Back in July, I finally made it to Bordeaux, France—a city I’d long wanted to visit. While Bordeaux is famous for its wine, my main draw was something else entirely: canelés.

Five years ago, while living in Seattle, I was introduced to my first canelé by a French friend who discovered them at a local French-Japanese fusion bakery, Fuji Bakery. He swore it was the best he’d had in the U.S.—even better than most he’d tried back home in Paris—though the canelé itself originates from Bordeaux. Ever since that first crunchy, custardy bite, I’ve been on a mission to try a canelé at every French bakery I stumble upon, and I’ve even attempted making them at home.

So when I found out I'd be attending a friend’s wedding near Bordeaux this summer, I knew it was my chance to finally try Canelés de Bordeaux…. in Bordeaux!

In this post, I’ll take you on a whirlwind tour of the city’s most famous canelé spots, sharing my favorite (and the only one you really need to visit) as well as a few other gems I discovered along the way.

where to find the best canelé in bordeaux

When you first arrive in the city, you’ll immediately notice its stunning architecture—grand neoclassical buildings and wide boulevards that give it a charm reminiscent of Paris. The second thing you will notice are the countless Baillardran and La Toque Cuivrée stalls seemingly around every corner. There are nine Baillardran locations vs. five La Toque Cuivrée’s in the city center alone.

Now, for those who may be unfamiliar, a canelé is a small French pastry with a rich, custardy interior and a deeply caramelized crust. Traditionally made with flour, sugar, egg yolks, milk, butter, vanilla, and rum, it’s baked in a special copper mold to achieve its signature fluted shape. One of the defining aspects of a good canelé is its crunchy, shattering, crisp crust. The exterior of a well-made canelé should be firm and crunchy, almost rock-like, making it difficult to squeeze between your fingers. The contrast between the hard exterior and the custardy vanilla-rum center makes a canelé truly delightful, especially when paired with a cup of coffee.

So, it was to my dismay to find that my very first canelé in Bordeaux—the birthplace of canelé—at the iconic Baillardran was soft... and spongey. I thought that this must be a mistake, so I tried one from next door from La Toque Cuivrée and it was also disappointedly soggy throughout.

What was going on?!

Where was the crunch factor.

I was shook.

I kept sampling canelés from both Baillardran and La Toque Cuivrée at different locations throughout the city, hoping for a change. But each time, it was the same disappointing result. If you look at the two images above, you can see even visually tell that it has an oddly bubbly exterior and spongey interior. During a walking tour, I asked the guide and some fellow travelers if they’d had similar experiences. The guide suggested that the rainy, humid weather might have softened the crust—a reasonable hypothesis, but quickly dismissed in my head, as I had also tried canelé from these two locations that were fresh out of the oven.

At this point, I’d almost given up. After sampling canelés around the city, my stomach was turning from all the sugar, yet I couldn’t shake my disappointment. I’d come all the way to Bordeaux, only to find that the reality didn’t match the story I’d built in my head over the last five years. I’d watched countless tiktoks, scrolled through Instagram posts, read blogs, and dived into recipes, all dissecting what makes the perfect canelé—color, texture, crunch, caramelization. Even the great debate on molds: whether copper molds are truly essential or if aluminum and silicone alternatives can deliver a similar, albeit less traditional, result.

Very much in denial, I pulled up Google Maps once again and navigated myself to one last location.

the best canelés are at cassonade cannelés & spécialités

The best canelé in Bordeaux is definitively at Cassonade, a small local shop with a distinct green storefront. They only have three locations in the city, and one of them is conveniently situated on Rue Saint-James, leading up to Bordeaux’s most iconic monument, the Grosse Cloche, or "Big Bell."

One thing that sets Bordeaux canelé shops apart is the option to buy them in petit, moyen, and grand sizes—small, medium, and large. Unlike most places around the world, where canelés are typically offered in just one size, Bordeaux gives you plenty of options to choose from (and it’s the only reason I was able to try so many—I just kept buying the petits!)

At first glance, I was skeptical because the Cassonade canelés had the dreaded “white butts”—typically a sign of undercooking or insufficient caramelization. But to my surprise, when I bit into it, the crust was crunchy, and the interior was perfectly custardy and smooth. This was it! I had finally found the perfect canelé. Sweet, yet slightly bitter from the deep caramelization, you could see the specks of vanilla bean in the custardy center, with the slightest hint of rum peeking through.

So, if you're ever in Bordeaux and on the hunt for the best canelé like I was — skip Baillardran and La Toque Cuivrée and head straight to Cassonade. They offer their canelés in classic rum and vanilla, just vanilla, and even have a vegan option that skips the butter and eggs (curious how they pull that one off, but hey, I’m all for inclusive dining experiences).

top savory eats

a fancy french tasting menu at la fine bouche

One of the most exciting things about visiting France as a foodie is how surprisingly 'affordable' fine dining can be, especially compared to the U.S. During my time in Bordeaux, I discovered La Fine Bouche, a haute cuisine gem tucked away on a quiet street just outside the city's bustling center.

The hack when it comes to haute dining is to always check and see if they have a lunch prix-fixe menu. It’s the perfect opportunity to sample a restaurant’s offerings at a much more reasonable price—often half of what dinner would cost. At La Fine Bouche, their 3-course lunch menu was €33, while dinner ranges from €70-€85 for 4 to 6 courses.

My lunch at La Fine Bouche was easily the best meal I’ve had in France. The two highlights were the quail main and the lemon cream dessert. The quail was served two ways: as a ballotine (rolled up and stuffed) and a crispy fried drumstick. The lemon cream dessert was essentially a deconstructed lemon tart—one of my favorite French pastries!

Everything was expertly prepared, inventive, and fun to eat. A feast for the eyes and taste buds. I HIGHLY recommend this spot. Basically Michelin star dining without the Michelin star prices.

La Fine Bouche Website - make sure to make a reservation when you go

steak frites at l'entrecôte

You’ve probably heard of Le Relais de l'Entrecôte in Paris (they even recently reopened in NYC), famous for only have one thing on the menu: a simple walnut salad followed by steak frites with that addictive herby green sauce. Oh, and free bread.

What you might not know is that there are several variations of these restaurants around the world, all owned by three groups within the Gineste de Saurs family — two sisters and a brother. These include Le Relais de Venise: L'Entrecôte, Le Relais de l'Entrecôte, and L'Entrecôte. So… technically different, but the same.

The one in Bordeaux is a L'Entrecôte, and no exception is as delicious as the others. Get in line, order the steak frites, enjoy a glass of the house wine, and if you have room, finish off with some classic profiteroles (puff pastry with ice cream and lots of chocolate sauce).

Prices as of July 2024:

€22 for a set menu of salad, steak, and frites

€4.50 glass of house red wine

top sights

visit the cité du vin

The Cité du Vin is a museum dedicated to the world of wine. The building itself is striking, situated right on the Garonne River. I’m not typically one to go to museums like this, but I was pleasantly surprised by all the fun, hands-on exhibits. As someone who is not a wine connoisseur, I really enjoyed learning about the history of wine, different wine-producing regions, and the winemaking process. It was especially fun to explore the various scent notes through visual and olfactory experiences — and finally sort of understand what it means when someone says a wine “has a nose of dark fruit, like blackberries and cherries, with a touch of spice, almost like cinnamon, a hint of oak, giving it a bit of vanilla, and a subtle earthy note, like wet soil.”

At the end of the visit, you take the elevator up to their observatory deck to enjoy a glass of wine and soak in stunning views of the city!

Ticket price of adults: €22, or included on Bordeaux CityPass

a must visit immersive art exhibit at les bassins des lumières

I’ve been to a couple of immersive art exhibits where art is projected on walls, and they are usually pretty lame, but Les Bassins des Lumières is in a league of its own. The exhibit is housed in the Base sous-marine de Bordeaux, a former submarine base built during World War II by Nazi Germany. The base was constructed between 1941 and 1943 to serve as a strategic location for the German Navy. Its reinforced concrete structure was designed to house submarines and protect them from aerial bombardment. After the war, the base was repurposed for various uses, including commercial and industrial purposes, but remained largely underutilized until 2020, when it was transformed into this cultural arts center.

When you first walk in, the sheer scale of the place hits you. The cavernous concrete chambers are massive and overwhelming, their cold, industrial surfaces standing as stark reminders of the base’s military past. The immersive projections seem to swallow the entire space, bouncing off as reflections in the still water below, adding to the sense of disorientation. The musty smell of stagnant water lingers in the air, and at first, the darkness, intense music, and intricate visuals make it hard to focus. But as your eyes adjust, you begin to see how the art interacts with the space—how the industrial relics give depth and context to the digital displays. The contrast between the base's grim history and the vibrant, modern art creates an unexpected and emotional resonance, making the experience feel both haunting and enlightening.

A must see.

Well, this wraps up my short and sweet (literally!) Bordeaux trip. I’m so happy I finally got to visit the city where the canelé first originated, discovered what may just be one of my favorite restaurants, and experienced one of the most haunting and moving immersive art exhibits I’ve ever been to. Not sure when, but I am sure I will see you again, Bordeaux.

À bientôt.