Lyon, France: the best places to eat and drink
Organic wines, fantastic markets and traditional, regional cooking make France's gastronomic capital, Lyon, a must-visit. Marjorie Fenestre, a Lyon local and food blogger, shares the best places to eat and drink in the French city.
Cuisine Lyonnaise
The city is known for its bouchons – simple, owner-run restaurants serving traditional dishes – and La Meunière has remained true to its origins, with a menu that includes pâté- croûte, quenelles, and tablier de sapeur (a local tripe dish). Eat alongside a 'pot' of beaujolais. (11 rue Neuve, 00 33 4 782 86 291)
Lessons in bistronomy
Bold combinations of lesser-known ingredients lend Palégrié’s head chef, Guillaume Monjuré, his unique style. The menu changes every day, but typical dishes include duck heart tartare with mushrooms and pine needles. (palegrie.fr)
Reach for the stars
Takao Takano’s Michelin-starred cuisine is seductively delicate and exceptionally precise. The chef takes a traditional French repertoire and infuses it with a flavour of Japan. Expect plates of poached crayfish in a fragrant, Asian-inspired sauce served with garlic flowers. (takaotakano.com)
A speakeasy
Cool off with a Russian Clover, made with vodka, strawberry syrup and lemon juice, at l’Antiquaire, a rendezvous for cocktail lovers. (20, rue Hippolyte Flandrin, 00 33 634 215 465)
To market
The city’s best food producers including bakers, cheesemongers, wine merchants, and anything else you might need, can be found at Halles de Lyon. Start by filling your bag with rosette (cured sausage) from Sibilia and macarons by Sève. (halles-de-lyon-paulbocuse.com)
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A culinary legend
Don’t even think about visiting Lyon without paying homage to Paul Bocuse, who is among the chefs credited with inventing nouvelle cuisine. Book a table well in advance at L’Est, where you can sample classic French dishes including waffles just like the ones every French grandmother used to make. (nordsudbrasseries.com/lest)
Organic wines
Visit Ô Vins d’Ange and enjoy a trip by the glass through France’s organic vineyards. Order a cheeseboard or a plate of cured meats to go with it; the cured sausage from Chavassieux is extraordinarily good. (ovinsdanges.free.fr/ovinsdanges4)
Burger heaven
At Les Frangins the buns are pillow-soft and the chips fabulously crunchy. Order the Captain Jack - the beef is marinated in Jack Daniel's. (9 rue des Marronniers, 00 33 624 154 147)
just desserts
Kitchen Café is the place to savour desserts worthy of a fine dining restaurant in a relaxed atmosphere. Fancy a millefeuille? They’ll whip it up in an instant; the same for a chocolate mousse, or nougatine with caramel ice cream. (34, rue Chevreul, 00 33 603 364 275)
caffeine kick
If you’re a coffee purist, head straight to Café Mokxa. From the choice of bean to the roast, nothing has been left to chance here, as you can tell the moment your lips sink into the foam on your latte. (cafemokxa.com)
a temple to chocolate
Bernachon is one of the rare French chocolatiers that makes its own chocolate; the result is an aroma of cocoa enveloping its boutique and adjoining tearoom, luring clients towards the extraordinary chocolate eclairs or the signature Gâteau President. (bernachon.com)
a meal with a view
At the Terrasse de l’Antiquaille, high on Fourvière hill, you’ll have the whole city of light sparkling below you as you dine. Specialising in grilled food, the kitchen is as exceptional as the view. Try the hanger steak or the scallops and prawns. (tetedoie.com/terrasse)
chilled thrills
In the heart of Lyon’s Old Town, Terre Adélice sells an impressive range of handmade ice-creams. Go for one of the more unusual flavours - basil, lavender, smoky bacon or Armagnac. (terre-adelice.eu)
master baker
To savour a real, handmade, oh-so-buttery croissant make your way to Partisan Boulanger. (2, rue du Chariot d'Or, no phone)
sweet treats
In the charming Passage de L’Argue, Violette & Berlingot is filled from floor to ceiling with traditional homemade sweets. Don’t leave town without trying the fig or gingerbread caramels. (violette-berlingot.com)
Where to stay
It took four years and 800 craftspeople to restore the iconic 18th-century building that houses the Hotel Dieu. You don’t have to be an overnight guest to enjoy the surroundings (which also stretch to shops and a food-focussed exhibition space) but the InterContinental Lyon – Hotel Dieu at its heart is worth a visit in its own right. Order a glass of burgundy at the hotel’s gleaming alabaster bar, beneath a 72-metre-high dome, or sit on the restaurant’s leafy terrace and enjoy chef Mathieu Charrois’ signature take on local fish dish, pike quenelle.
Doubles from £261 per night, check availability at ihg.com or booking.com
Published in June 2015
Photographs: Getty, Alamy, Nicolas Villion
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