Eating in Lyon
Restaurants have their menus with prices displayed outside. As everywhere in France, the prices always include service, bread and tap water (ask for a carafe of water). Tipping is rare and only expected if you are particularly satisfied with the service. This is especially true in budget or mid-range restaurants, maybe less so in expensive places where it may be considered more appropriate; nothing is compulsory, though. Typical tips depend, of course, on the price of the menu and your level of satisfaction but they are generally not as high as in the US, for example. If you pay by credit card and wish to add a tip, you can tell the person in charge how much he/she should charge your card.
Meal times are generally 12PM-2PM for lunch and 7:30PM-10PM for dinner. Visitors from areas such as North America and Northern Europe might be surprised to find many places still closed at their usual dinner times. Places offering all-day service are located in tourist areas, and are unlikely to serve quality fresh food. Late-night service is quite rare in quality restaurants, but you can always get the usual fast-food or kebab.
The traditional restaurants in Lyon are called bouchons; the origin of the word is unclear (it literally means "cork"). They appeared at the end of the 19th century and flourished in the 1930s, when the economic crisis forced wealthy families to fire their cooks, who opened their own restaurants for a working-class clientele. These women are referred to as mères (mothers); the most famous of them, Eugénie Brazier, became one of the first chefs to be awarded three stars (the highest ranking) by the famous Michelin gastronomic guide. She also had a young apprentice called Paul Bocuse. Eating in a good bouchon is certainly a must-do. They serve the typical local dishes:
salade lyonnaise (Lyon salad): green salad with bacon cubes, croutons and a poached egg;
saucisson chaud: a hot, boiled sausage; can be cooked with red wine (saucisson beaujolais) or in a bun (saucisson brioché);
quenelle de brochet: dumpling made of flour and egg with pike fish and a crayfish sauce (Nantua sauce);
tablier de sapeur: marinated tripes coated with breadcrumbs then fried, even locals often hesitate before trying it;
andouillette: sausage made with chopped tripes, usually served with a mustard sauce;
gratin dauphinois: the traditional side dish, oven-cooked sliced potatoes with cream;
cervelle de canut (canut brain): fresh cheese with garlic and herbs.
rognons de veau à la moutarde: veal kidneys in a mustard sauce. Delicious and textural experience.
These dishes are very tasty. They were originally workers' food, so they are generally fat and the portions are usually quite big. The quality is very variable since the bouchons are one of the main tourist attractions of the city. A good tip: never trust big signs reading "Véritable bouchon lyonnais" (genuine bouchon) or with a list of typical dishes on the front window. Those who need to write this are most often tourist traps. In tourist areas, most notably Rue St Jean, pay extra care and stick to trustworthy recommendations if possible. And if someone on the street tries to get you into a restaurant, run. A good bouchon, however, offers very good value for money.
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Good bouchons?
A local association awarded the "Authentique bouchon lyonnais" label to 22 restaurants all over town (but mostly on Presqu'île), considering the quality of their food and wine, the typicity of their decor and the owner's strong personality. They have a metal plate on their façade representing Gnafron, Guignol's friend, with his glass of Beaujolais.
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In bouchons and other lower- to mid-range restaurants, basic wines can be served by the pot, a typical bottle containing 46 cl and filled from a cask or wine box. The smaller fillette (little girl) contains 28 cl. This is definitely cheaper than a 75 cl bottle, but the quality is not always guaranteed...
Lyon was named "capital of gastronomy" by the great gastronomic writer Curnonsky in 1935; at that time there were no exotic restaurants, no diets and nobody was talking about fusion cuisine or bistronomy. Fortunately, the local gastronomy has considerably evolved since then and there is now far more to dining in Lyon than the bouchons. Kebab shops, Asian food, bistros, three-star restaurants: Lyon has them all.
The locals are generally fond of eating out and the best places get known quickly by word of mouth. Moreover, the restaurants are quite small on average. It is strongly advised to book a table, especially for dinner, otherwise you may end up in one of the multiple tourist traps. Since many good local chefs seem to enjoy a good family weekend, there are a lot more interesting options on weekdays.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Lyon
