restaurant list
Discover our favourite restaurants. We call it the Soupex list.
Classification has been done based on my personal taste and ... the content of my wallet!
I did my very best to try as many restaurants as possible. Fortunately there are still some to discover.
And I firmly count on our visitors to share their reviews with me.
We try to keep this list up to date but:
Always remember that in this area all shops and restaurants handle their own (sometimes seemingly irrational) closing days and times, the best is :
-
to phone in advance or
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b. keep plan b. ready
Anyway we are always happy to check or make the reservation for you!
You will find the complete list below on this page.
Sincerely yours,
Nathalie
RESTAURANTS
‘The Soupex list’
Around Soupex in the villages
Labastide d'Anjou, or more specifically the little hamlets of Le Ségala and Montferrand seem to develop as my favourite dining area. All 4 restaurants have their own style and I like them best in the region.
I would call it a 'l'étape gourmande obligatoire' and we are so lucky to have them around. Please check without limit.
Le Relais de Riquet Le Ségala - 11320 Labastide d'Anjou
Tél. : 04.68.60.16.87 - www.restaurant-relais-riquet.fr
Open every day for lunch and dinner, closed on Sunday & Tuesday evening and Monday the whole day.
! without doubt!! and again: our number 1 in the area.
Riquet has a more than decent lunch menu (13 euros) and offers even finer gourmet dishes à la carte. Basic products are well chosen, quality/price balance is fair, and the service warm hearted.
Best of it all: do not forget to check local wines. Le patron Pascal can advise you some, if you wish, even in charming English. Pascal is a known sommelier, and has a nice choice of local bottles that go from simple and tasteful to fine. Takeaway wines as well, again do not hesitate to prolong the pleasure at home!
Pascal's wife Hélène does her job in the kitchen and coordinates. You will find both traditional and sometimes surprisingly innovative combinations in your plate, she likes to keep it honest. This little restaurant gets my personal du MOMENT award for its unpretentious quality food, for its simple but tasteful dishes, its fantastic wine choices and its tranquil' alongside-the-canal-du-Midi-terrace.
You can have your meal inside though where cosiness rules but where I still can't keep my hands from itching and start working on the decoration. But...well...I did say unpretentious. Yes. I did.
Keep up the vibe Hélène and Pascal!
Le Pas de Naurouze - 80, rte de Ségala- 11320 Montferrand
tél: 04 68 23 31 15 - www.restaurantnaurouze.com/
In July & August also open on Sunday evenings. Through the year closed for Sunday dinner and Monday lunch and dinner.
Really, we where über happy when this star team took over the little snack bar in Montferrand! Still cannot make up my mind if they are not my number 1....so let's keep them on the 1b spot of my list for the moment. Whereas most of the restaurants in the area often do copious but even so often missing-the-point straight ahead meat dishes, you can expect here honesty and still adventure on your nice looking plate.
Starters remain my favourites and so are the desserts, but that might be in general my opinion....They change the menu every 6 weeks.
Here you can go for a fish dish or a vegetable combination without danger and with a little luck it can be simply delicious. Their famous gazpacho for example is made by home grown tomatoes picked in the garden just beside the restaurant.
I do not want to say to much, but if you are a gourmand, try this, and if you are not, it might open your horizon.... For me quality and price are in balance, and if you go for the slightly more expensive menu you will not be disappointed.
Hostellerie Etienne - RN 113 - (inside the village)- 11320 Labastide d'Anjou tél: 04 68 60 10 08 - www.hostellerieetienne.com
Closed for Sunday dinner and Monday lunch and dinner.
Is my number 3 because it is a local, traditional style family restaurant.
And my neighbours favourite since decades. No one can compete with tradition....specially since they still meet today the standards they supposedly set back in the 40ties. Proposing one of the most famous cassoulets in the area they also do simple but good meat dishes (PP loves the red meat, 'bleue' and tender which comes in pretty good portions). Served with dark blue red Corbières house wine and old-fashioned decent service. Inside squeaky clean and very light, outside a large terrace in a shaded park with comfortable chairs. No-nonsense straight ahead cooking. What else do you need?
After or before your meal at Le Relais de Riquet or Sparks or Le Pas de Naurouze you can check the Seuil de Naurouze area: spot where the wind and the water of the Mediterranean sea and the Atlantic ocean are said to meet. Not far the little canal called the Rigole falls into the canal de Midi. Little brave Rigole brings water from the St Ferréol lake, the Bassin de Lampy and Lac des Cammazes and it is a great biking spot that needs slightly more sportively than the Canal itself.
Biking or not: you might like to visit this ingenious system of ponds and locks invented by Pierre-Paul Riquet in the 17th century.
But nevertheless there is a bike hire near the pottery at the Seuil de Naurouze, just facing the Pas de Naurouze restaurant.
Le Relais de l'Enclas - Lac de l'Enclas - 31540 Saint Félix Lauragais, tél: 05 61 46 23 11
Open Thursday till Saturday for lunch and dinner, Sunday lunch only. Mon,Tue,Wed closed.
Specially because of its spot beside the lake and super friendly owners. Bistro kind of dishes. They do a tapas style formula and restaurant, meat and fish orientated. They have a fantastic terrace and if you have children, they can go out and play while you continue to after dinner bubble.
In the weekends dj's and musicians, good ambiance.
L' Estanquet - Ecluse de Gardouch - 31290 Gardouch, tél: 09 52 89 38 73
Open every day except on Tuesdays.
Yes ! Another winner. Slightly more away (near Villefranche du Lauragais) but worth it. Vintage style bistro, local dishes. Nice terrace overlooking a bridge and the Canal du Midi. Trendy Toulouse style sometimes they have live music. Good local wines.
Auberge la Calèche - 04 68 60 40 13, Peyrens - 11400 Castelnaudary
Closed Tuesday evening and Wednesday whole day.
One of the cassoulet spots of the area. Traditional food in a rustic setting. But only inside eating.
Saint Felix Lauragais (anyhow worth a visit: check the view and walk into the old church).
1.The restaurant hotel on village square left: la Cocagne, serves great salad platters for lunch. Sometimes in high season they do evening dinners as well.
2.The other lunch restaurant Sybilla on the right, has a hippy atmosphere and Gérard cooks with bio and local products. Sybilla is a clothes designer from Berlin, yes you might be able to find some stuff at her little boutique as well, do not hesitate to shuffle around she also does second hand clothings.
Here you can eat your Revel market pick-nick on Saturdays.
In summer Sybilla does lazy jazz Sunday afternoons with live music and pretty good musicians.
Auberge du Poids Public - 05 62 18 85 00 Saint Felix Lauragais.
Outside covered terrace with panoramic views, perfectly clean white napkins style inside.
Service is a little stiff. Not cheap, but excellent food and a fine choice of wine.
If you want a treat, this could be your choice. Open every day.
Castelnaudary
Known for its cassoulet and it's canal du Midi there are a couple of restaurants to check and I tend to avoid a couple of places such as the Cassoulet Gourmand (on the harbour and the Cours de la République) and a Pizza take away facing café de l'Industrie. The Hotel de France adds a discussable hygiene, a mediocre setting to mediocre food and prices that might turn out better for them than for you.
Much better values are available such as:
Restaurant chez David - 04 68 94 86 92., 49, rue Général Dejean - 11400 Castelnaudary
Open for lunch and dinner from Tuesday till Saturday -
Our Castelnaudary number one and the best spot for fish and off the beaten track dishes. Most restaurants in Castelnaudary do, of course, the local cassoulet. He does one as well, he even went to the US representing the cassoulet in person, but also offers fresh salads and other good stuff. He has a little terrace on a small road, that needs a reservation. An overall funky atmosphere but it has to be said that David is a real good cook.
Le Moulin Vert - 04 68 60 08 58, RD 6113 - Km1 Route de Toulouse - 11400 Castelnaudary
Open for lunch from Monday till Friday. For dinner Wednesday till Saturday.
Meat lovers: do not even think about skipping this place!
Situated a little outside of Castelnaudary alongside the route nationale 1113 in direction Labastide d'Anjou.
In one of those pastel windmills that made Castelnaudary's former fame the restaurant has an open kitchen with enormous grill and you can see the Chef chopping and grilling meat while you eat.
What can I say about the menu? Apart from the obligatory cassoulet that you can eat anywhere else, the menu is mainly based on.......meat. Delicious tournedos, or grill platter for 2 that could easily feed you the rest of the week.
The meat of excellent quality can be grilled in every way you want it. Be careful to discuss well your favourite cuisson for the red meat, they tend to have their own ideas about that which are mostly near to raw.
Plates are served with a basic and very tasty gratin or fries and some veggies. Not the cheapest.They have a tiny but neat terrace outside.
Le Petit Gazouilli - 04 68 23 08 18, 5, rue de L'Arcade - 11400 Castelnaudary
For local food such as foie gras and cassoulet one of the best quality/price balanced according to us. Inconvenience: they only serve inside. Very simple menu but tasty.
Restaurant Le Four - 04 68 94 89 33, 40, chemin de Saint Martin, 11400 Castelnaudary
Closed on Sunday evening, Monday evening and Tuesday evening.
As you leave Castelnaudary in direction Carcassonne (Route Nationale) at the last round about on the left. It is actually pretty nice. Very clean and modern interior, little outside terrace in summers, professional service. Again the cassoulet, but then they also offer a tasty menu and kind of slightly original style way of cooking. They change the menu often enough to keep it fresh. Little bit of the beaten track and certainly worth testing.
Hotel restaurant Du Centre et du Lauragais - 04 68 23 25 95, 31, Cours de la République - 11400 Castelnaudary
Chique.. white table linen. Good value. Good cassoulet, good local food and wine. Decent. Small terrace outside.
Entre Terre et Mer -04 68 23 86 54, 39, rue Prosper Estieu - 11400 Castelnaudary
(near the little harbour on the Canal du Midi).
This sympathetic restaurant opened recently and seems to be getting along pretty well. Probably because they like to treat their customers by serving them generous portions. Or is it the fact that the waitress is always smiling? Anyway, you can have both here, and on top a great Marseille style fish soupe for instance that is part of my personal favourites. Terre & mer = surf and turf. Typical rural styled decoration, not always easy acoustics, you will sit on those huge chairs where once in, one has to pull you out with force. Specially if you insist on finishing your meal with the café Gourmand.... In summers they promised us a little terrace on the boulevard. It is situated 2 min walking from the harbour and offers generally a better quality than the restaurants there.
Restaurant la Belle Epoque - 04 68 23 39 72 in Castelnaudary (open on Sunday evening!) is David's neighbour. A bit more traditional. Cassoulet. Inside the restaurant has nice red furniture. Outside a few tables.
For a late breakfast or lunch
Pains & Passions - 04 68 60 56 63, 29, av François Mitterand - 11400 Castelnaudary
They do the best sandwiches in the area and have good salads and pastries.
They serve on their terrace with a large view on the canal du midi. Lovely spot! Open 7/7 and without stop from 6h30 till 21h.
Restaurant la Chaloupe - 04 68 94 87 44, 21, Quai du Port - 11400 Castelnaudary
Nice spot: the Grand Bassin port of Castelnaudary with a tiny but comfortable terrace. Good choice of fish. Nice quality food but service a bit chilly.
Pizzeria du Port - 06 88 49 23 21, Quai du Port - 11400 Castelnaudary
Open on Sundays!
To be honest not the best pizza's in town (because that is Pizzeria l'Ecluse) but they are decent and it is one of the best spots... what other nice can I say; friendly people. Not expensive. They do big salads and crepes as well.
They also handle the boat in front where you can have barbecued meat and salads. And rent boats !
Relais des Cheminières - 04 68 23 15 34, RD 6113 - Route de Carcassonne - 11400 Castelnaudary
Mostly open for lunch only. Old fashioned Routier restaurant, best value in it's genre in town.
Traditional, lots of food for you money and wine included, quick service, cheap and simple.
Take away food
Think of ordering in advance and coordinate a time with the pizza store. You can ask us to assist you, we have the menu.
Pizza Roberto - 31, rue du 11 Novembre - 11400 Castelnaudary, 06 18 30 18 23
Open every day from 18h
L'Istanbul - 28, Grand' rue - 11400 Castelnaudary
Kebab sandwiches the Turkish way.
Pizzeria l' Ecluse - 238, avenue des Pyrenées - 11400 Castelnaudary, 04 68 94 10 76
Used to be the best takeaway pizza's (wood oven ! fresh tomatoes ! mozzarella!) in town. But I have not been there in quit some time. This is how it works: you phone in advance, they schedule your pizza's, you pick them up and eat them at the Canal du Midi in the shade of the plane trees, watching the activity from boats passing by. If you order 4 pizza's you will get number 5 for free.
Revel
If you do not want to plan your restaurant too much, you prefer to go to Revel and choose on the spot.
Please avoid Sunday evenings to do this. Most French eat a big lunch on Sunday's and many restaurants are closed the rest of the day. There are some open, but please check with us, we can advise you and do your reservation.
L'entre Vins - 56 rue de Dreuilhe - 31250 Revel: 05 34 43 32 75
Open for lunch and dinner from Wednesday- Saturday included.
A fantastic wine store and a very very nice tapas place with a couple of tables outside that is very recommandable specially for its choice of wine.
Sucre & Sel, 05 62 18 90 31, 14, rue de Vaure, 31250 Revel
In the middle of the centre, Revel's nicest streets.
This is a crêperie, but they do not serve one crêpe that we already seen before. Originals!! Just taste those without delay, because they are truly delicious. Very friendly served as well.
Only small inconvenience: You eat inside and they are closed on Sunday eve and Thursday eve.
But if you like adventurous food: do not miss this little treat.
Les Maziès, Route de Castres, 31250 Revel: 05 61 24 04 38
Just outside Revel on the road to Castres, a nice old mansion, husband serves and his wife is doing a good job in the kitchen. Nice choice of national wines while other restaurants do mostly local wines.
In winter they light a fire in the restaurant. In summer you can eat outside. Good food, local delicacies with a twist. A little more expensive than the rural restaurants but with a better choice and quality.
For lunch only
Café du Commerce- Revel (when you enter the city at the first roundabout). Every day a lunch menu except Saturdays and Sundays. They do a very good faux-filet.
Café du Commerce also has a nice bar to have apéro in the evening in-or outside and watch the rugby games.
Hotel Restaurant du Midi - 05 61 83 50 50, 34 Boulevard Gambetta, 31250 Revel
Is classified as 'restaurant gastronomique'. It means more choice and good, mostly home made dishes and a little more expensive then the simple restaurants. This is a classical old style French restaurant with decent service and quality food in a rustic setting. We recommend the surprise menu! Many dishes follow up, some of them really surprising.
Restaurant le Pavillon de Jade - 05 34 43 42 30, 42, avenue de Castelnaudary, 31250 Revel
Eat-as-much-as-you-can Vietnamese. Not bad at all. But talking Asian style we really prefer:
Restaurant An Nam - 05 61 83 70 32, 46, Bd de la République, 31250 Revel
Good service, excellent Thai and Vietnamese food. Not expensive. Do we need more?
Open from Monday evening till Saturday evening included. If you want to take away they reduce the VAT up from 20e.
le Rosier d'Antan (05 61 27 67 82)
Is an ok Brasserie. The cook does it's best and prices are a little higher but it has a great terrace on the beautiful Revel main square that overlooks the old market. Not open on Sundays.
Yankee Grill, - 05 62 18 04 44, 1, Place Henri Laurent, 31250 Revel
One of the few places to serve on a Sunday evening. Unfortunately there is no terrace, but cosy interior.
Decent French style American hamburgers and Mexican dishes in a country setting. Friendly service, decent prices.
Le Grillon, 05 61 27 65 27, Route de Castelnaudary, 31540 Saint Felix Lauragais (but more close to Revel).
Routier, must be one of the cheapest restaurants in the area. Food not the best but sooo cheap what can you say?
Pizzeria La Toscane - 05 61 83 79 78, 24, Bd Gambetta - 31250 Revel
We honestly think there are more places in France where you can buy pizza as there are in Italy. But this is one of the few we can recommend. They are also open on Sunday evenings, that helps :) but do a fair deal in pizza land even if they serve other, decent food for a reasonable price. Closed on Monday whole day and Saturday/Sunday lunch. Eating inside only.
Pizzeria Delizioso - 40, Avenue de Castelnaudary - 31250 Revel 05 61 83 49 38 Open?
Order and schedule your take away by phone in advance, or for lunch you can eat inside, for me the best pizza in Revel, cooked in a wood oven. Large portions, fresh ingredients.
For late lunch in Revel
Pretty basic, but....hey... you might be hungry? Nice people and a few tables outside:
Plaisir de pâtes - 41, rue du Temple, 31250 Revel - 05 62 80 75 53
They do pasta boxes (a little dry), pretty good priced small salads and paninis.
Saint Ferréol, is a pretty lake with sand beach a little higher as Revel.
Take a stroll around the lake before, or even better, after dinner.
In summer a good place to relax and chill because the temperature gets down a little.
Le Café du Lac 05 62 18 93 37, Lac de Saint Ferréol - 31250
In season open every day, off season check. Traditional dishes. Best spot because of its lake view terrace.
Inside a fireplace if it gets chillier.
Côté Jardin - 9,av de la Plage - 31 Saint Ferréol 05 61 27 64 10
A simple restaurant, good value. If you have children there are some outside toys. And they do pizza and crêpes but also a decent menu. Nice terrace outside with trees and shade.
Random everywhere restaurants I liked
Cuq Toulza
Cuq en Terrasse: 81470 Cuq Toulza 05 63 82 54 00
Generally open every evening for dinner except for Wednesdays, closed in the winter. Phone before.
If you like to do yourself a favour, this could be the place. It is a B&B but they rund On the terrace or in the conservatory overlooking the countryside, Philippe & Andonis happily greet you every evening (except Wednesdays). Upon reservation, they propose a single menu, full of flavours. This gourmet menu that changes every day includes tapas, starter, main course, cheese plate and dessert for 38 euros. An extensive and very good value wine list is also available and Philippe will be happy to guide you towards the best…
Toulouse
Chez Navarre (table d'hôtes) 49, Grande rue Nazareth - 31000 Toulouse - tél: 05 62 26 43 06
Open from Monday till Friday for lunch and dinner.
As in the name; table d'hôte style. A fresh buffet and large tables where people mix up and enjoy the great home cook style food in a Bodega kind of place. The desserts could be made by grandma are 'à tomber par terre' if you ask me: to fall on the ground...which says it all right?. For those who are generally hungry because it is 'as-much-as-you-can-eat' or for those who like quality food, or nice wines, or or or...
Highly recommendable!
Café Authié - 25, place Dupuy - 31000 Toulouse - tél: 05 61 62 51 31
Open from Tuesday till Friday from 8h-1h, Saturday for lunch and dinner till 2H. Mondays lunch only.
On this list because it is such a cute restaurant, 1900 Art Nouveau style like I love them. Could be in Paris. Food is great as well.
Brasserie des Beaux- Arts
Mirepoix
Restaurant le Grain de Sel - 17, rue de Vigarozy - 09500 Mirepoix, tél: 05 61 68 30 71
Closed on Tuesday. Open in july/August for dinner on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
When I visit the famous Monday or Thursday market in Mirepoix, I go to this little restaurant, run by 2 ladies, one in the kitchen one at the service. It is situated slightly remote from the central square where it all happens in a medieval house. Dishes are home made, including the desserts and cooked with fresh ingredients. Traditionnal french style cooking.
Narbonne
Chez Bebelle - Halle de Narbonne - 1 Boulevard Docteur Ferroul - 11100 Narbonne, Tél: 06 85 40 09 01
Open Tuesday - Saturday evening, on Sunday they only serve drinks and tapas, closed on Monday.
A local institution, worth a detour to Narbonne around lunch or dinner time. Inside the food market from Narbonne (that alone is worth a visit for food lovers). Created by a dad and son rugby champ, family restaurant 'Bebelle' offers quit a spectacle. They serve huge red meat dishes. You order, they shout the order to the butcher on the other side of the alley, he cuts the meat on the spot, wraps it in a piece of paper and throws it to the waiter who gives it to the cook. The result: succulent meat, served with salad and the real french fries. You can have fresh 'beef tatare' that is chopped in front of you with a knife by the waitress. If you do not believe me check youtube or the website for movies: www.chez-bebelle.fr
Leucate
Chez Biquet, Le 13-à-la-12zaine - Centre Ostréicole - Mas nr 4 - Rive Gauche - 11370 Leucate - tél 04 68 70 41 57
summers only. Fashionable interior and good music, between Port Leucate and Leucate plage.
Open during the day. This is quit a spot as well. What happens is that you eat oysters and drink local white Muscat sec wine at one of the 12 oyster producers. Right there where they harvest them. Fresher than this you cannot go. They open them right in front of you. Something to do once in your life. This is only one of the places, I listed it because they have tiny terrace outside on the canal on the back side of the shop.
Cailhau
A'Kotee - 38, rue de la Malepère - 11240 Cailhau. Tél: 04 68 69 31 07 www.akotee.fr
Open for lunch and dinner from Wednesday until Saturday included. Open on Sundays in the summer. Check before.
Tip of our clients! Have not been there yet, but several people recommended it so I listed it.
Castres
Le Pescadou - 18/20 rue des Trois Rois - 81100 Castres, tél: 05 63 72 32 22 or 06 42 17 78 75
Open from Tuesday till Saturday
At last ! A fish restaurant on my list. You have to go to Castres... but if you are there anyways... Looks like a store, you cross it and eat at the back (best spot) or on the first floor (you will have to deal with it). They do excellent fish dishes old fashioned french style. Authentic!