Hotel bargolden-triangle
Bar de l'Hotel de Seze in Bordeaux's Golden Triangle is the hotel cocktail bar of the 18th-century townhouse on Allees de Tourny, with a leather-banquette.
Signature drink: Classic French cocktails
Food: Charcuterie boards
Tip: Best for a pre-dinner drink before the Grand Theatre; the bar opens to non-residents from 17:00 every evening.
Rooftop barsaint-pierre
Mama Shelter Rooftop in Bordeaux's Saint-Pierre is the seventh-floor terrace of the Philippe Starck-designed hotel on Rue Poquelin Moliere, with one.
Signature drink: Spritz and aperitivos
Food: Wood-fired pizza and small plates
Tip: The rooftop opens around 17:00 from April to October; no reservations on the deck, only at the indoor bar.
Jazz cocktail barsaint-pierre
CODE 23 in Bordeaux's Saint-Pierre is the cocktail and jazz room inside a 16th-century convent on Rue Arnaud Miqueu, with a marble bar, Chesterfield sofas.
Signature drink: Classic and creative cocktails over live jazz
Food: Sharing plates and chef tapas
Tip: Jazz sets start at 20:30 Thu-Fri; the basement speakeasy is the calmer drinking room and rarely needs a booking.
Cocktail and tapas barsaint-pierre
Marikita on Bordeaux's Quai Richelieu is the Garonne-facing cocktail and tapas bar in Saint-Pierre, mixing creative cocktails against a street-art interior.
Signature drink: Street-art-inspired creative cocktails
Food: Mediterranean tapas and small plates
Tip: The riverfront terrace is the sunset drinking spot; tapas hour from 18:30 gets the best counter seats.
Historic barsaint-pierre
Le Castan in Bordeaux's Saint-Pierre is the 1890 listed grotto-style bar by the Garonne (Andre Tournier's 1900 rocky decor, restored 2005), with a steady.
Signature drink: Wine by the glass
Food: Plateau de fruits de mer
Tip: Order the smallest plateau and a half-litre of white from the Entre-deux-Mers; the room photographs better in low light from 19:00.
Speakeasy cocktail barsaint-pierre
Houdini in Bordeaux's Saint-Pierre is the speakeasy cocktail bar on Rue Saint-Sernin with a magic-themed creative cocktail list, a tight set of seats.
Signature drink: Show-driven signature cocktails
Food: Small bites
Tip: Reservations are essential and only by phone; the magician-bartenders perform during the cocktail.