Toulouse

"For a modern riff on French-inspired Belgian cuisine with an enticing patio, head to the River Oaks outpost of this renowned cafe and bar. Start with the caviar tacos — a fun yet upscale combination of caviar, crispy potatoes, ahi tuna, lemon oil, and chives topped with a dollop of crème fraiche. Then, choose between the showstopping Dover sole meuniere, prepared table-side with seasonal vegetables, roasted potatoes, and a white wine lemon sauce, or the duck confit, a French staple served with a sweet potato mousseline, caramelized apples, and an orange cognac reduction. Visit on Monday or Tuesday for half-priced bottles of French wine, on the weekends for brunch and half-priced bottles of rose, or on Thursday and Friday for its live music." - Brittany Britto Garley

"French-inspired Belgian cuisine takes center stage at this River Oaks District café. Highlights include the Nicoise salad with seared tuna, an 8-ounce ground steak burger, and tableside-prepared Dover sole meunière. Toulouse’s entertainment is worth the visit alone. The restaurant features live music, brunch specials, and half-priced wine nights, plus unparalleled people-watching on its patio." - Marcy de Luna, Brittany Britto Garley

"With prime real estate in the heart of River Oaks District, Toulouse’s patio is reminiscent of the alfresco dining and drinking options found in Europe. Seating spills into the central courtyard, where diners can take all the ritzy retail center action from their tables while sipping wine and snacking on butter-drenched escargot. Live music on weekends is the icing on the cake." - Brittany Britto Garley

"For a modern riff on French-inspired Belgian cuisine with an enticing patio, head to the River Oaks outpost of this renowned cafe and bar. Start with the caviar tacos — a fun yet upscale combination of caviar, crispy potatoes, ahi tuna, lemon oil, and chives topped with a dollop of crème fraiche. Then, choose between the showstopping Dover sole meuniere, prepared table-side with seasonal vegetables, roasted potatoes, and a white wine lemon sauce, or the duck confit, a French staple served with a sweet potato mousseline, caramelized apples, and an orange cognac reduction. Visit on Monday or Tuesday for half-priced bottles of French wine, on the weekends for brunch and half-priced bottles of rose, or on Thursday and Friday for its live music." - Brittany Britto Garley, Sean Hekmat

"Just one meal on the patio at Toulouse Cafe will shortlist it as one of the best places in the city to people-watch and eat good beef tartare. The River Oaks restaurant is flanked by stores that are too expensive to even window shop at, so Toulouse fittingly feels like an elbows-off-the-table type of restaurant. Sit outside next to the tiny replica of the Eiffel Tower (which doesn’t look as cheesy as it sounds) as you work through a rich beef bourguignon that barely needs a fork to cut through." - Gianni Greene