Lyon has been called both the Gastronomy Capital of France and the World Gastronomic Capital–some titles to hold! It’s also the city in France with the most restaurants per capita and second-most Michelin star restaurants after Paris. 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 city of Lyon, located at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône rivers in southern France, has a long and storied culinary history. During the Middle Ages, Lyon 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, especially at the large fairs and festivals Lyon was known for. The city wasn’t named France’s gastronomic capital until the 20th century, though, when French writer Maurice Edmond Sailland gave it that title in a guidebook.
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.
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Nowadays, though the branches are gone, you’ll find lots of charming restaurants called “bouchons” in Lyon, which have remained true to their roots and where you can go for unpretentious but high-quality, traditional cuisine. “Bouchon” has been an official restaurant term since 1997–in order for a restaurant to be called a bouchon, it must meet a set of standards. Around 40 restaurants in Lyon have this official name and are a quintessential part of the city’s cultural identity.
Some classic bouchons in Lyon include:
- 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.
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-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 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 1965-2019, one of the longest continuous tenures in Michelin history.
Today visitors can indulge in Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse, a gastronomic hub with about 55 merchants selling and service Lyonnaise specialties. A visit should be on your foodie itinerary when visiting the city.
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Lyonnaise cuisine has been shaped by these and other great chefs and is also the product of geographical influences. Showcasing traces of the cuisines from Provence and the Mediterranean to the south and 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 sauteed in butter), a local specialty.
In modern times, Lyon is home to a whopping 18 Michelin-starred restaurants, and is an ideal travel destination for foodies who want to experience the city’s culinary past and present.
Lyon Food Specialties
There are so many traditional Lyon food products and dishes worth sampling during your visit. Here are just a few:
- Mâchon Lyonnais – Mâchon is 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–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 for class differences in the city–there was a basic version of the sausage that commoners ate and then 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 and 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 of 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 then topped with a creamy sauce.
- Poulet au Vinaigre à la Lyonnaise – Here 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,” which shows 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 shortcrust pastry around a filling of pink pralines and heavy cream. You’ll recognize this 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’s then topped with fruit.
No meal is complete without a glass of Beaujolais wine, which is the local red wine made in the region. You can find some vineyards that are about a 30-minute drive outside of the city.
What Awaits on a Lyon Food Tour
Is your mouth watering yet as you read about Lyon’s rich culinary tradition? Well luckily there are several meaningful ways to engage with Lyon’s impressive gastronomic heritage during your visit. On a Lyon food tour, you can dine at classic bouchons and Michelin-starred restaurants alike, 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. That’s because we specialize in luxury, 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 and neighboring European countries, our experts can craft a Lyon food tour you’ll never forget.