Lyon’s urban charm
Bordered by the Rhône and Saône rivers, the city of Lyon, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for over 25 years, boasts a panorama dominated by the majestic Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière. Often described as the gastronomic capital of France, it’s home to more than 5,300 restaurants. Second only to Paris in the number of restaurants per inhabitant, Lyon offers everything from Michelin-starred establishments (17!) to casual bistros and, of course, the famous bouchons.
Lyonnaise cuisine was popularized by the Mères lyonnaises (“Lyon Mothers”), widows of silk workers who began cooking offal on the streets to make a living, as well as by one of their apprentices, the famous chef Paul Bocuse. Decades later, these women’s influence is still felt strongly in the region's cooking.
From the moment we arrived, we dove straight into Lyonnaise gastronomy at Café Terroir, a friendly spot where we tasted the perfect egg to start, roasted pistachio sausage served with a red wine sauce as our main, and then pear poached in red wine to end the meal on a sweet note. And of course, everything was accompanied by excellent bottles of wine. On the first evening, we dined at Palais Grillet, an authentic Lyonnais bouchon, where we were served two classics: a Lyonnaise salad made with lettuce, bacon, croutons and a poached egg, as well as pike quenelles, a fish soufflé dish that has been sold by fishermen at markets since the 14th century. They were served with Nantua sauce, a creamy, crayfish-based sauce.
The next day, we stopped for lunch at Daniel & Denise, a bouchon run by chef Joseph Viola and the recipient of the Meilleur ouvrier de France (“Best Craftsman of France”) award, which is a competition among professionals. On the menu: foie gras, mushroom and sweetbread pâté in a crust, the 2009 winner of the Championnat du monde de pâté-croûte (yes, this exists!), quenelles, chicken tournedos with mushrooms and morel sauce, as well as a pink praline (a Lyon specialty of pink sugar-coated almonds) and an île flottante in a custard sauce.
At Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse, you’ll find the best regional products from around 50 stalls, run by some of the best artisans in France. While there, we sampled praline brioche, coussins (dark chocolate, curaçao and almond paste candies) and numerous dried sausages (rosette de Lyon, Jésus de Lyon and saucisson de Lyon).
Dinner was at Bistrot Têtedoie, by chef Christian Têtedoie, with a panoramic view of the city that was a feast for the eyes. It’s accessible via a funicular, which only enhances the experience. Fun fact: this establishment has a green Michelin star for its ecological efforts. They serve, among other things, a complete vegetarian menu inspired by market cuisine.
“We used to think that the Lyon Mothers represented the bourgeoisie, but they didn’t. They cooked smartly by using the more affordable parts of meat. The bourgeois later hired them, because they heard talk that people ate better on the streets with the Lyon Mothers. La Mère Brazier, the first woman with three Michelin stars, is a good example. These female chefs hired cooks, including Paul Bocuse, who later became the most famous chef in the region.”
- Christian Têtedoie
To finish our gourmet visit of Lyon, we had lunch at Le Grand Réfectoire, a stunning venue with vaulted ceilings, serving a refined and creative French cuisine. We had a soft spot for dessert, which was a giant cream puff filled with caramel, nuts and pastry cream.
Escape to the countryside
After our urban immersion in Lyon, our journey through French soil ends in Beaujolais. Autumn is a favourite season here among tourists in this region, thanks to the striking colours unfolding on the vines. You’ll find country roads bordered by beautiful vineyards and cozy country tables.
We stopped at the charming and picturesque village of Ternand, located less than 30 minutes away from Lyon. This fortified medieval village overlooking the Azergues Valley is a protected historic site. We wandered throughout this quiet place and its golden stone alleys. We then made our way to Oingt, a village considered among the prettiest in France and we quickly understood why. We explored on foot, visited artists’ studios and climbed the donjon tower for breathtaking views of Beaujolais and the Lyonnais mountains. Dinner at La Table du Donjon featured a magnificent view of the village, as well as foie gras, fish and a delicious raspberry-lemon pavlova.
The delightful discoveries continued with a visit to David Large’s organic vineyard. With the help of his father and his spouse, he works steep hillside vines to craft unique wines that are off the beaten path, like a sparkling orange wine we got to try during an outdoor tasting among the vines, allowing us to spend some time with them and act like winemakers for the day.
The tastings continued at Château de Champ-Renard Vineyard, certified organic since 2024 and housed in a castle that dates back to 1250. We discovered ancient oak barrels built in 1765 by the marquis who resided there at the time and decided to convert his castle into a vineyard. Owners Fabienne and Denis live on site.
They possess the first concrete tanks in Beaujolais to make wine. They offer in the foyer of the castle a tasting of their wines and cheese, with a special highlight on the Compté cheese that pairs well with their Chardonnay. That evening, we dined at La Robe rouge, a restaurant where the son is the chef and dad is the winemaker. Every 15 days, the menu changes to highlight seasonal products. The only year-round staple is the veal sweetbreads with cauliflower and a white chocolate emulsion. Our meal also included a starter of fennel, smoked haddock and a caper purée, as well as a double chocolate and black truffle tiramisu.
Since Beaujolais is synonymous with vineyards, it was only natural that we had to visit several. Château de Pizay, soon to celebrate its 1,000th anniversary, offers an entertaining sensory experience in its wine-tasting space. Château de La Chaize is an immense vineyard with the largest wine cellar in the region. Fun fact: its gardener is also the gardener of the Château de Versailles! And, finally, our last stop: Château de Juliénas, certified organic since 2022 and that practices eco-grazing with goats that feed on the grass. On site, you’ll find the oldest wine cellar in Beaujolais, with 100-year-old barrels.
To accompany the appetite-whetting wine route, Le Coq by Marie Dias was recommended to us, where we enjoyed a sublime cod au vin served with the perfect potato purée and a marvelous lemon tart to finish the meal. After a day spent wandering the vineyards, we spent our last evening at Hôtel Villa Alexandre before returning from the golden hues of the French vines to the fall colours on the trees back home.
Lyon:
- • Eat at a bouchon.
- • Walk or bike along the Rhône Quays.
- • Look for traboules, tiny alleyways that connect two streets by passing through a block of houses.
- • Enjoy cheeses, charcuteries and sweets at Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse.
- • Walk the public markets on the Saint-Antoine Quay, Place de la Croix-Rousse and the Berges du Rhône.
- • Take a funicular and visit Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière.
Beaujolais:
- • Visit the villages of Ternand and Oingt.
- • Dine at Le Coq and La Table du Donjon restaurants.
- • Taste wines and cheeses at Château de Champ-Renard.
- • Work the vines at David Large.
- • Visit Château de Pizay, Château La Chaize and Château de Juliénas vineyards.
- • Have dinner at La Robe rouge.
- • Visit Villa Alexandre and Hôtel Royal.
Want to cook the specialities of the region at home? Here are a few recipes:
Thank you to Atout France, Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de la Métropole de Lyon and Tourisme Beaujolais for the warm welcome.