Café Bibent, Belle Époque coffeehouse and restaurant in Place du Capitole, France

Café Bibent occupies the ground floor of a 19th-century building at 5 place du Capitole, its facade marked by three round-headed arches and two rows of pale stone balustrades. Inside, the Belle Époque stucco decoration by architect Jacques-Pascal Virebent includes caryatids, flower garlands and grimacing masks, with Murano glass mirrors and chandeliers kept in place.

Jean-Catherine Bibent founded the café around 1843 in a 19th-century building, passing it to his son Narcisse-Léon in 1870. In the mid-1970s owner Émile Lapoujade planned a full modernization, but a local campaign saved Jean-Pascal Virebent's stucco interior, listed as a monument historique on 29 October 1975. A 1979 restoration altered the original colours, and in 1986 the café expanded over three levels.

The café's name comes from founder Jean-Catherine Bibent, who ran it from around 1843 and passed it to his son Narcisse-Léon in 1870. In 1861 it was the first café in Toulouse, perhaps in France, to serve draft beer. In early 1914 three Serbian students linked to the Black Hand secret society are said to have planned the Sarajevo assassination on its terrace.

Café Bibent occupies the ground floor of the 19th-century building at 5 place du Capitole, under the arcades on the square's north side, with the Grand Café restaurant frontage and awning facing the pavement. The dining rooms extend over three levels, reached by stairs, so ask staff about step-free access before booking if mobility is a concern. The terrace sits directly on the square, in front of the Capitole.

This venue played a pioneering role in Toulouse's drinking culture when it became one of the first establishments to serve draft beer in 1861. That innovation set it apart from other cafés and helped introduce modern beverage service methods to the city.