Visiting Toulon in the South of France and want to know which are the best, must visit restaurants? Look no further. My insider guide has the best restaurants in the city for you to discover.
I’ve been visiting Toulon for the past 10 years and I know the city very well. It’s not the most glamorous place on the French Riviera, but that’s exactly why I like it. It feels authentic, local and far less touristy than nearby towns along the coast.
Best Restaurants in Toulon France
I frequently stay in the nearby Valette-du-Var and I’m always taking a trip into Toulon. It’s not the most foodie city in the south of France but there are some very good and very reasonable restaurants. The restaurants here are in no particular order.
Le Saint Gabriel
You’ll find a lot of restaurants along the port of Toulon – most aren’t great – pizzerias, cafés serving poor food all day and even an all-you-can-eat buffet. There is, however, one exception and that’s the very excellent Le Saint Gabriel.
Bestowed a prized Michelin Bib Gourmand a few years back, it had been on my radar for a while. Does it deserve the mention in the prestigious guide? Oh yes – there’s some really good cooking on show here.
We kicked off with their fantastic prawn ravioli with a reduced bisque sauce. This was pasta perfection – perfectly cooked with a lovely springy bite. The sauce perfectly reduced with an intense seafood flavour. I only just wish there was more – I could eat plates of this.
Upon the advice of the very friendly manager, we also had their frog legs finished with a kind of sauce grenobloise. This was delicious – garlicky, rich yet balanced with a kick of acidity. The legs themselves were tender and very juicy.
For the mains we had their braised and pressed veal brisket with morels in a vin jaune sauce as well as a very good quail dish.
The veal had a lovely crust giving way to tender, fall-apart meat. The sauce? Silky smooth and well balanced with fresh morel mushrooms. The fried half-artichoke was a very nice addition too.
The quail was perfectly cooked – the breasts perfectly juicy and tender. It was served with a load of jus and fresh English peas. Bread was needed to mop up the delicious sauce.
Desserts came in the form of profiteroles and a strawberry tart. Both very well executed.
Finally, they have an excellent wine list with some very good bottles in there at reasonable prices. We had a lovely bottle of Mâcon-Loché from Domaine Perraud in Burgundy for €42.
Le Saint Gabriel is a real gem of a restaurant and perfectly located in the port of Toulon. If you’re after something refined that won’t break the bank, you won’t find much better.
What to know before visiting
- You need to call to reserve (they speak English)
- They’re open all year round
- Closed Sundays and Mondays
Address: 334 Av. de la République, 83000 Toulon
Tel: 06 27 05 79 15
Website: https://www.restaurantsaintgabriel.fr
Le Lido
Le Lido is a great little seaside restaurant located on Le Mourillon beach. It’s changed recently bringing both the interior (and exterior) and menu up to a more modern, refined standard.
Despite the fact that you no longer have your feet in the sand, the view over to La Tour Royale and the bay of Toulon is stunning.
This, most recent, iteration of Le Lido has to be the best. The interior is modern and does away with the old traditional beach shack feel. The food is classic yet brought up to date with modern techniques and presentation.
John Dory (a must eat fish when you’re in the French Riviera) is perfectly cooked and comes with fennel and a beautiful ‘bouillabaisse’ style sauce and modern, confit and fried potatoes.
Their lobster linguine is reasonable and done exactly how it should be. The sauce is made with the shells (a bisque) and emulsified with pasta water – delicious.
What to know before visiting
- You can reserve online
- They’re open all year round
- You can park for free in the Parking des Plages du Mourillon
Address: Corniche Frédéric Mistral, Plage du Mourillon, 83000 Toulon
Tel: 04 94 03 38 18
Website: https://lelidodetoulon.fr
Beam! Kitchen
If you’re looking for a gastronomic experience in Toulon then Beam! Kitchen is the one. Run by Chef Arnaud Tabarec (ex. Five Seas Hotel in Cannes), he brings his fine dining experience to a city sorely missing a modern, refined restaurant.
It’s fixed price menus only at Beam with 3 courses at lunch coming in at a very reasonable €35 and in the evening, €49 for 5 courses.
Ingredients are super local and of course, very seasonal. In my experience the food that comes out of the kitchen changes weekly but it’s always good. Surprisingly there’s a lot of fermentation elements to the dishes and it works really well (they even have jars out in the restaurant that they use in dishes).
For lunch you get a starter, main and dessert and although simpler, they’re still very technical with some great cuisson on show. Dinner is more of a ‘carte blanche’ – expect plenty of great vegetable, fruit and fish combinations. My favourite dish was during my last visit during asparagus season – a thick, perfectly cooked fillet of seabass came with locally grown asparagus – awesome.
What to know before visiting
- You can reserve online
- They offer vegetarian and gluten free menus
Address: 2 Rue Hippolyte Duprat, 83000 Toulon
Tel: 06 27 54 27 06
Website: https://www.instagram.com/beamkitchen/
Le Pastel
Le Pastel is a gem of a restaurant in Toulon. Located a stones throw from the port, it’s a refined, classical French restaurant pumping out some really excellent dishes.
The tiny restaurant is run by Bruno (in the kitchen) and Pascale (running FOH). Chef Bruno worked for many years under Pierre Koffman in London came back to the South of France to start his own venture.
His Michelin cooking shows on the plate. It’s honest, local, Provençale cuisine with the signature fine dining touch. Love truffle? Come early autumn and you’ll find beautifully cooked turbot with a silky sauce finished off with black truffle.
In terms of menus, they offer extremely seasonal and every changing combinations. Generally you can expect to go mid week for lunch and get 2 very well cooked courses for €26 and 3 courses in the evening for €40.
What to know before visiting
- You need to call to reserve (they speak English)
- They’re closed Tuesday-Thursday
Address: 20 rue Victor Micholet, Sq. Léon Vérane, 83000 Toulon
Tel: 04 94 64 73 95
Website: https://www.restaurantlepastel.fr
Racines
Racines is another small bistro serving up some fantastic seasonal food. Located right next to the Toulon Opera house, it’s a great spot for lunch or dinner if you’re exploring the centre of the city.
Run by Chef Bertrand Lherbette, he focuses primarily on the French concept of ‘terroir’. This means all his produce comes from passionate suppliers who grow their fruit and vegetables in only the best conditions, on the best land.
It’s not only the fruit and vegetables that shine through on the plate. Cheese, meat and fish come from his trusted producers and it’s easy to see the quality. Whilst the quality is exceptional, Bertrand also focuses on sustainability meaning produce is local and of course seasonal.
Expect to pay around €40 per person for entree, main and dessert. During my last visit I had an excellent roasted medallion of monkfish with fresh artichokes.
What to know before visiting
- You need to call to reserve
- They’re closed on weekends
Address: 9 Rue Corneille, 83000 Toulon
Tel: 04 22 80 27 39
Website: https://www.racines-restaurant-toulon.com
