L’avant comptoir du palais in Bordeaux

"Food was incredible, every tapa was flavorful and I might say better than anything we had in Spain. Highly recommend the shrimp with coconut cream sauce, octopus, beef carpaccio, the croquettes and even the bread and butter was amazing. The fois gra with pistachio cream is out of this world. The place is busy so don't expect service to be too attentive. If you are lucky you get to sit outside with an amazing view of the porte cailhau. They don't take reservations."

"Great location with a view at Porte Cailhau. We had some tasteful dishes tapas-style to share for lunch."

"Pauline and Ange at the service were a real highlight. They were warm, kind, and friendly, and very attentive to what I was looking for in both wine and food. Their recommendations were spot on. There are many options available by the glass, and even more choices by the bottle, making it a great place for wine lovers. The place has a cozy, laid back atmosphere, with good music in the background, mainly rock and indie from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. We shared several dishes and enjoyed all of them. Overall, a place I truly enjoyed for its friendly service, delicious food, wide variety of wines, and relaxed atmosphere."

"Fell in love with this wine bar. Food (tapas style) was very delicious, wine was amazing. The bread & olives they served while waiting were perfect - I must say, that pairing with wine was really good. We're from ireland and would travel back just for this. It was recommended by the locals. Also great value. Will definitely be back. Staff were also good. Really enjoyed wining & dining here."

"We stumbled upon this charming little bar in the heart of Bordeaux, and it turned out to be an absolute gem! The atmosphere is cozy and inviting. The selection of wines is fantastic - there’s something for everyone, and the waiter let us try different types of red wine. We also enjoyed some delicious bites, especially the bread was SO good. The staff are warm and welcoming. It’s the kind of place you’ll want to keep coming back to! Highly recommend."

"I have to say this restaurant caught us by surprise (in a good way). It was new year eve, we were worried many restaurants would not be opened or fully booked, so we just looked for one that has good google rating quickly and made sure we had our dinner. When we first sat down, we were given a bar like seating area, not a proper dining table. Reading through some reviews, we quickly found out they serve only tapas like dishes. We were hesitated if we should leave, but worrying that we might not get dinner elsewhere, so we decided to stay and just be done with our dinner. We ordered a mojito, a red wine, a gnocchi and a braised beed chunk. I have to say, the gnocchi is one of the best we ever had. The way it was cooked is very unique, the texture is a bit crispy, but tasted a bit chewy, the way it was cooked and the home made sauce seasoning makes it a perfect dish. Same thing goes to the beef chunk, very unique way to cook it, and very juicy. As for the dessert, the waiter highly recommended their home made 75% dark chocolate, mixed with salted caviar. It feels a very weird combination. Out of curiosity, we gave it a try. To our surprise, it tastes quite good. Overall, I highly recommend this restaurant, and don’t be afraid to try some new things, you may love them the way we do. By the way, there is no English menu, we had to use translation app to order food. A bit troublesome but worth it. ———— Update on 2026 new year night: Since this restaurant impressed us so much last night(on new year eve), we decided to go back again on the new year night. To our surprise, they changed the menu in just one day. The gnocchi was no longer on the menu, but the chef managed to get us one (thanks, chef). We also ordered a fore gras, and an octopus dish. They continue to impress us."

"Just into Bordeaux. We were looking for a bite and some nice wine and not just the regular well known Bordeaux. I had saved this place to visit and this was possibly the only one I had saved that was open on a Sunday afternoon. We had the most amazing experience. Went crazy on the wines. For food it is only tapas style- exactly what we wanted. Matthieu was excellent. The wine selection here is enormous. I had some of the best wines- from Corsica, Cote du Rhone, Savoie. My wife had a natural wine. Matthieu was very helpful. He opened many a bottle. I wanted to go back for dinner, but I guess another day."

"An excellent spot for group dining, as it’s perfect for ordering multiple dishes to share. Everything was delicious, and I found myself wanting to try the entire menu, though I ran out of room, haha. My standout dishes were the lobster, the croque, and the pig ear. I was so full by the end that I couldn’t manage dessert. The wine selection is solid, but they also offer off-menu bottles, so it’s worth asking for recommendations. Many of the dishes have a touch of spice, so I suggest pairing them with a Right Bank Bordeaux for an ideal complement."