Aquitaine is the perfect destination if your kind of holiday involves sampling some fine foods and even finer wines! Boasting one of the world’s most famous wine towns in Saint-Émilion and a range of fantastic eateries, it’s a historic and gastronomic region of France that has plenty of delicious experiences on offer.
From local family cafes to Michelin-star restaurants where you can enjoy the best the region has to offer, the top Aquitaine food & drink is available to be enjoyed in a wide range of establishments. Whether you’re learning about the history of French winemaking in Bordeaux or sampling truffles in the countryside in Périgord, you’ll be delighted by the flavours you discover and the legacy behind them.
Renting one of our luxury villas in Aquitaine means you’ll be getting an amazing place to stay along with access to the best Aquitaine food experiences! To whet your appetite for your holiday, here are some of the best places to visit to discover some of the best food and drink in the region.
1. Chateau Cantenac, Saint – Émilion
“Life is too short to drink bad wine,” said Goethe, and we’re inclined to agree. Luckily, there is little chance of that happening at this family-run winery in the picturesque village of Saint-Émilion, a region whose Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes are the toast of the wine world.
Saint-Émilion is a highlight for wine lovers who are visiting Nouvelle Aquitaine, home to the first vineyard to be granted UNESCO Cultural Landscape status because of its significance in viticulture history. You’ve got a huge range of different options when it comes to where to visit for a wine-tasting experience, but Chateau Cantenac is definitely a highlight.
On this informative and intimate winery tour, you’ll be given a rundown of the chateau’s history (which dates back to 1870) as well learning about the Roskam-Brunots (the family that has been producing wine here for four generations), before capping off the tour with a tasting. Armed with knowledge of the famous varieties, you can pick out a bottle or two to enjoy with your food in Nouvelle Aquitaine later in your holiday.
Price Range: £
Location: 2 Lieu Dit Cantenac, Saint-Emilion, France
Bookings – Online at Chateau Cantenac
2. Rustic Vines, Bordeaux
Think of French wine and you think of Bordeaux. The Médoc is the star wine region of Bordeaux – its A-list appellations are universally loved among oenophiles and its reputation for producing quality quaffs is stellar. In other words, it’s the perfect place to enjoy the top Aquitaine food & drink!
For a crash course on the wines of the region and a chance to enjoy Aquitaine food, enlist the help of Rustic Vines. Their ‘Saint-Émilion and Médoc wine tour’ excursion includes a walking tour of Saint-Emilion, three tours and wine tasting sessions, and a picnic lunch, offering a brilliant opportunity to explore two famous locations in Nouvelle Aquitaine.
Rustic Vines also offers eBike wine tours for guests who want to appreciate the scenery properly as they cycle between vineyards. This is a brilliant option if you’re visiting in the late spring or early autumn, as the weather will be perfect for gentle bike rides and indulgent opportunities to sample Bordeaux’s famous wines.
Price Range: ££
Location: 33000, Bordeaux, France
Bookings: Online at Rustic vines
3. La Toque Cuivrée, Bordeaux
Canelés de Bordeaux, bite-sized cakes with a thin caramel shell and a custardy rum and vanilla interior, originated – as the name implies – in Bordeaux. And it’s here where you’ll still find the best examples of one of Aquitaine’s famous foods.
Legend has it that canelés were first invented at a convent in Bordeaux, but it wasn’t until the late 20th century that they were established as one of the most notable desserts belonging to the region. You can spot a true canelé by its distinctive grooved cylindrical shape, along with the flavour and scent of vanilla and rum.
Look out for La Toque Cuivrée in Bordeaux if you want to try an authentic canelé. There are several of these pastry shops in and around the city, and their much-loved canelés have garnered quite a fan following.
Price Range: ££
Location: 97 Bis av Techeney, 33370 Artigues-près-Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
Bookings: Online at La Toque Cuivree
4. Briketenia, Guéthary
When it comes to fine dining at Aquitaine restaurants, it’s (unsurprisingly) Michelin-starred eateries that really excel. We recommend booking a table at Briketenia in the village of Guethary, which offers incredible food and drink in a rural setting.
Epicurean tourists flock to this Michelin-starred fine dining establishment, an intimate little eatery hidden among the Basque Country hills. They serve haute cuisine of the highest order, drawing on and adapting traditional dishes and also making an effort to focus on fresh, local produce when creating their menus.
Treat you and your dining companions to the tasting menu so you can witness the father-and-son team’s (Martin and David Ibarboure) culinary wizardry in all its glory. It’s the perfect way to enjoy contemporary cuisine in a setting that still feels very traditional, perfectly blending the history and present of Basque culture.
Price Range: ££
Location: 13 chemin de l’Empereur
Bookings: Online at Briketenia
5. L’Impertinent, Biarritz
Another Michelin-starred Aquitaine restaurant is L’Impertinent, the perfect place to visit if you’re looking for a culinary experience that pushes conventional boundaries. At this small and tastefully outfitted establishment in the heart of France’s Basque Country, the chef puts his own creative take on fresh market ingredients.
Go for the tasting menu; this is where the chef lets his creative juices show most keenly with surprising but supremely satisfying flavour combinations. It’s also the best way to enjoy an Anquitaine meal that draws on the freshest local ingredients, giving you a proper culinary introduction to the region.
Price Range: £££
Location: 5 Rue d’Alsace, 64200 Biarritz, France
Bookings: Call (+33) 5 59 51 03 67
6. Maison Pariès, Various Locations
Aquitaine, and in particular Bayonne, has a chocolate heritage that stretches back centuries. The town has a medieval air from the architecture which makes it a very picturesque place to visit, but it’s the vast range of different chocolate establishments that should be focused on if you’re here to enjoy Nouvelle Aquitaine food.
Bayonne is known as the chocolate capital of France, with a reputation that began to grow in the 17th century. Its geographical proximity to Spain meant that chocolatiers in the region had easy access to cocoa imports from the Spanish colonies, making it easy for French chefs to source the freshest ingredients to hone their craft with.
Confectionary chain Maison Pariès, who have a number of stores around the South of France, including outposts in Biarritz, Bayonne and Saint-Jean-de-Luz, is a great place to sample Basque delicacies. We recommend that you purchase chocolates of course, but also kanougas (soft chocolate-flavoured toffees), mouchous (pastries made from macarons) and tourons (almond and sugar sweets).
Price Range:££
Location: 9 Bis Rue Saint-Placide, 75006 Paris, France
Bookings: Online at Paries
7. Chateau Troplong Mondot, Saint-Émilion
If you’re looking for an Aquitaine food experience set in a classic French Château, the Chateau Troplong Mondot is the perfect place for an unforgettable dining experience. Set on a hilltop overlooking the vineyards of Saint-Émilion, this restaurant-cum-winery boasts awesome terrace views that are almost enough to warrant a visit alone.
This needn’t be your sole reason for coming here though; the impeccably prepared food is also out of this world. The dishes are specially designed to pair well with the chateau’s own wines, so leave the rental car at your luxury villa and indulge in a glass or two.
Price Range: ££
Location: Château Troplong-Mondot, 33330 Saint-Émilion, France
Bookings: Call +33 (0)5 57 55 32 05
8. Les Frères Ibarboure, Bidart
Our final recommendation for the best place to enjoy food in Nouvelle Aquitaine is Les Frères Ibarboure in Bidart; a hotel and restaurant with a Michelin star that absolutely oozes luxury and sophistication. This restaurant is – just like Briketenia down the road – an Ibarboure family venture.
Eating takes place in the elegant 18th-century dining room, which overlooks the manicured gardens. Exquisitely refined, locally inspired dishes, like Kintoa Basque pork and Landes duck foie gras, are served.
Price Range:££
Location: Chemin Ttalienea, 64210 Bidart, France
Bookings: Online at Les Frères Ibarboure
Food and drink are always a highlight for visitors to France, and Nouvelle Aquitaine is one of the best places in the country to enjoy the best of both of these. From legendary winemaking chateaux to avant-garde Michelin restaurants, there are so many experiences on offer to choose from when you visit.
If all this has whetted your appetite for an Aquitaine adventure, you can find more information and inspiration on our blog, such as finding out the best wine experiences in the South of France or our favourite food and wine tours in Bordeaux. And if you need a bit more info, why not check out our travel guide to the South of France, or throw any questions in the direction of our helpful concierge team.
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