The counters in Toulouse worth queuing for: bread, pastry, and the morning ritual.
Bakery counters in Toulouse worth queuing for: levain breads, laminated pastry, regional bakes and the morning ritual.
La Boulangerie Saint-Georges on Place Saint-Georges has stood since 1840; since 2005 baker Francois Le Galo runs it and the shop is on the 100-best list.
Tip: Over twenty bread varieties plus pastries and made-to-order sandwiches; the pain de campagne is the canonical buy.
Worth the queue: Pain de campagne au levain
La Halle aux Pains on Place Dupuy was opened by Damien and Heleh Fressinaud in February 2000 and has been entirely organic-flour since 2017. A staple address.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday; the pain au levain bio is the canonical buy across the full organic range.
Worth the queue: Pain au levain bio
Maison Pillon on Rue Ozenne is the canonical Toulouse patisserie and chocolatier since 1967, famed for crystallised violet candy and the cachous de Toulouse.
Tip: Pick up violet candies and cachous de Toulouse for souvenirs; the apple croustade is the patisserie pick.
Worth the queue: Bonbons a la violette de Toulouse
Anne et Francois-Xavier on Rue du Taur near Saint-Sernin basilica is the artisan bakery and patisserie opened in 2007, with prepared sandwiches.
Tip: Closed weekends; the pain au chocolat at 07:00 is the canonical breakfast buy on the route to Saint-Sernin.
Worth the queue: Pain au chocolat
Boulangerie Patisserie Cyprien on Avenue de Muret in Saint-Cyprien is 100 percent artisanal, baking crispy breads, viennoiseries and pastries daily.
Tip: Get there before 09:00 for the morning viennoiseries; the chocolatine is the local Saint-Cyprien pick.
Worth the queue: Croissant
Maison Serres on Rue des Fontaines in Saint-Cyprien is the family bakery run by Thierry Serres and his wife and daughters, using local flour.
Tip: Open continuously from 06:00 weekdays; the pain au levain and the mille-feuille are the canonical morning buys.
Worth the queue: Pain au levain
Loma Patisserie on Rue Fonderie in the Dalbade quarter is a neighborhood bakery and patisserie known for artisanal croissants, baguettes and pastries made.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday; the croissant and the rotating daily pastry case are the canonical buys.
Worth the queue: Croissant
Les Freres Chapelier opened their organic, artisanal bakery in Toulouse in 2018 to revive the spirit of the city's neighbourhood boulangeries.
Tip: Sunday closed at most branches; the pain au chocolat bio and the gluten-free brownie are the canonical orders.
Worth the queue: Pain au chocolat bio
Boulangerie Maurice on Grande Rue Nazareth is the activist bakery of Baptiste Chardin, baking exclusively with peasant wheats, stone-ground ancient grains.
Tip: The pain au levain naturel is the canonical buy; cookies and brownies are made with the same heirloom flours.
Worth the queue: Pain au levain naturel
Peche Mignon on Rue du Languedoc in Carmes was taken over by Charlotte and Christophe in 2020; the half-century-old bakery now turns out babkas.
Tip: The babka and the cinnamon roll are the canonical morning buys; the lunch counter runs sandwiches and quiches.
Worth the queue: Babka
Au Poussin Bleu on Rue Saint-Antoine du T is the small artisan bakery with a rustic loaf range, a tight pastry case and a working-day Saint-Etienne crowd.
Tip: Open daily except Sunday; the pain rustique and the croustade aux pommes are the canonical buys.
Worth the queue: Pain rustique
La Bonbonniere on Rue Lapeyrouse is a long-running Toulouse patisserie and chocolate shop with house-made saint-honore, eclairs and chocolate truffles.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday; the saint-honore and the lemon tart are the canonical Sunday-skip orders.
Worth the queue: Saint-Honore
Le Gateautier on Avenue Paul Séjourné is the small Toulouse patisserie running since 1998, with a vegan-friendly croissant and pain au chocolat line.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday; the vegan croissant and the cake of the day are the canonical orders.
Worth the queue: Croissant
Maitre Meunier on Rue Saint-Bertrand is an artisan bakery using ancient grains, with stone-milled flour, rye and spelt loaves and a slow-fermented bread.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday; the pain de seigle is the canonical buy, the spelt loaf the second pick.
Worth the queue: Pain de seigle
Violettes et Pastels on Rue Saint-Pantaleon since 1995 is the only Toulouse boutique pairing the city's emblematic violet with the pastel plant, with jams.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday; pick up crystallised violet petals to take home, the canonical Toulouse souvenir.
Worth the queue: Crystallised violet petals