BL-24 - Flipbook - Page 42
T R AV E L
Pralines roses, Lyon’s famous candied almonds that crop up in many of the city’s desserts
Where to Stay
There are classic dishes – quenelle
de brochet, oeufs en meurette, a pâté
en croûte with a world championship
to its name – but also a few lighter
dishes, including a vegetarian special.
The set menus are especially good
value, and the dessert list, on which
the local speciality of praline rose
(pink praline) looms large, is long and
joyous.
Le Café Comptoir Abel
À deux pas from the right bank of the
Saône, time seems to stand still at
Abel, as does the menu, which nobody
can remember ever changing. It is,
apparently, the oldest bouchon still
operating in the city.
There are no gastronomic twists to the
menu, just a rollcall of classic dishes
that have been cooked by a succession
of chefs since 1928: chef Alain
Vigneron spent 40 years rattling the
pans here. The quenelle of pike is as
light as a Montgol昀椀er balloon, bathed
not in the usual cray昀椀sh sauce, but in
mushroom béchamel, while Abel’s
famous pilaf rice is used as a base
for chicken, sweetbreads or beef with
creamy morels, or for veal kidneys
with madeira sauce.
The wine list is excellent and wellpriced. Make sure you are seated in
the lively locals’ room to the right of
the entrance (the one with the bar,
which may account for the liveliness).
Maison Léa
Villa Maïa
Handily located just by the Saône
and a stone’s throw from the Place
Bellecour, Maison Léa is named after
one of the famous mères de Lyon: Léa
Bidaut was once a familiar 昀椀gure in
the Saint-Antoine market and even
taught Mère Brazier how to make
macaroni gratin.
That gratin is still on the menu,
served with seven-hour cooked lamb,
as is the restaurant’s signature pâté
en croûte, plump with poultry and
pistachios; tablier de sapeur, Lyon’s
favourite tripe dish, served with
sauce gribiche; and the parfait glacé
au Chartreuse, with which every
meal should end. Maison Léa’s light,
airy dining room is home to some of
Lyon’s best traditional cuisine, while
numerous photos of mère Léa adorn
the walls, serving up an extra portion
of nostalgia.
Saucisson lyonnais and cervelle de canut, a
fresh and herby soft cheese
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BOISDALELIFE.COM
ISSUE 24
The 34 rooms and suites at the 5*
Villa Maïa, atop the Fourvière hill, are
perhaps Lyon’s most glorious: make
sure you book one with views across
the city.
Jacques Grange’s quietly beautiful
interiors match the tranquil setting on
“the hill that prays”, the spa boasts a
jacuzzi, a sauna and a 20-metre indoor
pool, while chef Christian Têtedoie’s
Michelin-starred restaurant offers
a highly-re昀椀ned, Bocuse-inspired
interpretation of cuisine lyonnaise.
InterContinental Lyon
Hôtel Dieu
A lavish redevelopment of one
of Lyon’s most historic riverside
buildings, the 5* InterContinental
Hôtel Dieu opened its doors in
2019. The former hospital, with its
375-metre façade on the left bank of
the Rhône, has 21 wings and seven
courtyards; aside from the hotel, there
is a plethora of upmarket lifestyle
boutiques, as well as L’Of昀椀cine, a
woody, clubby cocktail bar, one of the
city’s best.
The hotel has 144 luxury rooms and
suites, some with river views, as well
as a smart restaurant, Epona, with a
lovely terrace, and its own bar, the
architecturally-stunning Le Dôme.
