Pampa in Bordeaux: a green lunch, with the produce at the heart of the plate

A park behind the boulevard

At 54 Boulevard Godard, Pampa has set up shop within The Babel Community in the Chartrons district. The restaurant occupies a renovated historic estate, surrounded by a 1.5-hectare park. Tall trees, a stream, a vegetable garden… A rather unexpected setting for a Bordeaux establishment.

With its large bay windows and terrace, the restaurant maintains a direct connection with this garden. The park is also part of the project: a biodiversity trail allows visitors to discover its plant species, and two Ouessant sheep help maintain the lawns.

Pampa is also the restaurant of a place where multiple uses intersect. This seventh location of The Babel Community brings together furnished apartments, a hotel, coworking spaces, meeting rooms, and sports facilities. You can live there, work there, or simply come for lunch. The restaurant is open to everyone, well beyond just residents.

A refined cuisine that remains committed to the products

In the kitchen, we find Gaëtan Briand. Having worked in the teams of Pierre Gagnaire in Paris and Sketch in London, the chef then continued his career in bistros and brasseries, and later in Australia.

At Pampa, he champions a short, homemade menu that follows the seasons and prioritizes local sourcing. Among the announced partners are Grain for bread, the Azimut brewery for beers, and Cabane 57 for oysters.

But beyond the intentions, it was this attention to the product that we felt during lunch. We ate very well, with an impression of refinement that permeated the meal without compromising the deliciousness of the dishes.

From truffled croque-monsieur to whole fish

Lunch begins with several snack options: a croque-monsieur with truffled ham, summer truffle and Comté cheese, baby squid in parsley sauce, croquettes with ham, cod and chorizo, as well as oysters from the Arcachon basin.

The menu then gives pride of place to raw or marinated preparations. The bluefin tuna tartare is accompanied by piquillo peppers and confit garlic; the trout gravlax by avocado, beets, and citrus. The sirloin carpaccio remains more classic, dressed with olive oil and fleur de sel.

For the main courses, two main dishes are on the menu: a whole fish prepared Spanish-style, served with mashed potatoes and a salad, followed by a rib of beef from Maison Sovian Gazeau & Fils, accompanied by a reduced jus, fries, and a salad. Familiar combinations that give both the fish and the meat their due.

The meal ended with equally recognizable desserts: chocolate profiteroles with vanilla ice cream, toasted almonds, and whipped cream; a chocolate fondant with chocolate ice cream; and a pavlova with seasonal fruit. A lunch that fully embraced indulgence.

An address to remember

From our lunch at Pampa, we remember the exquisite cuisine and the feeling that the chef truly enjoys working with the ingredients. The park setting gives the place a unique character, but the food itself is also enough to make us want to return!

Lunch held as part of a press invitation.

Passionate about gastronomy and always on the lookout for new culinary gems, I initially studied law before returning to my first love: the taste of good products and the pleasure of sharing around the table :)