30 casual dining worth the trip across France, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All France guides.
Binchstub Broglie ★ 4.8 · Strasbourg
Grande Ile · 28 Impasse de l'Ecrevisse, 67000 Strasbourg
Binchstub Broglie off Place Broglie is a tarte flambee counter using farm produce, firing classic and inventive flammekueche to eat in or take away.
Le J'Go Restaurant ★ 4.8 · Toulouse
victor-hugo · 16 Place Victor Hugo, 31000 Toulouse
Le J'Go on Place Victor Hugo is the southwestern French bistro and wine bar built around Cochon noir de Bigorre, market-facing terrace and Gers bottles.
Tip: Solo lunch best at the bar; the saucisse de Toulouse grilled with white beans is the canonical order.
La Merenda ★ 4.7 · Nice
vieux-nice · 4 Rue Raoul Bosio, 06300 Nice
La Merenda in Vieux Nice is Dominique Le Stanc's bench seat Nissard kitchen on Rue Raoul Bosio, the chef who walked away from Le Negresco for grandmother.
Tip: No telephone, cash only, two sittings per service. Book at the door earlier the same day.
Winstub Le Clou ★ 4.7 · Strasbourg
Grande Ile · 3 Rue du Chaudron, 67000 Strasbourg
Winstub Le Clou on Rue du Chaudron near the cathedral is a classic Alsatian tavern for choucroute, baeckeoffe and waedele, poured with Riesling.
Fufu Toulouse ★ 4.7 · Toulouse
saint-etienne · 33 Rue de Metz, 31000 Toulouse
Fufu Toulouse on Rue de Metz is the small ramen counter with thick tonkotsu broth and gyoza turned to order, opened by the team behind a Paris noodle shop.
Tip: Lines start at 12:15; the takeaway window is the easier midday route if the indoor counter is full.
May ★ 4.7 · Toulouse
carmes · 9 Rue Pharaon, 31000 Toulouse
May on Rue Pharaon in Carmes is the small Vietnamese kitchen with banh mi to order, slow-simmered bun bo Hue and fresh spring rolls served on lacquer trays.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday; the lunch banh mi plus iced jasmine tea at €13 is the daily favourite.
Daniel et Denise Crequi ★ 4.6 · Lyon
3e · 156 Rue de Crequi, 69003 Lyon
Daniel et Denise Crequi in the 3e is the original 1968 location, now run by MOF Joseph Viola whose pate en croute won the 2009 world championship.
Tip: Closed Sat-Sun; book a fortnight ahead. The bouchon label is genuine here.
Regain ★ 4.6 · Lyon
1er · 3 Rue d'Algerie, 69001 Lyon
Regain at the foot of the Croix-Rousse in the 1er is Benjamin Sanchez and Thomas Rolland's neo-bistro, with raw walls, globe lighting. Priced at €€€.
Tip: Lunch is the easier seating; lunch formulas €25-59, dinner menus €55-75.
La Corde a Linge ★ 4.6 · Strasbourg
Petite France · 2 Place Benjamin Zix, 67000 Strasbourg
La Corde a Linge sits on Place Benjamin Zix in Petite France, an all-day Alsatian room famous for big plates of homemade spaetzle by the canal.
Mama Bubbele ★ 4.6 · Strasbourg
Krutenau · 2 Quai des Bateliers, 67000 Strasbourg
Mama Bubbele on the Quai des Bateliers is a tarte flambee specialist, turning out crisp, thin flammekueche in savoury and sweet versions until late.
La Cave au Cassoulet ★ 4.6 · Toulouse
carmes · 54 Rue Peyrolieres, 31000 Toulouse
La Cave au Cassoulet on Rue Peyrolieres in Carmes is an unfussy cassoulet specialist with confit duck, sausage and beans baked in clay cassoles.
Tip: Smaller than the celebrated cassoulet rooms; the cassole is single-serve, do not order a starter if you intend to finish it.
Le Bon Vivre ★ 4.6 · Toulouse
capitole · 15 Place Wilson, 31000 Toulouse
Le Bon Vivre on Place Wilson is the all-day southwestern brasserie with continuous service, a covered terrace and a deep Lauragais cassoulet menu.
Tip: Walk-in friendly; the cassoulet with duck plus sausage is the canonical order. Open Sunday, which most of the centre is not.
Le Garet ★ 4.5 · Lyon
1er · 7 Rue du Garet, 69001 Lyon
Le Garet on Rue du Garet in Lyon's 1er is the canonical bouchon, four blocks from the Opera, with a chalkboard menu rooted in the classic Lyonnais repertoire.
Tip: Closed Sunday-Monday; book a fortnight ahead for the dinner service.
Daniel et Denise Saint-Jean ★ 4.5 · Lyon
5e · 36 Rue Tramassac, 69005 Lyon
Daniel et Denise Saint-Jean in Vieux Lyon is Joseph Viola's bouchon in the old town, where the pate en croute won the world championship and remains.
Tip: Closed Sunday-Monday; book three days ahead; service can run long.
Daniel et Denise Croix-Rousse ★ 4.5 · Lyon
4e · 8 Rue de Cuire, 69004 Lyon
Daniel et Denise Croix-Rousse is MOF Joseph Viola's third bouchon, on Rue de Cuire facing Place des Tapis in the historic canut quarter of the 4e.
Tip: Closed Sunday-Monday; lunch is the easier seating near the daily Croix-Rousse market.
Chez Etienne ★ 4.5 · Marseille
2e · 43 rue de Lorette, 13002 Marseille
Chez Etienne in Marseille's 2e Panier has cooked wood-fired Marseillais pizza since 1943, no menu, cash only, the half-anchovy half-cheese the local order.
Tip: Open Mon-Sat lunch and dinner, closed Sunday; cash only, no reservations, expect a queue.
Acchiardo ★ 4.5 · Nice
vieux-nice · 38 Rue Droite, 06300 Nice
Acchiardo on Rue Droite in Vieux Nice has cooked the family Nicoise canon since the close of the First World War, four generations and a single lunch sitting.
Tip: Closed Saturday and Sunday; book by phone several days ahead for lunch.
Bistrot d'Antoine ★ 4.5 · Nice
vieux-nice · 27 Rue de la Prefecture, 06300 Nice
Bistrot d'Antoine in Vieux Nice is Armand Crespo's two storey neo bistrot from 2006 in the shell of a 1904 cafe, a Michelin Bib Gourmand for honest French.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday; book at least three days ahead even at lunch.
Peixes ★ 4.5 · Nice
carre-d-or · 4 Rue de l'Opera, 06300 Nice
Peixes in Nice's Carre d'Or near the Opera is Armand Crespo's Mediterranean seafood counter of ceviche, tartare and tataki on the daily catch from the Cours.
Tip: No reservations; arrive by 12:30 or 19:30 to land a stool. Tapas from €7, mains around €25.
Chez Pipo ★ 4.5 · Nice
port-lympia · 13 Rue Bavastro, 06300 Nice
Chez Pipo on Rue Bavastro has fired socca in wood burning ovens since 1923, the canonical Nicois address for the chickpea flour pancake the city invented.
Tip: Open Wednesday to Sunday 11:30-14:30 and 17:30-22:00; no reservations, cash and card both accepted.
Le Schnockeloch ★ 4.5 · Strasbourg
Petite France · 1 Quai Saint-Jean, 67000 Strasbourg
Le Schnockeloch on the Quai Saint-Jean is a large Alsatian institution between the station and Petite France for choucroute, baeckeoffe and flammekueche.
Il Paradiso ★ 4.5 · Toulouse
carmes · 21 Rue de la Pleau, 31000 Toulouse
Il Paradiso on Rue de la Pleau in Carmes is the family Italian trattoria with hand-rolled pastas, a wood-fired pizza oven and a small natural wine list.
Tip: The lunch pasta of the day at €13 is the value entry; book ahead for Friday and Saturday dinners.
Le Cafe des Artistes ★ 4.5 · Toulouse
saint-pierre · 13 Place de la Daurade, 31000 Toulouse
Le Cafe des Artistes on Place de la Daurade beside the Garonne is a cafe and wine bar with a covered terrace. Reservations recommended in season.
Tip: Sit on the river terrace at sunset for the view of the Pont Neuf; service stays on until midnight in summer.
Chez Jean-Mi ★ 4.4 · Bordeaux
capucins · Place des Capucins, 33800 Bordeaux
Chez Jean-Mi in Bordeaux's Marche des Capucins is the legendary morning oyster counter where the line starts at 09:00 and a half-dozen Arcachons with a glass.
Tip: Arrive before 11:00 for a stool at the counter; cash and card both work, closed Mondays with the market.
Berthus ★ 4.4 · Bordeaux
saint-pierre · 15 Rue des Bahutiers, 33000 Bordeaux
Berthus in Bordeaux's Saint-Pierre is Chef Vincent's bistronomic dining room on Rue des Bahutiers, with a single €28 three-course formula at lunch and dinner.
Tip: Book a week ahead for dinner; the lunch formula at €28 holds across both services and is the easiest reservation to get.
Cafe-Comptoir Abel ★ 4.4 · Lyon
2e · 25 Rue Guynemer, 69002 Lyon
Cafe-Comptoir Abel in Lyon's 2e is the 1928 bouchon on Rue Guynemer where the wood-panelled dining room and Label Bouchons Lyonnais menu survive unchanged.
Tip: Closed Sunday; cash and card. The pichet of cotes-du-rhone is the order.
Le Bouchon des Filles ★ 4.4 · Lyon
1er · 20 Rue Sergent Blandan, 69001 Lyon
Le Bouchon des Filles in Lyon's 1er is the all-woman-run bouchon on Rue Sergent Blandan, where a fixed-price set lunch runs the dining room and the kitchen.
Tip: Open evenings only Wed-Sat plus Sunday lunch; book a fortnight ahead.
Becbec ★ 4.4 · Lyon
3e · 232 Rue Paul Bert, 69003 Lyon
Becbec in Lyon's 3e on Rue Paul Bert is the 12-seat counter bistro where a young couple runs the kitchen and the tight natural-wine cellar by hand.
Tip: Walk-in only; arrive at 19:00 for a counter stool.
Chez Hugon ★ 4.4 · Lyon
1er · 12 Rue Pizay, 69001 Lyon
Chez Hugon on Rue Pizay in the 1er has been run by three generations of women since 1937, serving an unchanged carte of bouchon classics in a 30-cover.
Tip: Closed Saturday-Sunday; Mon-Fri 12:00-14:00 and 19:00-23:30.
Le Poelon d'Or ★ 4.4 · Lyon
2e · 29 Rue des Remparts d'Ainay, 69002 Lyon
Le Poelon d'Or in the 2e Ainay is the certified bouchon in an 1890 building with an Art Deco ceiling classified national heritage, run by Yann Lalle and chef.
Tip: Open Tue-Sat 12:00-14:00 and 19:30-22:00; closed Sun-Mon Walk-ins usually OK.