The Brasserie des Beaux-Arts: a place, an address, a landmark of southwestern gastronomy. This box of walnut woodwork, with a zinc counter and subdued chandeliers, marries the Belle Epoque and Art Deco style. With its breathtaking view of the Garonne and the Hôtel-Dieu, this restaurant is more than a restaurant: it is a page in the history of the city. An establishment full of refinement where you come for lunch or dinner alone, to treat a contract, to remake the world with friends or simply to spend a different and privileged moment.

Created in 1987 by Jean Paul Buchet (deceased in 2011), founder of Groupe Flo, this brewery celebrated its thirtieth anniversary in 2017. But the last century lulls its memories. Because before being called Brasserie Flo-Brasserie des Beaux-Arts, the place was called Café Bellevue. A mythical place in Toulouse, founded in the middle of the 19th century and in which the painter Ingrès, a long-time professor at the nearby Ecole des Beaux-Arts, had his habits at the end of his life. Just like the sculptor Bourdelle or the painter Matisse.

Crêpe flambée and sole meunière

Stephan Giroussens, owner of the place since 2018, likes to trace the thread of history: “The Bellevue café was then the headquarters of students and teachers of Fine Arts, in love with endless discussions in the room bathed in light. the Liberation, a place on the other side of the Atlantic, the audacity of jazz dominates. The heyday of the radio and of the Montalbanese musician, Hugues Panassié, make the place the meeting place for local artists. The passage of the jazzman and Afro trumpeter American Bill Coleman and clarinetist Mezz Mezzrow, reinforce this reputation “.

Then became the Brasserie Flo-Les Beaux-Arts in the 80s, the restaurant plays it more glamorous and more VIP: “The celebrities then continue to parade, assures Stephan. From the show biz (Michel Leeb, Bernard Lavilliers), from the political world (Lionel Jospin), cinema (Michel Bouquet, Bernard Le Coq), science (Thomas Pesquet, astronaut) or sport (Laurent Blanc, Emmanuel Petit, footballers)… All of them liked to let time slip by ‘one of the tables. A few years ago Robert Smith (group The Cure) even left behind the memory of a very drunken evening. Without forgetting Claude Nougaro, a regular “. The Brasserie des Beaux-Arts seduces. By its cozy, reassuring atmosphere. By the incessant ballet of servers sliding with their trays balanced. By its welcome where the customer seems unique. The place brings out the images of 1900 Parisian brasseries where bombance and pleasure of the eyes, intertwined. “It’s History which embraces modernity”, likes to say Stephan. A reputation which has also increased the quality of the plate: “We are not a starred restaurant, but we are the top with our 140 seats and our opening 7 days a week all year round”.

Of course with the covid pandemic, the situation varies: “When the restaurants reopened in May, we worked very well until October, assures Stephan. But the latest government announcements and fears of the new variant have slowed down attendance. “. To console themselves for everyday ailments, at the Brasserie des Beaux-Arts, the sea arrives on a platter patiently prepared by the shell at the entrance.

Specialties and “signature” of this restaurant, sole meunière and crêpe flambée always seduce customers looking for authentic dishes. How can you resist the flavor of this sole combined with a fine olive oil purée and a spinach in butter? “Tourists sometimes come to Toulouse on purpose to savor them”. The Brasserie des Beaux-Arts, a unique taste.