Eating out in France - on a student budget!

Some of the delicious food I ate in Toulouse - clockwise from top: Steak Frites at Café du Midi, Beef belly, creamy polenta and marinated oriental carrots in a mushroomy sauce at Au Bon Servant, Japanese-French fusion food at Solaneko, beef and pasta in a mango and coriander sauce at Foxy and a ham and Emmental cheese galette at Les Cornouailles

One thing I miss about Toulouse (and France in general) is the food. Good quality, local, fresh food is everywhere – in the popular markets, ubiquitous boulangeries and bustling butchers. Although Toulouse is home to chain stores for just about everything, food or otherwise, there are lots of independents managing to thrive throughout the city, something I wish was the case in my country.

  

Of all the independents in Toulouse, most of all I miss the restaurants. Eating out is a truly French obsession. To cater to this, Toulouse boasts hundreds of eateries, each bringing something unique to the table – literally! Competition is strong, pricing is competitive and standards are high. Erasmus students are able to take part in this mainstay of French life for a relatively small amount of money, especially compared to restaurants of a similar calibre in the UK!

Here are a few tricks I used to make my cash go further in French restaurants:

Firstly, go for lunch. Most restaurants will have a lunch formule which will include an entrée, plat principal, dessert and sometimes coffee for a set price. In Toulouse I normally paid around 12 to 20 € for these things depending on the restaurant. Some eateries give you the option of missing out the entrée or dessert, and were usually around 4 € cheaper than the prices above. Restaurants understand that the clientele doesn't have too much time for lunch so service is generally very quick, perfect for when you squeeze in a meal before a 2pm lecture (something I ended up doing quite frequently!)

Secondly, if you want to go for the full authentic experience and accompany your meal with some top notch French wine, avoid buying pricy bottles and opt for a small glass instead. That way you still get to wine and dine whilst paying a reasonable price (around 3 – 4 € in Toulouse) and avoid the undoubtedly bemusing experience of tipsy lectures. Some menus even include a small 50cl carafe of wine as part of the lunchtime formule!

Finally, always make a reservation at least a day before you want to dine. Restaurants are usually full to the brim at lunchtime – so avoid disappointment by booking early! This is especially true if you’re in a large town or city like Toulouse (I once rung up to make a reservation in a smaller town – the waiter sounded a little surprised and when we arrived the restaurant was very empty!)

I am now genuinely too hungry to write any more! I’m off to lunch…though unfortunately I can’t quite justify a return journey to Toulouse right away to put my tips into practice again…

Next time I’ll be sharing my top 10 favourite restaurants in Toulouse – à plus tard!