Lyon is the gastronomic capital of France – There is no debate about that. Hence, a visit to the restaurants of Lyon It is done not only for the purpose of eradicating hunger, but as an active participation in a culinary tradition that has existed for many centuries.
Not surprisingly, there are quite a few restaurants in Lyon, and since time is short and the work of eating is great, it is very advisable to choose only good restaurants, in order to avoid a culinary fall. During September 2022, I visited the city of Lyon and, to my great delight, I stayed at the hotel Cour des Loges, a luxurious five-star hotel that provided me with excellent concierge services.
Almost every restaurant I ate at in Lyon was based on their recommendation and I'm happy to say there were no setbacks (the only setback I had was when I tried to choose a restaurant myself and found myself eating bland hummus and vegan chocolate cake. Horrible!).
In this article you will find all the restaurants I ate at on this trip and enjoyed. Since I was mainly interested in eating traditional Lyonnais food, almost all the restaurants you will find here are “Bouchons”, restaurants that serve traditional (and fattening) Lyonnais food. However, at the end of the article, I recommend two restaurants that are not local, because in my experience, it is very difficult to eat only Lyonnais food, especially when you are there for about a week.
Join me on a jaw-dropping culinary journey, which I took in the fall of 2022, and let's start by getting to know the cuisine of Lyon.
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Dishes of Lyonnais cuisine that you shouldn't miss
During my visit to Lyon, I did everything I could to eat as much of Lyon's cuisine as possible. So, before I start recommending restaurants, let me mentally prepare you for what awaits you there.
As you will discover, not all of these dishes may be Arab to the Israeli palate, but I believe that if you come to a certain place, it is highly recommended to try all the dishes it offers at least once (unless there is a kosher or allergy problem).
Here is a list of Lyonnais dishes, anyone who hasn't eaten them is like not having visited Lyon 🙂
onion soup
Although we all consider onion soup a generic French dish, it actually comes from Lyon, so if you like this dish, you'll be happy to know that here you can eat simply excellent onion soups (I ate the soup in the photo at Les Trois Maries).
The soup is of course made with a thick layer of Gruyere cheese, with pieces of dry bread floating in it, and it is a particularly comforting dish, especially when it is cold outside. Since this is one of the most well-known dishes of French cuisine, let me stop here and move on to more “exotic” dishes.
Sausage and pork nose salad
Lyonnais, especially the poorer ones, do not let any part of the pig go to waste, so even the pig's snouts are not thrown away, but are respectfully served to the diner.
I know this is a dish that many of you won't connect with, featuring very tender meats accompanied by a vinegar-based sauce. I actually really liked it and finished the entire plate.
Liver tart
Another Lyonnaise dish that pleasantly surprised me. The liver cake was very airy (like the Canal de Bruche, which I will talk about later) and the tomato sauce was wonderful. A dish that really connects Italy to France and it is not surprising because Lyon was exactly the crossroads where the Italians and the French met and traded with each other.
Lyonnaise sausage with pistachio
Lyonnais love sausages and hot dogs, and anyone who loves these foods like me will feel like they've arrived in heaven. The sausage itself was very tender and had a great flavor, and you can definitely tell it was made by an artisan.
Andouillete
This is the evil cousin of the Lyonnaise sausage. It is made from parts of the face and the smell that comes from it, mon dia! is an excellent preparation for those who want to take a trip through the sewers of Lyon…
If you would like to read more about it, you are welcome to read the This article.
Lyonnais-style tripe stew (Tripes Lyonais)
As mentioned, Lyonnais are very fond of internal organs, so I sacrificed my stomach and ate a stomach stew there. To my surprise, it was definitely edible, and even delicious, and the polenta that accompanied it was simply divine (it probably contained a little truffle).
Chicken in vinegar
Another dish that pleasantly surprised me. I got chicken with yellowish meat (a sign that it had eaten corn its entire life and not a mixture) with a sauce made of vinegar and cream, accompanied by creamed potatoes in the oven (Gratin Dauphinois). I'm not a fan of chicken, but I really licked my fingers.
Brain of silk weavers (Cervelle des Canuts)
Hannibal Lecter would be disappointed if he discovered that it was just soft cheese seasoned with various herbs and not real brains, but the rest of my readers will surely breathe a sigh of relief.
And as for the taste? The first bite is not great, the second is reasonable, and on the third you start to get addicted (provided the dish is accompanied by a good baguette).
Almond praline cake
The most traditional Lyonnaise dessert I've found. A tart with pink praline and very sweet. As a lover of mousses and chocolate, I was less attached to this dish, but I'm sure some of my readers will love it very much.
Qunelle de Brochet
There is no doubt that this is my favorite dish, so I left it for last.
It is a kind of fish cutlet (there are also those made from St. Jacques fish and chicken) that is very airy and swims in an orange sauce made from shrimp, called Nantois sauce, after the town in eastern France where the sauce was invented. It is an amazing delicacy and in my opinion the only Lyonnais dish that is a must.
Restaurants in Lyon that I particularly liked
Now that you know a little about Lyonnaise cuisine, it's time to tell you about the restaurants I ate at. We'll start with the bouchon (relatively popular restaurants that serve traditional food), move on to the Michelin-starred restaurant where I ate, and finish with two restaurants, one Italian and one Vietnamese, for those who don't want to eat exclusively Lyonnaise food. Oh, and there's also a bonus restaurant I didn't eat at, but I've heard great reviews about it.
Before we begin, please note: The restaurants I recommend are very popular and well-loved, so it is highly recommended to make reservations in advance (even for lunch), because otherwise you may be left disappointed and hungry.
The Lyons
This is one of the first restaurants I ate at and I'm happy to say that it started my culinary journey on the right foot.
This is one of the city's best-known and most beloved bistros, not only because of the excellent food (I ate liver tart and chicken in vinegar there, which were simply wonderful) but also because of the very cordial service.
Address
19 Rue de la Bombarde
Days and hours of operation
שלישי-חמישי: 12:00-14:30 19:00-22:30
שישי: 12:00-14:30 ו 19:00-23:00
שבת: 12:00–15:00, 19:00–23:00
Sunday: 12:00–15:00
Monday: Closed
Link to the restaurant website
Les Fines Geules
A small Lyonnaise restaurant that has been around since 2012 and whose owner used to work alongside Paul Bocuse. Here we enjoyed traditional Lyonnaise food, including pork leg, stomach stew and of course canel de brochet (which was great). It is no wonder that this is one of the more popular bouchons and as such it is a must to book a table there in advance.
Address
16 Rue Lainerie
Open Hours
שלישי-שבת: 12:00-14:00 19:00-22:00
Sunday-Monday: Closed
Link to the restaurant website
The Three Maries
This is one of the oldest bouchons in Lyon and has been around since the first half of the 20th century. Poets Paul Allure and Louis Arragon, among others, ate here, and what was good for them is surely good for us too 🙂
The food here is excellent and I had a hot dog with pistachios, which was simply delicious. The service was a little slow for my taste, so you have to be patient (so it's better to have a leisurely dinner there than a quick lunch).
Address
1 Rue des Trois-Maries
Days and hours of operation
שלישי-חמישי: 12:00-14:00 19:00-22:00
שישי: 12:00-14:00 ו 19:00-22:30
שבת: 14:30–12:00, 19:00-22:30
ראשון: 14:30–12:00, 19:00-22:00
Monday: Closed
Comedian
A highly recommended Bouchon, located near the Gadagne Museum, which deals with the history of Lyon, and as such can be a great place for lunch. You will find very good food here (the stomach and polenta stew was simply great) and friendly and cheerful service from the owners.
Address
6 rue de la Fronde
Days and hours of operation
Tuesday-Friday: 19:00 PM-23:30 PM
שבת-ראשון: 11:30-14:30 ו 19:00-23:59
Monday: Closed
Cafe du Soleil
This is the first Lyon restaurant I ate at, right after I finished walking around Fourvier Hill. The pate, which you see in the picture, was very good and the cannelloni dish was no less divine, which made me fall in love with it and order it at several other restaurants.
Bouchon is definitely worth a visit.
Address
2 Rue Saint-Georges
Days and hours of operation
Monday and Tuesday: 19:00 PM–22:00 PM
רביעי-שישי: 12:00–14:00, 19:00–22:00
שבת וראשון: 12:00–15:00, 19:00–22:00
Mr. P
So far I have dealt with restaurants with popular Lyonnais food, but before we move on to restaurants with non-Lyonnais food, allow me to recommend one Michelin-starred restaurant to you.
Chef Florent Poulard's Monsieur P is located on Place des Celestines, near the famous theater. Although the restaurant is carnivorous and you can find meat, chicken and fish dishes here, its main fame lies in its treatment of seasonal vegetables and the sophisticated way it treats traditional Lyonnais cuisine.
The price is not cheap, as expected from a restaurant of this level (78-118 euros for dinner, as of September 2022), but in my opinion, the experience is definitely worth it (and if you compare the price to restaurant prices in Israel, you will find that the devil is not so bad).
Address
8 Place des Celestins
Days and hours of operation
שני-שישי: 12:00-13:30 ו 19:30-21:00
Saturday-Sunday: Closed
hongha
Tired of heavy Lyon food? Why not try some Vietnamese food?
At the Hong Ha family restaurant, located in the heart of Lyon, you will find quite a few traditional Vietnamese dishes, such as the spring roll in the photo, and various curry dishes. Everything is fresh and very tasty. The service was also very cordial (no less important). In short, this is an excellent alternative to traditional restaurants, while you are walking around the old city.
Address
21 Rue Saint-Jean
Days and hours of operation
שלישי-שבת: 12:00-14:00 ו 19:00-22:230
Sunday-Monday: Closed
Noble House
If you decide to eat Italian food in Lyon, don't feel guilty. As you know, quite a few Italian merchants came to Lyon, bringing with them not only Renaissance culture but also excellent food, so if you eat Italian food, you can say that you ate Lyonese food 🙂
I got a recommendation for this restaurant from the director of the Museum of Illusions, a nice Italian guy from Sicily who knows a thing or two about Italian food, and it was really good.
I had pasta with dill and chorizo and then cannoli. Both were excellent. A great option if you need a methodical break from the excellent food of Lyon.
Address
3 Pl. de l'Hôpital
Days and hours of operation
Monday: 12: 00-14: 30
שלישי-שבת: 12:00–14:15, 19:30–22:15
Sunday: Closed
From my experience, in August, parking on most streets in Lyon is free.
The links to restaurants cannot be opened.
Too bad. We were left without information about the restaurants: address, and website of each one…..
Fault??? Can it be fixed???
We would be happy if possible.
We will soon arrive in Lyon…
Hi Orit,
There is currently a technical problem with THE FORK's links that will unfortunately last until June 21st.
For now, the only thing recommended is to simply copy the names of the restaurants and search for them on Google.
Best regards,
deer
Hi, the links to the restaurants don't work and it's hard to find another one in Fork because there are identical names like le coq for several places.
Hi Shelly,
Unfortunately, there is a technical glitch at THE FORK that disables the links and there is currently no solution for this. The only thing I can offer as an interim solution is to take the name of the restaurant you liked and search for it on Google.
Best regards
deer
For many years I have been faithfully following the Tour de France……….Excitement, views, the real France, determined riders, simply a delight for all the senses. I don't miss a single Tour. Thanks for the interesting review.
Wonderful. Beautiful writing, educational and enriching.
well done!
Nir
Hey
I would appreciate recommendations for kosher keepers, if possible. Basic kosher, not BDC. Thank you very much.
Unfortunately, I haven't eaten at any kosher restaurants in Lyon, so it's hard for me to recommend. Maybe it's worth renting an apartment and going to one of Lyon's wonderful markets (like the one named after Paul Bocuse), buying products there that are safe for kosher, and cooking in the apartment?
Thank you very much for the comprehensive shutdown. Just a small note-
Monsieur P is an excellent restaurant, but according to the Michelin website it has no stars.
If you had to choose one restaurant in Lyon, which of the ones you reviewed would you recommend?
The Three Maries
Thank you so much
By the way, about two years ago, on a trip to the Alps, we went to a restaurant near Annecy and ordered 4 servings of the Andouille sausage you wrote about. Unfortunately, we didn't read your article. None of us ate more than one bite of this dubious sausage.
To the restaurant's credit, the owner of the restaurant credited us with the cost of the 4 courses!
Have we learned a lesson? Probably not.
Kudos to the restaurant owner. It's really not obvious.
True, we were surprised and for the better.