17 replies to this topic

[Orik]

On a Saturday/Sunday. Preferably in Lyon proper. Auberge de l'ile? Leon de Lyon? others?

Note that I've never dined in Lyon, with the exception of one meal at a very nice bouchon.

[cabrales]

I haven't eaten at all the stars in Lyons, but was not impressed with Leon de Lyons. I thought Christian Tetdoie (*) to be very reasonable for a one-star during dinner, when a three-course meal with choice was in the range of 30-45 euros/person. Reasonably good cuisine.

Of course, my strong recommendation (cost aside) would be to have a meal at Troisgros, only one-hour by train from Perrache or Part Dieu (the two Lyons train stations) by direct train. Then, walk across the street from the Troisgros train station and you're essentially at Troisgros.

You should check my Chowhound post about violets (with naturally sulphur-yellow-colored flesh and the most intense, iode shelled seafood item I have ever sampled; not necessarily in a positive sense) at Maison Rousseau, and La Mere Richard, all in Les Halles. The La Mere Richard St Marcellin can also be sampled inexpensively as the dessert course in the bouchon that is in Les Halles (the covered market), for which the prix fixe menu is something like 12.50 euros/person.

[Orik]

Of course, my strong recommendation (cost aside) would be to have a meal at Troisgros, only one-hour by train from Perrache or Part Dieu (the two Lyons train stations) by direct train. Then, walk across the street from the Troisgros train station and you're essentially at Troisgros.

Dinner there is already on my itinerary :D

I will look at CH (somehow I've never looked at the international board there before). Thanks.

[cabrales]

If dinner there is already on your itinerary, you should go to Le Centrale (the bistro next door) for lunch the same day. It's very inexpensive. As the Troisgros site is hard to navigate, here's the current Le Centrale indicative menu:

LES HORS D'OEUVRE

Pizze à la Vénitienne
Risotto à la betterave et au beurre blanc (recette de G. Marchesi)
Fromage de tête de cochon, cervelle de Canut et lentilles vertes du Puy
Anchois et poivrons marinés à l'ibérique
Pour les amateurs, crabe dormeur en carapace

LA MER ET L'EAU DOUCE

Filets de merlan "Hôtel des Platanes"
Saumon en pavé, à la nage exotique
Cabillaud caramélisé à la mode nippone
Gambas grillées et salade de mangue verte, sauce cacahuète
Poêlée de grenouilles fraîches, ail et gingembre (this would be an interesting dish)

LES VIANDES

Lard gras des Landes, pommes "Boulangère"
Boudin noir du pays Catalan (de Mr Puig)
Vol au vent de béatilles à la crème
Longe de veau "saute-en-bouche" à la sauge frite
Pièce de bœuf "charolais" au jus de cresson (very high quality beef)

LES FROMAGES

Faisselle de fromage blanc aux radis ou à la crème
Saint Marcellin affiné de chez Mons
Saint Nectaire fermier, Tomme des Beauges et Grand Jura Suisse

LES DESSERTS

Sabayon à la Chartreuse, yaourt (this is a good dish to order, because there is a very similar dessert at the gastronomic restaurant that sometimes uses Chartreuse vert, sometimes rosewater)
Tartelette chocolatée à la banane et à la passion
Gâteau de crêpes soufflées à la rhubarbe
Panna cotta vanille-framboise
L’incontournable dariole au chocolat

Tous les jours à midi, nous vous proposons un menu à 22 €
et un déjeuner rapide à 17 €
Le soir, un menu à 25 €
Les prix s'entendent tva comprise
(tarifs pouvant être modifiés sans préavis)

Let me know if you need translations. Note that 22/25 euro prices are not for a la carte. Still, it's EXTREMELY inexpensive, with commensurately inexpensive wines.

Also, the hotel is EXTREMELY modern and delicous-looking. It's my favorite hotel in the world to stay at, in part because Troisgros is one of my preferred restaurants. :lol: :lol: :lol:

[cabrales]

PS -- You're likely to order the tasting menu, I would imagine at Troisgros (??). However, they're willing to make the salmon with sorrel dish for one person and split it for two diners as an additional dish you purchase. Even though I'd consider some versions of this dish ever-so-slightly overcooked for my subjective preference,s if it's your first visit to Troigros, you might want to consider sampling it. :lol:

[cabrales]

I found my "old" post, based on visit earlier this year:


As for bouchons, if you are going on a day when places like Chez Georges are open, they would appear to be the more visited bouchons. However, Chez Georges is closed on weekends. Since I had a Saturday lunch to allocate to a bouchon, I chose Les Gones in the covered marketplace Les Halles. That gave me the added benefit of being able to visit La Mere Richard (the famous Lyonnaise supplier of St Marcellin; however, it carries other cheeses as well obviously, including a pretty good rendition of the Lyonnaise specialty "cervelle de canut", literally translated as the brain of silkweavers, which is a soft, manipulated, herb-incorporated white cheese worth sampling). More interestingly, choosing Les Gones allowed me to also visit Maison Rousseau, also located in Les Halles. This oyster specialist has a bar area, and also a bit of seating space adjacent to it that is more restaurant like. A good sampling of oysters can be prepared, and you can even sample 1 of each type of oyster available on that day. Prices are very reasonable. Be sure to sample violets if they are available. These are very unusual sea creatures that are very ocean-tasting and that have literally SULFURIC YELLOW flesh attached to the soft shell by two orange muscles. Very interesting. Order the white Macon available by the pot for the oysters. You can evey buy for 3.50 euros a little glass bottle of the mignonette sauce for oysters made by Maison Rousseau, which is a lot gentler than most.

Back to Les Gones. I wouldn't imagine it's on the strong side of bouchons, but it's the only one I've been to. Also, it seems to be inexpensive even relative to other bouchons, with a prix fixe, 3 course menu available at 12.50 euros. Selections for mains within the prix fixe include one of the bouchon specialties -- Tablier de Sapeur, a honeycombed tripe presented as a filet that is lightly breaded and deep-fried. The tripe itself was more for texture and had no flavor (not unexpected, given that the usual braised/marinated preparations). What was quite good was the freshly made tartare sauce accompanying the item (not tartare in the US sense), which has nice chive flavors. My dining companion chose boudin noir as his main course from the prix fixe, and it was nice. Light and mousse-like (but still with density), but conveying the flavors of blood. With 1.5 "pots" (that's the term used in Lyon for wine served by the carafe) of red wine and our menus, the total price was 37.50 euros for two! Cheese (1/2 of a St Marcellin from nearby Mere Richard) is available as one of the dessert choices on the prix fixe. Les Gones had some less good dishes for appetizers, and does not carry some other specialties (e.g., quenelle de brochet) associated with Lyons.

As for one-star, you might consider Christian Tetedoie. 36 euros for the market menu of three courses, with a choice of 2 items for each course. Nice, welcoming, yellow-colored main dining room, although there are other dining rooms in the back. I had quenelle de brochet from the market menu because the menu was literally composed of the dishes I would have ordered a la carte. Another prix fixe menu is 45 or 46 euros, and the third prix fixe has a lobster theme and is still under 60 euros.

[cabrales]

On Saturday/Sunday, you might want to check whether Leon de Lyons is open. I just haven't checked the Michelin website on this. I believe Auberge de l'Ill is open at least on Saturday.

Another option of course is to go to one of the former greats, currently no so great restaurants. Alain Chapel, but the food is not outstanding (it's fairly good) and a drive is entailed. Pic at Valence or Pyramide at Vienne is each an easy train ride away from Lyons. For the history, perhaps Chapel if you have a rental car.

[Orik]

Thanks C. As recommended bouchons tend to be closed on weekends, the short list at the moment contains:

Auberge de l'ile
Leon de Lyon
Christian Tetedoie
L'Oxalis (curently closed until the impossible date of Wednesday, May 17th :unsure: )

And an early lunch at Les Halles before heading on to Roanne.

[cabrales]

I strongly recommend Le Centrale, Troisgros' bistro. It's excellent for the price level, esp if you know what to order (I can advise). :P

[Orik]

Depending on how early I'll need to be in Paris, Le Central (note that there's no e in Central) may be an option for the day following Troisgros. From the menu you've posted, the following seem most appealing based only on the description and main ingredient:

Risotto à la betterave et au beurre blanc (recette de G. Marchesi)
Fromage de tête de cochon, cervelle de Canut et lentilles vertes du Puy
Pour les amateurs, crabe dormeur en carapace

Filets de merlan "Hôtel des Platanes" (how is this prepared?)
Poêlée de grenouilles fraîches, ail et gingembre (this would be an interesting dish) (indeed)

Lard gras des Landes, pommes "Boulangère"
Boudin noir du pays Catalan (de Mr Puig)
Pièce de bœuf "charolais" au jus de cresson (very high quality beef)

[cabrales]

Cabillaud caramélisé à la mode nippone
Poêlée de grenouilles fraîches, ail et gingembre (this would be an interesting dish)

The above two as well. Troisgros has had very nice frog dish recently on the menu, which he dubs frogs "satay style" (with the frogs' legs constituting satay, and with the satay saucing augmented by an aftertaste of lemon peel).

The above menu will probably have changed by the time you get to Le Central. Charolais is a definite thing to try, althuogh most French two or three stars that use beef use Charolais even when it's not described as such.

[beachfan]

Les Loges blew Leon de Lyon away and was one of my best meals ever (Sept 2002). An outstanding room as well.

I believe they were Gault Millau restaurant of the year a couple years ago.

[cabrales]

Nicholas Le Bec at Les Loges when you visited in 2002. I believe he might have left that facility, although he may still be in Lyons. <_<

[nuxvomica]

Bill Buford, now a resident, on food & restaurants in Lyon

[menton1]

Sunday is a tough day to dine in Lyon. Most of the restaurants are closed. On Saturday, yOu will probably be able to find a bouchon open, however. YOu gotta love offal, though...

My favorite is Cafe des Féderations, rue Major Martin, on the Presque'Isle. (Between the rivers)

For Sunday, a nice place that is open is Bistro Pizay, rue Verdi on the Presque'Isle.