Christmas with Bordeaux specialities

Where to find oysters in Bordeaux

In Bordeaux and the South-West of France in general, the end-of-year festivities are an excellent opportunity to enjoy some oysters among family and friends. Many places in Bordeaux serve or sell oysters, including the ones listed below:

• La cabane 101 in Chartrons
• 7 Rue Rode
   
• La Boîte à Huîtres
• 38 Cour du Chapeau-Rouge
   
• Marché des Capucins à Saint-Michel
• Place des Capucins
   
• Marché des quais aux Chartrons
• Quai des Chartrons 
   
• Halles de Bacalan
• 10 Esplanade de Pontac
   
• La Petite Poissonnerie à Saint-Pierre
• 23 Rue Parlement Saint-Pierre

A smokehouse beside the water

Arcachon Bay’s first artisanal smokehouse has just opened, bringing joy to our taste buds… but, what is a smokehouse? In the past, salting and smoking meat were the only ways of conserving fish, but now Bénédicte Baggio and Julien Marcotte have chosen to revive these traditions with love and respect for the product. They work with local fishers from “le Bassin” to transform sea bream, black mullet, meagre and sea bask. They also use the services of fishermen from the Gulf of Gascony for species such as mackerel or hake. Smoked salmon isn’t their thing, they prefer organic trout farmed in a lake in Ariège. The salt comes from Ile de Ré. The smoking technique is applied lightly, using beach wood, sometimes flavoured with juniper, bay leaves and even vine shoots. “To be eaten without sauce, a dash of lemon, some good bread and some good butter!”

• Le Fumoir du Bassin
• 13 av du Grand Crohot - 33 950 Lège-Cap Ferret
• Website: www.fumette-capferret.com
   

Le caviar de Neuvic

Now let’s head to the Dordogne! On an estate that stretches for 20 hectares, along the River Isle in Neuvic, Laurent Derverlanges has set up a sturgeon farm. “A very old and fragile fish. Respect for its life cycle is what determines the final quality of caviar”, he reveals. With that in mind, females are fed with “100% organic food, without using any GM grains or transformed animal proteins, and using fish obtained from sustainable fishing”. They grow in pools that have a lower occupation density than the industry norms, “to give priority to their natural equilibrium”. Will you choose the powerful notes of their Sevruga caviar, the soft texture and hints of hazelnut found in their Baeri caviar, or the golden grains of their Osciètre caviar?

There is no need to go all the way to the Dordogne to enjoy their goods, as Deverlanges opened a shop in Bordeaux’s emblematic Passage Sarget in 2019, right at the heart of the ‘Golden Triangle’.

The boutique also sells sturgeon rillettes, caviar butter, bottarga or dried caviar fleur de sel… Give your meals a taste of luxury!

• Caviar de Neuvic in Bordeaux
• 14 Passage Sarget
• Phone: + 33 (0)5 57 59 54 86
• Website: caviar-de-neuvic.com
   

A famous delicacy

It melts on the tongue, is eaten alone or with onion or fig chutney… Do you know what we’re talking about? It is, of course, foie gras! The neighbouring department of the Landes is nothing less than the largest producer of foie gras in France! You should always choose a ‘IGP Sud-Ouest’ foie gras, as this is a guarantee of quality, the ducks’ geographical origin and their free-range status. Lafitte is one such foie gras. The business is celebrating its one-hundredth birthday this year and continues to perpetuate traditional farming methods on a small scale, employing 80 farmer-feeders in a 40 km perimeter around the production site in Montaut. Lafitte also produce other fine products, including duck confit, potted duck and rillettes that leave you wanting more. To surprise your guests, you should try the Espelette chilli-infused mango chutney, found online or in their Bordeaux boutique.

La CUV - The right bottle

No Christmas dinner party is complete without one, or more, carefully selected bottles of wine. La CUV, "Cave Utile en Ville", has four shops in Bordeaux. So practical! Wherever you are, there's bound to be a CUV nearby. Just like a real local shop, the team is committed to offering tailor-made advice in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. The range of wines on offer is varied, mainly made up of organic, biodynamic and natural wines. The friendly team know their wines and the people who make them inside out. You'll not only leave with a bottle, but also with a story.
The perfect gift idea: a wine tasting course with the CUV Saint-Michel team.

• CUV Saint-Michel 
• 7 Pl. du Maucaillou
   
• CUV Nansouty
• 264 Cours de la Somme
   
• CUV Saint-Seurin
• 19 rue Capdeville

Website: www.la-cuv.com
 

Bordeaux blue cheese

‘Le Bleu de Bordeaux’ is special; this farmstead Bleu d’Auvergne is macerated in grape must (the seeds and skins that remain after the grapes have been pressed) that comes from a local biodynamic vineyard, Château Le Puy. Aromas of fermented grape permeate this unpasteurised cheese, covered in must and matured for three months. It is an audacious yet successful marriage! As a local touch, your cheese platter could also feature some farmstead goat’s cheese canelés, which is produced at the Ane Vert farm in the Vienne department and can be found in the large window display of the Deruelle cheese shop. “They are creamy under the rind, with a light flavour and a hint of meat in the final notes”: basically, it tastes as good as it looks! If you like cheese, we recommend that you read our article on Bordeaux’s cheese shops.

• La Fromagerie de Pierre
• 43 Cours Portal - 33 000 Bordeaux
• Phone: + 33 (0)5 56 52 46 22
  
   

Les bûches (traditional Christmas cake) de Lune

This pâtisserie-cellar opened its doors in 2023 on Quai des Chartrons. It is run by a complementary duo, Bérénice for the pâtisserie and Noé for the cellar. Two worlds that get along perfectly. The pâtisserie laboratory is now open, so you can admire the pastry-maker's handmade seasonal creations. For the end of the year, you'll have a choice of five bûches. The traditional french Christmas pastry come in vanilla-caramel-salted butter-almond, brown-yuzu and chocolate-pear versions. For those who prefer iced versions, there's a choice of vanilla-mango-passion or chocolate-red berries.
As well as a fine selection of wines, cider and perry lovers will be delighted to find a range of quality bottles selected by Noé. He'll be happy to recommend the perfect pairing to accompany your bûche.

• Lune Pâtisserie
• 105 quai des Chartrons - 33300 Bordeaux
• www.lune-bordeaux.fr

Emblematic Guinettes

Delicious guinette cherries macerated in kirsch, coated in a soft dark chocolate. All placed on a base of cocoa nibs for added crunch. This is the recipe for the Guinettes, the emblematic chocolate confectionery of the city, created by Hasnaâ and available in her two city center shops. The chocolatier and her team work with chocolate from "Bean to Bar", i.e. from selecting the cocoa to roasting, processing and, of course, making the chocolates, ganaches, bars and chocolate treats. She is one of Bordeaux's talented artisan chocolatiers. 
Also worth discovering: the "Un Instant À Bordeaux" gift sets. Rediscover the vineyards of Bordeaux and their magnificent terroirs, thanks to wine ganaches made from the great wines of Bordeaux. All you have to do is choose your "left bank" or "right bank" box. 

• Hasnaâ, Chocolats Grands Crus
• 4 rue de la Vieille Tour
• 192 rue Fondaudège 
• www.boutique-hasnaa-chocolats.fr

Christmas with truffles

Truffles are one of the stars of Christmas, with their delicate flavor that's instantly recognizable. Truffles are ideal for enhancing everyday ingredients such as an egg or a plate of pasta. At Balme, in the heart of Les Halles de Bacalan, you'll find fresh whole truffles, which you can grate in front of your guests for a 'wow' effect.
The shop also offers a host of truffle-based grocery products. Condiments, such as truffle oil or truffle salt, for use in cooking, apéritif spreads to get the festivities off to a good start, and preserves like summer truffle sauce to accompany your poultry. Each product is made by quality craftsmen and producers.
These pretty boxes of truffle products will look great under the Christmas tree. The ideal gift for your epicurean guests. 

• Balme
• Halles de Bacalan, 15 Quai du Maroc, 33300 Bordeaux
• www.maisonbalme.com