Lyon, the world’s gastronomic capital, is home to more restaurants per capita than any other city in France and the second-most Michelin-starred restaurants after only Paris. It was back in 1935 when renowned French food critic Curnonsky declared it the world capital of gastronomy, and it’s a title that Lyon has managed to hang on to ever since.
So, how did this relatively small city become so famous for its food, and what kind of culinary adventures can travelers expect to find when visiting? Read on!
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History of Food in Lyon, the World’s Gastronomic Capital
Lyon has a long and storied culinary history. During the Middle Ages, the city was an important center for trade, thanks to its strategic location at the juncture of two important rivers.
As merchants brought their goods through the city, the area began to develop a reputation for its culinary prowess, thanks in large part to the elaborate fairs and festivals Lyon was known for. As noted, it wasn’t named France’s gastronomic capital until the 20th century, when French food critic and writer Maurice Edmond Sailland, better known as Curnonsky, gave it that title in a guidebook.
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The Bouchon
One of the most important parts of Lyon’s culinary legacy is the bouchon, a traditional, tavern-style eatery unique to the city. Bouchons originated with 16th-century innkeepers, who were permitted by royal decree to serve wine alongside food in simple restaurants that catered to travelers and workers. To let customers know they were open for business, the innkeepers would hang bundles of tree branches on the door. Bouchon is the French word for these bundles.
Though the branches are gone, you’ll find lots of charming restaurants called “bouchons” in Lyon today, which have remained true to their roots, offering an unpretentious setting for dining on high-quality, traditional cuisine. Bouchon has been an official restaurant term since 1997. For a restaurant to be called a bouchon, it must meet a strict set of standards. Around 40 restaurants in Lyon have this official name and are a quintessential part of its cultural identity.
Some classic bouchons in Lyon include:
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- Le Poelon d’Or – a cozy bistro serving traditional Lyonnaise dishes since 1960. Its ceiling is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
- La Meuniere – Nestled in the Presqu’ile, it has been serving traditional cuisine for over 100 years. ·
- La Mere Lea – a very authentic bouchon near Place des Jacobins with views of the Fourvière.
The ‘Les Mère Lyonnaise’
Over the years, Lyon has also been home to a number of big-name chefs, many of whom are women. In Lyon, these women were often known as “Les Mère Lyonnaise,” the French word for mother, an honorary title given to professional chefs who had no formal training. It was the Mères who shaped Lyon’s culinary culture in the 18th to 20th centuries. Under their influence, Lyon became famous for its gastronomy.
The best-known among the Mères is certainly Eugénie Brazier, called the “mother of French cuisine” for the important role she played in France’s culinary history. In 1933, Brazier was the first chef to receive six Michelin stars in the Michelin Guide. Just 13 years later, Brazier hired Paul Bocuse, a young chef who would go on to be nicknamed “the pope of gastronomy” and was even called “chef of the century” by the Culinary Institute of America. He was a brilliant chef but also an ambassador of French cuisine. His flagship restaurant held three Michelin-starred restaurants from 1965 to 2019, one of the longest continuous tenures in Michelin history.
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Lyon, the World’s Gastronomic Food Capital Today
Lyonnaise cuisine today has been shaped by many great chefs and is also the product of geographical influences. It showcases traces of cuisine from Provence and the Mediterranean to the south, as well as Alsace to Lorraine in the north. When a dish is called “à la Lyonnaise,” in French, that typically means it is prepared with onions (often sautéed in butter), a local specialty.
The city is now home to an astounding 18 Michelin-starred restaurants. It’s an ideal travel destination for foodies who want to experience the city’s culinary past and present.
Visitors can not only dine in some of the best fine dining restaurants, but also indulge in a wide range of delicious flavors at Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse, a gastronomic hub with about 55 merchants selling and serving Lyonnaise specialties. A visit is a must for any foodie itinerary when visiting Lyon, the world’s food capital.
Lyon Food Specialties
There are so many traditional Lyon food products and dishes worth sampling during your visit. These are just a few:
- Mâchon Lyonnais – Mâchon is a traditional bouchon breakfast fare and typically consists of several different preparations of offal paired with wine. That might include tripe, liver, cheese, and other hearty dishes, which are actually much better than they sound!
- Saucisson Chaud – This type of cured pork sausage is one of Lyon’s best-known and has been around since the 19th century. During that time, it was a symbol of class differences in the city. There was a basic version of the sausage that commoners ate and a version made with truffles that was a luxury product for the upper classes.
- Rosette Lyonnaise – Rosette is another famous dried Lyonnaise sausage, made with pork, garlic, wine, and spices, left to age for several weeks to allow flavors to develop. It’s often served as part of an appetizer plate and paired with Beaujolais wine.
- Salade Lyonnaise – Lyon’s take on salad includes frisée or other bitter greens, combined with lardons (small bits of crunchy bacon) and croutons, topped with a poached egg and doused in vinaigrette made of bacon fat, shallots, vinegar, and Dijon mustard.
- Saucisson de Lyon Brioché – In this beloved Lyonnaise dish, you’ll find sausage coated in pistachios that is then baked inside a loaf of brioche. It’s served sliced and washed down with Beaujolais.
- La Quenelle – Thought to originate as a German dumpling called knödel, quenelle is a mousse cake made with pike fish and topped with a creamy sauce.
- Poulet au Vinaigre à la Lyonnaise – This is another traditional bouchon dish, and an example of the hearty, everyday cooking Lyon is known for. It consists of chicken cooked in a tangy, creamy sauce made with red wine vinegar.
- Cervelle de Canut – The name of this dish means “silk worker’s brain. It reveals how Lyon’s upper classes looked down on the lower-class silk workers in the 19th century. It’s made with fromage blanc, a type of cheese similar to cream cheese, that is seasoned with herbs, shallots, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper and served as a dip or spread.
- Tarte à la Praline – This traditional Lyonnaise tart is made with a short crust pastry with a filling of pink pralines and heavy cream. You’ll recognize the dessert by its pink color and nutty flavor.
- Vacherin – Not to be confused with the cheese by the same name, this typical dessert is meringue with ice cream or sorbet that is topped with fruit.
No meal is complete without a glass of Beaujolais wine, which is the local red wine made in the region. You’ll find wineries and vineyards for tasting only about a 30-minute drive outside of the city.
What Awaits on a Lyon Food Tour
Is your mouth watering as you read about Lyon, the world’s gastronomic capital? Well, good news. There are several meaningful ways to engage with Lyon’s impressive gastronomic heritage during your visit.
Lyon food tours offer the chance to dine at classic bouchons and Michelin-starred restaurants alike. You might take a cooking class to learn the techniques behind the city’s most important dishes, or even go on a day trip to the nearby vineyards of Beaujolais to learn more about this famous wine and how it has played a role in Lyon’s storied food culture.
With LuxEurope, you can make all your Lyon food dreams come true as we specialize in luxury, offering personalized itineraries to all the top destinations in Europe. Whether you want to stay and delight in Lyon’s culinary wonders for an extended trip or combine it with a visit to other parts of France, like Basque Country, which spills into Spain, our experts can craft a Lyon food tour you’ll never forget.