I would give this place 1,000,000 stars if I could.
Of my 5-month studying abroad stint in Bordeaux, the Cock and Bull is arguably what I miss the most, and I definitely spent more time here than I ever spent in class. You will find no better pub in the city for expat Anglophiles, especially if you happen to be a student from the University of California studying abroad in France. If you fall into this category, let the bartender know...trust me, you will be hooked up.
For everyone else, the Cock and Bull is a really lively pub managed by an Englishmen and staffed by French, American, and English bartenders who are all fluent in English and French. They have a full bar and a small but solid selections of beers on tap (Kilkenny, how I miss thee). It can get pretty crowded on Thursdays and Saturdays until the place closes at 2 AM. The drinks are strong and the crowd is a young mix of French and foreign college students. The onion rings and potato wedges are bomb. BEST PART: plastic cups are kept at the door, so if you're heading out you can take your beer TO GO. God I love Europe.
Quiz night is a ton of fun on Monday nights, and gets very very crowded, so make sure to get here early for seats. The questions are read out in English and French and there's a chugging contest in the event of a tie. Can't beat that. On nights of a big football game, there's a giant pull-down screen that broadcasts the matches (they also let us watch the inauguration of Barack Obama here. It's appropriate to celebrate the first African-American president with shots of vodka...right?).
Beer is about 7 euro, 4 euro during happy hour. Mixed drinks run from 8-10 if I remember correctly. The place is also really easy to get to - literally a hop, skip, and a jump from the Musée d'Aquitaine tram stop on Line B and a 1 minute walk from Pey-Berland/Hotel de Ville.
What makes this place though, is the staff. Mickey, who runs the joint, is sometimes belligerent, always hilarious, very generous with the complimentary shots, and the sweetest guy ever. The bartenders are some of the friendliest you'll ever meet, too.
So if you find yourself looking for a chill place to get your drink on in Bordeaux, head to C&B, have a whiskey-coca, toast to santé, and enjoy your night in one of France's most beautiful cities. read more
