Alexandre Baumard opens his first restaurant, Amicis, in Bordeaux

Alexandre Baumard has just opened Amicis, an address combining two restaurants in Bordeaux. The chef tells us more about this new offering.

Mathilde Bourge Published on 5/28/24 at 5:21 PM

Since May, Bordeaux has had a new quality address. Alexandre Baumard, who has worked at Logis de la Cadène in Saint-Emilion and Gabriel in Bordeaux, has just opened his first restaurant: Amicis. The chef, crowned Grand de Demain by Gault&Millau in 2021, tells us more about this new setting and its two distinct offerings.

A story of friendship

Amicis is above all a story of friendship. Alexandre Baumard, the son of a building contractor, has always wanted to be at home, to make the decisions for his business, and today he does so with the support of an excellent team. "When I arrived in the region in 2013, at Logis de la Cadène, I planned to stay for a few years before moving to the Southeast. In the end, as the years went by, I discovered a superb terroir, a great clientele and made some wonderful acquaintances, including Damien Amilien, my pastry chef, and Julien Tabbacchiera, my sommelier, who now have shares in the restaurant", emphasizes Alexandre Baumard.

Solenne Loustalan

One restaurant, two proposals

Amicis ("friendship" in Latin) is a restaurant spread over two levels, with a bistronomic table and wine bar on the first floor, while Alexandre Baumard has designed a gastronomic table upstairs. "The building allowed for this, but above all, we realized that in Bordeaux, customers don't have time for a gastronomic restaurant at lunchtime. So I felt it was important to offer a quicker service. The menu changes every week, and from June onwards, it will also be possible to come and discover the bistro section in the evening", explains the chef.

"The upstairs is smaller, with a kitchen entirely open to the dining room. I can express myself fully there!" adds Alexandre Baumard, who admits to having a real weakness for fish, a passion passed on to him by his mentor Christophe Bacquié. "If there weren't any, I'd be miserable," he laughs. "In the Bordeaux region, it's a real bias. We've done some real research to marry freshwater and ocean fish with Bordeaux wines, which are generally full-bodied and powerful. In the gastronomic restaurant, the 7-course menu is entirely dedicated to fish, and it works very well. It's a successful gamble", he enthuses, adding that meat dishes are also available to satisfy every taste.