A Gourmand Michelin Experience
City of Bordeaux, France
Cuisine Style: French, Haute
Average Price: $$$$
Overall Rating: 5/5
Dined in: October 2010
**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for
Wine Dine and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:
Executive Chef:
now
Nicolas FRION
A cool autumn night in Bordeaux after a day of wine tours on the left bank would make anyone hungry, especially if it is Michelin rated French cuisine. Located on the Place de la Bourse on the corner of Rue Saint-Rémi and next to the Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie (CCI) de Bordeaux was Le Bistrot du Gabriel. In October of 2010 while on a wine tour of France hopping from Bordeaux, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and Burgundy, I was on my first stop here in the wonderful city of Bordeaux where I had reservations for Le Gabriel based on an article I had read six months earlier from the New York Times. This was my experience…
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| Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie |
Le Gabriel is a very elegant restaurant located in Bordeaux's beautiful 18th-century Palais de la Bourse on the Garonne River. There is a different dining experience on each of its three levels of the restaurant, with prices increasing each time you climb the stairs. On the ground floor is a café with terrace, the first floor is a bistro, and the top floor where I dined that evening holds chef Francois Adamski's flagship restaurant which was awarded a Michelin star just eight months after it opened.
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| Outside the front entrance |
This article should have been written years earlier, but now the time has come to put in writing the wonderful experience I had that evening in 2010. Unfortunately, several pictures of food I had, to include the receipt of the menu I ate have been lost over time, and only a few could be found. The Maître d escorted me from the first floor where I was enjoying a beverage at the bar, waiting for them to get the table ready, then up the three flights of stairs to the main restaurant.
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| Picture courtesy of Le Bistrot du Gabriel |
The dining room was broken up into several sections, and as it was still early in the evening, many tables were still empty, but by the time I left, the restaurant would nearly be full.
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| Picture courtesy of Le Bistrot du Gabriel |
The menu was broken down into two sections, an Ala Carte and a tasting menu as follows.
- Le menu affaire 37€ (The Exécutive Menu)
- Le menu du marché 55€ (The Market Menu)
- Le menu dégustation 80€ (The tasting menu)
- Le menu des enfants 25€ (Child menu)
A la Carte Menu:
- Les entrées (The Entries)
- Les Poissons (Fish)
- Les viandes (Meat)
- Les fromages (Cheese)
- Les desserts (dessert)
At the time of my dining experience, the menu was incredible, as I’m sure it still is today and included a wide variety of items, but holding true to classical French Cuisine that would make Escoffier proud. The Le menu affaire or Executive Menu consisting of an Amuse-bouche, appetizer, main course, dessert, 2 glasses of wine, a coffee for lunch only, on Tuesday through Saturday. The Le menu du marché or the Market Menu included an appetizer, starter, main course, cheese, and dessert. Finally, the Le menu dégustation or the tasting menu included a starter, fish, meat, cheese, and dessert.
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| Picture courtesy of Le Bistrot du Gabriel |
The Ala Carte menu included the following items:
Les entrées (The Entries)
Les Poissons (Fish)
Les viandes (Meat)
Les Desserts
Some of the features on the menu from when I dined included the Le foie gras de canard, (Duck foie gras) with south-west chips, thin and curly crisp rhubarb jelly. Le Thon rouge, (Bluefin Tuna) tartare with mango and wasabi notes, served on a crouton. Les Jeunes tomates, (Young Tomato) stuffed peppers and refreshed with sorbet, basil and olives and the La langouste rose, (The spiny lobster) served with minute youth summer salad and warm raspberry vinaigrette
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| Picture courtesy of Le Bistrot du Gabriel |
From the entree section, there was Le bar de nos côtes, (The bar of our coasts) poached in milk served with nori, duxelle mushrooms, and Caviar d’Aquitaine. Le Saint-Pierre, (John Dory Fish) roasted asparagus, with emulsified citrus sauce. Les cuisses de grenouilles, (Frog Legs) served on a garlic and parsley risotto casserole. Le homard de Bretagne, (Brittany lobster) sliced on a bed of "coconut" with tomato confit, juices shells. The La daurade rose, (Pink sea bream) stuffed with basil, tomatoes nougat, white wine sauce and olive oil
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| Picture courtesy of Le Bistrot du Gabriel |
Finally to round up the menu, from the meat section they had choices ranges from the Le filet de veau, (Fillet of Veal) finely carved and grilled eggplant with a tomato fondue sauce, the La volaille jaune des Landes, (Poultry yellow Landes Pigeon) stuffed with spinach, tomatoes and pine nuts, and smoked emulsion. Also, they had the L’agneau de lait, (Lamb) three services, offal sausage, mashed dates, cumin., and finally the Le râble de lapin fermier, (The saddle of rabbit) stuffed olives and kidney, polenta, and basil.
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| Picture courtesy of Le Bistrot du Gabriel |
You will have to excuse me if the translations are a little off. When I originally used google translate on the menu in 2010, from there I had my English-French translation book as a guide to cuisine and menus. I do remember enjoying a tasting menu with wine pairings, but again since it has been six years, with a loss of pictures and a receipt, I really have no idea what I had. The pictures of food you see on this page except for the cheese are all from their website.
One thing I can say for certain is that it was a wonderful experience and when I return to Bordeaux one day, I will visit them again.
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| Cheese platter for my dessert |
Dessert:
For dessert they had a Le chariot de fromages (The cheese platter) Les fraises, (Strawberries) reduced juices, sweet with pistachio, creamy poppy and sweet sherbet, L’ananas, (Pineapple) soufflé cooked in minutes, Mojito sorbet flavors, a La framboise, (Raspberries) a Vacherin cream, inclusion of lemon balm, gel fondue and meringues, Le chocolat, sparkling ganache, sautéed with cherry kirsch and cherry balsamic sorbet and the La rhubarbe, (Rhubarb) poached orange emulsion, frosted yogurt and sorbet
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| Picture courtesy of Le Bistrot du Gabriel |
Please see these guidelines for Tipping in Restaurants and on following proper etiquette, customs, cultures, and avoiding assumptions when you dine out.
Other Noteworthy French and Haute Articles & Restaurants:
Aria Restaurant Modern Australian haute cuisine in Sydney, Australia
Bistrot La Minette Charming French Bistro with movie filmed terrace in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Fleur de Lys Lavish French-Californian by Hubert Keller in San Francisco, California
HobNob Restaurant French & Canadian cuisine at The Charles Hotel, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada
La Colombe Country-style local ingredients w/French flair in Cape Town, South Africa
La Cote Basque Winehouse French & continental cuisine in Gulfport, Florida
La Petite Maison Relaxed French-Italian Restaurant at the DFIC in Dubai, UAE
L’Ecrivain Seasonal Irish ingredients with full modern French gastronomic dining in Dublin, Ireland
Reflets Par Pierre Gagnaire Posh and artful French cuisine + culinary experimentalism in Dubai, UAE
Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud Impeccably prepared French fine dining in Dublin, Ireland
Slightly North of Broad (S.N.O.B) Bistro w/Southern & Lowcountry cuisine in Charleston, S. Carolina
Tetsuya’s Eclectic French-Asian Tasting Menu restaurant in Sydney, Australia
The Brasserie at the Café de Paris A Parisian style bistro rendez-vous in Monte-Carlo, Monaco
The Dutch Kitchen Buffet of Dutch and French cuisine at the Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam
The French Laundry French-American fine dining restaurant in Yountville, California
The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Français African-French tasting menu in Franschhoek, SA
The Test Kitchen Modern eclectic and Nouvelle Latin cuisine in Cape Town, South Africa
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary”
Other French restaurants and articles on Wine Dine and Play:
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Countryside French Bistro
Cheverny, France
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A tasting of the Vougeot AOC, caves, and the Hospices de Beaune
Burgundy, France
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Wine tours and restaurants
Bordeaux, France
|
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Is Michelin at fault?
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13 blended grapes with harmonious complexity
Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France
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Haute French Restaurant
Paris, France
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See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary by country”
Final notes, review basics, observations and more pictures:
Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about. My ratings are by the stars I award (from 0 to 5). The rating is calculated on a point accumulation of six separate factors based on individual experience. They include wine and other beverage selections, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambiance, food quality, and wow factor. To see more details of this rating list, read this article:
Scores are detailed in the factor chart below:
Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings
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Max Points Possible:
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Total Points Awarded:
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Total Points deducted:
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Ambiance
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10
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10
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0
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Food quality
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10
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9
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1
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Plate presentation
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9
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9
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0
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Customer service
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8
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7
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1
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Alcohol and other beverages
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9
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8
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1
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Total regular points awarded
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46
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43
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3
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Total percentage Before Bonus
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0.93304347826087
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“Wow” factor BONUS
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5
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3
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0
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Total bonus percentage
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0.0652173913043478
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Total percentage with a bonus for the final star rating
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0.993260869565217
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Stars Awarded (see chart below)
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0 - 5
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5
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**A full break down and explanation of the observations and point disbursement is available in the linked article above. To receive a detailed copy of your score, feel free to contact me at any time and I will provide it to you.**
***
Overall Star Rating:
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5 of 5 Stars:
99% Rating with a 3 point “wow” bonus
An Extraordinary Dining Experience
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Wine rating:
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6 of 10
Old World selections:
France, Italy, Portugal, Spain
New World selections:
Australia, Chile
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Corkage fee’s:
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This Restaurant does not list any corkage fee’s however, most American restaurants charge
$25.00 per bottle
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Restaurant style:
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Semi-formal dining
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Cuisine Style:
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French, Haute
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Farm to Fork, Gluten-Free, Grass Fed, Low Carb, Pescatarian, Sustainable, Vegetarian options
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Reservations:
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Not Required, But Recommended
Walk-Ins:
Accepted, but not guaranteed
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Dress code:
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Semi-formal to Business attire
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Child policy:
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The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a kids menu or cater to them; however, for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended that kids not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette.
If not then:
Hire a Babysitter!
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Experiences:
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Place for foodies, Contemporary, Business parties, Hotspot, Great bar, Great outdoor dining, Good for special occasions, Classy, Upscale, and a Neighborhood Gem.
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Payments:
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Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
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Parking:
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Valet
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Wifi
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The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
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Noise level:
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Medium
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Smoking:
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Nonsmoking restaurant, and nonsmoking patio
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Patio or terrace:
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Yes
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Food Prices
(excludes, alcohol, taxes & 20% gratuity’s)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00 (inexpensive)
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00 (moderate)
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00 (pricey)
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00 (expensive)
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00 (very expensive)
**Currencies reflect the world’s major travelers, restaurant, or wine connoisseur’s**
Currency:
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Price
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United States Dollar (USD)
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$$
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Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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£££££
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Canadian Dollar (CAN)
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$$$
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Chinese Yuan (CNY)
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¥¥¥¥¥
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European Union (EUR)
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€€€€€
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Le Gabriel:
10 place de la Bourse
Bordeaux, France
33000
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
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Maître d or host:
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+33 5 56 30 00 30
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Email Contact:
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Serving hours:
Greenwich Mean Time
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC - BST Offset + 1:00)
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Lunch: Mon-Sun
12:00 am - 2:15 pm
Dinner: Mon-Sun
7:30 pm - 10:15 pm
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Social Media
&
Accolades:
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****
The worlds best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.
A few to tease you with…
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Hip burger chain with space-age decor
Midtown, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Colonial Portuguese Fusion with tapas
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
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Seafood and sushi with panorama views
Cape Point, South Africa
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Other Pictures:
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| Picture courtesy of Le Bistrot du Gabriel |
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| Picture courtesy of Le Bistrot du Gabriel |
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| Kitchen tour with chef François Adamski |
“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
