Every food enthusiast hopes to someday get to Lyon, the city voted as the gastronomic capital of France. Even before you arrive, you may wonder what to eat in Lyon.

Lyon is called the “stomach” of the country—a moniker especially notable since France is one of the most food-centric countries in the world.

If you’re lucky enough to be heading to this food-lovers heaven, you’re probably interested in learning more about its culinary riches, including advice on what to eat in Lyon. Some experiences are not-to-be-missed!

The culinary riches of Lyon

Located at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône Rivers in the fertile Rhônes-Alpes region of France, Lyon is the birthplace of legendary Chef Paul Bocuse, affectionately called Monsieur Paul.

Twice named “Chef of the Century” by the Culinary Institute of America, Bocuse (who died in 2018 at the age of 92) is credited with popularizing nouvelle cuisine. His namesake restaurant at Collonges-au-Mont-d’Or (about 20 minutes from the center of Lyon, by Uber or taxi) has held three Michelin stars since 1965.

It’s a bucket list, must-visit experience for anyone who loves fine dining.

The numerous culinary and catering schools found in and around Lyon serve as training grounds for young chefs and restaurateurs around the world.

Its indoor and outdoor markets, nestled throughout the city, showcase the poultry, wine, fruits, vegetables and cheeses enjoyed both by visitors and Lyonnais locals.

With thousands of eateries (including bistros, brasseries, bouchons, and restaurants) and well as other food experiences, navigating this culinary mecca and figuring out where and what to eat in Lyon can be daunting. 

Although we have yet to experience a bad meal in Lyon, we are always frustrated because we’re only able to get a small “taste” of what Lyon has to offer each time we visit.

11 Tips for eating your way through Lyon

Here are 11 tips we’ve learned to help travelers eat their way through the city:

Do some research before your trip

The choices in Lyon are overwhelming. According to the Alliance Française de Lyon, the city has 4,300 restaurants.

With so many to choose from and only a finite number of meals that will fit in your itinerary, it’s prudent to do some research before you go.

You want to select a mix of culinary experiences that will fit your budget and satiate your palate.

Lyon offers classic menus, contemporary ones, and a range of ethnic cuisines. The city currently has three two-star Michelin restaurants (Mere Brazier, Takao Takano, and Le Neuvieme Art), 12 one-star Michelin restaurants, and 12 one-star Michelin restaurants, and 12 up and coming Bib Gourmand restaurants. In addition, two restaurants in Lyon have earned coveted Green Stars.

This number of Michelin stars places Lyon at the top of the list above all other cities in France!  

Reading magazine articles, guidebooks, blogs, and restaurant reviews on sites like TripAdvisor is essential to make informed choices.

Download this essential app

Check out “TheFork “and download the app on your smartphone. TheFork is the leading online restaurant booking and discovery platform that allows you to find restaurants in major cities in Europe and Australia.

Now owned by TripAdvisor, TheFork is the equivalent of OpenTable.com. Users can read reviews, pinpoint restaurant locations on a map, and make reservations. (Making online reservations can be a godsend if your French conversational skills are limited.) The site also offers a way to collect discounts (called Yum points) for making reservations.

Check opening hours

Bear in mind that hours of operation for most eateries in Lyon tend to be more “fixed” than in the U.S.

Many restaurants are closed on Sundays and Mondays and the hours between lunch and dinner. Most restaurants open for dinner after 7:30 PM.

Enhance your culinary vocabulary

Download Google Translate on your phone to help you translate unfamiliar food words or phrases from menus. (Some restaurants also provide English menus but it’s more interesting to learn about French dishes in the mother tongue).

Be sure to sample the specialty foods for which Lyon is best known

Be sure to try as many specialty foods as possible from the region. These foods for which Lyon is known worldwide, to name a few, represent some of the not-to-be-missed suggestions of what to eat in Lyon:

• Saint-Marcellin cheese

  (a soft, delicate, goat milk cheese),

• Bresse chicken

  (considered the best, these chickens have an “appellation d’origine controlee” status,

• Lyonnaise salad

  (frisée lettuce topped with a poached egg, thick bacon and a warm vinaigrette dressing),

• Saucisson brioche

  (sausage baked in pastry dough)

• Cervelle de Canut

This delicious herbed cheese spread is another specialty of Lyon. Literally, Cervelle de Canut translates to “silk worker’s brain,” named for the city’s silk workers. Typically eaten at breakfast or at the end of a meal, it’s made with butter, milk and onions.

• Quenelles 

        (pike dumplings with a Béchamel and crayfish sauce),

• Tarte Lyonnaise

        (a characteristic red praline tart),

• Andouillette

  (strongly-flavored sausages made from pig intestines and tripe),

• Pate en croute

       (cooked pate in a pastry crust).

If you like any form of organ meats, including liver, you will be in hog heaven because this delicacy, including foie gras, can be found on many menus in Lyon.

What is Lyonnaise food?

Some people ask what the meaning of the term Lyonnaise food.

While the term Lyonnaise is used colloquially to describe the food specialties of Lyon, it also has a specific definition in terms of a cooking style/technique.

Lyonnaise food is typically a dish garnished with onions, Lyonnaise potatoes being one example of a classic dish prepared this way.

Drink local

Pair your meals with very affordable local wines (usually Beaujolais or Côtes-du-Rhône).

In many casual restaurants, if you order “Le Pot Lyonnais,” your wine will be served in a 46 cl. carafe (roughly one-pint bottle)with a weighted glass bottom. It’s a bit more wine than a half-carafe in the States and for those who have trouble finishing an entire bottle, it’s totally right-sized.

The legal drinking age in France is 18 years of age, both for purchase and consumption.

Head to a bouchon

Be sure to eat in at least one bouchon. These rustic eateries, usually family-owned, are only found in Lyon.

Steeped in history, silk traders once stopped at bouchons to groom their horses and get a bite to eat. The Chamber of Commerce certifies those that are authentic by placing a seal in their windows with the emblem Les Buchan’s Lyonnais. Dishes are delicious and very hearty, somewhat akin to comfort foods.

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Learn more about bouchons in my article: What is a Lyonnaise Bouchon?

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Indulge your sweet tooth

Have a sweet tooth? Step into one of the Voisin Chocolate stores scattered throughout the city. These artisanal chocolates have been made in Lyon since 1897.

The most famous Voisin confectionary is the Coussin de Lyon, beautifully displayed in green velvet wrapping in many shop windows.

The candy inside is also green with a chocolate ganache center (laced with a touch of curaçao liqueur) and a thin coating of almond paste.

Tour and eat your way through the fabulous food markets

Make sure you visit several markets and arrive there with an appetite. Vendors usually hand out samples and you’ll certainly be tempted to purchase a snack.

Saint Antoine Market is one of the largest and most impressive, and it’s open every day except Monday. Located along one bank of the Saône River, only a short walk from Place Bellecour (the public square), it offers incredible views of the Basilica on Fourvière Hill.

The finest fresh and cooked foods (including rotisserie chickens, sausages, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, pastries, and fresh flowers) are beautifully displayed. As a kid, Chef Daniel Boulud used to shop at this market with his father.

Book a food tour (or two)

Especially if your visit is brief, a food tour of the city offers a great primer for learning about Lyonnais history and traditions and the chance to sample various foods and garner advice about what to eat in Lyon.

Lyon Food Tour offers small group tours of Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon) and the Halles de Lyon market.

All the tours are led by personable locals who introduce participants to food artisans and iconic food emporiums. The tours can be booked at the Lyon Tourist Office. Our tour of Old Lyon included 10 memorable stops.

Sample a machon brunch

According to Tasting Table, a site for food and drink enthusiasts, COVID-19 has fostered the rebirth of an old Lyonnaise tradition, the machon.

Similar to an English breakfast, it is a meat-heavy meal breakfast that’s somewhat akin to an English Breakfast. Even though it’s an early morning meal, it’s typically washed down (generously) with local wines.

The OnlyLyon website lists some eateries where you can indulge in this unique type of meal: Le Vivarais Le Poêlon d’Or, Le Café du Peintre, and La Meunière.

Be sure to check the websites of the respective eateries because the availability is limited to certain days of the week or month.

Reserve a seat for the meal of a lifetime

Although there are five brasseries and two restaurants in the city that bear the Bocuse name, for the meal of a lifetime don’t miss the opportunity to dine at Collonges-au-Mont-d’Or.

The food, service and setting are unbeatable.

And One Last Suggestion Beyond What To Eat in Lyon:

Pace yourself. There are only so many meals in a day, even for the most earnest food lover.

And, in addition to the wonderful gastronomy, take time to enjoy all the art, history and culture that’s also so abundant in Lyon.

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All photo credits: Jerome Levine, unless otherwise noted.

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Worth Reading: More information on what To eat in Lyon

Market Visit: Carnot Market in Lyon, France

Market Visit: Saint Antoine Market in Lyon, France

What Is A Lyonnaise Bouchon?

• In GQ: Lyon is the Real Capital of French Food

• On MTTT: What to Do in Lyon: A Guide for First-Timers

• On OnlyLyon: The Cuisine of Lyon and Culinary Visit in Lyon

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