21 upscale places in Toulouse, editor-picked. occasion restaurants in Toulouse: destination kitchens for celebrations and visits. All Toulouse food.
Chez Tonton ★ 4.8
saint-pierre · 16 Place Saint-Pierre, 31000 Toulouse
Chez Tonton on Place Saint-Pierre is the legendary student bar with a square-terrace crowd, tapas plates from 18:00 and the canonical pastis pour.
Tip: Lines pile up Friday from 19:30; the pastis tonton with anchovy tapas is the canonical first-round order.
N5 Wine Bar ★ 4.7
capitole · 5 Rue de la Bourse, 31000 Toulouse
N5 Wine Bar on Rue de la Bourse is the brick-vaulted Toulouse wine bar named Best Wine Bar in the World in 2017, 2018 and 2019, with around 4,000 bottles.
Tip: Bookings essential for weekend evenings; the by-the-glass tour of France from the dedicated sommelier is the canonical first visit.
Restaurant Emile ★ 4.6
saint-georges · 13 Place Saint-Georges, 31000 Toulouse
Restaurant Emile on Toulouse's pedestrian Place Saint-Georges has been the canonical cassoulet address since 1947, with chef Christophe Fasan in charge.
Tip: Order the cassoulet pre-loaded with confit duck, not the all-pork version; ask for the second-floor terrace table on a warm evening.
Le Mandala ★ 4.6
carmes · 23 Rue des Amidonniers, 31000 Toulouse
Le Mandala on Rue des Amidonniers is Toulouse's longest-running jazz bar, with live jazz sets six nights a week, cocktails and a small back-of-room kitchen.
Tip: Live jazz sets six nights at 21:30 and 23:30; the cocktails plus charcuterie plate is the canonical evening pair.
Le Genty Magre ★ 4.5
carmes · 3 Rue Genty Magre, 31000 Toulouse
Le Genty Magre between Esquirol and Capitole is chef Romain Brard's southwestern dining room, winner of the 2023 Toulouse Cassoulet Championship.
Tip: The cassoulet sells in glass jars to take home; book the small inner room for the calmer service.
Mama Shelter Toulouse Rooftop Bar ★ 4.5
saint-aubin · 54 Boulevard Lazare Carnot, 31000 Toulouse
Mama Shelter Toulouse Rooftop on Boulevard Lazare Carnot is a planted hotel rooftop with frozen margaritas, sunset views over the Canal du Midi.
Tip: Sunset to midnight is the busier service; the frozen margarita and the bao bun pair is the canonical summer order.
Le Bibent ★ 4.4
capitole · 5 Place du Capitole, 31000 Toulouse
Le Bibent on Toulouse's Place du Capitole is the 1861 Napoleon III brasserie revived in 2009 with chef Christian Constant, a national monument.
Tip: Book a window table to see the square; the lunch menu is the value play. Belle Epoque interior worth the price tag on its own.
Le Colombier ★ 4.4
capitole · 14 Rue de Bayard, 31000 Toulouse
Le Colombier on Rue de Bayard near Capitole is the cassoulet institution opened in 1874 as a bourgeois boarding house, recipe unchanged for a century.
Tip: Reserve at least two days ahead in winter cassoulet season. The dining room is half-locals.
Vin'issim'o ★ 4.4
saint-cyprien · Rue de la Republique, 31300 Toulouse
Vin'issim'o in Saint-Cyprien is a natural, organic and biodynamic wine bar with a bright, modern room and owners who are vocal advocates for sustainable.
Tip: Ask the team for the philosophy walkthrough before ordering; the natural Languedoc rouges are the canonical glass pick.
Au Pois Gourmand ★ 4.3
saint-cyprien · 3 Rue Emile Heybrard, 31300 Toulouse
Au Pois Gourmand on Rue Emile Heybrard is the modern French dining room in a 19th century brick villa on the Garonne, with a chef and a riverside terrace.
Tip: Book the terrace in summer for the Garonne sunset view; the lunch tasting menu is the value play at about half the dinner price.
Le Bar Basque ★ 4.3
saint-pierre · 7 Place Saint-Pierre, 31000 Toulouse
Le Bar Basque on Place Saint-Pierre is the Basque-leaning Toulouse bar with pintxos, sangria, regional ciders and a large summer garden terrace.
Tip: Order pintxos by the half-dozen and a glass of Irouleguy; the garden runs full first in summer.
DAda ★ 4.3
saint-pierre · 9 Rue des Couteliers, 31000 Toulouse
DAda in central Toulouse is a quirky natural-wine bar with a selected list of natural, organic and biodynamic wines, paired with seasonal plates.
Tip: The chalkboard menu changes daily; ask for the orange wine of the week, the canonical natural-wine entry here.
Contre-Pied ★ 4.3
carmes · 21 Rue des Filatiers, 31000 Toulouse
Contre-Pied on Rue des Filatiers in Carmes is the natural-wine bistro opened in late 2019, with organic wines and a strong natural-wine list often picked out.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday; the natural Languedoc orange wines and the daily plates are the canonical Friday-night pairing.
Lacrima Vini ★ 4.3
saint-cyprien · 39 Rue Reclusane, 31300 Toulouse
Lacrima Vini on Rue Reclusane in Saint-Cyprien is the natural-wine cave with a curated selection of organic and biodynamic bottles. Reservations recommended.
Tip: Retail shop first, with a small tasting counter; ask for natural-wine recommendations by region under €25 a bottle.
Le Tire-Bouchon ★ 4.3
saint-aubin · 23 Place Dupuy, 31000 Toulouse
Le Tire-Bouchon on Place Dupuy is the small family-run wine shop and bar of Philippe Lagarde, with a few tables among the boxes of organic and biodynamic.
Tip: Lunch is two courses at €16 and three courses at €21; buy a bottle from the shop rather than ordering by the glass.
Le Bistroquet ★ 4.2
saint-pierre · 4 Rue Pargaminieres, 31000 Toulouse
Le Bistroquet on Rue Pargaminieres near Saint-Pierre is a speakeasy-style cocktail bar with an old-fashioned programme. Reservations recommended in season.
Tip: Open 19:00 onward; the rotating old-fashioned is the canonical order. Bookings recommended.
La Cave se Rebiffe ★ 4.2
carmes · 2 Rue Joutx Aigues, 31000 Toulouse
La Cave se Rebiffe on Rue Joutx Aigues in Carmes is the brick-vaulted Corsican wine cave run by Marc, an artist with Corsican roots and a Vermentino list.
Tip: Tuesday live-music sessions are the canonical evening; the Corsican Vermentino plus the tapas board is the first-visit order.
Soif ★ 4.1
carmes · 16 Rue Saint-Pantaleon, 31000 Toulouse
Soif on Rue Saint-Pantaleon in Carmes is the small natural wine bar with a chalkboard menu of small-producer bottles and seasonal small plates to share.
Tip: Walk-in friendly weeknights; the natural Loire pinots and the cheese plate are the canonical pair from 18:00.
Brasserie Les Beaux-Arts ★ 4.0
carmes · 1 Quai de la Daurade, 31000 Toulouse
Brasserie Les Beaux-Arts on Quai de la Daurade is the Flo group seafood brasserie facing Pont Neuf, with a Belle Epoque interior and Garonne terrace.
Tip: Reserve a riverfront terrace table at sunset for the Pont Neuf view; the plateau de fruits de mer is the canonical order.
Brasserie de l'Opera ★ 4.0
capitole · 1 Place du Capitole, 31000 Toulouse
Brasserie de l'Opera at the Grand Hotel de l'Opera on Place du Capitole is the seven-days-a-week brasserie classic, with a market-driven southwest menu.
Tip: Best for a long lunch on Sunday when smaller bistros are closed; sit at the terrace facing the Capitole.
Pub Saint-Pierre ★ 4.0
saint-pierre · 11 Place Saint-Pierre, 31000 Toulouse
Pub Saint-Pierre on Place Saint-Pierre is the long-running pub since 1999, popular for its vibrant atmosphere and fantastic happy hour with pints from €2.80.
Tip: Happy hour pints from €2.80 from 18:00-21:00; the terrace runs full from sunset onward all year.