Café Pompier @ Beaux Arts

Le Café Pompier is a much-loved independent institution in Bordeaux, a self-managed café and concert space run by the student associations of the School of Fine Arts, going strong since 2005. By day it's a cozy, firefighter-themed spot for a coffee at the counter or a genuinely inventive lunch, with its vegetarian sandwiches (try the Veggie Gaga) and a lovely view over Place Renaudel. By night, it becomes one of the reference venues of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine underground, with an eclectic, cutting-edge music program and a wild diversity of student-run events. A cornerstone of the city's independent scene and an essential haunt of the LGBT community, it's warm, arty, affordable and refreshingly authentic.