The Pulse of Les Capucins

Marché des Capucins has been part of Bordeaux for nearly two centuries, and you enter it with Anne, who knows the market through her work as a chef and long-standing relationships with its vendors. They greet her with the ease that comes from years of familiarity. Stalls overflow with regional cheeses, oysters, fresh produce and charcuterie — a vivid panorama of Southwest French gastronomy. You follow Anne through the aisles as she introduces tastings based on what is best that morning. Each stop focuses on the person behind the product and on the decisions that shape its flavor. Producers talk openly about their routines, sharing skills and memories. Wine pairings accompany the tastings and help you understand how different elements of the region connect. Leaving the market, you walk through nearby streets, stopping in pastry and spice shops before reaching the restaurant or wine bar where the experience ends with a lunch prepared by a local chef.

Anne brings a way of looking at food that comes from years of real practice. She approaches each ingredient with the confidence of someone who knows how a producer’s work affects flavor. What stands out is the ease with which she reads the choices behind a product and the attention she gives to the people who prepare it. Her interest comes from a genuine curiosity about the stories, habits, and decisions that give meaning to what ends up on the plate. What makes this experience unique is the atmosphere created when she moves through a place she understands deeply. Her presence encourages open conversation and gives you access to perspectives usually shared within circles built over time. Nothing is staged or formal. You are guided by someone who talks about food with skill and warmth, driven by her passion for cooking and a desire to share it. You leave with stories gathered through access made possible by the relationships Anne has built.

Anne Jordan is a chef and a guide with over thirteen years of experience. She has cooked in private yachting and in Michelin restaurants in Paris before making her home in the French countryside. Her training as a chef and her long work as a guide shape the way she leads you through the flavors of Bordeaux and its surroundings. She cares about seasonal and local food and has met many of the people who grow and prepare it, approaching each encounter with genuine curiosity and interest in food as culture and conviviality, not only as nourishment.

Comfortable clothing and shoes. A bottle of water. The experience can be tailored to dietary needs, including vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free options, as long as they are communicated in advance.