A few weeks back, we started with the first part of our FoodCrafters guide to Lyon, showing you some of Lyon’s most amazing Bouchons. Of course, we also tried other restaurants and wanted to share the ones we loved the most! They are really creative, usually run by young and talented chefs who have been classically trained and are making amazing food. We loved the spirit and amazing atmosphere created by these chefs and their staff. All their ingredients are carefully selected from local markets and almost every restaurant has its own wine or cheese provider not far away.
No wonder why Lyon is called the French capital of food!
Takao Takano
They recently received their first Michelin star and it is well deserved, such an impeccable restaurant! Lunch there is a total bargain, but make sure you book it well in advance. The food was simple, smart, delicious, the cooking and service was at highest standards, and the produce incredibly fresh. The food is unarguably French, but with a subtle Japanese touch in some flavours and platings. If you have to choose only one place to eat in Lyon, make it this one.
Takao Takano, 33 Rue Malesherbes, 69006 Lyon
Le Palégrié
Our second “most favourite ever restaurant in Lyon” we truly fell in love with is Le Palégrié. The food is excellent, chef Guillaume Monjuré is fun and creative and knows well how to highlight the quality of the products. The wine selection was absolutely terrific too! The Palégrié exemplifies perfectly what bistronomy is all about: excellent food and products from small regional producers, all cooked to perfection. The food we would love to eat every day, so can’t recommend it enough!
Le Palégrié, 8 Rue Palais Grillet, 69002 Lyon
M Restaurant
A block away from Takao Takano, you’ll find the M Restaurant. French, with a creative and modern twist – everything was delicious, elegant, and perfectly cooked. Although the photos don’t do it justice, the food is definitely worth a visit!
M Restaurant, 47 Avenue Maréchal Foch, 69006 Lyon
Comptoir Thomas
A small and vibrant plancha restaurant, here you will get fresh seafood and meats prepared simply on the grill. Unlike the others, food here is more tapas-style, yet delicious. Wines were excellent too! Just next door they also have a more sophisticated restaurant (we didn’t try it out), a wine cellar and a tapas bar, where we had a few extra drinks. Great atmosphere!
Restaurant & Comptoir Thomas, 6/8/3/1 rue Laurencin 69002, Lyon
Le Comptoir d’Ainay
This is another bistronomic address in town. The entrées were good and fresh (think salmon tartare with horseradish and lentils), the mains were really excellent (Plume of Iberico pig, a very tasty fish & shrimps stew), and the chocolate desert absolutely amazing (a crunchy fondant au chocolat with a nougatine overload)! A great choice for a good week day dinner.
Le Comptoir d’Ainay, 1 Rue Auguste Comte, 69002 Lyon
Le Jean Moulin
The dishes prepare by chef Grégoire Baratier and his team were lively, tasteful, and colourful and utterly delicious. Their local selection of cheeses is also quite impressive, we’ll never forget the St-Marcellin de la Mère Richard, which was excellent, but extremely powerful in taste (definitely not for a novice in strong French cheese!). You could say this was a high-end bouchon, with typically Lyonnais specialties such as the sweetbreads (yum!!), and a very smart parfait glacé au vin jaune et mousse de cèpes (which was a sweet play on the classic chicken and morels in Vin Jaune sauce).
Le Jean Moulin, 22 Rue Gentil, 69002 Lyon
L’Instant Fromage
This is Lyon’s only bar à Fromage. A concept you can only fall in love with! You pick the cheeses you want from the daily selection on the board (or let the staff choose for you), do the same for the meats (sausages, cured hams), and finally you pick your wine. Friendly and knowledgeable staff, a terrific atmosphere, this is the ideal place to start a long night out.
L’Instant Fromage, 31 Rue Sainte-Hélène, 69002 Lyon
Pléthore and Balthazar
This flashy restaurant in the center of Lyon remains an excellent bang for your buck. The interior design is great, the food was perfectly cooked, and the portions very generous. They clearly have a proper wine selection as well. If you’ve tried all the places above, this one should be next on your to eat list.
Pléthore and Balthazar, 72 Rue Mercière, 69002 Lyon
So yes, we know we’ve missed many other delicious places, but it feels like we never spend enough time in Lyon! Please share in the comments any other restaurant we have to try next time we’re in town (and hopefully, early enough)!
In our next article, we’ll be talking about the shops & cafés in Lyon, so stay tuned!
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