Bonjour guys ! I don’t know for you, but I’m a brunch kinda of girl. It’s not unusual for me during the week-end or holidays to decide not to eat a basic meal for lunch, but to opt for a huge breakfast. I am a sweet tooth and vegetarian, so I skip the cheese, egg and bacon part and fulfill my stomach with viennoiseries, pain, confiture, honey, granola, soy yogurts and soy latte ( among other things ).
It’s cosy to brunch at home with friends and family, but it’s more convivial to go out. Depending on my mood I prefer going in town to have brunch, plus you don’t have to cook anything : it’s done for you ! I live in Bordeaux, in the South West of France. The city is mainly known for its delicious wine ( La Cité du Vin opened its doors in June ), so if you have the chance to come to Bordeaux, there are two addresses you want to know if you want to brunch.
-Karl Restaurant, 6 Place du Parlement, 33000 Bordeaux
This cosy place is situated downtown, near of the shopping street » Rue Sainte Catherine ». It opened in 2004, and I love the authentic decoration in wood. They serve brunch until 3PM, but its open all day long. The menu is very diversified, you will find croissants, ham, salads, soups, quiches, donuts, tartelettes, juices, hot beverages and so on. They make vegetarian meals / products, which is a good point for people like me who don’t eat meat.
Prices are not that high considering the fact that products are fresh and home made, though not all of them are. For those which are industrials I concede that prices are too high. For example, you can have the Petit déjeuner Karl with two drinks, a viennoiserie, white ham, cheese, yogurt, bread, jam, honey, butter and Nutella for 10.40E which is reasonable. On the other hand, you will pay 8.90E for dried tomatoes, salad, cheese and a piece of bread…
As much as I love the ambiance and the decoration, it’s a small place and there are many people going there. So if you have planned to brunch at Karl’s, it’s best if you book a table, especially if you are numerous. Here is the link to the website so you can find all the informations about the location, the menu, and to contact them :
http://www.karlbordeaux.fr/main/presentation.php
-Le Pain Quotidien, 64 Rue des Remparts, 33000 Bordeaux
I have to confess that it’s my favorite place to eat in Bordeaux, so I’m not impartial. There Le Pain Quotidien restaurants in may locations in the world, but it’s in the one in Bordeaux where I took my first brunch. It’s like my Madeleine de Proust each time I go back there.
The furnitures are pretty much the same that at Karl’s, and there is the same space issue : it’s too small. You can sit outside, but there are only a few tables, and it’s situated in a small street so it’s not very practical. Though it’s very quiet and the quarter is filled with little boutiques, and I appreciate this type of ambiance.
The main reason why I love this place so much is because they do vegetarian meals, but also vegan ones. So if like me you can’t digest dairy milk, they have soy milk so you can order a latte, a cappuccino or whatever you want. For some orders you will pay more than at Karl’s, but most of their products are organic, and none of them are from the industry ( at least they say so ).
They are famous for their Tartines, you know those slices of delicious bread with plenty of good things on top ? ( Photo just above ) They have more choice of viennoiseries, but less in desserts. They offer 4 different brunches, so you have plenty possibilities, but it’s quite expensive : the « Brunch Nordique » costs 29E, which is – even if there are many things to eat and drink – too expensive.
They make their own jams and spreads, unlike Karl’s where there is Nutella. The apricot jam from Le Pain Quotidien is the best I’ve ever tasted, and the good thing is that they sell them, so you can buy one and let the pleasure goes on 😉
This is the link of their website for further informations :
http://www.lepainquotidien.fr/landing/menu/#.V3aInVc5ZE4
I hope that now you know where to brunch if you are in Bordeaux. It’s a beautiful city, rich in history and with many places to discover. Let me know if you’ve ever been to Bordeaux before and if you went to a Le Pain Quotidien before. I wish you a good dégustation, talk to you soon guys !
XOXO, Marion.
Chronicles of Ada 