The people of Toulouse take their food seriously, and they are especially fond of the restaurants in the Marché Victor Hugo, where you can join them at Le Louchebem to sample the restaurant’s signature dish, La Gilbe, a platter of four different cuts of beef, for €50. You can whet your appetite first with a stroll round
this huge emporium, which is packed with stalls selling pâté, seafood, cheese, charcuterie and, of course, meat. The chevaline section is a reminder that the French eat horsemeat with gusto. There are also lots of regional specialities, such as Toulouse sausage, cassoulet and confit de canard.