Motto — Bordeaux’s Sonic Cellar
By Rafi Mercer
New Listing
Motto is one of Bordeaux’s most finely tuned listening bars, explore more in our France Music Venues guide.
Venue Name: Motto
Address: Bordeaux, France (exact street not yet publicly listed)
Website: Not listed publicly
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/motto_bar
Phone: Not listed publicly
Spotify Profile: Not available
Bordeaux has long been associated with wine — grand cellars, historic châteaux, and the ritual of tasting. Motto takes that heritage and reshapes it for sound. Opened in 2025, it is a listening bar where vintage hi-fi gear meets the conviviality of a Bordeaux wine bar, creating a space that feels both deeply local and globally connected.
The room is defined by its centrepiece: a towering vintage speaker cabinet, retro-industrial in style, dominating the space like an altar to fidelity. Around it, shelves of vinyl curve along the walls, while seating is arranged for intimacy. The lighting is low, the atmosphere hushed but not stiff — the kind of place where conversation flows in rhythm with records rather than over them.
Programming is eclectic, but soul and jazz form the backbone. DJs and selectors drop full album sides, sometimes leaning into funk or electronic textures late in the evening. The focus is always on depth rather than volume, fidelity rather than spectacle. Each night feels curated like a tasting flight, every record chosen to complement what came before.
Drinks are as much a draw as the music. Bordeaux wines, naturally, anchor the menu, but Motto expands into natural bottles, international varietals, and cocktails that lean into classic builds. The pairing of wine and wax feels effortless, as though the two have always belonged together.
The audience is a mix of Bordeaux’s students, professionals, and curious travellers. For many, Motto offers something the city has not seen before — a cultural venue that slows time and turns attention inward. Word has spread quickly, making it one of Bordeaux’s most talked-about new spots.
Motto matters because it bridges tradition with innovation. In a city that has always prized terroir and detail, this bar extends those values to music. It suggests that listening, like tasting, is an act of care and presence.
Stay until the final pour and you’ll feel the resonance. As the last record fades, the room falls quiet, and the sense of balance lingers. Walking back into Bordeaux’s streets, the city feels sharper, more attuned. Motto leaves you with the impression that sound, like wine, reveals itself best when given time.
Rafi Mercer writes about the spaces where music matters. For more stories from Tracks & Tales, subscribe here, or click here to read more.
