The Barrière-de-Paris neighborhood now has its own new-generation neighborhood café. After more than two years of work, the Salade Suprême Collective —which had already founded the Babayaga house and the community space Le Timbre, located right across the street—took over a large vacant building to create Capharnaüm, a cultural and community-focused café open to everyone.
The name says it all: a self-proclaimed “joyful mess.” Spanning nearly 500 m², the venue features a welcoming café,exhibition spaces that change every two to three months, introductory art workshops, and a sewing workshop run by La Retoucherie. Concerts, live performances, stand-up comedy, karaoke, and game nights round out a program designed to attract a crowd that goes far beyond just art lovers.
A community-focused dimension at the heart of the project
What sets Capharnaüm apart from a mere trendy café is its social roots. Secours Populaire occupies part of the building as part of a two-year pilot program, and a door connects the two spaces during the day. The goal: to foster interaction between groups that wouldn’t naturally cross paths, through shared activities and reserved spots in the workshops. Pricing is based on solidarity, and access is intended to be universal.
Capharnaüm is open Tuesday through Saturday —from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, and from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. This week alone, the schedule is packed: a board game night on Wednesday the 23rd (7:30 p.m.), a drawing and comic book workshop on Thursday the 24th (6–8 p.m.), and on Saturday the 26th, a jam-packed day featuring a Tetra Pak engraving workshop, a coffee meetup, and a “carte blanche” evening with a concert by Pink City Records starting at 7 p.m.
The venue is located at 67 Boulevard Silvio-Trentin, a five-minute walk from the Barrière de Paris station (Metro Line B). A wonderful spot in Toulouse that you absolutely must check out!
