Toulouse guide: what to see, where to eat and where to go out
The places we send our friends to: restaurants, cafés, shops, day trips and practical tips, recommended by the Free Tour Toulouse guides who live in the city.
Restaurants
Santine
A classic restaurant in the centre of Toulouse, situated next to the Place de la Daurade. Its traditional French cuisine stands out for its quality and for being a family-run business serving home-cooked food.
If I were only in Toulouse for a day, this is where I’d come to eat to enjoy some French food.
Opening hours
Open every lunchtime from 12:00 to 15:00. Dinner service from Tuesday to Saturday from 19:00 to 22:30.
Price range
Approximately €20 to €35 per person. Very good value for money for the area.
Google Maps link
Victor Hugo Market
Toulouse’s most famous food market and one of the best places to discover the city’s cuisine.
You’ll find stalls selling cheese, cured meats, oysters, foie gras, wines and top-quality fresh produce, as well as small restaurants and bars that are very popular with locals.
It’s common to buy food inside and eat at the tables around the market. You may need to book in advance to secure a table.
Opening hours
Open Tuesday to Sunday, generally from 07:00 to 14:00. Some restaurants on the upper floor also open at lunchtime.
Price range
Free entry. Meals and tastings cost approximately €10 to €35 per person.
Google Maps link
Bistrot Galien
Contemporary French cuisine based on fresh, seasonal produce. An elegant yet approachable dining experience, with dishes that change frequently depending on market availability. Highly recommended if you’re looking for high-quality cuisine in a refined yet unpretentious setting.
Opening hours
Monday to Friday from 12:00 to 14:00 and from 19:30 to 21:30. Closed on Saturdays and Sundays.
Price range
Approximately €25 to €45 per person. Good value for money.
Google Maps link
Pastel et Sarrasin
-SUITABLE FOR COELIACS-
The best crêperie in Toulouse; it’s more expensive than others but still offers very good value for money compared to other types of restaurant.
The venue is fabulous, the service is 10/10, the Breton cider is amazing – it’s always served in a mug – and the galettes are brilliant, whether sweet or savoury.
Opening hours
Open every day from 12:00 to 14:00 and from 19:00 to 21:30/22:30 depending on the day.
Price range
Approximately €15 to €25 per person.
Google Maps link
See all: Restaurants (10) →
First time in Toulouse? Start with a free walking tour of the historic centre with a local guide.
See dates & bookWhat to see
Aeroscopia Aviation Museum
A must-visit museum for aviation and aeronautical history enthusiasts. It houses an impressive collection of historic aircraft, including iconic models such as the Concorde, A400M and Super Guppy.
How to get there
By public transport, it’s 1 hour from Capitole: Metro → Arènes → Tram → Aéroconstellation.
TIP: All transfers are included in the ticket price (€1.80).
20 minutes by car.
Price
€16 standard admission.
Google Maps link
Cité de l'espace
A theme park and museum dedicated to space and space exploration, one of the most visited attractions in Toulouse. It offers visitors the chance to see replicas of rockets, space stations and satellites, as well as interactive exhibitions, simulators and activities for all ages. A highly recommended visit for families as well as science and astronomy enthusiasts.
Opening hours
Open every day with opening times varying by season, generally from 10.00 to 18.00 or 19.00.
Prices
General admission around €29 per person.
How to get there
Take the L8 bus from Jean-Jaurès to Sicard Alaman (approx. 48 minutes).
By car: about 20 minutes from the city centre.
Google Maps link
Donjon du Capitole
A historic monument situated behind the Capitole in Toulouse, right in the city centre. It is a 16th-century tower originally built to house the city’s archives and gunpowder, and today serves as the tourist information centre. It is one of the oldest surviving buildings in the Capitole complex.
Opening hours
Access varies depending on activities and the season, as the building forms part of the Capitole complex and is not always open for independent visits.
Price range
Free admission (when open to the public).
Google Maps link
Jardin Japonais Pierre Baudis
A Japanese garden situated in the Compans-Caffarelli neighbourhood, considered one of the most peaceful and beautiful green spaces in Toulouse. Inspired by traditional Kyoto gardens, it features a red bridge, a pond, a tea house and bamboo groves that create a very relaxing atmosphere. Perfect for a stroll, a rest or to switch off from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Opening hours
Open every day, with opening hours varying depending on the time of year, generally from morning until dusk.
Price range
Free entry.
Google Maps link
See all: What to see (6) →
Cafés & pastries
Pâtisserie Conté
The best patisserie in the city – a feast for the senses.
The traditional sweet speciality of Toulouse is the fénétra, although hardly anyone remembers it these days.
Opening hours
Open Tuesday to Saturday from 07:45 to 19:30. Sundays from 08:00 to 13:00. Closed on Mondays.
Price range
Approximately between €5 and €20 per person, depending on what you order.
Google Maps link
Poussin Bleu
A historic patisserie in Toulouse, well known for its macarons and traditional sweets. If you enjoy trying local specialities, here you can also find an excellent fénétra and other cakes typical of the city.
Opening hours
Open Tuesday to Saturday from 08:00 to 19:00. Sundays from 08:00 to 12:30. On Mondays, it is open from approximately 10:00 to 19:00.
Google Maps link
Tinto - café d'altitude
The best café in Toulouse. A quiet, pleasant spot with great value coffee. Perfect for bringing a book or your laptop and spending the afternoon there.
Opening hours
Open Tuesday to Friday from 08:00 to 20:00, Saturday from 09:00 to 19:00. Closed on Sundays and Mondays.
Google Maps link
Flower's Café
A very popular tea room and café in Toulouse, known for its homemade cakes, pastries and cosy atmosphere. It’s the ideal spot for a quiet break, a coffee or a sweet treat right in the city centre. One thing worth noting is that it has become a city tradition to visit this spot for its famous hot chocolate when winter arrives.
Opening hours
Open every day from approximately 10.00 to 20.00. Sundays from 14.00 to 20.00.
Google Maps link
Special shops
The Goat’s Creamery / la crèmerie des biquettes
An artisan cheese shop in Toulouse specialising in high-quality cheeses. They put together some amazing cheese platters at very reasonable prices.
Opening hours
Open Tuesday to Friday from 08:30 to 14:00 and from 15:30 to 19:30. Saturdays from 08:30 to 19:30. Closed on Sundays and Mondays.
Google Maps link
TRAIT papier
A gourmet stationery shop, one of the prettiest in Toulouse. Very expensive, but perfect for lovers of notebooks, fine paper, writing materials, inks and fountain pens…
Opening hours
Generally open from Monday to Saturday throughout the day. Closed on Sundays.
Google Maps link
Near Toulouse
Carcassonne
One of France’s most visited cities, Carcassonne is famous for its walls, which take us back to the era of the Cathars, the Crusades and the castles.
You can get there from Toulouse by road or train in about an hour. I recommend buying your tickets in advance from SNCF or Trainline, as that’s where you’ll find the cheapest fares.
Opening hours
24 hours
Price
Between €13 and €19 for the castle
Google Maps link
Transport
How does public transport work?
The public transport system is fully integrated; a metro ticket is valid for the metro, bus, tram and cable car.
Once a journey has been started, passengers can make as many changes as they need without using up any further journeys, provided they do so within a 75-minute window.
Example: someone travelling from the city centre to the airport can buy a single journey (€1.80) and take the metro from Capitole to Arènes. Get off the metro and board the tram using the same ticket to Guyenne Berry, then get off and take bus 31 from Guyenne Berry to the airport.
All included in the same €1.80 journey.
Park & Ride (P+R) in Toulouse
Park-and-ride facilities, such as Balma-Gramont, Basso Cambo, Ramonville and Borderouge, are the perfect solution for getting around the city hassle-free.
How do you get the free fare?
• Park your vehicle at one of the stations connected to the network.
• Travel by metro, tram or cable car, validating your ticket (or card) as usual.
• Validate your exit: Parking will be completely free provided you have made a journey on the Tisséo network within the hour before collecting your car.
• Strategic locations: As well as the line terminals, there are spaces available at key locations such as Arènes, Argoulets and Oncopole.
It’s the ideal option for saving money on private car parks and avoiding traffic jams in the centre of Toulouse, whilst making the most of the direct connection to public transport.
Nightlife
Heads up!
The nightlife in Toulouse gets going earlier than in Spain, at around 9.00 pm, and by 2.00 am everything’s closed. Don’t expect to find any places in this city that stay open until 5.00 am.
Sauvage Social Pub
A very popular bar right in the centre of Toulouse, ideal for a night-time drink in a lively atmosphere. It has tasteful décor, games and sports broadcasts, and is usually quite busy – especially for groups.
Opening hours
Generally open Monday to Saturday from 6.00 pm until 2.00 am, and until 3.00 am on Saturdays.
Price range
Approximately between €10 and €20 per person, depending on drinks consumed.
Google Maps link
Borriquito Loco
A lively tapas bar right in the heart of Toulouse, known for its lively atmosphere, music, cocktails and dinners that often go on late into the night. It’s a very popular spot for groups, with a casual, party-like atmosphere where the plan is usually to have dinner and then stay on for a drink.
Opening hours
Generally open Monday to Saturday from the late afternoon until the early hours (approx. 8.00 pm to 2.00 am/3.00 am depending on the day).
Price range
Approximately €20 to €35 per person.
Google Maps link
Bear's House
A lively bar and restaurant, known for its wide selection of craft beers, its cocktails and its very pleasant atmosphere. It’s the perfect place to go out with friends; there are often events, live music and a very lively atmosphere in the evenings.
Opening hours
Generally open every day from the afternoon until late at night (approx. 17:00 to 02:00/03:00 depending on the day).
Price range
Approximately €10 to €25 per person, depending on what you order.
Google Maps link
See all: Nightlife (6) →
Spanish exile sites
Prisión de Saint-Michel
It was a prison used to imprison and torture political dissidents during the Second World War, including Spaniards who were part of the Resistance. One notable case is that of the anarcho-syndicalist Francisco Ponzán Vidal, who was shot the day before the liberation of Toulouse.
Google Maps link
Rue Gambetta nº 7
This was the site of the Hôtel Paris, a place used by the Resistance as a base of operations and where the PSOE, meeting there in 1947, decided to step down from the government of the republic in exile that it led, in order to negotiate with the monarchists.
Google Maps link
Rue Pargaminières nº69
Two historic congresses of the PSOE in exile were held in this vast hall, in 1946 and 1948.
Google Maps link
Rue Valade nº 30 bis
The UGT organised its 11th congress here, at which Nicolás Redondo was appointed as the union’s new leader. Several congresses of the Spanish Socialist Youth (JSE) were also held here.
Google Maps link
See all: Spanish exile sites (13) →
First time in Toulouse? Start with a free walking tour of the historic centre with a local guide.
See dates & book