A Bouillon in Bordeaux... St Jean.

Eager to escape the blazing sun and scorching temperatures during a recent trip to Bordeaux, but above all curious to see what the bordelais version of the Parisian Bouillon restaurants was like, I went into Bouillon Saint-Jean by the train station.

Like the more familiar Paris restaurants, the Saint Jean site is decorated in the art nouveau style with the fluid arabesque forms of the furniture and elegant decor, all of which was brought to life with the gentle lighting that was in contrast with the raging sunlight outside.

Although the restaurant could seat a large amount of people, on my visit everything was very calm. An expanse of immaculately laid tables stretched out, with their spotless white table cloths, gleaming glasses and, of course, the timeless Bouillon menu that offers the signature dishes at incredibly reasonable prices.

Unlike the Parisian Bouillon from last year, this one did not appear to have an upper-floor seating arrangement, but the staircase was enticing nevertheless and I felt compelled to explore!

Most of the tables extend out from below a vast verrière and the impressive globe chandelier......

The symmetrical rows of tables and chairs set out under the warm glow of the lights gave an impression of cool crispness and order alongwith a certain intimate coziness.

The Saint Jean is decorated with a collection of blue-and-white crockery - with plates on the walls and a vast array of dishes and tureens in the glass cabinets.

The effect was striking yet not starchy, as was continued by the displays of framed herbiers (specimens of dried plants)...

As always, I kept wondering about where all these different artifacts had originally come from and tried to imagine the lives of those who had once used them...

What would they think of the family dinner set now being used to welcome visitors from far and wide?

Outside the establishment is the vast mosaic Art Déco facade that in fact indicates the origins of this particular Bouillon restaurant. Interestingly, the Café du Levant was founded at virtually the same time as the Parisian Bouillons; the end of the 19th century. It took on the Bouillon name in 2023 but retained much of its initial identity.