Articles often claim Lyon is the gastronomic capital France.
Is this is really true?
I travelled to Lyon a few months ago with some friends for a weekend visit. Researching the city online, articles would not stop talking about it’s gastronomy which I dutifully used as an excuse to visit, “Did you know Lyon is the gastronomic capital of France?” soon became the catchphrase of the trip! Lyon’s sites are easy to navigate and close to one another, making it easy to meander around in a couple of days. After two days you will leave feeling full and definitely like you have soaked up some culture and nice wine! I think Paris is more of a gastronomic capital, having a greater array of food on offer for a range of budgets. In Lyon the food experiences are subtle and you have to know where to find them. I’ve listed a few of my favourites 🙂
Wine tasting at Guyot
An afternoon spent wine tasting at Guyot is a delight. For €20 each you can try four wines and a delectable selection of meat and cheese. You can easily do this instead of lunch – look how much we had! Our sommelier called Vincent was brilliant and I would recommended specifically asking for him. He even suggested places to go in the evening for a few more wines. Make sure you email saintantoine@guyot-vins.com to book.
Le Bouchon des Filles
A Bouchon is a type of restaurant in Lyon serving tradition Lyonnaise food. Le Bouchon des Filles was the best we visited. Four tasty courses are served to the entire table for €25 a person. The wine is reasonably priced and the atmosphere is eclectic and has a great buzz.
Lyon was founded by the Romans as the capital of the Three Gauls. The area of Fourvière set on a hilltop, demonstrates the ruins of two theatres dating from this time. Founded in 43 B.C as the capital, Fourvière was the hub of city life for four centuries. Walking up the hill is a real treat with pretty gardens, a cafe stop and gorgeous view at the top which makes the walk worth it. Venture inside the basilica, lined with dazzling golden mosaics, Gothic confessional boxes and a creepy organ in the background to set the scene.
In Lyon hundreds of hidden passageways called traboules are open to the public. Originally built for silk workers to carry there wares to market unaffected by the weather, they make for some great adventuring! Walking through the town keep an eye out for historic doors that seem slightly ajar, gently push and see which you discover. Interesting info on these here.
To get started visit:
54 Rue Saint-Jean
27 Rue du Bœuf
9 Place Colbert
Flights: £61.62 return with Easyjet, London Gatwick to Lyon-Saint Exupery airport. Returning flight to London Luton.
Sleep: Hôtel Première Classe Lyon Centre – Gare Part Dieu. A three bed room was €55 a night, a snip at €19 each. However it would have been easier to be centrally located as transport was quite a minefield and there was a long wait for taxi’s to the center. The rooms were tiny, so make sure you’re sharing with people you can handle being in very close proximity with.
