The Café Baggio is back in Toulouse, in the form of a wine bar
Six months after the closure of Caffé Baggio, replaced by Rosa Negra on the Barcelona side, restaurateur Julien Roumagnac is reopening a new Café Baggio, rue Bayard in Toulouse, dedicated to “afterworks” in a classy wine bar atmosphere.
Last March, restaurateur Julien Roumagnac decided to close the doors of the emblematic Cafe Baggio, which had just celebrated its seventh birthday, to make way for a second “Rosa Negra” sign. The goal? Create a place more friendly, more intimatededicated to a popular clientele, lovers of the bodega atmosphere and Spanish cuisine.
But this closure has made some unhappy among the former customers of Caffé Baggio. “I received a lot of messages from regulars asking me: ‘Why did you close Caffé Baggio?’ Personally, I just wanted to expand the “Rosa Negra” brand. But we realized that the people of Toulouse were very attached to the concept of Baggio », rejoices Julien Roumagnac.
Grand return of Café Baggio, without a second “f”
the Caffé Baggio therefore reopened its doors this Thursday, September 1. It now bears the name “Café Baggio”, minus an “f”, since Julien Roumagnac has decided to leave Italian cuisine aside. “But I still wanted to keep the name because it represents a mark of quality for our Toulouse customers », Specifies the owner of the establishment.
No more rigatoni with foie gras, therefore, no starter, main course or dessert formula. The kitchen now focuses on a wide choice of refined tapas to be ordered individually. Thus, customers can now enjoy oysters, verrines, carpaccios “and a host of other dishes that are nibbled at the end of the day”, he adds.
In the background, house music, deep house, which echo the “afterworks” concept, adopted by Julien Roumagnac. Indeed, the Café Baggio now opens its doors from Wednesday to Saturday from 6 p.m., to welcome workers who wish to relax after work.
Wine bar atmosphere in the heart of Toulouse
Café Baggio, like its predecessor, is a place dedicated to a clientele over 30 years old, “who likes to get together, in a fairly classy and festive atmosphere”, underlines Julien Roumagnac. This is why this new brand adopts a “wine bar” spirit, with a decoration worthy of wine estates, in which modern earthenware mixes with wood for a “cosy” effect.
The new premises have a ground floor equipped with high tables, then a basement with low tables. The capacity of the establishment is 300 people. On the ground floor or in the basement, customers canlean on one of the two bars to order a glass of wine or a cocktail. On the menu: wines from the South-West, Languedoc and Côtes-du-Rhône, but also local beers and cocktails concocted on site, such as Sex on the beach, Piña Coladas or Mojitos.
Weekend parties return to center stage
Who says return from the Baggio, says return of the evenings on Friday and Saturday evenings, animated until the end of the night by the resident DJ of the former sign: Geoffroy Laventure. On the program: still house, but also a selection of the best hits of the 80s and 90s, ranging from old school rock’n’roll to the electronic music of Daft Punk. To complete this trip to the past, old film posters are plastered on the walls, in homage to the emblematic actors of 20th century cinema.
An inauguration evening is planned for mid-September, in order to celebrate the return of “the Baggio” together. The exact date of the event is not yet fixed, but Julien Roumagnac ensures that it will be announced soon on social networks of the establishment.
Practical information : Cafe Baggio, 34 rue Bayard, Toulouse. Open Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., then Fridays and Saturdays, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.