L'Oiseau Bleu: A Michelin-Starred Table on the Right Bank

L'Oiseau Bleu, the project of an epicurean and a master sommelier

In September 2000, after honing their skills in starred restaurants and Relais-Chateaux establishments, Sophie and Frederic Lafon took over L'Oiseau Bleu, then located in the Chartrons neighbourhood. Sophie Lafon, a sommelier, manages the dining room while Frederic leads the kitchen. Outgrowing their original premises on the Cours de Verdun, the couple moved the restaurant to the right bank in 2008. Now established in the Bastide quarter, one of Bordeaux's most promising neighbourhoods, L'Oiseau Bleu has become an essential address on the city's dining scene.

Since the summer of 2018, chef Francois Sauvetre has directed the kitchen. Having cooked alongside MOF Philippe Legendre at the George V and starred chef Eric Frechon, the former second to Nicolas Masse brings his own distinctive voice to L'Oiseau Bleu. His cooking was awarded a first Michelin star in 2020. Sauvetre works in close partnership with pastry chef Kallah Lembert to deliver meals of exacting coherence from first course to last.

Starred, contemporary and inspired cuisine

The cooking at L'Oiseau Bleu is modern French, revisiting the classics while making the most of south-western produce and drawing on wider influences through inventive, precisely judged flavour combinations. The menu is conceived as a seasonal journey between land and ocean. Autumn highlights might include line-caught maigre with shellfish, cauliflower and grapes from the sea side of the menu, or beef with Jerusalem artichoke, peanut and coriander from the land.

The wine list, compiled by Sophie Lafon, runs to 350 references spanning Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, the Loire, Languedoc-Roussillon, Alsace and the Rhone Valley. Each menu offers suggested food-and-wine pairings selected to complement the kitchen's seasonal creations.

Practical information

L'Oiseau Bleu is located at 127 Avenue Thiers on the right bank and is open for lunch and dinner, Tuesday to Saturday. In a warm, neo-baroque setting, guests can enjoy a weekday lunch menu, L'Escapade, from 32 euros, or the Balade des Sens, a three-course menu with a choice of land or ocean for each stage. A seasonal menu is available from 75 euros, along with a six-course tasting menu for the whole table. The Thiers-Benauge tram stop is steps away, making the restaurant easily accessible from the historic centre. The adjoining bistrot, Cote Zinc, is also run by Frederic Lafon.

More information at: loiseaubleu.fr

The right bank of Bordeaux is home to an increasing number of destination restaurants, and L'Oiseau Bleu is one of the addresses that has drawn attention to the Bastide quarter as a place to live as well as dine. Spacious apartments with river views and family houses with gardens are among the properties available on this side of the Garonne. A full selection is available among the properties for sale in Bordeaux.

The consultants at BARNES Bordeaux can advise on the best opportunities on the right bank and beyond, from the initial property valuation to the final signature. The team is available via the contact page.

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