Top 5 of our favorite unusual bars in Bordeaux

How many bars do you think there are in Bordeaux? Between wine bars, beer bars, cat bars ... there are more than 1,600 bars in Bordeaux ! Difficult to decide when choosing one. To make your task easier, I reveal our TOP 5 unusual bars in Bordeaux .

1) The Wave Surf café to tame the wave

The Wave Surf café, an original concept

I start with my number one, my huge crush on Bordeaux : the Wave Surf Café . Much more than just a bar, we practice surfing and bodyboarding on an artificial wave. Yes yes you read correctly! This concept is great for training before sunny days and having a great time with friends or family. There are essences suitable for all levels and you can even privatize the place to organize a party or a birthday.

From the bar, we observe the techniques of the experts

I tested a discovery session with 30 minutes of bodyboard and 20 minutes of surfing . I loved ! We start with a few instructions and climb on the bodyboard . It is a board on which you lie to slide on the wave. I will not hide from you that the first minutes, we capsize, we are awkward and we are quickly propelled by the wave to square one. Moreover, I advise you to opt for the combinations offered at the reception rather than a jersey which tends to make the trunk. But the job comes back quickly, I promise. We regain our senses, we regain our dignity and we set off again to assault the wave .

Bodyboarding is much more accessible than surfing. During a discovery session , we also offer you to test the latter, and there, things get a little complicated but it's still so much fun . Rest assured, with a little practice we manage to stand proudly on the board, at least a few seconds. In body or surfing , you quickly have good gliding sensations. Unlike the sea, we have a continuous wave which is extremely pleasant to train and try tricks for the more daring.

My few minutes on the immortalized surfboard

Throughout the session, our super instructor Sophie advised us , guided us, encouraged us so that we learn and that we make the most of it. All the staff are also adorable!

This concept is really great; everyone has fun: children, beginners, snowboard experts ... Besides, amateurs, the Wave Surf Café regularly organizes competitions . I could see experienced surfers on the wave just after our passage and I assure you, it's a real show !

The debriefing of our exploits

After the session, what could be better than having a drink to recover and comment on our exploits by watching the video of our visit on the screen . Benevolence is essential :) We laughed a lot and casually, we spent a lot!

Want to test? I advise you to book well in advance because this place is really on the rise!

Wave Surf Café , 174 Cours du Médoc, 33300 Bordeaux, 09 83 29 67 74

2) The Iboat, the dancing and floating bar

Always on the water but in a completely different atmosphere, I invite you to push the doors of the Iboat , this dancing box bar moored at the port of Bacalan since 2011. This boat has radically changed its life because in the past, it served as a ferry to reach the Isle of Yeu, off the Vendée ... Today, it is a unique place , a veritable institution in Bordeaux! On the program: after-work, electro hip-hop evenings and other elements including roller-disco evenings. If this is not really your cup of tea, you can also take a ride to enjoy the beautiful terrace or the beach in summer and taste delicious tapas, burgers and even ramen!

Iboat , Cours Henri Brunet, 33300 Bordeaux

3) Barjo games bar to challenge your friends

Change of course and mood! Here is a bar with a friendly atmosphere where you don't see the time passing: the Barjo games bar . The concept is simple, for € 3 per player you can access 300 board games! The animators / waiters help you to choose (fortunately) and explain you 3 short games and 1 long game . I assure you, they are super patient, educationalists and know all the games on the fingertips. I love board games and it's an opportunity to discover lots of others !

Located in the heart of Bordeaux , this bar is open from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. from Tuesday to Saturday and from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday . It offers alcoholic drinks but not only and cold cuts . In short, there is everything you need to feel at home and take care of long rainy afternoons !

Small bonus : if you have a flash on a game, you can buy it at the store . I advise you to book because this bar is very successful and we understand why.

Barjo Games , 12 Rue Saint-James, 33000 Bordeaux

@ nik-korba Unsplash

4) Le Comptoir des Chats, a cat bar in the middle of wine bars

My 4th unusual bar is a bar for lovers of our 4-legged friends. We come here to savor delicious pastries or homemade dishes but also to admire the 10 superb cats of the house : Garfield, Miss Tigrises, Lily, Marlow… Moments of relaxation guaranteed because the soothing power of these animals is no longer to prove. It's so nice to see them move, climb, play and especially to pamper them. In short, only advantages. The adorable owners Christine and Louis opened this 1st Bordeaux cat bar in 2016 and it has never been empty since.

Le Comptoir des Chats , 8 Rue Pierre de Coubertin, 33000 Bordeaux

@ Ekaterina Zagorska Unsplash

5) The Frog & Rosbif, the party in a historic setting

I recommend this place for its decor, its history but also for its specialties. This bar is none other than a former 16th century prison for women ! In addition to the originality of the place, the stone and wood building is huge and truly impressive. People come here to admire the place, for the friendly atmosphere and to taste the beers brewed here . It seems that the cocktails are really exquisite. By match day, the bar offers reruns on a giant screen.