Toulouse, France
Toulouse’s 5 best restaurants (and must-try dishes)
The guide to Toulouse’s best restaurants
There’s something about Toulouse that lingers long after your visit – maybe it’s the scent of slow-cooked cassoulet wafting through narrow lanes or the way the city’s rose-hued brick glows in the late afternoon sun. Located in the southwest of France, in the historic Occitania region, Toulouse has an energy that feels both elegant and disarmingly down-to-earth. Chefs here aren’t afraid to reimagine the classics and you’ll find just as much magic in a centuries-old tavern as in a sleek, contemporary bistro. In this guide, we’re sharing the restaurants that absolutely deserve your appetite, along with the iconic dishes that define this deliciously unhurried city.
Top photography courtesy of Sept
01
Sept
There’s a quiet precision to dining at Sept and that’s by design. Chef Guillaume Momboisse’s kitchen runs on restraint – flavours are layered, not loud. The menu shifts monthly, with a focus on local producers and a zero-waste approach. There’s no à la carte here, just two tasting menus. You can expect dishes with surprising ingredients (like kombu or smoked eel) to sit naturally next to Gascon duck or wild mushrooms. The restaurant’s interior is intimate with warm lighting, minimalist furnishings and carefully chosen natural materials that create an immersive dining cocoon where each plate’s pure lines let the produce shine.
Sept
11 Rue Théodore Ozenne
Toulouse
France
Photography courtesy of Sept
02
Michel Sarran
Michel Sarran’s restaurant has been a Toulouse landmark since 1995. The atmosphere here feels more like a chef’s home than a high-end restaurant – and that’s exactly the point. Michel Sarran’s cooking leans on his southern roots, originally from Gers, but it’s not nostalgic. It evolves. His signature milk skin with foie gras (duck or goose liver) and truffle is a clever reinterpretation of a childhood memory, transformed into something elegant but grounded. You can choose between two dining areas – downstairs, you have the refined restaurant setting with modern furnishings and wood and tiles that soften the straight and curved lines, which opens onto an interior garden. Upstairs, the atmosphere changes into something inevitably more intimate, more subdued. Here, the notion of a restaurant fades into the background, replaced by that of a bourgeois family home.
Michel Sarran
21 Bd Armand Duportal
Toulouse
France
Photography courtesy of Michel Sarran
03
Le Bibent
Located on Place du Capitole since 1861, Le Bibent is housed in a protected Napoléon III building whose Belle Époque décor, Murano chandeliers and carved caryatids were restored in 2011 by architect Axel Letellier and decorator Béatrice Gayral. Christian Constant relaunched Le Bibent that year and since 2019, Yann Ghazal has helmed the kitchen, bringing fresh energy to a menu where classic French cuisine takes the spotlight. Think duck confit with crispy skin, hearty cassoulet (slow-cooked stew) and a beautifully roasted lamb shoulder with thyme jus that doesn’t try to reinvent anything – just nails it. Our favourite? The trout fillet from the Basque Country, served with bisque (French soup), grilled vegetables and algae.
Le Bibent
5 Pl. du Capitole
Toulouse
France
Photography courtesy of Le Bibent
04
Py-r
At Py-r, Chef Pierre Lambinon is interested in pushing flavour without losing focus. There’s a sense of control to every element on the plate – even when things get experimental. Dishes shift with the seasons, his take on blue lobster with a coral emulsion is one of the standout dishes for us – rich, slightly sweet and deeply satisfying. The restaurant sits inside a stone-walled space that feels modern but rooted. It’s small, discreet and surprisingly relaxed for a spot with two Michelin stars. The interior is sleek with white walls and concrete accents, designed with simplistic furniture and a few artworks throughout that match the creativity of the dish on your plate.
Py-r
19 Dsc de la Halle aux Poissons
Toulouse
France
Photography courtesy of Py-r
05
L’Alouette
L’Alouette is one of those rare places where you feel the intent behind every choice. From the short, seasonal menu to the natural wines and even the playlist, it’s clear this is a chef-driven space with a point of view. L’Alouette follows a market‑driven ethos under Chef Nicolas Servant, the former chef of Bon Servant. The menu focuses on aged meats and artisanal offal – you can expect some unique dishes like pig’s ears, calf’s liver and sweetbreads, paired with crisp spring vegetables such as white asparagus. The space is small and stripped-back, with wood tables and chairs that give the eatery a warm and friendly atmosphere.
L’Alouette
24 Pl. Victor Hugo
Toulouse
France
Photography courtesy of L’Alouette
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