Visiting Bordeaux

A Hipster’s Guide to Bordeaux

Looking for that hipster fix when you’re in Bordeaux? Would you be willing to cross the city to try the best in town? Look no further than our guide to the best artisan, independent creators and innovators in the city!

A Hipster’s Guide to the trendy places to be!

One thing that makes hipsters so hip is that they are genuinely passionate people… Others might mock hipsters for seeking out that specialty store or boutique… but they’d be wrong! A hipster’s choice is likely to be super trendy and one of the best places in the city! With more and more speciality shops, unique restaurants and new exhibitions popping up all over town, Bordeaux is becoming very… hip!

local city guide

HERE’S OUR GUIDE TO SOME OF THE BEST ‘HIPSTER’ THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN BORDEAUX…

 

Get a perfect ‘flat white’…

How Hipster : 5/10

Barista culture is new to Bordeaux. Small independent coffee shops are popping up all over town. But there are only a few unique spots, like ‘L’Alchimiste Torréfacteur’, that are putting the time and effort into roasting their own beans. If you love coffee, take the trip across the Garonne to see where the roasting happens. Then taste the ultimate French espresso, made with love and care at the L’Alchimiste Café.

Taste great craft beers…

How Hipster : 10/10

Assuming you’re a hipster that likes beer (a fair assumption), you’re probably used to enjoying some interesting craft beers back home. Bordeaux is no different! Just like the coffee, craft beer culture is booming all over Bordeaux right now thanks to influences from across the globe, such as the Canadian Organic Brew-Pub, Au Nouveau Monde! Not only was it the first officially certified organic pub in France, they also brew all their delicious beers (seriously, they’re incredible) downstairs in the cellar! There’s surely not much more they can do to be hipster, right?

Get your skate on…

How Hipster : 8/10

Skate culture is massive in Bordeaux. The trick boards, long boards and cruisers, surf the quays up towards Chartrons to the exceptionnel outdoor skate park just in front of the Garonne. Spread over 2,350 m2 the skate park is one of the biggest and best in France and is always a great place to skate or watch the action. It’s at the Chartrons tram stop (or in front of Molly Malone’s for locals).

Evolve at Darwin…

How Hipster : 9/10

The one place to go in Bordeaux where you’re likely to find the most trendy beards, tattoos and vintage sunglasses has to be here. Darwin is a an ‘eco-system’ constructed in a disused army barracks. They have everything from an organic café/restaurant/épicerie, art exhibitions, a tattoo shop, skate park and an awesome outside bar and concert space. Plus an outdoor hipster haven with couches where everyone sits, so pull up in style on your fixie bike!

Be ‘Old Fashioned’…

How Hipster : 7/10

Cocktails in Bordeaux used to consist of whisky, coca-cola and a straw… if you were lucky. Well the old times are gone and today the Bordeaux hipster revolution has brought with it a bunch of quality cocktail bars! Places like the Alchimiste and the Cancan use only the best spirits and ingredients and have a real innovative attitude to cocktail making. Dive into one or two of these Bordeaux cocktail bars and watch them work their magic! Try out the new kid on the block, Frida, which specialises in cocktails and delicious food, and- in true Bordeaux fashion- it has a beautiful outdoor area in the courtyard to the rear.

Wine & Antiques…

How Hipster : 6/10

The historic Chartrons quartier had the amazing idea of a two day event each year that perfectly combines walking around a flea market and drinking wine. That’s right, the ‘Fête du Vin Nouveau et de la Brocante’ or ‘New Wine and Antiques Festival’ is the best thing ever. Already full of antiques and bazaars, the shops of Chartrons spill out into the streets. It’s an amazing event and well worth the visit! Check out the Facebook Page. 

Chill on a terrace…

How Hipster : 6/10

One of the most important daily rituals for locals in Bordeaux is to sit on a terrace somewhere and have a ‘café’. Whether it’s before work, mid-morning or during a lazy afternoon. Find yourself a terrace somewhere in the historic Saint-Pierre neighbourhood and watch the world go by. Our favourite place and a favourite amongst our bearded hipster friends is Place Fernand Lafargue, at Santosha for a bite or one of the surrounding terraces for a beer, where you can steal a jaw dropping view of La Grosse Cloche.

Get an English Brekkie…

How Hipster : 9/10

Everything British is trendy at the moment in Bordeaux. On top of loving local British pubs such as the Houses of Parliament or the HMS Victory hipster locals like to tuck into a cup of tea and a cooked breakfast on their day off or after a late night partying. You can find a cooked breakfast in loads of places popping up all over town, like Sweeney Todd’s or The Market Tavern. But the one that scores highest on our hipst-o-meter has got to be The Breakfast Club!

Grab a brunch…

HOW HIPSTER : 9/10

It’s all the rage at the moment; an epic brunch, sweet and savoury, real coffee and… TUNES. Can you think of a better way to kick off your Sunday? Us neither. Banana Café have got this down, even bringing in a DJ on a Sunday to make their brunch that extra little bit cool. Everything is gluten-free, even their draught beer! If all this isn’t hipster enough, they even sell vinyls and have their own soundcloud page! That brings us nicely to…

Pick up a vinyl or two…

HOW HIPSTER : 10/10

Sure, you could simply go to the FNAC on Rue Sainte-Catherine and pick up a brand new beauty, but you can do that anywhere, right? Surely there’s nothing more satisfying -and, indeed, nothing more hipster- than finding an absolute gem in one of Bordeaux’s many hidden specialist vinyl shops… Favourites include Total Heaven, Le Diabolo Menthe, Disc Ayres, Deep End Records, La Charcuterie 44, Librairie Micita and Bam Balam.

Run the quays…

How Hipster : 6/10

If you’re into jogging, put your ‘work-out pants’ on and head to the quays. If you have overindulged in wine and cheese the night before we recommend doing a loop around the two bridges. Start at the ‘Miroir d’Eau’ and go north towards Chartrons. Cross the Chaban-Delmas bridge and then come back down the river on the other-side crossing back over at the Pont de Pierre.
LOCAL TIP : The view of the city across the river from the right bank is sensational! 

Cruise the city on bikes…

How Hipster : 6/10

There is nothing more trendy than taking a spin around the city on beach-cruiser bikes on the Rustic Vines Tour. Catch all the sightseeing, photo opportunities and culture that Bordeaux has to offer, in style! Plus, if tasting wine isn’t hipster, than who’d want to be hipster?

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