Please sign in to post.

Does a man need a suit jacket to eat at a Michelin starred restaurant in Toulouse?

We're heading to the Dordogne area in April and would love to book a table at a Michelin starred restaurant. But does my husband need to pack a complete suit? Will dress pants, a dress shirt, and a tie be sufficient? Thank you very much in advance for your advice!

Posted by
9460 posts

It's possible.

Is a dress code mentioned on the restaurant's website?

If not, can you tell us what the restaurant is, and I can call to ask.

Posted by
2537 posts

If it's a 1 star, he can probably wear anything he wants.

If it's a 3 star, he would probably feel more comfortable wearing at least a jack and tie.

It would also be helpful to know the name of this restaurant.

Posted by
64 posts

It depends on the restaurant. Is this Restaurant Michel Sarran? We went for lunch and my husband wore dress pants and a suit jacket. There were others without a jacket. As a side note, the food is fantastic and is one of the favorite meals I've ever had.

Posted by
9403 posts

It’s possible a restaurant might be more lenient for lunch vs dinner.

Posted by
14 posts

Thank you all for your quick responses. Michel Sarran is already fully booked, lunch and dinner during our stay. We're thinking of Le Cénacle in particular. Other possibilities are Stéphane Tournié, PY-R, or Hedone.

Posted by
64 posts

Lunch vs. Dinner - I completely agree Susan. It really depends on the restaurant. I have eaten dinner at 3 star restaurants that had a more relaxed (not a full suit, more business casual) and others that are quite a bit fancier. I would reach out to the restaurant to confirm the required dress.

Posted by
14 posts

Thank you all for your terrific advice! I emailed Le Cénacle and received this reply: The dress code is casual chic. Don’t be worried about that, you can come even if you are not dressed up at your maximum.

Posted by
11027 posts

The dress code is casual chic.

I had to search 'casual chic'.

Happily, and a bit of a surprise, the majority of pix showed men (and women) in jeans.

A long sleeve white shirt, with the sleeves rolled up one or two cuff widths, seemed to be as popular as wearing a blazer/sport coat.
Buttoned shirt with coat and tie was a decided minority.

Posted by
14 posts

PY-R Restaurant also replied to me. Remember please that this is my English to Google Translate to his French back through Google Translate.

Thank you for your message, whether at lunch or dinner we do not impose the wearing of a costume. You can come in whatever dress suits you best.

I deeply appreciate all of your responses. We're trying to pack very light, so my husband was stymied by the idea of packing a suit.

Posted by
10118 posts

Costume is French for a suit.

Your title says suit jacket, but your question asked about a suit.

Posted by
4324 posts

to repeat an earlier story, I was at a one star restaurant so naturally I was wearing a sport coat. There was a lovely chap next to me, seemed to be a Russian oligarch gangster type, wearing a bedazzled T shirt, jeans and huge gold chains. He was with his daughter from the looks of it, or perhaps just a friend. As noted, it's money that matters. Right or wrong.

Posted by
14 posts

Bets' response makes me realize how little I know -- or, how little knowledge I gain -- when I depend on Google Translate.

Anyway, I've made a reservation for Le Cénacle. I'm very excited!

Posted by
10118 posts

Costume is what's called a false friend, a word perfectly understandable in English but with a different meaning in French.

After 45 years of speaking French and reading mystery books, I learned a new false friend this past year: in French the word "crime" means "murder" in English.

Still learning.