10 of the best places to eat and drink in Toulouse

Traditionally, Toulouse’s cuisine is hearty. This is the city of the three Cs: cassoulet (bean and meat stew), canard (duck) and chocolatines – known everywhere except southwest France as pain au chocolat. 

With sea and summit both so close, Toulouse takes its influence from both Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts, and the Pyrenées. The markets brim over with oysters and sea urchins, duck and legs of ham dangling from bistrot ceilings. Covered market Victor Hugo, indelicately squashed under a multistorey parking lot, is the best place to sample a little of everything.

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Toulouse has moved with the times, and now you can swap a chocolatine for a snail-shell shaped cinnamon roll the size of a dinner plate, or eat wasabi-infused ice cream to a vinyl soundtrack in cool, cozy hangouts. Here’s our guide to the city's unmissable flavors and where to try them.

1. Break apart gooey aligot cheese bites at Bobine Aligot

Everything sounds fancier in French, but aligot is essentially cheesy mashed potato, one that’s heavier handed on the cheese than potato. Bobine Aligot makes it even more decadent, by rolling it into little balls and deep frying it. The result? Melted, extra cheesy mash in a crisp, golden exterior, like fast food that got a glow up. 

Make it happen: Bobine Aligot has a stand in the covered food market, Les Halles de la Cartoucherie, a former gun cartridge factory.

2. Enjoy spicy and sweet wasabi ice cream at Le Machin Chouette

At this ultra cool bar-restaurant, staff spin vinyls under moody lighting whilst diners tuck into specialities that challenge the norm. Mint-infused pork gyozas, duck and beer-braised cabbage soup and tartiflette in a pumpkin are some of the excellent savory dishes on offer. The wasabi ice cream doesn’t have the nose biting kick you’d get from wasabi paste, rather a subtle, sweeter flavor that warms afterwards, a lovely contrast to the cold ice cream.

Make it happen: Le Machin Chouette is less than 200m from François Verdier metro.

3. Eat cinnamon rolls bigger than your head at The Bakery Corner

Quality and quantity – the Bakery Corner’s enormous cinnamon rolls are almost as big as dinner plates. Doughy, with just the right level of cinnamon, a dusting of icing sugar and no superfluous frosting, they’re not overly sweet, meaning you can demolish the whole lot in one sitting.

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Make it happen: The Bakery Corner is on Grande Rue St-Michel, between metro stops Palais de Justice and St-Michel-Marcel Langer.

4. Pimp your œuf parfait with morbier, black truffle and pickles at Le Court Circuit

A menu mainstay all over France, the "perfect egg" has to be cooked in water at 65°C (149°F) for 35–45 minutes to achieve that creamy consistency in the yolk and an elastic, barely cooked white. At Le Court Circuit, the heady combination of morbier (a Jurassien cheese with a thin line of ash running through the middle), black truffle and pickles means that the œuf parfait’s accompanying sauce is at once pungent, rich and tangy.

Make it happen: Enjoy at Le Court Circuit, St Cyprien. Advance bookings recommended, particularly for one of the limited tables en terrasse (on the terrace). 

5. Tuck into autumn on a plate with pumpkin velouté at Aux Pieds Sous La Table 

The rich terroir means Toulousains have no trouble eating seasonally, and in fall that means rich, earthy vegetables and an abundance of textures. Thick pumpkin puree serves as a base, topped with crunchy roasted hazelnuts, black garlic emulsion and buckwheat crumble – the ultimate texture-fest. The exposed brick wine bar-cum-restaurant setting has quirky touches, such as cutlery drawers hidden in old pianos.

Make it happen: The restaurant is just north of Université Toulouse Capitole, on rue Arnaud Bernard.

6. Catch catapulted bread at the Lunch of the Little Mechanics

Realistically, it doesn’t matter what you eat at the Lunch of the Little Mechanics, the experience is so wacky that the food is secondary. Held in Halle de la Machine, essentially a stockroom for giant, mythological machines such as minotaurs and dragons, it’s an immersive theater performance over lunch. Playing with your food is highly encouraged, and waiting staff will fire bread from a catapult for you to catch and drop sugar cubes in your coffee using extra long fishing rods.

Make it happen: Weekends only by prior reservation. Lunch lasts at least 3 hours.

7. Soak up your cocktails with croquettes au canard confit at L’Heure du Singe

If turkeys fear Christmas, ducks fear Toulouse, where virtually every speciality is canard in some form or other. Cocktail bar L’Heure du Singe serves the ultimate duck snack: fat, crisp confit duck croquettes served with an apricot dressing. The panisse (deep fried chickpea cubes) are also wonderful.

Make it happen: Find L’Heure du Singe on rue du Languedoc (closest metro Palais de Justice).

8. Transport your taste buds with mango carpaccio at La Sauterelle

La Sauterelle’s veggie tapas check off all colors of the rainbow: parsnip hummus with thyme-roasted mushrooms, mango carpaccio with coconut tandoori and rosemary roasted sweet potato with feta cream and spinach pesto. Save (lots) of room for dessert. The vegan salted caramel brownies are far fudgier than most dairy-loaded alternatives elsewhere.

Make it happen: Find La Sauterelle on rue Rivière, between Esquirol and Capitole metro stops.

9. Wash down your picnic with Papilles’ ready-mixed cocktails 

Papilles isn’t afraid to get creative with its ingredients, mixing flavors like jasmine tea, peach liquor and absinthe. Tête de Mule, its answer to a Moscow Mule, is the winner from a mouthwatering selection, a heady mix of vodka, fresh mint, elderflower, lemon and ginger. Mixologist Alexis Taoufiq received Meilleur Ouvrier de France status for his creations.

Make it happen: Buy a bottle from Papilles’ store on rue de Lois to enjoy al fresco on the banks of the Garonne.

10. Drink wine on tap at Le 5 Wine Bar

Two floors stacked with wine fridges serve vintages from all over the country, and a few international wines at Le 5 Wine Bar. A rechargeable card gives you the freedom to try small amounts and means you can taste seriously pricey bottles without taking a risk. Long maligned, Fronton is the closest vintage from the Toulouse area, with vineyards just north of the city. It’s shaking off a bad rap to become one of the best, affordable wines in the southwest.

Make it happen: Le 5 Wine Bar is on Rue de la Bourse, near Esquirol metro. Arrive early, it gets very busy.