Restaurant review: Vivants

by Erika Smatana

The warm feel of the dining room at Chef Tanguy’s new restaurant Vivants is accented by its exposed stone walls, oriental style rugs, banquettes, a communal bar with a window into the kitchen, and a wall showcasing chef’s preserves alongside personal items like his gum ball machine.

We first headed here during the week of opening in late 2023, and have returned twice.

Les Formules at Vivants is the same as at Tanguy’s other restaurant in the city, Ressources – the place that earned him a second career Michelin-star in 2022 just four months after opening. You can choose the Chef’s surprise tasting menu or order à la carte. Each option is presented in 3 (€45), 4 (€60), or 5 (€75) courses. As you make your decision, choose a couple of smaller bites while you sip some bubbles. Of note are the razor clams, reminiscent of oysters Rockefeller, and the scrumptious Tempura Kale with a sprinkle of hazelnuts.

The menu is concise, featuring various proteins with a focus on fish, vegetables, fruits, all prepared with a blend of innovation and gastronomie bordelaise. Ingredients are respected and meant to highlight each other. Should you choose the Chef tasting menu, each person at the table will be served a different dish at each course that will abide by any diet restrictions you may have. It’s a wonderful way to explore the menu and get a glimpse into Chef Tanguy’s approach to dining. However, making your own choices gives you control over the menu. The winning dish both times was the seabass with pear and warm buckwheat broth. Additional pleasers were the cockles, scallops, pork and chocolate dessert.

The food here is as its décor, more elevated home style than haut-cuisine. The service also follows a relaxed tempo. You can sense that they are still in the beginning stages, as a slight air of nervousness is felt as the kitchen and dining room staff find their groove – something that you don’t find at the more established Ressources, where the sommeliers in particular are exceptionally knowledgeable and welcoming. For now at Vivants, you may find yourself waiting, sometime a while between courses, and for your plates to be picked up. Attention to the details still needs to come. As with all new restaurant openings the growing pains take a little time to iron out.

For drinks, you will find wine, house cocktails, non-alcoholic options, ciders, and beers with impressive bottles of Chartreuse on the bar. The by-the-glass selections pair well with the food and was thoughtfully presented, with good value options such as Domaine Laurent Combier’s Collines Rhodaniennes 2022 at €9 a glass, or Château Carsin’s Néa 2022  at €8. You can go higher also, with a large selection by the bottle, although reflecting its city centre location, in the heart of the Old Town, the emphasis at Vivants is on young, up-and-coming producers, while Ressources, just slightly out of the city centre near the Jardin Public, has a wider selection of higher priced bottles.

If you’d like to do a little deeper studying, the wine ‘book’ at Vivants features young wine makers,  rising estates, small production wines alongside well-chosen established favorites. Selection focuses on the major regions of France with a tiny injection of international wines. If you take a little time selecting or ask for advice you can easily score a great bottle for under €45.

Feeling like you’re in someone’s home for a wonderful dinner made for an overall very fun evening.

The Chef
Chef Tanguy Laviale began his career with chefs such as Christian Le Squer and Jean-Louis Nomicos in Paris before following his wife to Bordeaux (she became director of the Grand Theatre). His first job here was as private chef at Château Haut-Bailly, before leaving to start his own restaurant Garopailles in 2014. He was awarded a Michelin-star in 2018 for his work here, before closing it down to concentrate on other projects – namely Ressources on rue Fondaudège, where he won a Michelin star in 2022 just four months after opening, and now Vivants. Tanguy also runs Project Inside with psychologist Grégory Gouyet aimed at bettering education around nutrition.

Suggested wines
Château de Plaisance L’Anjou Blanc Chenin sec sur schistes 2022
Kelley Fox Wines Momtazi Vineyard Pinot Noir Oregon 2016
Domaine Laurent Combier Collines Rhodaniennes 2022
Château Montlandrie Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux 2016

Restaurant Vivants
13 rue des Bahutiers, 33000 BORDEAUX
Closed on the weekend