Heard it through the grapevine? The only thing to drink in Bordeaux is wine - and lots of it! Try a smooth, fruity Merlot or an oaky Cabernet Sauvignon to accompany meat dishes. For fish, you can't go wrong with a citrusy, pale-gold Sauvignon Blanc or, for pudding, a sweet Sauternes. Head out of town to the intoxicating Médoc, with its miles of verdant vines, speckled with 18th-century châteaux. Taste St-Julien and Pauillac's grand crus, sniff out fruity bouquets in Margaux and drink wine from centuries-old vines in St-Emilion. A votre santé!

A stone's throw away from the Atlantic, restaurants in Bordeaux serve fresh lobster and melt-in-the-mouth Arcachon oysters – best served with white wine. Tuck into tender Pauillac lamb with parsley, juicy Aquitaine beef and sizzling entrecôte à la Bordelaise (steak with red wine, bone marrow and shallots). Local dishes are often cooked in goose fat, while verjus (the juice of unripe grapes) substitutes for vinegar. Other local delights include Périgord truffles and macaroons from St-Emilion.

...Go where the Bordelais go. Share your night out with drop-dead-gorgeous students in vibrant La Victoire, Gambetta and the bars, bistros and clubs strung along the quays lining the Garonne. Mingle with the in-crowd in converted warehouses and floating nightclubs along the trendy Bassins à flot (renovated docks). Wind up on café terraces in modish St-Rémi or savour the views of the city from jumping Bastide on the other side of the river.

The Tourist Office runs daily city tours all year round at 10am (and 3pm in summer). If you go it alone, revisit Roman times at ruined amphitheatre, Palais Gallien, and admire the silvery turrets of medieval Grosse Cloche, the belfry of the former Town Hall. Glimpse the dreaming spires at Gothic Cathédrale St-André, and the golden sandstone walls of 18th-century townhouses punctuating the Quartier de Chartrons. Get bang up to date at the Musée d'Art Contemporain and with a ride around town on the sleek new trams.

Bordeaux Tourism website

Scour the stalls at Sunday's quayside Marché des Chartrons, where locals come to enjoy oysters with a glass of dry white wine before midday. Window-shop in the flashy designer boutiques of the Grands Hommes district, but shop in the maze-like alleys off rue Ste-Catherine for quality clothes that are actually affordable. Sample wine and learn about Bordeaux's wine trade in the spanking new Musée du Vin et des Négociants, and go antique hunting in the St Michel quarters.

For a romantic stayover, book at the cream of the gourmet crop, Hôtel Hauterives St-James at Bouliac. Not only will you have the chance to stay in one of France's most trendy hotels (think Lloyds Building meets the 1950s) but they have a Michelin-starred restaurant as well. Michel Portos entices you into his St-James restaurant with promises of local oysters, red mullet and anchovy ice cream. Adam Patt, London

Where: Hôtel Hauterives St-James, 3 place Camille-Hostein, Bouliac, Bordeaux, +33 (0) 5 57 97 06 00

Hôtel Hauterives St-James website

I don't want to be a worry merchant as Bordeaux is mostly a safe place, but do try and avoid place de la Victoire late at night (after most places are closed) as sometimes it can be intimidating. Watch out in the station as well as there are often pickpockets around. Jayne, Derby

If you want to take in the culture without spending lots of cash, it is good to remember that all municipal museums offer free entry to their permanent collections. The contemporary art museum (Musée d'Art Contemporain de Bordeaux) also has an excellent and reasonably-priced restaurant on its roof terrace. Pascal C, Oxford