About a month ago, I was hating the cold Canadian weather and took a mental vacation back to sunny days when we were in Lyon. I posted Lyon: 10 To See. Missed it? You can read it here. With any city, one of the greatest joys of discovering it is through food. While Lyon may be the third largest city in France, it is the biggest city when it comes to gastronomy. Don’t believe me? It is said that there are more Michelin stars on the (aptly named) Rue du Boeuf in Lyon than there are in Paris. (Not true by the way, but there are an impressive three restaurants on this small street with 1 Michelin star each.) In the city of Lyon, there are fourteen 1 Michelin starred spots, four 2 starred locations and one spot that holds 3 stars. A further twenty-three locations are “Bib Gourmand” (or, as they are now called, “Michelin Plate”) selections.
In a city like this, where and what do you eat? On a recent trip, Pete and I tried to discover just that. I know, it’s a tough job, but these are the sacrifices we are willing to make for TFC readers!
One of the specialties of Lyon is the praline. They really love their pralines in Lyon. There are different types of pralines, including the brown-sugary better-known version, which was invented in another French food city, New Orleans. The people of Lyon have created a unique pink version and made it their own!
Buy a bag of the pink sugared almonds – said to be created by a Lyonnais pastry chef so inspired by the colour of the 18th-century roses in Rhone that he tinted his pralines pink – and munch away!
Or, is there better way to start your morning off than with a praline brioche?! (Special thanks to my friend Grayce for insisting I eat this when I was in Lyon.)
If you find this a touch too sweet for your liking stop reading this post immediately you may want to start with some other traditional French yummies – croissants and pain au chocolate! Flakey and delicious, and made fresh every day!
Pâté en croûte! A terraine (baked) pate in pastry. Need I say more? Let’s not forget it comes serves with crunchy grainy mustard, mini cornichons and mini pickled onions!
Quenelles – you know Pete had these – these can best be described as a souffléed pike dumpling. The versions Pete had were baked in a crayfish cream sauce (Daniel e Denise) and in a Normandy sauce (Paul Bocuse). Some places make this by using minced or creamed fish, chicken or meat, sometimes breadcrumbs, and bind it together with an egg. It’s basically an oval-shaped fish dumpling which is one of the most popular and famous Lyonnais meals.
Steak tartare. This may one of my favourite dishes. Freshly-ground meat perfectly seasoned with capers and chives. So good! 
Cheese. I’m looking at you, my friend Jana, when I say, “I love cheese”! I may be hard pressed to find more spectacular cheese carts than those in France, and particularly in Lyon.
Chocolate! There are so many chocolate shops in Lyon. We loved these little barrel-shaped chocolates from François Gimenez. They are small, right? Can’t have too many calories. They were much too cute to pass up! 
Meringues! How can you resist these pretties? 
Macarons (not to be confused with macaroons – only one vowel off!). I’ve tried to make these and they are incredibly difficult! Mine turned out like ugly monsters. 
(You thought I was kidding. Aren’t these hideous?) 
Clearly, my monsters are not like the beauties you can buy in Lyon which you can buy in a rainbow of colours.
For lunch or dinner, you have to stop by and eat at one of the many bouchons or take advantage of the fantastic selection of Michelin-starred spots. Warning: while these dinners are delicious, they are not for the calorie adverse. Pete and I joked around that each Michelin star we ate at added a pound – you have been warned.
What’s a bouchon you ask? While the name literally translate to “cork”, this is a typical Lyonnais restaurant. Here are some of the spots we frequented while we were there which we highly recommend.
Daniel e Denise (this bouchon was awarded the Michelin Plate): The Michelin guide describes this as “A stone’s throw from Cathédrale St-Jean, this Old Town bouchon is run by chef Joseph Viola (Meilleur Ouvrier de France in 2004), already known for Daniel and Denise in the 3rd arrondissement. On the menu, traditional Lyon cuisine to delight fans.” We loved the fact that the restaurant had several menu options and Prixe Fixes. 
I had the “Formule Déjeuner (€21 – available for lunch Tuesday to Friday) which let me choose the suggestion of the day, which was the amazing Steak Tartare and a dessert. Pete had the “Menu de Saison” (€33) and enjoyed the Pâté en croûte (which was a World Champion 2009 winner and combined foie gras and sweetbread pâté in pastry), La Quenelle de brochet à la Lyonnaise and a dessert.
Les Loges (awarded 1 Michelin star, located in our hotel, Cour des Loges): “Time seems to have stood still in this enchanting and romantic setting. Find a Florentine courtyard ringed by three floors of galleries and crowned by a contemporary glass ceiling. Savour the refined and inventive cuisine with flickering candlelight adding a final touch.” 
We I loved the romance of the room, the multi-course tasting menu, the stunning cheese cart and the Chartreuse on the after-dinner drinks cart. 
We had the “Menu Les Loges” which was 6 courses and little bonus petit fours (€145 includes service).
Paul Bocuse Restaurant (awarded 3 Michelin stars): “The great chef is no more, but his presence continues to illuminate this noble temple of gastronomy, an institution of old-style service. The dishes are representative of every region of France. The mythical chef has taken his place in history, and what better accolade than those three Michelin stars held since 1965!” We enjoyed the theatre of the home of France’s most famous chef who was voted Chef of the Century and the Pope of Haute Cuisine. I have to also say that he is a marketing genius. Every item in the restaurant is not only branded, but for sale. They had an incredible dessert cart (I recommend the Baba au Rhum, Pete the marzipan-topped Princess Torte) as well as what was, perhaps, the most incredible cheese carts I have ever seen. 
We had the “Menu Classique” (€175), which was 5 courses, plus some added bonus courses. The Fricassee of Bresse Chicken in Cream Sauce with Morel Mushrooms was spectacular. (A thank you also for the kitchen tour!)
Daniel e Denise: 32 Rue Tramassac, 69005 Lyon, https://danieletdenise.fr/en/booking/: Open Tueday – Saturday 12:00pm – 2:00pm (except Saturday 12:00pm – 1:30pm) and 7:00pm – 9:30 pm (closed Sunday and Monday)
Les Loges: 6 Rue du Bœuf, 69005 Lyon, contact@courdesloges.com: Open evenings Tuesday – Saturday (7:30 pm to 9:15 pm) and Sundays (also open for lunch). Annual closure: 28 July to 22 August.
Paul Bocuse: 40 Quai de la Plage 69660 Collonges au Mont d’Or, https://www.bocuse.fr/en/paul-bocuse-restaurant.html or reservation@bocuse.fr: Open daily 12:00pm – 1:45pm and 8pm – 9:45pm NOTE: Elegant casual wear (jacket & trousers) is required for men.
I would eat those monsters! They look good to me!
Haha! Too kind. I will admit that they looked awful but tasted great! Definitely would not be “store worthy”.