Brasserie Vinatier: Classic French Brasserie in the Heart of Bordeaux

When it comes to classic French brasserie fare, the new Brasserie Vinatier, simply must be on your must dine at list when visiting Bordeaux.

Brasserie Vinatier is located right in the heart of Bordeaux steps away from Place Pey-Berland at the newly renovated Saint-Christoly shopping center. The restaurant is the latest by the group La Nouvelle Garde, which has also has successful brasseries in Paris (we absolutely love Brasserie des Prés), Lyon, Lille and Marseille. La Nouvelle Garde’s philosophy is restaurants offer simple, locally produced cuisine at fair prices.

Imagined as a tribute to the region, Brasserie Vinatier mixes the elegance of Parisian brasseries with the traditions of the South West. Immediately upon stepping through the doors, you notice the wine cellars proudly displaying bottles from some of Bordeaux’s best wine châteaux and the Murano glass chandelier resembling a bunch of grapes. But then your eye is drawn to the centerpiece of Brasserie Vinatier: its’ large open-style kitchen with a massive wood fireplace. It’s here that classic dishes of the Sud Ouest are revisited, like an entire duck cooked barbecue style in the fireplace.

The Menu

Brasserie Vinatier’s menu features French classics such as soupe à l’oignon gratinée and escargot, along with highlighting regional specialties from the Sud Ouest such as cassoulet and the barbecue duck to share for 2 persons.

The menu evolves regularly to highlight the best seasonal produce and products. Everything from sauces to desserts are 100% made in-house, and products are sourced fresh from local producers.

The open kitchen, which is easily visible from every table in Brasserie Vinatier, allows diners to watch Chef Clément Xuereb and his team preparing everything.

Brasserie Vinatier has a selection of wines from Bordeaux, as well as around France. You’ll find a few Bordeaux Grand Cru Classé references, including one of our favorites: Château Marquis de Terme, Grand Cru Classé Margaux 2016. There is also several white and red whites you can order as “les vins à la ficelle (wines on a string) that you pay by how much of the bottle you drink. We opted to try the vins à la ficelle and selected the Saint Pourçain, a blend of pinot noir and gamay from Auvergne.

I simply couldn’t miss starting with the soupe à l’oignon gratinée. It’s one of my favorites and an iconic French starter found in just about every brasserie in Paris, but remains fairly elusive on restaurant menus in Bordeaux. Just a prime example of how French cuisine is very regional.

Tim started with the lamb croquettes, served with a spicy piri-piri mayo. Both starters were delicious. Among other choices that were difficult to pass up, were the N°4 oysters from Cap Ferret – a local favorite we also love – and the mussels in a beurre blanc and piment sauce.

For our main course, we choose the whole duck cooked in the wood fire and served with a cranberry sauce. It’s recommended to be cooked rare, and there’s also a choice of two sides. We selected the mashed potatoes and salad, and it was practically a delicious Thanksgiving on a plate. The duck was served carved into several pieces including the breast and legs. It was juicy, with a slightly smoked flavor from the fire. It’s a dish we hope remains a staple on the menu, because we will definitely be back for this duck.

The crêpe suzette was a tempting sweet finish, but we ultimately choose the fondant au chocolat with crème anglaise to share.

For an experience with traditional French and Sud Ouest fare for excellent value and in a beautiful setting, you can’t miss with lunch or dinner at Brasserie Vinatier.