By George Shaw
Much like many French cities, Toulouse’s culinary culture is closely tied to its terroir. Loosely translated to ‘a sense of place’, terroir is the concept of where the very soil, climate and regional traditions can create unique flavours in each dish.
Although famous for its pink terracotta buildings, La Ville Rose, Toulouse is is equally known among food lovers for its rich dishes, distinctive ingredients and relaxed dining culture.
Cassoulet: The Signature Dish of Toulouse
Arguably the most famous dish associated with Toulouse, this slow-cooked casserole is made with white beans, duck confit, pork and Toulouse sausage. After simmering together for hours, it is a rich and deeply flavourful dish that has become a symbol of regional pride and is served in both family-run bistros and high-end restaurants alike across the city.
The best way to experience cassoulet is during the annual giant open-air banquet organised by Toulouse à Table Food Festival each year, or at one of the city’s renowned restaurants competing in the Toulouse Cassoulet World Championship.
This unique culinary contest sees five leading chefs selected for the grand finale, where their creations are judged by a panel of industry experts alongside 150 guests who take part in a blind tasting to vote for their favourite dish. Over the past decade, celebrated establishments such as Chez Émile, Le Bibent and Genty Magre have claimed the title, further cementing their status as true institutions of Toulouse cassoulet.
Marché Couvert Victor Hugo: The Culinary Epicentre of Toulouse
If Toulouse’s culinary culture could be pinpointed to one place, it would be traditional Victor Hugo Covered Market. The oldest covered market in France has more than 80 stalls, where wine merchants, butchers, fishmongers, green grocers, and bakers all rub shoulders with each other, speaking with customers and selling regional, fresh ingredients.
The market also comes alive with festive evening events held every quarter and is home to hidden culinary gems, including the ‘Paris-Toulouse’ pastry created by pâtisserie B. Authié. As a twist of the classic Paris-Brest, it is filled a hazelnut praline cream and violet-infused whipped cream, it pays tribute to the colour of the iconic flower of the Pink City.
Abuzz with visitors and restauranteurs from 7am to 1:30pm, six days a week (closed on Mondays), guests can eat at one of the many restaurants above the market, which make use of all the local produce sold just below.
The market can also be explored through several English-language food tours, including the Victor Hugo Covered Market Tour led by American expat Jessica Hammer, and the Toulouse Gourmet Tour offered by Le Petit Cyclo, which combines a guided bike ride through the city with tastings at the market.
https://www.marche-victor-hugo.fr/
Les Halles de la Cartoucherie: Regional Ingredients on an International Plate
Within Place du Marché, guests will find themselves at Les Halles de La Cartoucherie’s marketplace. Here, visitors can savour all day long the regional flavours and wines of the wider Occitanie region and beyond at each of the market’s 25 food stalls.
Open all year round, it’s a cultural hub for both locals and tourists, who come together to sample the best of Toulouse local ingredients used in delectable international dishes. The eco-responsible Les Canons de la Daronne wine bar and shop, sells Occitanie wines by the glass and bottle, and makes for the perfect pause to enjoy the market.
Boutique Acapella also offers an extensive drinks menu, including an exclusive collection of exceptional teas grown in the heart of the Roussillon region of Occitanie, using an innovative and sustainable organic farming model. Meanwhile, the central bar serves an average of 3,000 pints of beer a day, thanks to an installation of twelve 1,000-litre tanks supplying locally brewed beer, in partnership with Toulouse-based brewery BBT.
https://halles-cartoucherie.fr/
The Chocolatine Débat
The naming of France’s famous chocolate-filled pastry has steadfastly become an argument that has divided a nation. Known as one of the eternal debates within the French culinary world, Toulouse is one of the many regions in the southwest that call what others may call pain au chocolat, a chocolatine.
Visitors ordering a pain au chocolat rather than a chocolatine will be met with a disgruntled look in this city, who prides itself on its award-winning Toulousian pastries, but the pastry will still no doubt be delicious. The bakery Maison Beauhaire, found in Marché Victor Hugo, traditional cooking methods earned itself the prize for ‘Best Chocolatine in France’ in 2020.
Both the chocolatine and another beloved local speciality, the fénétra, can be tasted on a Toulouse Gourmet Tour. Guests can enjoy a food tasting experience led by a former chef, while learning about the city’s rich culinary and cultural heritage.
Domaine de Candie: A culinary Château
The ultimate destination combining heritage and gastronomy is undoubtedly the Domaine de Candie. As the largest municipally owned farm in France, the estate has been farming organically since 2014 whose history spans more than 800 years Set across 12 hectares of organic vines and sweeping wooded parkland, this property boasts a grand 18th-century manor house alongside a 13th-century château, recognised as a Historic Monument since 2001.
Now open to the public, the estate offers guided tours, hosts events throughout the year, including festivities during the wine harvesting season, and a traditional open-air guinguette that welcomes visitors throughout the summer months. Blending agricultural heritage, wine production and rural charm just minutes from the city centre, Domaine de Candie provides a unique glimpse into another side of Toulouse’s culinary identity.
: https://www.toulouse-tourisme.com/en/commerce/domaine-de-candie/
Stay in Style
On the banks of the Garonne River in Toulouse lies Maison Soclo, the only hotel in Toulouse awarded with a Michelin Key hotel. This four-stay luxury boutique hotel has its own private pool, bathing in all-day sunlight, and is a taste of the relaxed southern French coast in the very heart of this vibrant city.
Its proximity to central Toulouse and its oasis-style back garden, complete with a lapping pool and lush gardens, make it a secluded, quiet haven with the city’s top attractions on its doorstep.
A one-night stay at Maison Soclo is from £123, based on two adults sharing a classic double room. https://www.soclo.fr/en/
Getting there
Travelling to Toulouse is easy with a flight-free journey. Toulouse is accessible via a Eurostar service to Paris, followed by a high-speed TGV connection to Toulouse. A one-way journey from London to Toulouse with Eurostar and TGV start from £80pp. To book: https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en & https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en
Return flights with Ryanair from London Stansted start at £44pp, based on travel in July. https://www.ryanair.com Direct flight connections are also provided to Toulouse from Birmingham, Bristol, London, Manchester, Edinburgh.