Le Colombier

Le Colombier is a long-running traditional restaurant at 14 Rue de Bayard, in the Matabiau and Bayard area of Toulouse, in the Occitanie region of southwest France. The kitchen specialises in Southwest French cooking, and the dish at the centre of the menu is a Castelnaudary-style cassoulet made with goose confit and pork knuckle. The Menu Le Régional is built around the cassoulet au confit d'oie, and the cassoulet ingredients are sourced from Maison Garcia, the well-known Toulouse market delicatessen. Several set menus are offered: L'Authentique at 32.50 EUR (about $37.38), Le Régional with the cassoulet at 34 EUR (about $39.10), and Le Prestige at 44 EUR (about $50.60). Le Bistro, from 17 EUR (about $19.55), is available at lunch only and is the cheapest way in. The price category is moderate, around two dollar signs. The dining room is a traditional one, calm and unfussy, with a clientele that mixes local regulars, office workers at lunch and visitors arriving from the nearby Matabiau station area. Dress is casual to smart-casual, and noise levels are moderate. The wine list focuses on southwest and Languedoc producers that go well with duck, beans and sausage. Opening hours are Monday 19:00-22:30, Tuesday to Thursday 12:00-13:30 and 19:00-22:30, Friday 12:00-14:00 and 19:00-23:00, Saturday 12:00-14:00 and 19:00-22:30, and closed on Sunday. Reservations can be made online through La Fourchette, through the form on the restaurant's website, or by phone on 05 61 62 40 05. Booking a day or two ahead is sensible for dinner, and further ahead for Friday and Saturday evenings. Meal vouchers are accepted at lunch only. The restaurant is within walking distance of the Canal du Midi and Toulouse-Matabiau railway station, so it works well for an arrival or departure meal.