Toulouse, France — Food and Dining
Restaurants in Toulouse, France
Restaurants
Expensive
LesJardinsdel'Opera
Expertly executed dishes, professional service, an extensive wine list and a lovely courtyard setting right on the main square make this one of the best restaurants in town. Closed Sunday and Monday.
1 place du Capitole
Tel: (05) 6123 0776.
Website: www.lesjardinsdelopera.com
MichelSarran
Excellent French food served in a small, intimate venue (22 covers only). Having a meal here is more akin to eating in someone's family home than in a restaurant as such.
21 boulevard Armand Duportal
Tel: (05) 6112 3232.
Website: www.michel-sarran.com
Moderate
AuGréduVin
No smoking restaurant serving French specialties in informal surroundings. Various menus available.
10 rue de la Pleau
Tel: (05) 6125 0351.
Website: www.augreduvin.com
LaMareauxCanards
Rustic décor of pink bricks and wood. Local specialties such as cassoulet and foie gras are served here, but punters come for the duck, which is served in many guises.
14 rue des Gestes
Tel: (05) 6123 8158.
Website: www.mare-aux-canards.com
LeColombier
Established in 1874, this restaurant serves the best cassoulet in town. Period.
14 rue Bayard
Tel: (05) 6162 4005.
Website: www.restaurant-lecolombier.com
MichelMarcelPierre
Friendly, popular bistro serving all the usual French fare in relaxed surroundings. Closed Sunday and Monday.
35 rue de Rémusat
Tel: (05) 6122 4705.
Website: www.michelmarcelpierre.com
Cheap
LaBoheme
Charming basement restaurant serving French and local specialties in a romantic setting (an old cellar dating back to the 17th century in fact).
3 rue Lafayette
Tel: (05) 6123 2418.
Website: www.laboheme-toulouse.com
Les2Pachas
Trendy restaurant serving North African cuisine in a setting reminiscent of a Marrakech riad. The restaurant du jour with the in-crowd.
52 avenue Honoré Serres
Tel: (05) 6163 9928.
Website: www.les2pachas.com
Yo
If all the rich and exquisite French cuisine proves too much after a while, try Yo, a Korean restaurant and salon de the offering lighter alternatives. Friendly service.
3 rue Henry de Gorsse
Tel: (05) 6217 0928.
Website: http://yosalondetea.free.fr
Nightlife
With a very significant student population (Toulouse is the second biggest university city in France after Paris, with some 140,000 students), the nightlife is guaranteed to be lively.
Bars/Pubs: Homesick visitors will find there are plenty of pubs in which to down a pint or two in Toulouse. De Danu, 9 rue du Pont Guilhemery (website: www.dedanu.com) is the biggest Irish pub in town, showing live sports on TV and featuring live music. If you are after something a bit more sophisticated, Les Coulisses, 5 boulevard de Strasbourg (website: www.brasserieopera.com/coulisses/index.html), is a trendy vodka, wine and champagne bar with a resident DJ.
Clubs: St Georges Club, 11 rue des Gestes, is the place to go for techno, house and pop, near the Capitole. Another good club for house is Le Frigo, rue des Journées (website: www.le-frigo.com). If rock is more your scene, try Purgatoire 56, port St-Sauveur.
Live Music: The Zénith de Toulouse, 11 avenue Raymond Badiou, is the biggest of its kind in France and can have up to 9,000 spectators (tel: (05) 6274 4949).
