BL-24 - Flipbook - Page 41
T R AV E L
Where to Drink
La Cave Café Terroir
Lyon’s obsession with wine is obvious
in even the smallest, least pretentious
café or bar, but there are a few places
worth seeking out for a special bottle,
without settling in for a three-course
meal.
Just across the street from the
excellent Café Terroir, near Place
Bellecour, is their laid-back wine bar,
La Cave, its cellar stocked with 1,200
or so different wines, the majority
from small, artisanal vignerons from
all over France. It is an oenophile’s
paradise: small, atmospheric, and
offering terri昀椀c local produce to soak
up the wine. Boards of charcuterie,
cheeses and house-made pâté de
campagne are all available, or perhaps
a bowl of cervelle de canut, the
Lyonnais speciality of soft, fresh
cheese stirred with chopped herbs and
shallots, dressed lightly with olive oil
and vinegar.
Ô Vins d’Anges
The building that houses Ô Vins
d’Anges in Croix-Rousse was once a
silk factory: the fascinating Maison
des Canuts, a museum dedicated to the
history of Lyon’s silk workers, is just
around the corner.
Burgers, happy hours, loaded fries,
industrial-chic décor... it’s not very
Lyon, but for beer fans, it’s a joy.
Choose from a dozen or so on tap,
and dozens more in cans and bottles,
from all over the world. And Hopstore
is just short walk from the famous
Fresque des Lyonnais: a trompe l’oeil
mural featuring 30 of the city’s most
renowned sons and daughters.
Where to Eat
La Mère Brazier
Named after the most famous of the
mères de Lyon, Eugénie Brazier, the
rue Royale restaurant had lost some
of the lustre from its stained-glass
windows, until chef/owner Matthieu
Viannay bought it in 2008, sensitively
restoring it to its former glory... and
beyond: it now boasts two Michelin
stars and is among the best restaurants
not just in Lyon but in France.
Such excellence, unsurprisingly, is
not cheap (around 100€ for three
courses à la carte at lunch, twice that
for dinner) but the produce Viannay
uses is the very best, and luxury
ingredients abound: lobster, caviar,
Bresse chicken, truf昀氀es, all prepared
with a masterly hand, and exquisitely
presented. Service is superb and the
wine list (it is especially strong on
Burgundy) is a delight.
The two-Michelin-starred La Mère Brazier
Daniel et Denise
The city boasts 23 bouchons
certi昀椀ed by Les Bouchons
Lyonnais (for the full list, helpfully
divided by arrondissement, visit
lesbouchonslyonnais.org), and all will
serve you traditional Lyonnais cuisine
at a fair price.
Daniel et Denise has three bouchons
on the list, all overseen by chef (and
Meilleur Ouvrier de France) Joseph
Viola. The Croix-Rousse branch – the
most recent to open – is a bouchon
par excellence, with red-checked
tablecloths, kitsch décor and a buzzy
These days, natural 昀椀bres have been
supplanted by natural wines: the
wine bar and shop’s 800-strong list
concentrates on low-intervention
wines from France, Slovenia, Italy and
Austria, all purchased directly from
the winemakers, while the simple
menu (cheeses, charcuterie, maybe
an Italian artichoke or two) follows a
similarly artisanal approach. If natural
wines are your thing, Ô Vins d’Anges
will hit the spot.
Hopstore
Should Lyon’s stellar plethora of
great vintages become just a little too
much, and you have a hankering for a
cleansing ale, then head to Hopstore,
the city’s best beer hall.
Pâtés en croûte, found in restaurants, delicatessens and markets throughout the city
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ISSUE 24
