasis. And for starters, Olivia got this beautiful pumpkin velute with smoked bacon, garlic, and fresh greens. And it was incredible. Oh my god. Oh my god. And I went with melted sun cheese with bacon and a side of salad. Oh my god. Wo. Woah. Woah. Woah. This is lamash in French with a very simple vinegrett dressing. I love it. But whenever you’re in France, you get melted cheese. That is a no-brainer. You’re going to pack on a few kilos, but it’s the price I’m willing to pay. I went with a dish that’s actually from uh Reunion Island. It’s a French island, Lilo. And this is called Hugai Sushi. It’s like a sausage from there. And it comes with a nice turmeric rice peeloff and some red beans. Simple dish. Looks fantastic. And Olivia went with a sauteed feel with olives and carrots, little potatoes. Just like a hearty kind of feelgood meal on a slightly chili day here in Bordeaux. Ooh, that’s good sausage. Hearty, fatty sausage with a nice tomato based sauce. It’s funny cuz I would have never thought of this as like a French dish, but I forget that France has so many, you know, they colonized a lot of the world. This is one of the dishes from one of those French islands and it’s fantastic. M. The ve is nice and tender. Falls apart in your mouth. You know, it’s funny. I never knew that the French also used olives within like a tomato based sauce. I thought it was more of an Italian thing, but I like it. Dishes here are good. I wouldn’t say they’re extraordinary by any means, but it’s um yeah, it’s feel good food and at a at an affordable price, too. Chocolate mousse, dude. Oh my god, there’s chocolate chunks in it. The chocolate quality is so decadent. Lots of cheese up in here, dude. Might be in cheese heaven. I know the smell is a little funky, but my kind of funky. You know what I’m saying? Trying a bunch of cheeses on the street. This is what our time in France is really about. This is this sums up our whole time here is is this moment. I’m not going to lie. I’ve already tried all three of them. I literally almost forgot to film. That’s how consumed and focused on the cheese I was. This first one right here though demolished a little bit, but it’s okay. Which which type of cheese is this? I don’t remember anything she said. I’m four glasses of wine deep right now. Don’t remember anything she said, but I like I like this one a lot. I asked her too on my way. I was like, “Can I eat the wax on all these cheeses?” She’s like, “Technically, you can on two out of the three of them, but they’re all edible, so I’m eating all the wax. I don’t care.” Can I have one, please? Yeah. Give me a try. This one? I’m a little nervous for you, but I think you’ll like it. It’s the funkiest out of the three. Look at that. It’s I know. The color of the actual like it’s actually stunning. That looks like wood. Wo. Wait. It’s a little strong for me. A little strong for me. You want to give me the mic? Yeah, it’s a little strong for Olivia. Uh, but look at look how beautiful the color. It literally looks like wood. Boy, that freaks me out a little bit. Yeah, that’s a that’s a funky that’s a funky cheese, Olivia. This one right here, she said is is a these are all from the re the local region cuz, you know, I wanted to try the ones that are, you know, from close by. But this one’s closest to Conte. I really like this one. What does it taste like if you could put it into words? It tastes like a blend of conte and emotal. Okay, for cheese lovers, that’s if you know what that means. Oh my god. This next one right here, this one looks like the limestone facads of Bordeaux. Look at this. That is crazy. And I’m going to do I’m going to commit a sin here in France. This is a French no. Usually you’ll have to cut this into slices. make it look pretty. It’s actually very firm, so I I don’t have a knife, so I’m just going to bite into it like a mad man. Here we go. Number one. Number one. Better than the last one. Oh my god. Oh my god. Dang it. I wish I remember the name. This is phenomenal. Insane. So good. I feel like a little mouse on the street, you know. I’m coming Gusgus. Come Gusgus. I’m enjoying my tea. I’m in Bordeaux. I’m in America in Bordeaux. Get a good bite. That’s the best one. 100% best one. This with wine. Two out of two out of three fire. The third one’s questionable, but that’s how it is. Sometimes you’re playing, you know, cheese roulette in France. Sometimes they’re not always going to be wins, but two out of three I’m very happy with. When in Bordeaux, you got to check out a form. There’s many, many good ones. The smell alone is worth the cultural experience. If you just step inside of a take a big whiff, and then go crazy and buy at least three different kinds. I would recommend a sheep cheese, a goat cheese, and a cow cheese. Try one of each. The shopping in Bordeaux is unreal. We’re currently walking the longest shopping street in all of Europe. And as you can see, it is very busy, but they got a lot of choices. We also took a relaxing break at Jardan Publique right in the heart of the city. We saw many locals lounging on the grass, grabbing their lunch, or just going for a stroll. It was the perfect spot for us to slow down on a busy day exploring. Also, another thing we were blown away by was the abundance of great day trips you can take from Bordeaux. They’re all less than a couple hours away. The most popular include the famous Santillion, 35 to 45 minutes away by train or car, the Basand Kashon and Junju Pila, an hour to an hour and a half away by train or car. Caperee, which is also an hour to an hour and a half away by train or car. And the Miduck wine route tour, also 1 hour to an hour and a half away by train or car.

25 Comments

  1. Wonderful video. Bordeaux now on my travel list. From the food to the architecture to the wine and cheese: all looks amazing. I appreciated the depth, humor and authenticity of your tastings. ❤

  2. Here in Bordeaux, everyone was already preferring La toque cuivrée over Baillardran because of the value you get for your money, but since last year's scandal, I think tourists are the only ones left in those shops. Just google "Scandale Baillardran" and read the france-3 artilcle 🙂

  3. Le vin de Bourgogne est meilleur ! Burgundy wine is better !
    Just because I live in Burgundy. ^^
    Everyone thinks their child is the most beautiful in the world.

  4. I grew up here, born in the early 80s. Bordeaux was ok but the docks were a dump until the early 2000s. The "golden years" were once the tram was up and running (not the first couple years where it always broke down). Bordeaux felt new and easily explorable. Then the newer fast train from Paris opened in 2017. From 3h to 2h to travel between the 2 cities. Housing prices went up dramatically, and the tramway got congested fast. Nowadays, it's saturated, and the city feels overall saturated. Housing is too expensive, the "rocade" gives some of the worst traffic jams in France. The only solution is MORE public transport. They're talking about a metro system, but it's gonna cost a lot. They added lanes to the rocade, but as city planners know by now, it doesn't help at all to add lanes. All it does is create housing demand away from the city for car commuters, saturating the new lanes in a matter of years. Only trains, trams and metro can handle the demand.

    Of course like any city, it experienced a lot of gentrification. The areas around the Gare Saint Jean, Saint Michel, the Capucins, were all popular areas with cheap housing. In fact for a while, housing in the center of Bordeaux was cheaper than in the student towns of Pessac or Talence. That's mainly because it's a student town, and because the appartments and houses in those neihgborhoods were old and disgusting. With gentrification, all of these got renovated, prices went up, and the streets felt safer at night. They also demolished some high rise towers, like the ones near Gare Saint Jean, to make room for more modern appartments, with building 4-5 stories high instead of 20-30. It looks nicer, but I wouldn't wanna live there anymore. Too expensive, too crowded. However, it's not as crowded as Paris, and it's the same architecture, except more open, more breathable. Fewer tall buildings.

    There is some nice things to do on the week ends though. Lacanau and Arcachon, Dune du Pyla, Cap Ferret… Or if you're into wines, yeah Médoc, Dordogne or Saint Emilion. However, I was missing the mountains. It's not easy going there for a week end, since the true Pyrénées are more of a 3h drive. And before 2010 and that ridiculously expensive A65 (most expensive toll in France when it opened), it was more like 4h. From Toulouse it's way easier, one of the reasons why Toulouse population exploded in the last decade, and is becoming the 3rd french city, overtaking Lyon.

  5. If a canelé isn't crispy it's rubbish. Baillardran is overrated, too expensive. If they serve you a soft canelé, no crunch, then it's clearly a shit one. They're just the historic brand, and have the best spots in the city, but they're not great.

  6. First time I've watched one of your video, you've got a subscriber! And like @Kako says, I was impress with your level of French and more by your prononciation. Now I understand why but it's still very impressive.
    From a former Bordelaise who is very happy to have a so nice visit on her former city. Beautiful views and editing. And you and your wife are so cute and funny. And what a beautiful baby! Kudos!

  7. Excellent delicious Video! I was accredited as an "International Bordeaux Wine Educator" by the École du Vin for over 10 years. That was quite a cool job! Beautiful city to visit. But don't forget the Médoc and St Emilion! I really like your channel and the way you explore those things. This is what I call open-minded! 😀🇫🇷🥂

  8. €0.55! I nearly fell backward in my chair when I saw that price — I’m paying $5 each here in Hawaii. Only one place (Dean & DeLuca in Kaka‘ako) made a legit canelé, and they recently stopped since it wasn’t a hot seller.

  9. Sometimes I feel that us, French, live in a completely place than immigrants 😂 our cities are turning into a mess. I guess it must be that you are not watching our politics and what happens…

  10. My wife and I have traveled a fair amount in Europe and France especially and Bordeaux is our favorite small city. It is more charming, intimate, pedestrian friendly, and I dare say beautiful (pound for pound) with better outdoor dining, than even Paris. It has a southern France, older world feel (18th vs. 19th C). Stunning gates into the old town, the impressive St. Andre Cathedral, many squares, boat rides on the Garrone, creative restored industrial art/food/music+ spaces across the river at Darwin and Chex Alriq. Near endless restaurants, cafes, bars, and specialty food shops. Paris is grand, full of very worthy museums and sites, very creative in a big city way, and diverse neighborhoods, but doesn't captivate in the same way. Its not

    By September, at the end of summer, almost everyone is speaking French. Tourists are a distinct minority. If you are looking for lots of tourist sites and museums, Bordeaux will disappoint. Arcachon/Cap Ferret and other coastal towns and beaches are very close with huge, undeveloped, stunning beaches and sand dunes, great biking, and charming, rustic oyster huts on the bay. St. Emilion is 45' away, a UNESCO heritage site and wine mecca. Link to the Dordogne and Cote du Basque/San Sebastian or even the Camino for an epic, more authentic slices of France.

  11. I did not want this video to end! More than any other videos I've seen in a very long while, you guys make me miss France so deeply. I cannot wait to go back and enjoy all the amazing gifts this place has to offer. Keep up the wonderful videos!

  12. Bordelais, nous sommes très honorés er charmés par votre présentation très gratifiante de Bordeaux. Comment se fait il que vous ayez si peu d’accent en français, c’est très rare donc étonnant ? Bruno

  13. I really enjoyed this video. you guys are real, you took your cute baby with you and had an amazing time. Wine, cheese, amazing restaurants– Man, you should be in the Bordelais Tourism board for sure! 🙂

Leave A Reply