Shopping · Bordeaux · France
Shopping in Bordeaux
Shopping streets, markets and souvenirs worth the suitcase space.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Bordeaux shopping runs from chain stores on Rue Sainte-Catherine to designer boutiques in the Triangle d'Or and antique dealers in Chartrons, with wine shops on almost every street. Most shops close on Sundays except in the centre at certain times of year. Best souvenirs: Bordeaux wine, Canelés and Sauternes or Lillet.
Key facts
- Shopping areas
- 4
- Markets
- 2
- Top souvenir
- Bordeaux wine
Where to shop
Rue Sainte-Catherine
One of the longest pedestrian shopping streets in Europe, running about a kilometre from the Grand Théâtre to Place de la Victoire with high-street brands and department stores.
Triangle d'Or
Luxury and French designer boutiques along Cours de l'Intendance, Rue Montesquieu and the Allées de Tourny.
Rue Notre-Dame, Chartrons
Antique dealers, interior design shops, delicatessens and independent fashion in the old wine-merchant district.
Galerie Bordelaise
A 19th-century glass-roofed shopping arcade between Rue Sainte-Catherine and Rue des Piliers-de-Tutelle in the old town.
Markets
Marché des Capucins
The main covered food market, with oyster bars, cheese, charcuterie and produce; liveliest on Saturday mornings.
Marché des Quais
A Sunday-morning food market along the Quai des Chartrons with oysters, rotisserie chicken, cheese and pastries.
What to buy
Bordeaux wine
Wine shops in the centre ship bottles abroad and can advise on good-value appellations beyond the famous names.
Canelés
Boxes of canelés keep a day or two; buy them on your last morning.
Sauternes or Lillet
A half-bottle of Sauternes or a bottle of Lillet makes a distinctively local gift.
Saint-Émilion macarons
Flat, chewy almond macarons made to an old recipe, sold in paper sheets in Saint-Émilion and some Bordeaux shops.
Wine accessories
Decanters, corkscrews and tasting glasses from the Cité du Vin shop and specialist stores.
Streets and markets worth a wander
Market · Saint-Michel
Marché des Capucins
Bordeaux's main covered food market, nicknamed the belly of Bordeaux, has butchers, cheese stalls, fishmongers and oyster bars.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- Shopping
- Off the beaten path
Food and drink to take home
Edible souvenirs travel best when they are dry or sealed: consider Canelé, Bordeaux red wine, Sauternes and Lillet. Specialist canelé shops and pâtisseries across the centre, particularly around Rue Sainte-Catherine and Saint-Pierre; mini versions are sold by the bag. Check your home country's rules on bringing food and drink back.
Shopping by neighbourhood
| Area | Price level | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Saint-Pierre | $$$ | Medieval lanes, café squares and wine bars between Place de la Bourse and the cathedral |
| Triangle d'Or and Quinconces | $$$$ | Grand boulevards, luxury boutiques and the Grand Théâtre |
| Chartrons | $$$ | Old wine-merchant quarter with antiques, brunch cafés and a Sunday quay market |
| Saint-Michel | $ | Basilica spire, grocers from around the Mediterranean and good-value eating |
| Victoire | $$ | Student bars around Place de la Victoire at the south end of Rue Sainte-Catherine |
| La Bastide | $$ | Right-bank district across the Pont de Pierre with Darwin and postcard views back |
Paying and bargaining
Prices are in EUR. Service is included in restaurant prices by law. Rounding up or leaving a euro or two for good service is common, and up to about 5–10% in finer restaurants is generous but optional.
- Say 'Bonjour' when entering a shop or café and 'Merci, au revoir' when leaving.
When to shop
Shops and markets are quietest in January–February; the busiest months are the peak holidays.
- January: Winter sales — citywide shop discounts (usually from early or mid-January)
- May: Foire Internationale de Bordeaux — large trade and consumer fair (usually May)
- June: Bordeaux Fête le Vin — wine festival on the quays (held in June in some years; check dates)
- November: Christmas market on the Allées de Tourny (usually opens late November)
- December: Christmas market on the Allées de Tourny (usually until late December)
Staying near the shops
$$$$ · Best for luxury, shopping, first-timers and couples
Triangle d'Or and Quinconces
Grand boulevards, luxury boutiques and the Grand Théâtre
Questions travellers ask
+What should I buy in Bordeaux?
Bordeaux wine, Canelés, Sauternes or Lillet and Saint-Émilion macarons.
+Where is the best shopping in Bordeaux?
Rue Sainte-Catherine: One of the longest pedestrian shopping streets in Europe, running about a kilometre from the Grand Théâtre to Place de la Victoire with high-street brands and department stores.
+What are the best markets in Bordeaux?
Marché des Capucins and Marché des Quais.