Restaurant in Lieu dit Le Birol, France
Rural Michelin star, worth the drive out.
En Marge holds a Michelin star for the second consecutive year (2024 and 2025) and operates under Relais & Châteaux in the countryside outside Aureville, 15 kilometres south of Toulouse. Chef Julian Escobar runs a creative modern French kitchen rated 4.7 across nearly 900 Google reviews. Book well ahead — this is Hard to secure and best suited to special occasions and destination meals.
En Marge holds a Michelin star for the second consecutive year (2024 and 2025), which matters here because the restaurant sits not in a city centre but in a rural lieu dit outside Aureville, roughly 15 kilometres south of Toulouse. That location creates a scarcity problem before you even consider the menu: this is not the kind of place you drop into on a whim. Seats are limited, the drive is deliberate, and the experience is squarely in special-occasion territory. If you are planning around a celebration, a serious date, or a business meal where the setting needs to do real work, En Marge earns a booking. If you want something easier to access in central Toulouse, the calculus is different.
Chef Julian Escobar runs a modern French kitchen that Michelin has categorised under creative cooking — a designation that signals technique-led, composed plates rather than regional bistro fare. The restaurant operates under the Relais & Châteaux umbrella, which tells you something practical: expect a property with hospitality infrastructure built around it, professional service standards, and a dining room calibrated for guests who are staying or celebrating rather than grabbing a quick meal. The address alone — a country road through vineyards and farmland south of Toulouse , makes the arrival feel considered rather than incidental. That context shapes the experience before you sit down.
Google reviewers rate it 4.7 across 882 reviews, which is a meaningful signal at that volume. A score above 4.5 with nearly 900 data points is harder to sustain than a 5.0 with thirty. The consistent praise suggests the kitchen and front-of-house are reliable rather than occasionally brilliant.
En Marge's rural position makes lunch the more practical entry point for most visitors. A daytime booking lets you drive out from Toulouse, eat without the pressure of a return journey in the dark, and often access a shorter, more affordable menu format , common at starred French restaurants in this price tier, though specific lunch pricing here is not confirmed in available data. Dinner at a Relais & Châteaux property in this category tends to be the full production: longer menus, more courses, more time. If the goal is a first visit to assess whether the cooking justifies a return, lunch is often the smarter move. If you are marking a milestone , anniversary, significant birthday , dinner earns its place. The setting, the service ratio, and the pace of a Relais property after dark are built for exactly that.
For comparison: at destination restaurants of this type across southern France, from [Bras in Laguiole](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/bras-laguiole-restaurant) to [Auberge du Vieux Puits in Fontjoncouse](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/auberge-du-vieux-puits-fontjoncouse-restaurant), lunch menus typically run 30 to 40 percent below dinner pricing. If En Marge follows that pattern, the daytime experience represents a meaningful saving on what is already a premium ticket.
Booking difficulty is rated Hard. Contact En Marge directly: email enmarge@relaischateaux.com or call +33 (0)5 61 53 07 24. The Relais & Châteaux platform (restaurantenmarge.com) is the primary booking channel. Plan at least three to four weeks ahead for weekend tables, more for high summer or the Christmas-to-New Year window. A Michelin star that has held for two consecutive years draws regional demand from Toulouse, Bordeaux, and beyond , do not assume availability is better simply because the address is rural.
| Detail | En Marge | Typical 1-Star (SW France) |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Rural, Aureville (15km from Toulouse) | Often city-adjacent or village-centre |
| Booking lead time | 3–4 weeks minimum | 2–3 weeks |
| Hotel context | Relais & Châteaux property | Varies , standalone restaurants common |
| Michelin recognition | 1 Star (2024, 2025) | 1 Star |
| Google rating | 4.7 / 5 (882 reviews) | Typically 4.3–4.6 |
| Leading for | Special occasions, destination meals | Mix of occasions |
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| En Marge | French Modern | Category: Remarkable; HIGHLIGHTS: • 1 MICHELIN STAR 2025 • CREATIVE COOKING DIRECTIONS & ACCESS: Website and contact information E-mail: enmarge@relaischateaux.com Tel. : +33 (0)5 61 53 07 24; Michelin 1 Star (2025); Michelin 1 Star (2024) | Hard | — |
| Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen | Creative | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Kei | Contemporary French, Modern Cuisine | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| L'Ambroisie | French, Classic Cuisine | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Le Cinq - Four Seasons Hôtel George V | French, Modern Cuisine | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Mirazur | Modern French, Creative | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
A Michelin-starred Relais & Châteaux property in the Toulouse countryside sets a clear expectation: dress as you would for a formal dinner, not a city bistro. Think polished rather than black-tie — jacket for men is a safe assumption, though the rural setting slightly relaxes the formality compared to a Paris grand restaurant. When in doubt, err up rather than down for a venue at this level.
There are no other Michelin-starred restaurants in Lieu dit Le Birol itself — En Marge is the destination here, not one option among several. For alternatives, you'll need to head into Toulouse, which has its own constellation of serious French kitchens. If you're comparing starred creative cooking in the wider Occitanie region, that's a different trip entirely rather than a local swap.
Group bookings at a Relais & Châteaux Michelin-starred property in a rural setting typically require advance planning and direct communication with the restaurant. Contact En Marge via email at enmarge@relaischateaux.com or by phone at +33 (0)5 61 53 07 24 to confirm availability and any private dining options. Booking difficulty is rated Hard, so groups should reach out well ahead of their intended date.
Yes — this is exactly the format for a special occasion dinner. Two consecutive Michelin stars (2024 and 2025) for Chef Julian Escobar's creative French cooking, a Relais & Châteaux setting in the Toulouse countryside, and the effort required to get there all reinforce the sense of occasion. Book early: contact enmarge@relaischateaux.com or call +33 (0)5 61 53 07 24, as availability is limited.
Michelin classifies En Marge under creative cooking, which signals that the kitchen is running a technique-led, composed menu rather than a broad à la carte selection. In that format, the right move is to commit to whatever the chef's tasting menu offers rather than picking selectively. Specific dishes are not documented here, so check with the restaurant directly when booking.
Solo dining at a Michelin-starred creative kitchen in a rural Relais & Châteaux property is less common than at urban counter-format restaurants, but it is not unusual for serious food travellers making a dedicated trip. The bigger practical consideration is the drive from Toulouse — solo diners will need to plan transport carefully. Contact the restaurant at +33 (0)5 61 53 07 24 to confirm solo seating arrangements before booking.
Three things: first, this is a destination restaurant requiring a 20-plus minute drive from Toulouse — plan your transport before you book. Second, with back-to-back Michelin stars in 2024 and 2025, demand is high and availability is tight, so contact enmarge@relaischateaux.com or call +33 (0)5 61 53 07 24 well in advance. Third, Chef Julian Escobar's creative cooking designation means you are booking a composed, technique-focused experience — come expecting a multi-course format, not a casual dinner.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
