For us, the draw of Lyon has always been its identity as a foodie redoubt. And the only way to truly experience this culture is to immerse yourselves with wonderful Lyon food. That’s what we did for a month last fall, and we loved it.

Bouchons

These are restaurants that specialize in traditional Lyonnaise fare. This type of restaurant dates back to working class of the 19th and early 20th century. Due to their limited budgets, the local women became adept at cooking what was available to them, which mostly meant the less desirable parts of an animal (i.e. organ meats) or bony fish, such as Pike. These traditional dishes are still coveted in Lyon though I must admit they are not for the faint of heart, particularly for those used to hamburgers, chicken breasts, and prime cut steak.

We ate at multiple Bouchons and had the opportunity to try several of the quintessential Lyonnaise dishes:

• Quenelle Lyonnaise with Pike: extremely light in texture, it does not really taste like fish. The sauce is the key.
• Andouillette (tripe): made from strips of pig or veal intestine, often wrapped in colon. This can give the dish a decaying smell, especially when served warm, so often it’s served cold. The dish we had didn’t smell bad at all, and it was served warm. This is usually served warm with a sauce. I personally found the dish quite tasty. I couldn’t image eating it cold.
• Cervelle de Canut: cheese dish often eaten in place of dessert. It tastes somewhat like refined onion dip.
• Black Pudding (aka – Boudin Noir): blood sausage made from pigs’ blood, bread crumbs and spices.
• Saucisson: dry-cured sausage that is a ubiquitous as baguettes throughout Lyon.
• Lyonnaise Salad: another item found most anywhere. It includes frisée lettuce, vinaigrette, pieces of bacon, and is topped with a poached egg. It is quite tasty and often served in a huge portion.

Other Food Options

While eating at a Bouchon is a must in Lyon, they are far from the only the dining option in the city. Lyon has a huge variety of restaurants from modern French cuisine to casual street food to international options from around the world. A few things to remember about the Lyon restaurant scene:

• Most restaurants are open for Lunch (12p-2p) and Dinner (2 sittings 7p-10p)
• Prix Fixe menus are often a great deal at lunch. They typically incude a starter, entre, and drink. Look for restaurants with sign boards promoting dishes offered that day.
• Table reservations are recommended for the more popular restaurants for both lunch and dinner.

Some of our favorite places to eat:
Bouchon / Upscale: Daniel & Denise – wonderful meal, can’t go wrong with any dish
Mid Range: Le Théodore, Ferdinand (excellent for meat lovers)
International: DEB’S Bistro – authentic Indian street food, fantastic!!!
Coffee Shop: Le Perko Café – good coffee and lovely outdoor seating
Bakery: Boulangerie Pâtisserie Du Grand Lyon – tiny shop but the bread was tasty
Beer: Le Welsh Beer Bar – when wine just won’t cut it anymore & you just need a good brew
Beer Hall / Sports Bar: Barabaar Brotteaux – big screens, comfortable seats, good beer, & reasonable food
Food Hall: Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse – indoor market with a large number of sit down eateries plus food vendors. A little pricey, but a fun place to visit.
Outdoor Food Market: La Croix Rousse Market – a must visit on Saturday or Sunday. You can get anything you need for your own delectable dishes at very reasonable prices.

Happy eating!