Chez Dupont

Chez Dupont is a Southwest French bistro at 45 Rue Notre-Dame in the Chartrons district of Bordeaux, France. Chartrons grew up around the wine merchants who traded along the Garonne, and the neighbourhood now combines antique dealers, galleries and relaxed restaurants. Chez Dupont fits that setting as a traditional bistro with a zinc counter, and it also offers guest rooms, so some diners are overnight visitors. The cooking is rooted in regional home-style cuisine. Tricandille, a traditional Bordeaux dish of pork chitterlings that is rarely found on contemporary menus, is the most distinctive item. The house semi-cooked foie gras, served as a starter, and roast lamb with thyme represent the more familiar side of the menu. Dishes change with the market and the season, and portions follow the generous bistro tradition. The dining room is intimate and informal, with a zinc bar, bistro tables and a relaxed, sociable noise level. Dress is casual. The wine list emphasises Bordeaux and other Southwest wines, and the staff can usually recommend a glass that suits the offal and game dishes. Prices fall in the mid-range, around the $$ band, with a set lunch menu normally being the better value. Reservation difficulty is moderate: the restaurant is small enough that Friday and Saturday evenings fill up, so booking a few days ahead is sensible, while weekday lunch often allows a late booking. The Chartrons location makes it easy to combine with a walk along the Quai des Chartrons, the weekend market on the quay and nearby wine-trade museums.