11 hours ago
The 21 best restaurants in Lyon
Lyon is a born-and-bred gourmand and deciding where to dine in the city that has been lauded as France 's gastronomic capital for decades can be challenging. Be it earthy street market or food truck, on-trend millennial neo-bistro or Michelin-starred haute-cuisine restaurant, the choice is rich. All budgets are well catered for too – most restaurants serve a cheaper lunchtime formule or menu (fixed two- or three-course meal), making midi (midday) a prime time to indulge in an excellent-value meal.
Sampling an iconic andouillette (tripe sausage), tablier de sapeur ('fireman's apron' or panse, breaded and pan-fried) or other old-timer offal dish in a Lyonnais bouchon (bistro) is a Lyonnais rite of passage. French cuisine is no longer the only option, Lyon 's world table is notably rich, and a delightfully burgeoning vegetarian dining scene buzzes with creativity.
All our recommendations below have been hand selected and tested by our resident destination expert to help you discover the best restaurants in Lyon. Find out more below, or for more Lyon inspiration, see our guides to the city's best hotels, bars and things to do.
Find restaurants by type:
Best all rounders
Best for families
Best for cheap eats
Best for fine dining
Best for walk ins
Best all rounders
Le Grand Réfectoire
With its soul-soaring vaulted stone ceiling, wood panelling and stained-glass windows, there is no mistaking where you are: in the cavernous heart and soul of Lyon's historic Grand Hôtel Dieu. Sit at the central zinc bar for a God-like view of the medieval hospital's entire refectory. Chef Marcel Ravin woos urban gourmets with a contemporary bistronomique cuisine that never quite forgets Lyon's extraordinary culinary roots: rigatoni with cheesy cervelle de canut that Lyonnais silk weavers ate for breakfast in the 19th century, the ritual end-of-meal espresso with a one-bite meringue slicked in pea-green Elixir de Chartreuse liqueur. Fixed two- and three-course lunch menus are particularly good-value.