Bordeaux has not been very well equipped with ambitious wine bars but it seems to be changing. Le Wine Bar Bordeaux opened a couple of years ago and was probably one of the first in a new wave of wine bars that is starting to make this elegant city better on that front. Le Wine Bar is very small and very simple, but very well stocked with wine. You will find it on a corner on a winding street not far from Place Saint Pierre in the Old Town. They only have a handful of tables and the bar but it is usually possible to find a space. It certainly does not make a claim of being a restaurant.
The wine list is impressive, both with Bordeaux and other regions, even (!) foreign wines. You can find reasonably priced wines from less exalted appellations to very exclusive wines (Ornellaia, Mouton, Yquem…). They do have a few wines by the glass, often interesting but the selection could be a bit broader.
On the food side the ambitions are more modest. Each day they have some hot dish prepared in their minuscule kitchen. But it might be a better idea to choose from some of the small, cold dishes they have, cheese, charcuteries, marinated vegetables, dried or smoked ducks breast, foie gras and other things that fit the season.
Le Wine Bar is run by two wine fanatics, as one can tell. It is a good address if you are looking for an interesting wine experience in a relaxed and very informal atmosphere – the place to go if you are not too hungry in the evening but want something good to drink, or want to just share a bottle with a few friends.
Le Wine Bar Bordeaux, 19 rue des Bhutiers, Quartier St Pierre, Bordeaux, 06 78 21 08 65 or 05 56 48 56 99, www.lewinebar-bordeaux.com.
