Toulouse is a student city, young and lively, where people eat and drink outside as soon as the sun is out. It is also the land of duck and sausage, which is good news for celiacs, as long as you check a few things. For the rest of France, see my guide to eating gluten-free in France.
Is Toulouse food gluten-free?
The food of the South-West is mostly meat, duck fat and beans, so many dishes are naturally gluten-free. But check these:
- Saucisse de Toulouse (the local pork sausage) ✅ usually pure meat and spices, but ask: some butchers add breadcrumbs or flour
- Cassoulet (beans slow-cooked with sausage, duck and pork) ⚠️ the beans and meat are fine, but some recipes add breadcrumbs on top to make a crust: ask
- Magret (duck breast) and confit de canard (duck cooked in its fat) ✅
- Foie gras ✅ but not on the toast it comes with: bring your own bread
- Fénétra (almond and apricot cake) 🚫 made with pastry
- Croustade (apple pastry) 🚫
- Chocolatine (what Toulouse calls a pain au chocolat, don't argue with locals about the name) 🚫
- Candied violets, the city flower ✅ just sugar and petals
As always, ask for the allergen list (la carte des allergènes) and say "Je suis cœliaque".
A 100% gluten-free restaurant
Silex et Fourchette, paleo food
A paleo restaurant in the city center: the food is inspired by what our ancestors ate, with fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, fish and seeds, and no cereals. The whole menu is gluten-free and dairy-free, with plant-based options. Open for lunch on weekdays and for dinner from Thursday to Saturday.
42 rue des Lois, 31000 Toulouse - Google Maps
Restaurants with gluten-free options
La Belle Verte, organic and vegan
I loved this vegan restaurant, with its short menu and many gluten-free options: two of the three dishes were gluten-free, and there was even a dessert with a biscuit base to finish. The menu changes with the seasons. The kitchen is not 100% gluten-free, but the staff are very attentive and know about celiac disease, which is so nice!
Everything is organic, even the drinks. I especially liked the wide choice of organic soft drinks, but you can also taste local biodynamic wines. Above is the dish I had: artichoke, black rice and black lemon, and the service was perfect.
Sixta, vegetarian restaurant and tea room
A vegetarian restaurant with organic and local food, and gluten-free, lactose-free and raw options. Feeling sleepy after lunch? They have nap pods for a 25-minute rest.
Tea rooms and pastries
Le Salon d'Eugénie, for an afternoon break
This tea room has gluten-free cookies and savory snacks like gluten-free bruschetta. I am a tea fan (and a cake fan...), so this is a welcome stop for a sweet break in the afternoon.
Pâtisserie Sandyan
Most of the cakes here contain gluten, but there is always a gluten-free and dairy-free cake, and one gluten-free pastry: a pavlova (meringue and fruit, naturally gluten-free) in summer, something else in winter. Watch out for cross-contamination: I haven't asked the pastry chef about it.
Drinking a gluten-free beer
The Dispensary
It is (very) hard to find a bar with gluten-free beer in Toulouse, but there is at least one. This bar has regular events (live rock, DJs, quizzes) and a gluten-free beer, the Espiga Blonde Ale. Why not try it during happy hour?
Otherwise, Toulouse has excellent wine bars (try a local Fronton or a Pic Saint-Loup at Le 5 Wine Bar) and cocktail bars: wine and most spirits are gluten-free. For gluten-free beer brands, see the best gluten-free beers (in French).
Closed places
Don't look for these, they have closed: the Gloutons Frais bakery, the organic restaurant Invita, the La Reine Margot tea room, the allergen-free fast food Lucas & Marie Sans Gênes, the Moderni'thé Café, and Douceurs Végétales.
More gluten-free guides
- Gluten-free Paris and gluten-free Lyon.
- Eating gluten-free in France: supermarkets, restaurants, safe French dishes.
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