Local Flavor: best places to eat and drink in Toulouse, France

11.09.2024 - 13:39 / lonelyplanet.com

Sep 11, 2024 • 5 min read

Capital of the southern French region of Occitania, the alluring city of Toulouse boasts broader gastronomic flair than most others in the country.

Ever since the Visigoths made it their own capital in the 15th century, small helpings of outside influence have shaped Occitan culture, which visitors to Toulouse today find expressed mainly through food. What’s more, a thriving aerospace industry (Toulouse is home to Airbus HQ) and an influx of tech companies have brought a worldly edge to the city, meaning global cuisine and modern food trends are well represented.

As everywhere in France, locally sourced ingredients of unimpeachable quality form the bedrock of Toulousain cuisine. Blue-veined cheese from Roquefort, black truffles from the woodlands of Occitania, garlic as pink as the buildings of la Ville Rose (or “the Pink City,” Toulouse’s nickname) and cocktails tinged with the medicinal-sweet taste of violets engage the senses with every course.

It’s a near-impossible task to condense the city’s considerable culinary riches into a few paragraphs. Yet since someone has to do it, here’s a sampling of where my friends and I love to eat and drink in Toulouse.

Right around the corner from the Pont Neuf and the Fondation Bemberg art museum, Peacock is an ideal spot for a healthy breakfast before setting out for the day. Homemade pecan cookies are good for a light bite; when I want something packed with goodness, I’ll opt for the artfully presented granola and fresh fruit bowls. The Saturday brunches here bring the best ambiance to Peacock’s vaulted ceiling space.

For a market breakfast made up of samplings of fine cured meats and cheeses, head down to Marché Victor Hugo or the stalls on Place du Capitole bright and early on a Sunday morning. This is a time when I plunge into the crowd rather than avoid it, in order to watch, learn and discover the best dégustations from the many local gourmets. For every other day of the week, drop by Salon Cacao’T to try the buttery kouign amann (a Breton-style pastry with caramelized butter and sugar).

When I find a place that does coffee exactly how I like it, I stop being intrepid. That’s why I’m mostly caffeinated by Café Papiche when I’m in Toulouse. You will nonetheless find plenty of other excellent cafes in and around the Carmes neighborhood, such as Le Café Cerise, with its lovely staff and neat little mezzanine seating area. The fountainside location of The Flower’s Café on Place Roger Salengro – with its vehicle-free people-watching – makes it a top spot for a relaxing coffee break. And the pear crumble is exceptional.

Toulouse’s salons de thé (tea houses) provide a great alternative to its cafes, and many have a charming ambiance. The cute