There's More to Toulouse Than Cassoulet

Linger long enough in Toulouse -- France's fourth largest city, roughly 400 miles southwest of Paris -- and you'll be forgiven for seeing life through rose-tinted glasses. Nicknamed "La Ville Rose," the city is famed for its predominantly red-brick buildings that cast a rosy tint by day and smolder mauve at sunset, setting cafe terraces aglow with a palpable warmth.

Sans the stereotypical smugness of les Parisiennes, Toulousains are fiercely proud of their ville, and a favorite saying maintains that the city has one foot in France and the other in Spain, with many locals claiming a greater affinity for Barcelona (two hours away by car) than the French capital. Like the population, the cuisine scene proffers a mix of regional French, Spanish and even North African influences, with each part dishing up something different.

While relatively few tourists make it to Toulouse, those who do usually end up at the Place du Capitole, a central square fringed with upmarket cafes, brasseries and the requisite McDonald's. Le Florida (12 Pl. du Capitole), with its wicker chairs and classic bistro menu, is a favorite spot to relax with an aperitif while taking in whatever strike, student initiation rite or rugby victory celebration is being staged in the open square. But you'll have to head away from this gathering ground to find the more authentic and wallet-friendly nosh spots in town.

Home to about 100,000 students and several universities, Toulouse is a student town, with the most interesting co-ed action centering on the cafes and cabarets in the Saint-Pierre quarter, tucked along a leafy bend of the ambling Garonne River. A slew of cheap and cheerful bistros can be found along the streets radiating back from here toward the Place du Capitole.

For traditional specialties from the southwest of France, head to the Cave des Blanchers (23 Rue des Blanchers). As in many Toulouse restaurants, duck dishes figure prominently (the nearby department of Gers is one of France's primary producers of foie gras and other duck and goose derivatives). A set menu with three courses -- including foie gras and confit de canard prepared a l'orange -- will set you back about $20. Request a table in the basement, where candlelight and low arched ceilings create a womblike setting.

Named for the bull that dragged Toulouse's first bishop and most famous martyr, Saint Saturnin, to his death during the third century, the Rue du Taur stretches from the Capitole to the St. Sernin cathedral, where the martyr was later buried. A string of cafes and shops lines its course.

Le Sherpa (46 Rue du Taur), a tea house and creperie, gets packed with high school students on their first forays into cafe culture (note the cigarettes held tenuously between insecure fingers). The lure is a huge selection of sweet and savory crepes (from about $2.50) that go down well with a glass of local cider or hot Kenyan tea. Lights draped with swatches of colorful silk and warm-hued paintings stapled to the walls round out the casual, artsy vibe.

Get a taste of Spain's Basque region at Tantina de Burgos (27 Av. de la Garonette) near the grassy banks of the Garonne. Tapas dominate the menu and sharing is the way to go -- set menus from about $30 include a range of tapas, paella and crème brûlée for dessert. Live Spanish music most nights adds to the convivial atmosphere, and if you're lucky you'll be privy to an extra dose of some testosterone-fueled French culture -- many a bachelor party kicks off the night here. The sangria flows, but a glass of local Tariquet white wine goes down just as well with the seafood-centric offerings.

At Le Barbu (9 Rue Clemence Isaure), near the Place Esquirol, the walls are a patchwork of artwork and haphazardly hung vintage footwear. Locals dine at long tables, and the set menu (from about $14) starts with salad or a refreshing gazpacho soup followed by a choice of main courses which might include grilled pork with a honey glaze or thin slices of duck breast in blue cheese sauce.

Cassoulet, Toulouse's best-known specialty, is the piece de resistance at La Brindille (100 Rue Riquet), a tiny restaurant near the train station that's been serving the rich stew since 1974. Thick with haricot beans and five cuts of meats -- including hand-packed Toulouse pork sausage and duck -- cassoulet is not for the peckish. The dish requires hours of preparation and reservations are a must (about $23 per person).

It's worth traversing the Pont Neuf to the chichi quarter of St. Cyprien to find one of Toulouse's oldest brasseries, Chez Carmen (97 Allée Charles-de-Fitte), a bon vivant's nirvana replete with hanging hams and red-and-white checked tablecloths. The meat-heavy set menus, starting from about $22, highlight local delicacies such as tripe.

For a different experience, go to the North African neighborhood of Arnaud Bernard, near St. Sernin, where the heady scents of mint and cumin waft on the air and mosaic tilework conjures the exotic at Le Marrakech (11 Pl. Arnaud Bernard). You'll still dine like a god in France, albeit on fine Moroccan cuisine such as vegetarian couscous and prune and lamb tajine (from $14.50).

-- Terry Ward

For information on Toulouse, contact the Toulouse Tourist Board (http://www.ot-toulouse.fr/english, 011-33-5-61-11-02-22).