Le Carreau — Restaurant in Bordeaux

Recommended to us by our hotel. We arrived at restaurant without a booking but we were lucky enough for the staff to give us a table. The ambiance has a cool vibe and it’s obvious from the staff’s attitude that they love working there. Service was impeccable and our entree (squid) arrived in a timely fashion accompanied by our choice of Bordeaux wine. The squid was beautifully cooked and presented with a ‘to die for’ capsicum sauce, just the right balance of salt and sweet. My partner was keen to have duck for her main but because of the bird flu it unfortunately wasn’t available. We then made the biggest mistake of the evening. We ordered the ribeye for two. The steak was presented perfectly (medium rare)and beautifully seared with the perfect maillard crust. The perfect sides,shoe string potatoes, quenelled mash potato with a simple green salad. Our mistake was thinking that French beef had changed and was up to the standard of USDA beef or even Australian beef. In reality French beef is still the poor cousin to its antipodean counterparts. Let’s not even mention Japanese Wagyu! For €65 one hopes for more. Again the beef was prepared perfectly, it was just the beef that French beef let the dish down. We look forward to trying the other dishes on offer...

A cosy bistro, with inviting décor and a relaxed atmosphere, perfectly placed for lunch or dinner in the heart of the city, offering solid French cooking, generous portions and a good selection of drinks, especially wine.

We had a nice dinner and enjoyed our meal. Both starters and mains were tasty, portions were satisfying, and the dessert was a lovely way to end the evening. The service was friendly, though not always attentive - understandably, the restaurant was very busy on a Sunday night, and the team seemed a little stretched. What stood out, however, was that a group dining with what appeared to be the owner, manager, or a VIP guest received noticeably more attention, including a staff member dedicated to them at the bar. This felt a little unbalanced compared to the rest of the room.

Overall, we had a great time and would recommend Le Carreau as a good option in Bordeaux for well-prepared, flavourful French bistro fare in a warm and...

We dined here on our last night in Bordeaux and shared the tomahawk steak—it was absolutely delicious! The mashed potatoes were equally enjoyable, topped with flavorful chives that added a fresh touch to an otherwise rich dish. Our meal also included their house fries, which were incredibly fresh and tasty.

For dessert, we tried the chocolate mousse, which was fantastic, and the crème brûlée. While the crème brûlée was good, it did seem to lack the characteristic vanilla that most of us are accustomed to with crème brûlée.

For my wife, the highlight was the freshly cut bread, which was prepared right at the table near where we were seated—a delightful touch.

Overall, this is well-executed French cuisine and definitely worth a visit while...