Returning to Bordeaux, Dordogne Valley & Paris – Fall 2024

What could be better than drinking great bottles of Bordeaux in Bordeaux City and Saint-Émilion? Nothing! So I chose this trip for my “big” birthday and planned to drink great wine and dine at Hotel de Pavie’s gastronomic restaurant “La Table de Pavie” to celebrate.

Our five week holiday began with a return trip to Bordeaux and Saint-Émilion. It felt like revisiting old friends—familiar vineyards, sun-drenched stone villages, and the rich aroma of wine barrels welcoming us back. We expanded our journey with a few days exploring the enchanting Dordogne Valley, where medieval towns, prehistoric caves, and riverside markets added new layers of discovery. To top it off, we ended our trip with a short stay in Paris, soaking up the timeless beauty and energy of the City of Light. From world-class wines to ancient history and urban elegance, this journey was a perfect blend of old favorites and new adventures.

The City of Bordeaux

Our visit to the city of Bordeaux was a vibrant mix of elegance, history, and modern flair. We strolled along the Garonne River and through the grand boulevards lined with 18th-century architecture, marveling at the city’s harmonious blend of old and new. The Place de la Bourse, with its stunning reflecting pool, was a highlight, especially as the sunset turned the buildings golden. We explored the dynamic food scene, from bustling markets to stylish bistros, and enjoyed leisurely afternoons sipping wine in shaded squares. Bordeaux felt both sophisticated and relaxed—an effortlessly charming city that invites you to slow down and savor every moment.

Sightseeing/Tours

• Sunday Oyster Market (Marche des Quais on the Quai des Chartrons) – Small but worth a stroll through and ordering a dozen oysters and some champagne!
• Day trip to Arcahon Bay – Beautiful seaside town famous for it’s oysters (supposedly the best in France) and the 100+ foot sand dunes (Dune Du Pilat). I can definitely vouch for the oysters, the best I have ever tasted! 

Restaurants

• Vivants – https://restaurantvivants.com/ – Sister restaurant to the Michelin 1 Star, Ressources. Our favorite dinner in Bordeaux. Relaxed, with great friendly service, an interesting wine list (not just Bordeaux’s) and excellent and creative food. The atmosphere is ripe for comradery and we talked to the two tables of people on either side of us (locals) and plan on hosting one of the couples in NYC.
• Ressources – https://restaurantressources.com/ – Michelin 1 Star restaurant. Food and service were excellent, but the atmosphere and services was much friendlier and relaxing at Vivants.
• Zephirine – https://zephirine.fr/ – We dined at this restaurant on our last visit and loved it. Situated in the back of a gourmet store, with an open kitchen (chef welcomes you as you pass by) is a small charming dining room with a beautiful garden (eat out there if the weather permits). Wonderful food, friendly team and casual atmosphere.

Hotel

• FirstName Bordeaux ( a Hyatt property) – https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/france/firstname-bordeaux/bodjd – You have to economize somewhere, and this was it! We refused to do so for food, wine, or the Chateau’s in Saint-Emilion and the Dordogne Valley (the important things for us) so chose to save a few bucks in our hotel choice for Bordeaux and Paris. Turned out to be a great location and decent, new hotel.

Saint-Emilion

Our stay in Saint-Émilion was nothing short of magical, made even more special by our time at the exquisite Hôtel de Pavie. Perched just steps from the village’s ancient monolithic church, the hotel offered a serene retreat with breathtaking views over the vineyards. Saint-Émilion itself, with its cobbled streets, golden limestone buildings, and centuries-old wine cellars, felt like stepping into a storybook. We spent our days exploring local wineries, sipping exceptional reds, and wandering through the charming town, where history and wine culture are deeply intertwined. Returning each evening to the comfort and elegance of Hôtel de Pavie—where service, setting, and style come together seamlessly—was the perfect way to end each day in this unforgettable corner of Bordeaux.

Sightseeing/Tours

• Chateau Clos Fourtet Cellar Tour & Wine Tasting – http://www.closfourtet.com/en/ – We have taken this tour before but their cellar (and wine) is really amazing so we decided to repeat our visit. They have a cavernous underground cave network beneath the vineyards. This limestone enclave is hidden 12 meters below the earth. A natural cellar with air circulating to create an exceptional natural climate for their 250 barrels and 100,000 bottles. The vineyard forms a single plot, planted upon the highest slopes of Western Saint-Émilion. Ever since the beginning of the classification in 1956, Clos Fourtet has been a member of the elite ‘Premiers Grands Crus Classés’ of Saint-Émilion. Of course we shipped home a few bottles!
• Monolithic Underground Church Tour – https://www.gironde-tourisme.com/en/discover-the-gironde/Cultural-Heritage/the-icons-in-Gironde/monolithic-church-of-saint-emilion/ – The monolithic church is an underground church, from the early 12th century, of gigantic proportions (38 meters long and 12 meters high). At the heart of the city, it shows itself by it’s 68-meter-high bell tower, then it hides itself behind three openings on the front and a Gothic portal. Today, it is still consecrated and hosts regular religious ceremonies, sometimes concerts, but also induction ceremonies of the Brotherhood of wines of Saint-Emilion – The Jurade. Mainly it is a place to visit for an unforgettable, daily guided tour.

• Couvent des Jacobins with La Grande Cave Tour – https://www.couvent-jacobins-saint-emilion.com/en/ – In the heart of the city of Saint-Émilion, Couvent des Jacobins is among those places whose identity linger in the memory of those who visit it. From the Middle Ages to today the Couvent des Jacobins has spent almost seven centuries celebrating winemaking, an exceptional terroir, and the great tradition of the Classified Growth wine estates of Saint-Émilion, a unique UNESCO World Heritage.
• Les Cloitre des Cordeliers Walking Tour – https://www.lescordeliers.com/en/ – The exact founding date of the Saint-Emilion Cordeliers Convent remains unknown. It was probably built in the 13th century at the same time as the Dominican convent. For four centuries, up to the French revolution in 1789, the Cordeliers occupied the site which has a church, entrance courtyard, cellars, vaults, garden and lodgings with 6 bedrooms. At the end of the 19th century the owners had the idea of using the underground tunnels as wine-making vaults and cellars. This idea turned out to be genius, ensuring that the Cordeliers Cloister can offer both a magical site and a unique sparkling wine. With its lush garden and shaded walks, it is also much appreciated for its authentic charm and serenity.

Restaurants

• L’Envers du Decor – https://www.envers-dudecor.com/ – A lovely Bistro Wine Bar, owned by the Perse family, owners of Château Pavie and the Hôtel de Pavie. We dined here twice and loved the atmosphere, food and service. If you like oysters, they have some of the best from Normandy.
• Chai Pascal – https://www.chai-pascal.com/ – Casual, comfortable restaurant owned by a winemaker and organic farmer. As you would expect, they offer local, in season dishes, simple yet gourmet and local wine chosen for it’s uniqueness. 
• La Table De Pavie – https://hoteldepavie.com/en/la-table-de-pavie.html – Located in Hotel Pavie, it has been awarded 2 stars from MICHELIN. Chef Yannick Alléno is present and regularly walks the dining room talking to all the guests. The starter, almost but not quite vegetarian thanks to wafer-thin shavings of Gascony bacon, begins your culinary journey. It was followed by a pouched egg, filled with beluga caviar and continued with multiple delicious and exciting dishes. Their pastry chef is so talented with desert courses building on one another till the rich chocolate tart begins the finale (of course you have multiple petit fours to end the meal). Needless to say, the superb wines of Saint-Émilion play a prominent role in your meal.
• Lard et Bouchon – https://www.lardetbouchon.fr/ – Fantastic experience with an absolutely charming proprietor and wonderful food. Located right in the center of town, with a very cozy environment in a vintage cave (of course in St. Emilion) . The service was so well coordinated where Sylvain, the owner, provided flawless service and made you feel like you were dining in his home.

Hotel

• Hotel de Pavie – https://hoteldepavie.com/ – We certainly didn’t economize with this hotel choice. We stayed here on our last visit and LOVED it. This luxury hotel was a former convent whose nuns offered sanctuary to pilgrims and travelers. It is a beautiful hotel, with luxurious rooms, excellent service, and delicious food (don’t miss their breakfast). You must eat in their two restaurants; the Michelin 2 Star in the hotel and their Brasserie next door. Their wine, Chateau Pavie, is one of the top St. Emilion producers, so schedule a tour of their vineyard and send some home. We were so excited to be back and enjoyed every minute of our time here!

Dordogne Valley

Visiting the Dordogne Valley was like stepping into a beautifully preserved slice of French history, where every bend in the road revealed another postcard-perfect village or dramatic cliffside view. We explored ancient cave paintings, marveling at the artistry and mystery left behind by early humans, and wandered through the cool, echoing chambers of natural grottoes carved by time. The region’s villages—like Sarlat, La Roque-Gageac, and Beynac—were impossibly charming, with their honey-colored stone houses, winding lanes, and bustling markets. Whether we were gliding down the river by canoe or savoring local foie gras and truffles at a rustic café, the Dordogne offered a timeless and tranquil escape full of wonder and delight.

Sightseeing/Tours

• Sarlat-la-Canéda – A heavily tourist destination at almost all times of the year. Sarlat is a beautiful, well restored town north of the River Dordogne. The old town, dating from both medieval and renaissance times is charming, especially during the spring and autumn, or early in the morning when it has less tourists vising. The pedestrianized Rue de la Republique runs the length of the old town, with mazes of narrow streets either side. The cathedral is to the south-east of Sarlat, with the attractive Place de Payrou and Hotel de la Boétie. North east is the lovely Place de la Liberté and the wonderful winding street of the Rue des Consuls. The cathedral was originally the church of Sarlat Abbey. Over the centuries it has been added to and transformed and is now a mix of Roman, Gothic and other styles. The cour du cloitre and the nearby cour des fontaines and the cour des chanoines were all originally part of the abbey. The jardin des Enfeus just above the cathedral is the ancient abbey cemetery and there are several sarcophagus and ‘enfeus'(enfeus are tombs that are built into the church wall). Up above the cathedral and the Jardin des Enfeus is an unusual structure -‘ La Lanterne des morts’, lantern of the dead. This bullet shaped building has had various roles over time including a funeral chapel.
• Limeuil – This charming village is still partly surrounded by its original fortified walls, and is another of the ‘picture postcard pretty’ villages of the Dordogne. Cobbled streets wind through (or rather ‘up through’) the village between the honey-colored houses and pretty gardens. One of the most surprising things as you wander up the hill is the variety of shapes and sizes of the houses. Some are incredibly narrow, most have the deep sloping tiled rooves common to this part of the dordogne.
• Fortified Towns: Cadouin, Beaumont du Perigord, Monpazier – These towns are situated in the southern part of the Dordogne founded in 1272 by Edward I of England. They were built following a formal grid pattern, and centers around the main square in the center of the town, with adjacent churches and streets around the square. The main squares are partially surrounded by the original medieval buildings above stone arcaded passages, with a few cafes.
• Chateau de Biron – https://chateau-biron.fr/en/ – An active castle from the 13th century, the Chateau de Biron underwent an important transformation in the 15th century after the end of the Hundred Years War when it was modernized with the addition of windows and many other enhancements in the renaissance style. Troubled times were to return with the wars of religion in the 16th century, during which the Gontaut-Biron family were out of favor with the King. This situation continued until the 18th century, when the family were at last able to continue with their improvements to the castle. With the revolution in France the castle again fell to neglect, and the family once again had to fight to keep and improve the Chateau de Biron. They retained the castle until 1978 when the family sold it to the state after owning it for 24 generations.
• Chateau Beynac-et-Cazenac – http://chateau-beynac.com/ – Fascinating. Full history of Eleanor of Aquitaine and her son, Richard the Lionhearted who resided here.
• Buisson-de-Cadouin Church – Located between Sarlat and Bergerac, Cadouin Abbey, founded in 1115, is a historic monument and UNESCO World Heritage Site on the Pilgrim’s Way to Santiago de Compostela. But it is in the cloister, rebuilt at the end of the 15th century, that reveals all its splendor: finely carved columns, elegantly interlaced vaults, delicate arabesques.
• Chateau de Monbazillac – https://chateau-monbazillac.com/ – The 16th-century château, listed as a historic monument, combines the past with modernity in its tours, thanks to new technologies. The tour is dynamic, collaborative, immersive and fun, thanks to videos, audios, light shows, puzzles, mapping and animations. Stroll through the exhibits, taste the wines of Monbazillac, then tour the château, taking you back in time to meet history: the Wars of Religion and their resounding impact on the wine trade, and the life of the de Bacalan family in the face of the worries of the French Revolution.
• Domaine du Haut Pecharmant – https://www.haut-pecharmant.fr/fr/ – Highly recommended by the Sommelier at our hotel and was well worth the visit. We were the only visitors to this small vineyard and were offered a stroll through the vineyards, a very warm and pleasant welcome and a tasting of very good Pécharmant (free). Don’t hesitate to make the detour.
• Musée National de la Préhistoire (Natural Museum of Pre-History) – https://musee-prehistoire-eyzies.fr/lhistoire-du-musee – Located near the main sanctuaries listed as world heritage sites by UNESCO (Font-de-Gaume caves, Combarelles, etc.), the museum houses exceptional collections that allow us to trace more than 400 millennia of human presence. In 1913, Denis Peyrony, a researcher who discovered many sites, had the State purchase the ruins of the Château des Eyzies in order to preserve, study and present the archaeological heritage of the Vézère Valley. It is here that Humanity shows its capacity for symbolic expression, both among the Neanderthals in their first funeral gestures (- 80,000) and among Homo sapiens (modern man) with the appearance of monumental art in its various forms (- 35,000).
• Vesunna -Gallo-Roman museum in Périgueux – https://www.perigueux-vesunna.fr/ – fascinating museum presents extensive vignettes of Roman life based on the ruins of a villa, replete with mosaics and many of the workaday artifacts of everyday life in the ancient Roman provinces. This mainly glass-fronted building was designed by renowned architect Jean Nouvel. A short walk from the center of Périgueux, the site also features several interactive displays, including a 3D movie, and an escape game where players are given 1 hr. to unlock an archaeological mystery.

Restaurants

• LE 1892 – https://www.lascaux-dordogne.com/en/restaurants/restaurant-le-1862/ – Michelin 1 Star restaurant is the main restaurant at Les Glycines Hotel, the former coaching inn, located between the railway station and the River Vézère. They serve farm-to-table cuisine with complex flavors and delicious sauces in a lovely dining room overlooking their manicured gardens.
• La Maison – https://www.lesmaisonsdejerome.com/restaurant-la-maison – This restaurant was a pleasant surprise; over the top decorations (think West Village NYC Speakeasy) that was cozy, with warm helpful service and delicious food.
• Le Cro-Magnon – https://hotelcromagnon.com/restaurant/ – Owners/staff were charming and friendly and food was fine.
• Bistro de la Place – https://www.hotelducentenaire.fr/restaurant/ – Enjoyed staying at Relais Chateau Le Dieux Logis but the restaurant choices were very limited (and you don’t want to be traveling on these little roads at night, especially if you had a bit of wine with dinner). The Michelin 1 Star in their hotel (see below), their Bistro (Bistro de la Place) and a Pizza Parlor (which actually wasn’t bad). The Bistro was cute with decent food but crowded and very loud.
• Le Dieux Logis Gastronomic Restaurant – https://www.vieux-logis.com/?lang=en – Michelin 1 Star restaurant within the hotel. Lovely space, great food, and good service.

Hotels

• Hotel Les Clycines & Spa – https://www.les-glycines-dordogne.com/en/hotel-les-eyzies – Perfect town to stay in with it’s central location for day trips, multiple shops and restaurants you can walk to. Charming hotel (with a mascot, a BIG dog that visited you during breakfast and dinner) and a Michelin 1 Star restaurant.
• Relais Chateau Le Dieux Logis – https://www.vieux-logis.com/?lang=en – Beautiful hotel and grounds that we fully enjoyed. Sat in the lovely gardens in the afternoons drinking a bottle of wine and enjoying the warm weather. This was the sexiest room we stayed in on the trip and would return to the Dordogne just for this experience.

Paris

It is always wonderful to be back in Paris. And eight days in this great city was the perfect way to end our trip. Strolled all our favorite neighborhoods, Marais, Saint-Germain, 7th Arrondissement, canal Saint-Martin, took a cooking class & food tour, and attended two evening concerts in beautiful churches. OK, ready to return!

Sightseeing/Tours/Events/Cooking Classes

• North Marais Small Group Food Tour (Paris by Mouth) https://parisbymouth.com/taste-of-the-marais/ – Great tour and really great guide! We started with a visit to an award-winning baker to sample his buttery croissants and crisp baguettes, then off to one of the best chocolate shops in Paris (it looked like an expensive jewelry store – gorgeous and the chocolates were out of this world), then comes the family-run fromagerie where they carefully age cheese in their cellars that run below the shop, and a charcuterie shop to sample stunning terrines and other cured meat delicacies. The tour concludes with a wine and food tasting inside a cave à vins with lots of good info about the French wines and food! A must.
• La Cuisine Paris Cooking Class https://lacuisineparis.com/ – I love to take cooking classes, enroll in them in NYC and sometimes when we travel, so decided to book one in Paris, of course. Really enjoyed it, French Technical Classes / Mastering Classic French Sauces, great instructor with a small class and hands on cooking. They offer many different classes, so get on their website and choose your favorite. Highly recommended.
• Eglise Saint Germain Des Pres Concert – We love going to concerts in these beautiful churches. They usually start before sunset and you can watch it set through the stain glass windows while listening to classical music. They played Vivaldi’s Four Seasons this evening.
• Saint Chapelle Concert – Another great concert with a mixed program and vocalist.

Restaurants

• La Mediterranee – We have fond memories dining here over the years. We come for the atmosphere not the food (as the food is good but not great). Will skip it next time.
• Le Villaret – https://www.levillaret-restaurant.fr/ – Another old favorite that keeps impressing us year after year. Love this small, friendly bistro with really delicious food. It wouldn’t be Paris if we didn’t dine here.
• L’Embauchoir – https://www.lebauchoir.com/ – New find from a friend’s recommendation. Charming, local bistro with good food and service. And it gets really crowded and lively as the night goes on.
• Semilla – https://www.semillaparis.com/ – One of our favorite restaurants and we never miss eating here. Reasonable pre-fixe menu with interesting options. Always order the pasta appetizer, no matter what it is – so delicious.
• Rosemarie – https://www.rosemariebistrotparis.com/ – Our first time eating here and this could be one of our favorite meals. Small, charming, warm and friendly with some of the most creative and delicious food we had eaten. And very reasonable! Want to return to Paris right now to eat there again.
• Marcello – https://www.marcello-paris.com/ – When you can’t look at another dish made with butter and cream, head to this lovely Italian restaurant. They specialize in pasta but always have a few main courses available.

Hotel

• Residence des Arts – Don’t stay here…wasn’t worth the savings.

We had such a wonderful time in Paris that within a week we were planning a return visit next year. Voyager bien et souvent!

As our journey came to a close, we found ourselves reflecting on the rich tapestry of experiences that unfolded across Bordeaux, Saint-Émilion, the Dordogne Valley, and Paris. From sipping world-class wines in sun-drenched vineyards to standing in awe before prehistoric cave art, every moment felt deeply rooted in history, culture, and beauty. Whether wandering medieval villages, relaxing at a luxurious hotel, or soaking up the energy of Parisian streets, this trip offered the perfect balance of indulgence and discovery. France continues to enchant us with its layers of charm, and this return visit only deepened our love for its landscapes, flavors, and timeless elegance.