L'Ancienne Auberge

This gourmet hideaway, which sources most of its ingredients from local growers and livestock farmers, abounds with charm, freshness and flavour. In the heart of the Lauragais, this pretty restaurant with a lovely terrace boasts smiling, well-paced service and confidently executed dishes at very reasonable prices: pig's trotter ravioli with oyster mushrooms, bay leaf and sage sauce; grilled onglet steak with a peppercorn jus; for dessert, vanilla and ginger mesturet. To wash down with wines from Gaillac and Languedoc.

This hidden gem is nestled in a village at the confluence of two rivers – the Aveyron and the Viaur. A contemporary take on an artists' bistro, it boasts artwork on the walls and affordable prices. Working solo in his small, glass-walled kitchen, chef Arnaud Ronxin crafts ingenious dishes with the mission of showcasing seasonal produce. Think oven-roasted veal with confit potatoes and chanterelles, or lamb trotters with a red wine sauce. The more ambitious multi-course evening set menu is different every evening.

This duet of talented innkeepers (a chef and a pastry chef with a passion for wine) earned their stripes with stints in iconic establishments such as with Christophe Bacquié at the Castellet and at Le Gabriel and Le Ritz. Here, in their own restaurant, Théo crafts signature cuisine that sings an ode to the produce of nearby Tarn with seasonal fruit and veg that he cherry-picks himself from Lavour Market. Sourdough bread made with heirloom flours, an iced tea of tomato water spiked with garden herbs, delicately seasoned gravlax of ikejime trout, followed by blue lobster from Brittany bursting w

This traditionally-built house, surrounded by lush greenery is so peaceful that you forget its location in the suburbs. The terrace, covered by a bioclimatic pergola, is a hit during the summer, while the stylish interior is both tasteful and comfortable. Chef Jérémy Morin skilfully rolls out creative dishes: roast rack of veal, brioche of sweetbread, vanilla-laced artichoke and a gutsy gravy or roast monkfish in sumac with braised baby gem lettuce in a raspberry seasoning, creamy yoghurt and a red wine and balsamic vinegar sauce.

Already chef at Vigne en Foule in Gaillac, Julien Bourdariès has opened a new place in a delightful brick and half-timbered house on the emblematic Place des Arcades in this medieval village. For lunch, the lively Auberge (open from morning to evening) proposes an amazing set menu at a bargain price, a choice of starters for sharing (charcuterie from the Tarn, pig's trotter croquettes etc) and dishes such as duck confit or veal fillet cooked in the open fire oven. Savvy selection of regional wines.

Pierre Lambinon is nothing if not wholehearted! In this restaurant just a stone's throw from the Pont Neuf, he is making waves with his cooking. The meal begins with a festival of appetisers, bringing a foretaste of the flavours that will define the meal. The chef is at his most inspired when it comes to deftly preparing dishes based on herbs from the garden, fish and seafood and fine seasonal vegetables – intoxicating seafood aromas, grilled notes and the bitter overtones of vegetables. For example, line-caught hake from Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Pyrenean trout gravlax, broad beans and wild garli

Luck has nothing to do with the current reputation of this downtown venue, facing Jean Jaurès Fountain, as the darling of the town’s discerning epicureans. The stripped-back interior sports a distinctly Scandinavian feel, which given the chef’s Swedish origins is hardly a surprise. On the culinary front, he deploys his undisputed talent, adding a new twist to French classics and conjuring up enticing recipes in tune with the era: generous portions, well crafted and oozing with flavour. The intelligent wine list and crack table staff, as professional as they are friendly, add the final flourish