La Tupina has been feeding people classic Gascon food since 1968, and it remains one of the most honest representations of the southwest French kitchen in the city. The dining room has an open fire over which meats are roasted and a cauldron simmering throughout service. The cooking is direct: duck confit, cassoulet, black pudding, foie gras, lamb, and the kind of thing that repays a walk along the riverfront first.
The restaurant occupies a narrow old house on a back street near the Porte de la Monnaie, and the atmosphere matches the food — warm, unhurried, a little theatrical. It is not cheap, but it is significantly less expensive than a comparable meal in Paris. Booking is essential. This is a good choice for a single important Bordeaux meal if you want the regional cuisine rather than contemporary bistronomy.