Top Destination in France For Food: Lyon

Lyon, France is a city that gives new meaning to food. Here, the culture is such that every meal served is an experience that demands and deserves to be enjoyed slowly.

No rushed service, no quick brekkies, and no fast counters; all you will find are tastefully designed bouchons, pattisseries, and food markets that not just offer wholesome French specialties, but also carry the beating heart of France’s culinary capital.

While Paris will make you acquire a new found love for France, Lyon will evoke an undeniable love for French cuisine. As a top destination in France for exquisite food, Lyon will teach you that eating is a mindful indulgence.

Known for spectacular Michelin-starred restaurants, wine tasting tours, food tours, and vibrant cultural festivals like the famous Festival of Lights, Lyon offers a French experience like no other. If a France tour package is on your mind this season, visit Lyon to see the most endearing and culture-rich side of the European destination.

Here is a comprehensive Lyon France travel guide showcasing the city’s best kept culinary and cultural secrets.

Lyon’s History With Food
The Best Things to Eat in Lyon, France
Where to Eat in Lyon
Best Things to Do in Lyon, France
Wrapping Up: Visit Lyon – A Top Destination in France
FAQs
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Lyon’s History With Food

Lyon, situated aptly between northern and southern France, has an advantage when it comes to culinary diversity. Centered around the wine producing regions of Burgundy and Rhône Valley, and the lush farms of Bresse and Dauphiné, Lyon receives the best of fresh produce. This led farmers and merchants to converge here historically, making it a center for high-quality ingredients and precision-led cuisine.

In addition to being home to some of the best Michelin-starred restaurants, bistros, and bouchons in the country, Lyon has a rich culture-infused connection with food that gives rise to a wholesome experience. It’s in the way the city transforms into an effortless center for the freshest ingredients and vegetables from local farms, the way it holds its traditions close to its heart, the way it comes alive with lights and love during seasonal festivals, and how mindful cooking is more a way of life for chefs here, than a mere task.

As one of France’s popular destinations, Lyon is indeed a must-visit, especially for food buffs.

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The Best Things to Eat in Lyon, France

While Lyon brings an endless variety of food options starting from delicacies to flat principles and desserts, the city is famous for some of its specialty items. Visiting the destination calls for a flavourful Lyon food tour; one where you sample its quintessential French offerings without taking a break.

Here are some of the must-have foods at the top destination in France for food and culture.

Charcuterie

Andouillette with mustard sauce and fresh cream. Lyon France
Image courtesy: Shutterstock/page frederique

Charcuterie is a generic name for a spread of cold cuts or meat items. In Lyon, it typically incorporates some form of pork serving. Some of the most popular charcuterie boards in Lyon include Andouillette – pork intestines seasoned with wine and onions, Rosette de Lyon – dried, chewy pork sausage, and Boudin – pan-fried served with apple slices.

Cheese varieties

Traditional French cheese sold in Lyon, France
Image courtesy: Shutterstock/ColorMaker

Being centered around some of the best farms in all of France, Lyon brings a host of delicious cheese varieties. Some of the most popular ones are Fourme d’Ambert – a kind of blue cheese, St Marcellin – a special cow’s milk cheese with a crusty exterior, Mont-d’Or – a delicious melted variety complimented by white wine and garlic, Cervelle de canut – a type of cream cheese.

Escargot

Snails with herbs butter, French traditional food with parsley and bread on grey background. — Snails with herbs butter, French traditional food with parsley and bread on grey background
Image courtesy: Shutterstock/Tatjana Baibakova

Escargot is a French delicacy usually served “Burgundy style” with garlic, butter, and herbs. It is also usually paired with Burgundy red wine. Lyon boasts several high-quality snail farms as well, making Escargot one of the best foods to have in Lyon.

Meat and fish items

Quenelle, speciality of Lyon, France
Image courtesy: Shutterstock/barmalini

The French take their meat and fish dishes very seriously. In fact, their Poulet de Bresse – a specialty chicken served with morel sauce, is protected with an appellation contrôlée label. It is often considered the best chicken in the world.

Tablier de sapeur is another Lyon classic fish item made from tripe, loved by all.

Quenelles, made of brochet or pike along with semolina, eggs, and milk, is one among Lyon’s favourite elaborate preparations, usually served with a rich sauce such as Nantua, a crayfish-flavored béchamel.

Sweets

Homemade bugnes from Lyon, sprinkled with icing sugar
Image courtesy: Shutterstock/Grazziela

Lyonnaise sweets pack a punch when it comes to sugar and flavour. You will find many tasteful pattisseries in the city, all of which offer classic French snacks like croissants and macarons. In addition to these non-native snacks, some sweet delicacies you must try in Lyon, France are Bugnes – fried sweets, similar to donut dough sprinkled with icing sugar, and Pralines roses – crunchy almond bites covered with colored sugar.

Wines

Wine bottles with delicious luxury wine on shelf, Lyon
Image courtesy: Shutterstock/MikroKon

Lyon’s location makes it possible for you to experience some of the best wines in the world from the Côtes du Rhône and Beaujolais regions in Burgundy. Join some holistic wine tasting tours in Lyon to visit the best wineries in the city and sample internationally acclaimed wines like the Beaujolais Nouveau – an experience you will find only in the top destination in France.

Also Read: 10 Unobvious Things to Know Before Visiting France

Where to Eat in Lyon

A traditional bouchon restaurant in a small street, Lyon France
Image courtesy: Shutterstock/Pierre Jean Durieu

A Lyon trip would be incomplete without a sit-down slow meal at a classic Lyonnaise bouchon, because the experience is as much about the ambience as it is about the food.

Pick one of the many thoughtfully designed bouchons lining the streets; for the most authentic version, choose to have lunch or dinner at one of the 22 Les Bouchons Lyonnais Association Certified bouchons, as they are audited to offer the best service and food.

Some of the most notable names to try are:

Le Bouchon des Cordeliers
Les Fines Gueules
La Tête de Lard
Le Bouchon Sully
La Meuniere
Le Bouchon des Artistes

Each of these classic Lyonnaise bouchons have their own specialties and popular foods. Order the classics and proceed with desserts if you would just like a taste of authentic French cuisine. If you are feeling adventurous, try ordering some of the bolder menu items like the tablier de sapeur, andouillette, and tarte à la praline for that unmistakable Lyonnaise touch.

Best Things to Do in Lyon, France

While food is the most attractive and endearing element of Lyon, this top destination in France has more than meets the eye. It is also a hub for cultural indulgence. Boasting several seasonal festivals, corner wine bars, cafes, shopping districts, and parks, the place has a special way of complimenting its food lovers with beautiful little surprises.

Here are some of the best things to do in Lyon France, besides eating scrumptious meals.

Soak up the views at Jardin des Curiosités

Garden of Curiosities: at the top of a hill overlooking Lyon and the Saône. — Garden of Curiosities: at the top of a hill overlooking Lyon and the Saône
Image courtesy: Shutterstock/jef77

Nestled atop the hills of Saint-Just, Jardin des Curiosités is a 6000-square-meter park that offers the most spectacular views of Lyon. It is an uphill climb, but totally worth the effort. You can also indulge in a treasure hunt here, or look for excellent vantage points, if you’d like to spend more time.

Relax amidst nature at Tête d’Or

The famous Tete d’Or park in autumn in Lyon city in France
Image courtesy: Shutterstock/Gerald Villena

Tête d’Or is France’s largest urban park. Spanning 117 hectares, it houses a botanical garden with over 16,000 species of plants, a zoo with 300+ animals, and a miniature play train to keep little ones entertained. For a peaceful day out, start with an early morning boat ride on the lake.

Binge at Lyon’s annual street food festival

Lyon street food market
Image courtesy: Shutterstock/smpoly

Lyon’s annual street food festival is the perfect excuse to gormandize the best of French food. This five-day festival in June allows you to sample some of the most expensive dishes cooked by the country’s finest chefs for the lowest prices. Participate in workshops like beer-making, enjoy dancing communities, live music, and more.

Snack at Au Pot de Vin

A restaurant in the old historical Lyon
Image courtesy: Shutterstock/smpoly

Au Pot de Vin is not your typical neighborhood wine bar. Decked up with floor-to-ceiling wine bottles, live charcuterie assemblages, and quintessential French cheeses, the quaint little shop has a way with customers. Known for its charming vibes and conveniently cozy ambience in both summer and winter, Au Pot de Vin is a must-visit in Lyon.

Witness the Fête des Lumières

Fete des Lumieres on City Hall, Lyon France
Image courtesy: Shutterstock/Pierre Jean Durieu

Fête des Lumières or the Festival of Lights is Lyon’s biggest celebration. To take part in the cultural extravaganza would be one of the best things to do in France. Typically held in December every year, it turns Lyon into a colourful and luminous fantasy world. See the decorative lights, coloured lamps, wonderful installations and artwork showcased by designers, visual artists, and other creative minds.

Also Read: French Gastronomy: Top Foods You Must Eat in France

Wrapping Up: Visit Lyon – A Top Destination in France

Lyon, France is sheer enchantment wrapped in food and culture. Brimming with endearing eateries, pattisseries, bouchons, and food markets, along with culture-rich festivals and corner shops, the place is nothing short of a paradise for a curious traveller. If you are looking for an unforgettable France travel experience, take a Lyon trip; use this Lyon guide to the city’s best kept secrets and discover a side of France that you never knew.

If you have a full blown vacation planned, book cheap flights to Paris and take Lyon day tours from there. Book your stay at one of the best hotels in Paris or Lyon for a comfortable visit. Be sure to secure your Schengen visa with a reliable provider of online visa services for 180+ countries as well to avoid hassles.

Quick Summary – Lyon – A top destination in France for food and culture

Lyon, France brims with exotic food and culture experiences in every corner. Boasting some of the most authentic and certified Lyonnaise bouchons, pattisseries, wine bars, food markets and more, along with endearing seasonal festivals, the city has a lot to offer. Some of the best things to eat in Lyon include charcuterie, cheese varieties, escargot, speciality meat and fish items like Bresse chicken, sweets, and wines. Among some of the best things to do in Lyon are visiting Jardin des Curiosités, participating in Lyon’s annual street food festival and witnessing the grand Festival of Lights in December.

FAQs

Why is Lyon the culinary capital of France?

Lyon is most known for its rich relationship with food and culture. In Lyon, cooking and eating food are mindful activities that people typically engage in wholeheartedly. For the same reason, the city offers a vast array of restaurants, pattisseries, traditional certified bouchons, and food markets, all of which serve high-quality authentic French food including original recipes to be consumed slowly and mindfully.

Additionally, Lyon’s location in the middle of northern and southern France surrounded by the wine making regions of Burgundy and Rhone Valley and the rich farms of Bresse and Dauphiné make it a natural spot for fresh produce and home-made ingredients. Once again, this gives Lyon a special advantage when it comes to culinary diversity and abundance.

What is special about Lyon, France?

Lyon is best known for its gastronomy and culture. The city is considered as the gastronomic capital of France because of its diverse food choices and mindful culinary practices. In addition to food, Lyon also has several iconic cultural extravaganzas like the Festival of Lights, and historic UNESCO-recognized landmarks such as the Croix-Rousse.

What are restaurants called in Lyon?

Traditional local eateries or restaurants in Lyon are called bouchons.

What dessert is Lyon famous for?

Tarte à la praliné is Lyon’s specialty dessert item – it is a pastry cake with a base of pink sugar-coated almonds and syrup.

Which city has the best food in France?

Lyon is the top destination in France for food.

What are chefs called in France?

The traditional French term for chefs in France is “Chef de cuisine” which translates to “chief of the kitchen” or “kitchen manager”.

What is the best month to go to Lyon?

Late summer and early fall seasons from September to October are some of the best times to visit Lyon, as the city transforms into lovely autumn colours. These months also mark harvest seasons in the city, during which the food markets come alive with fresh seasonal produce.

To enjoy cultural festivals in Lyon, visit the city in December for the Festival of Lights, and in June for the street food festival.

What is a brasserie?

A brasserie is a traditional French restaurant typically characterized by a relaxed setting, and is best known to serve classic French dishes, beer and wine.

What is the 3-Michelin-Star restaurant in Lyon?

Lyon’s 3-Michelin-Star restaurant is Paul Bocuse restaurant.

What is the most eaten dessert in France?

Crème brûlée is the most popular dessert in France.

What is the famous cheese of Lyon?

Saint-Marcellin, made from cow’s milk and known for its sweet creamy consistency is one of the most popular cheese varieties in Lyon.

What is the signature dish of Lyon?

Quenelles, made from brochet or pike fish, are one of the signature dishes in Lyonnaise cuisine. They are fluffy dumplings made with breadcrumbs, semolina, flour, eggs, and milk, and are usually served with a rich sauce such as Nantua, a crayfish-flavored béchamel.

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