Biarritz

Check out the usual booking sites such as www.booking.com or www.venere.com Biarritz is a fairly expensive resort although there is a wide range of places catering for the more upmarket visitors but also the young surfing crowd.

Le Petit Hotel, Rue Garderes 11, is in a great location two minutes from the Grand Plage and reasonably priced, the staff are friendly and the rooms are fine. It is very popular so booking well in advance is advised.

The area around Les Halles market is full of fabulous bars and restaurants and being so close to Spain you have the added pleasure of not just excellent French food but also Spanish tapas.

Le Bistrot des Halles, Rue du Centre, is a lovely traditional place to eat, good French bistro food and reasonably priced and very popular, also quite small, so book in advance.

Le Comptoir Foie Gras, is a lovely bar on the corner of Rue de Centre and Rue des Halles, there are outdoor tables and windows to lean at, great little pinxtos to try and also plates of cold meats.

Bar Du Marche, 8 Rue des Halles, is a really friendly bar doing pinxtos and more substantial meals, a super local place.

Bar Jean, Rue des Halles, is the one most mentioned in the guide books and is very popular, the food is really good and sitting outside for lunch is great fun, the place is packed with locals having done their shopping at the nearby market. At night squeeze into the bar and try the pinxtos.

The Port du Pecheurs has a great selection of places to eat most of which unsurprisingly specialise in fish and seafood.

Le Corsaire is very popular and the food is good but it is on the pricey side.

The area around Rue Mazaran is full of bars, these tend to be for the quite young, the ones near Les Halles cater for an older crowd.

Drink

Biarritz is not in one of France’s main wine growing areas, but there is local Basque country wine produced south east in an area known as Irouleguy and of course lots of good wine from Spain as well as other French regions is readily available.

Look out as well for some local liqueurs including Paxtaran, made from distilled sloe berries, or Izarra from nearby Bayonne.

Beaches and surfing are the two main things in Biarritz, although the shopping is also good. Visit the market which is great and then sample the bars nearby.