Toulouse Dining and Entertainment

Toulouse Hotels

Dining in Toulouse

You'll be amazed at the abundance of restaurants scattered among the pretty streets of Toulouses town centre. They will enable you to discover the variety of French cooking, prepared according to French tradition or using the creativity of master chefs who are not afraid of novelty. Some will invite you to explore the flavours of the French regions, while others will take you on a journey to the far corners of the earth. There is something to satisfy every taste and every fancy, whether you wish to devote yourself to the delights of gastronomy, eat a quick snack or simply spend an enjoyable moment in a small bar in Toulouse.

French Cuisine

Regional Cuisine
Toulouse no doubt owes much of its culinary heritage to local produce that comes from the surrounding regions, in particular the neighbouring département of Gers, where fattened ducks and geese are raised. These excellent specialities (foie gras, cassoulet - meat and bean stew, Toulouse sausage, duck cutlets and conserve of duck) are certainly not renowned for being light, but they are nonetheless very tasty, and thats what counts! Especially as, to accompany these dishes, there are always some very good wines from the neighbouring wine regions of the Tarn and, of course, the region of Bordeaux, which is only 250 kilometres (just over 150 miles) away. The Toulouse oenologists simply take after their ancestors who, in ancient times, traded their wines from Italy up to Bordeaux.

Today, the master chefs of Toulouse know how to use these quality products to ally tradition and creative cooking. There are some brilliant demonstrations of this in the restaurants in the town centre, ideally situated in the liveliest quarters. On the very central Place du Capitole you have the choice between the prestigious Jardins de l'Opéra, where big entertainment stars visiting Toulouse are accustomed to dining, and its neighbour the Bibent, styled like a pub. The Réserve and the Autan-Tic are also close by. The picturesque Place Saint-Georges also has some good places for tasting regional cooking, for example the well-known Emile, which has an exceptional setting and an attractive façade. On the Place Wilson, surrounded by cinemas and shops, and on the nearby boulevards, the Capoul, the Pyrénéen, the Restaurant Eau de Folles and the Armagnac are names that have a good reputation. Again in the town centre, the Jardins d'Alice in the pretty little Rue Croix-Baragnon, the 7 Place Saint-Sernin, beside the basilica bearing the same name and the Bon Bec near the concert hall at the Halle aux Grains will all awaken your taste buds. Some of the regional speciality restaurants are quick to combine the delights of gastronomy with the novelty of their setting: this is the case with the Cave au Cassoulet, situated on the pleasant Quai Saint-Pierre, near the banks of the Garonne, and theGrand Angle, on the Port de l'Embouchure. Even more delightful are the restaurants on the barges; the Belle Chaurienne and the Occitania, that enable you to dine on the peaceful waters of the Midi Canal.

Speciality restaurants with a theme
For those who like seafood, the famous Brasserie des Beaux-Arts with its tones of the Belle Epoque (Edwardian Age) , on the banks of the Garonne, the Criée, the Table aux fruits de mer, and the Carré Vert, on the big boulevards, are well-known names. Those who prefer meat will find what they're looking for at the Grillée, the Os à Moëlle, or quite simply the restaurant belonging to the Hippopotamus chain.

Some restaurants have chosen to go in for specialization. The Mille et une Pâtes serves mainly pasta, the Bar des Glaces serves mainly kebabs, as its name doesn't indicate. Just as original is the Picotin, where you eat with your fingers, the Madeleine de Proust, decorated in childish colours and the Syndicat that changes its theme roughly once every two years. Finally, restaurants such as Bioasis and Saveur Bio offer healthy and natural products.

Specialities of the French regions
Toulouse also offers the possibility of tasting culinary specialities from Frances various regions: Corsican dishes at the Atmosphère, the novelty of specialities from the Aveyron region at the Aubrac, the sun-drenched flavour of cooking from Provence at the Saint-Tropez) etc.

Cooking from further afield

For those who like a change of scene or for homesick visitors, Toulouse offers an unlimited choice of foreign speciality restaurants, beginning with the bodegas that are the realms of tapas and sangria (the Flamenco-Bodega, the Bodega, el Paseo, the Tantina de Burgos), the numbers of which just go to show how close Toulouse is to Spain. The Italian restaurants (Pastasciutta, Pizzeria Vecchio, Carpaccio), are often inexpensive and their cooking is always very tasty. Still in Europe, you can really enjoy yourself with the sauerkraut at the Taverne Bavaroise, the salmon, Scandinavian style, at the Pink Fish, unless you'd rather go to Ireland at Dubliners. The American restaurants such as the Memorial Rock Café or the Jim Mac Mahon offer a mixture of exhibitions of photos and objects belonging to stars, along with Mexican cooking and hamburgers. The Mexican and Latin-American restaurants are numerous and fashionable (the Barrio Latino, the Maximo Café, and the Texxas Café). You can dance to Cuban dace rhythms at the Puerto Habana , whereas the Café Rex will take you to Australia, with kangaroo on the menu. A complete change of scene is ensured at the Zoodrome, just as in the various restaurants offering a taste of cooking from the islands: the lEcho de la brousse, the Requin Chagrin... Very often inexpensive, the Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants (the A Dong, the Diamant) always offer a warm reception. As for Japanese cooking ( theJapoyaki), it is a delight because it is original. An interesting idea: for 39F-59F (EUR 5.94-8.99), plus 20F (EUR 3.04) on Sundays, the Fourchette Volante will deliver the various different specialities of these foreign restaurants to your door.

For a quick bite or just a drink

For a light meal or a quick snack during the day, the tea-rooms (theTarte Julie, chez Chiche, the Autre Salon de Thé), will satisfy your hunger if you're feeling peckish at any time of day.
If you just wish to have a drink and a chat with friends, you can choose from a number of bars and pubs grouped together in different parts of the town centre. At the moment the pubs are very fashionable: the Dubliners, Mulligans, the Melting Pot. The students have always preferred the Saint-Pierre area (the Bar Basque, the Pastis ô Maître) and the Arnaud-Bernard neighbourhood (the Breughel, the Cactus, the Qsec/Ragtime), both of which are close to the universities. Of course, the Place du Capitole, the Place Wilson and the boulevards remain the centre of Toulouse night life, with their numerous bars that are always very busy.

M.Delmas

Entertainment in Toulouse

Situated at the foot of the Pyrenees in the Garonne valley, Toulouse is a city with a favourable climate that has managed to preserve the wonderful areas of natural beauty that surround it while incorporating leisure facilities and walks, which make the area particularly delightful to visit. Known as 'la Ville rose' (the Pink city) because of the delicate red-pink hues of its buildings, the city also has an important historical and artistic heritage, which continues to grow thanks to new improvements, the creation of arts centres and the organization of international exchanges, festivals and recurring exhibitions. Close to Spain, Toulouse has the lilting accent and cheerful atmosphere common to towns in the South of France and is happy to share the secrets of combining an easy-going way of living with a hectic nightlife.

Parks, sport and relaxation

A large number of parks and gardens, situated in the city centre or easily accessible by métro or bus, will delight children and their parents. They have outdoor games for children, refreshment stalls and pleasantly arranged pathways. The Jardin Compans-Caffarelli even has a Japanese garden thats a joy to behold, as well as a large lake, while what people like most about the Jardin des plantes is its little train, farm animals and waterfall. The prairie des Filtres is the perfect spot in which to watch competitors cross the finishing line of the amazing 20km-long Garona river race. Competitors in the race, which takes place at the end of summer, have to complete the course literally under their own steam using non-motorized (generally pedal-powered!) machines. The Canal du Midi and its shady banks are also a pleasant place in which to walk, and where you can hire motor boats from Aqualub or let yourself be taken on a peaceful cruise aboard the Cap d'Ambre, as it drifts along the canals winding course. Those with cars can enjoy the African Safari or Plaisance Zoo, situated about 15km from the city or, for an outing with a more rural theme, pop along to the Cap al Campestre museum, whose theme is the trades and crafts of yesteryear, or find out about the day-to-day life of the animals living on the Ferme des Cabanes. Sports and recreation parks, the Ramée and Sesquières, meanwhile have everything for outdoor sports enthusiasts.

Museums and galleries

The big museums in Toulouse are all concentrated around Place du Capitole, in the heart of the city and are therefore easy to get to on foot.

Fine-art lovers will adore the musée des Augustins, a cloister of imposing size whose interior garden is a real paradise amidst all the hustle and bustle of the city. Exhibited here are paintings and sculptures from ancient times right up to modernity. Just as verdant, the couvent des Jacobins has a remarkable exhibition space and is of great historic and cultural interest. The exhibitions in the fondation Bemberg, devoted to Renaissance and Modern School painting and those in the salle des Illustres, in the Capitol (home to the town hall) are, in addition, fortunate to be housed in such prestigious buildings.

Showing much more recent works, the espace d'Art moderne et contemporain on the left bank of the Garonne, is a cultural site of great wealth and shows modern works on a permanent basis. The same can be said for the centre municipal de l'Affiche, de la Carte postale et de l'Art graphique and the galerie municipale du Château-d'eau, both of which should be of interest to amateur photographers.

Small art galleries (Galerie Sollertis, Galerie Jacques Girard, Galerie du Coq d'Inde et du Biblion), also allow you to enjoy (and occasionally buy) works by lesser-known (although perhaps not for long..!) artists. Given their location in the streets of old Toulouse, these galleries are also the ideal excuse for having a wander round the citys picturesque spots.

Somewhat different but just as stimulating, the decorative arts museum (musée Paul Dupuy), with its extensive display of antiques, and the musée Georges-Labit, devoted to Asian and Ancient Egyptian art, are definitely worth a visit.

For those who take a close interest in history and particularly local history, the Saint-Raymond archaeological museum, the musée du Vieux Toulouse and the musée départemental de la Résistance et de la Déportation trace Toulouses past, from the daily lives of its inhabitants right through to the citys darkest moments.

Some city initiatives are particularly interesting: entry to museums is free on the first Sunday of every month. Also practical are museum passports, available in each of the citys museums, which allow visitors access to three museums for 30F (EUR 4.57) or, for compulsive museumgoers, six museums for 50F (EUR 7.62).

Science and technology

About 10km from the city centre the Cité de l'Espace, with its full-scale replica of the Ariane space rocket and its special Terr@dome show, is the only one of its kind in France and something that definitely shouldn't be missed. Aquarium de la Garonne et des Pyrénées will appeal to younger children, who'll be able to get close to different species of fresh water fish. Of more local interest, but with the advantage of being situated in town, a tour round the Bazacle hydroelectric power station, will enable you to see close-up what part the river plays.

Cinema

Home to Frances second biggest university, Toulouse is a dynamic city which prides itself on its lively and varied nightlife. Numerous cinemas, including the Gaumont Wilson and the UGC Toulouse are situated right in the heart of the city, close to the main boulevards and not far from car parks. Big multiplex cinemas (Méga CGR, Gaumont Labège) fitted with the very latest technology are established in the suburbs and show big-budget movies. Art house cinema meanwhile remains in the city centre, where it does not do too badly, thankyou, with the main cinemas being Utopia, the ABC, the Cratère and the cinémathèque de Toulouse. Every year all the Toulouse cinemas join forces to put on a number of different film festivals, each with a different theme (e.g. Cinespaña, Festival Séquence, rencontre des cinémas d'Amérique latine, etc.)

Theatre

Toulouses many theatres, from the small, cosy ones to the really big auditoria and theatre complexes, offer theatregoers a very rich and diverse repertoire. You won't have time to see everything! (Its a good idea to have a look through city events listings to pinpoint the shows most likely to be of interest to you.) Bear in mind that among Toulouses various theatres, (the théâtre Garonne, théâtre du Pavé, théâtre Jules-Julien), some, including the Théâtre de la Cité, the Théâtre de la Digue, the théâtre Sorano, the Théâtre du Jour and the Grenier Théâtre alternate between modern theatre and major classics.

If you're looking for light entertainment, this generally takes place in the Théâtre des Trois T, Cave Poésie, Le 57 arts centre, Fil à Plomb, Altigone, the espace Croix-Baragnon and the salle Nougaro, the latter being pretty versatile, as it also offers concerts and dance.

Music and nightlife

Large-scale classical music events take place mainly in the Halle aux Grains and in the théâtre du Capitole, but the citys churches and auditoria (basilique Saint-Sernin, Auditorium Saint-Pierre-des-Cuisines, Eglise Saint-Pierre-des-Chartreux) are similarly used a great deal for this purpose: at the beginning of autumn they also host the international 'Toulouse Les Orgues' festival (Toulouse Organ Festival), as well as much smaller groups of musicians, who also benefit from the marvellous acoustics provided by vast stone buildings such as these. The ensemble conventuel des Jacobins has the honour of hosting (September) the piano festival which bears its name, Piano aux Jacobins.

As for rock, pop and jazz concerts, these take place in average sized auditoria (Bikini, Bijou, salle Nougaro, Altigone, Mazades), or in auditoria with a large seating capacity such as Odyssud, the Palais des Sports and the Zénith. The Jazz sur Son 31 festival in October generally welcomes over thirty international artists who perform in the citys different concert halls.

Much more modest (but no less attractive) are Toulouses many bars, which offer live music all year round and welcome performances by regional artists in all styles of music - jazz and blues in particular being long-standing favourites in Mandala and Erich Coffee.

Pubs are all the rage here, with a wide variety to choose from, including the Dubliners, Mulligans, Petit London and the Melting Pot. Students have always had a soft spot for the Saint-Pierre area of the city (where you'll find Bar Basque , Pastis ô Maître and San Pedro), as well as the Arnaud-Bernard area (Breughel, Cactus, Qsec/ Ragtime - both of which are close to the university. Naturally, Place du Capitole, Place Wilson and the grand boulevards remain Toulouses night-time hot spots, with their numerous and well-frequented bars (the Café Rock du Dauphin, Bar One, Bodega.) On Saturday nights, partying goes on until the small hours, but during the week, most bars have to close at 2am: night owls then meet up in the city nightclubs (the Saint-Georges Club, Purgatoire or the Clap.) Theres always somewhere to go!

Translated by L. Chalmers