The 11 Best Brunches in Toulouse
Dining out is part and parcel when visiting France. Rosy-cheeked Toulouse quite impressively has the fourth largest population in France (and we’re catching up to Lyon at #3 very quickly!), so this means it has the restaurant range to cater to us all. While we may want to indulge in the Toulousain classics of cassoulet and sausage, sometimes we want that comforting taste of home and to eat a meal that is recognizable everywhere in the world. And that meal is, of course, brunch.
For at least a decade, brunch has been an international phenomenon. No get-together is complete without avocado toast and poached eggs in tow. The brunch sensation has reached such a peak that even the French do it, and we all know how long it takes for them to acknowledge international food trends!
Here in France it is pronounced “bronch” and faced an uphill battle from the get-go. Pancakes with eggs sunny-side up are not a typical French breakfast – in fact, if they eat breakfast at all, the meal may simply consist of a tartine (baguette with Nutella or jam) or a croissant – or in Toulouse, a “chocolatine.” Therefore, the French brunch may look a little different to what you’re used to. Continue reading to discover the best brunches in Toulouse, and be sure to explore our food tours in Toulouse before you go.
What is French brunch?
Breakfast in France is traditionally light – pastries, tartines, or cereal. As a consequence, the generous-portioned brunch is viewed as an American import and has been adapted to suit the French palate and customs.
Here, brunch comes in three different styles: à la carte – a typical menu where you choose one or two dishes – buffet-style, or a set menu (also known as a “formule”).
Buffet-style speaks for itself, however, the French brunch formule is unique. In France, you will come across the restaurant “formula” for lunch and dinner – an affordable, set-priced limited menu of two or three courses, alongside the usual à la carte options. This is typical around the country, as it is a great way to save money – for both the customer and the restaurant.
When it comes to brunch, the French have taken the concept of the formule and repackaged it for this breakfast-lunch hybrid, offering you both the sweet and savory options in one meal. From a limited menu, you can choose both a sweet and a savory dish, as well as a cold and hot drink, for a set price. This menu is often implemented at the weekend to help streamline the kitchen output on busy days.
These various brunch styles have resulted in a mélange of foods appearing on café menus. While you will often find sweet and savory pancakes, there will also be sandwiches, burgers, salads, and hot dogs. In doing so, the French brunch caters to everyone and, in some establishments, can be eaten all day long.
The brunches in Toulouse are incredibly varied – from superfood granola to chicken and waffles with maple syrup – so we have compiled a list of our favorites for you, so you can find that perfect brunch pick-me-up while visiting la ville rose!
Betsy
To start with a bang, we have the new recruit to the Toulouse brunch scene: Betsy. Adorned with a trellis of flowers, Betsy is a tiny brunch spot, but it’s not just the décor that makes it a perfect Instagram-worthy dining experience. It’s here where you will find the notorious fried chicken and waffles.
To stumble across such a classic taste of America in Toulouse is unexpected but incredibly welcome. The plate is heaving with not just the eponymous ingredients, but stacked with berries and salad – Betsy has taken that sweet-meets-savory combination to a new level. Jessica and I were bowled over by how delicious the dish was, which we soaked generously in maple syrup, and meanwhile sampled their toasted pastrami sandwich and the caramelized apple brioche. They also offer a brunch formule that’s served on a three-tier cake stand to resemble an English afternoon tea. So, go to Betsy for a French fusion that tastes as good as it looks.
Opening hours: Wednesday – Sunday: 11:00 – 19:00
Address: 8 Rue Baour Lormian, 31000 Toulouse
Le Natura
The core value of Le Natura is a love for the environment and a strong desire to protect what we have. Sourcing their produce from an Occitanie-based association, the philosophy of Le Natura is to support local organic agriculture and traceability. With fresh local ingredients, brunch promises to be of extremely high quality.
Sandwiches and savory pancakes with maple syrup start the brunch line up, as well as granola and a range of cakes. Visit on a Sunday for the brunch formule of multiple courses, all for 25 €, and during the week, take your laptop. The café’s quiet ambiance, and their Nutella-filled madeleines, are ideal conditions for getting some work done.
Opening hours: Sunday – Friday: 9:30/10:00 – 16:00/17:00
Address: 6 Rue Lascrosses, 31000 Toulouse
Trois Soeurs
The original Trois Soeurs café (set in the prettiest square in Toulouse) made a name for themselves in record time thanks to their pancake weekend brunches and truffle tartines. Last year they expanded, opening a six-days-a-week brunch restaurant in the city center. They clearly knew they were on to something good.
We have already got carried away about their coffee, so now we are here to implore you again to reserve a day of your vacation to eat brunch at Trois Soeurs. Here you will find both à la carte and formule menus (the latter including drinks). Choose between healthy and indulgent depending on your mood – avocado toast with fresh crudites or the stacks of pancakes, the monster-sized pain perdu, or the Monsieur Truffle – the iconic truffle cream croque monsieur.
10 Place Saintes-Scarbes: Brunch on Saturdays and Sundays: 10:30 – 16:00
34 Rue des Marchands: Tuesday – Sunday: 9:00 – 17:00
Les Fortes Têtes
For more enormous portions, head to Les Fortes Têtes for Sunday brunch. Their brunch formule is 24 €, for which you’re served a three-course meal including both sweet and savory options, so be warned, you’ll waddle home.
Starters include freshly squeezed orange juice and pancakes, served with your choice of toppings, which is then followed by eggs – benedict, royale or a vegetarian option – or there’s the “assiette US” with bacon, saucisse de Toulouse, scrambled eggs, all served with a heaped portion of fries and salad. And then there’s dessert. You probably won’t need to eat for the rest of the day.
Opening hours: Sunday – Friday: 11:30 – 13:30/14:00
Address: 4 Av. Honoré Serres, 31000 Toulouse
Soclo
One of the city’s most popular buffet brunches is at Soclo, Toulouse’s boutique townhouse hotel, that offers an infamous brunch every day of the week, with it morphing in an exclusive “all-you-can-eat” experience on Sundays.
Possibly the most expensive brunch on this list at 49 €, the Sunday brunch is a gourmet treat, and a worthwhile splurge on special occasions. Enjoy a buffet of dreams including build-your-own granola and pancake bars, selections of salads and cheeses, various styles of eggs, cold cuts, crudites, fresh fruit, and an enormous display of cakes. While sipping on coffee and cocktails, dine in Soclo’s sun-dappled courtyard, right in the center of the city.
Opening hours: Monday – Sunday: 12:00/12:30 – 14:00/15:00
Address: 34B Rue Valade, 31000 Toulouse
Baba Canteen
Naturally all the best brunch spots have queues wrapping around the block, and Baba Canteen is no exception – for good reason. The complete opposite of an actual canteen found in a college or high school, Baba Canteen celebrates the rustic with minimalist décor, simply a few tufty fronds of dried grasses (not counting the hay bale installation in the bathroom). That, and a key difference with real canteens is that the food is spectacular.
Baba Canteen specializes in creative Mediterranean cuisine to flaunt Toulouse’s incredible seasonal produce. Their menu staple is flatbread served with creamy labneh, and each menu iteration adds a new medley of flavors such as artichokes, grilled eggplant, tahini, and caper salsa. Everything is homemade, from the bread to the reconstituted granola, so if you’re looking for a wholesome start to your day, look no further.
Opening hours: Wednesday – Sunday: 8:30/10:00 – 15:00
Address: 26 Rue des Couteliers, 31000 Toulouse
La Belle Brune
Utterly dependable, La Belle Brune is a favorite, and not just because they are open on Mondays – a rare find in the hospitality sector – but because their brunch is consistently excellent. As a regular, I have descended on La Belle Brune numerous times, never tiring of the classic yet imaginative dishes of savory pancakes with eggs, cured ham, red pesto, and parmesan, or their breakfast hot dogs and burgers.
With a “salty” and “sweet” menu, La Belle Brune encourages diners to pick a team, or bat for both if hungry enough! Enjoy a hearty first course, then round it off with a cinnamon roll (or a stack of sweet pancakes) and another of their fantastic coffees.
Opening hours: Monday – Sunday: 8:30/10:00 – 16:00/18:00
Address: 31 Rue Pharaon, 31000 Toulouse
Clubbbbb
Self-described as a “fast-good restaurant,” Clubbbbb advocates for the healthier side of brunch with a focus on superfoods and high-protein meals to help diners stay active throughout the day. A refreshing find after the night before, the ironically named Clubbbbb promotes fresh and seasonal produce with their superfood smoothie bowls, cold-pressed juices, and low-gluten bread.
Then on Sundays, brunch is served buffet-style. Salads, sandwiches, pancakes, eggs, bacon, varieties of hummus, nuts, seeds, and fresh fruit and raw vegetables are available at the “all-you-can-eat” healthy buffet, with vegan-friendly options, for 30 € per person.
Opening hours: Wednesday – Sunday: 10:00/11:00 – 16:00/18:00
Address: 24 Rue du Taur, 31000 Toulouse
Blossom
As the name would suggest, Blossom is picture-perfect. Decorated with a halo of flowers and painted bubble-gum pink, this brunch café will turn your head as you walk past. And that’s not even considering the food. At Blossom, fluffy Japanese soufflé pancakes is the name of their game. Soufflé pancakes are iconic for their jiggly moussey center (made with whipped egg whites, they are like soft, airy pillows) and most importantly, their colossal proportions. The fluffy pancakes at Blossom are at least a couple of inches thick, so take your appetite, and be prepared for awed stares from passersby!
Light and creamy, the pancakes melt in the mouth, and are served with either peanut butter, banana, and caramel; chocolate; or pistachio and berries, and that’s not even including the savory selection. The French toast is also something to behold, the slices cut into brick-like slabs, woozily sagging under the weight of the sweet or savory toppings.
Opening hours: Tuesday – Sunday: 10:30/12:00 – 19:00
Address: 11 Rue des Trois Renards, 31000 Toulouse
Minnaya
Reservations are necessary for Minnaya, as its reputation for excellent service and plentiful portions has preceded itself. Here you will find that balance of sweet and savory items bundled together into two formule options offering multiple courses, however, the value for money is exceptional, particularly thanks to the generous portions!
Minnaya serves classic dishes with a twist. Come for the avocado on toast served with crushed nuts and goji berries, or the smoked salmon with a side of roasted potatoes and spicy mayo. Plus, of course there are pancakes, including a variety with fried eggs, feta and garlic, or traditional sweet sprinkled with chocolate soil. Best of all, bring your laptop as this café is a perfect spot for remote working as you gobble up your brunch.
Opening hours: Monday – Sunday: 10:00 – 18:00/19:00
Address: 32 Rue de la Colombette, 31000 Toulouse
Kopi
Founded by a habitual traveler, Kopi’s ethos – and its brunch – takes inspiration from world cuisine. Hosting Saturday brunch with a 19.50 € formule, you can sample global flavors without having to leave Toulouse! In this formule, you will be presented with hot and cold drinks, the house granola, a savory burger of omelet and cheese, and a portion of Kaiserschmarrn – an Austrian dish of fluffy pieces of pancake.
Alternatively, choose from the à la carte menu including the Massala eggs served with poppadoms or the heartily packed breakfast burrito, full of scrambled eggs, cheese, beans, and avocado. Vegan and vegetarian options are available, along with their excellent coffee to wash it all down.
Opening hours: Tuesday – Saturday: 8:00 – 18:00
Address: 20 Pl. du Salin, 31000 Toulouse
It is clear from this list that the brunches in Toulouse don’t follow the rules. Here, anything goes, whether that is healthy superfood smoothie bowls, all-out Americana in the form of chicken and waffles, an English high tea, “all-you-can-eat” buffets, or Instagramable fluffy Japanese pancakes. Toulouse has taken inspiration from around the world, added its own French spin, and condensed it into a raucous collection of breakfasts – who knew brunch could be so much fun?!
Want to see the Toulouse food scene through the eyes of a local? Join an expert guide on one of our walking food tours in Toulouse. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
