The gastro heart of la belle France
Food and wine buffs love Lyon for its fine fare without the Paris prices.
Having visited France often, somehow I’ve managed to spend hardly any time in Lyon: a clear mistake, judging by this visit. Such a beautiful, relaxed town with a dynamic food and wine culture and overall way more energised than Paris right now. Perhaps everyone is happier because of all the good wine and produce? There are plenty of “star” eateries in and around Lyon; the following fly a bit more under the radar (and the wine shop is astonishing). Direct flights from east coast Oz to Lyon are possible with just one stop (Emirates, at a premium). There are lots of two- and three-stop options for way less.
Le Centre by Georges Blanc. Georges Blanc, legendary chef of the eponymous three-star in nearby Vonnas, has eight venues around France including two in Lyon, with this one adjacent to my digs, the highly recommended Carlton Hotel. Here, Blanc has put meat “Centre” stage with cuts from different countries as well as burgers with lobster, foie gras and so on. The restaurant’s look and colour is a modern riff on traditional bistro red and white. Sommelier Jordan arranged a flight of five Beaujolais wines for me to taste, including two made by his uncles. A €32 ($45.50) “menu on the run” gets you a crab with avocado tian, roast pork with sauce Cote Rotie and fricassee of champignons, followed by tiramisu. lespritblanc.com
Burgundy Lounge. How could I not visit something with this name? Just a short stroll from some of the city’s better hotels, this started life three years ago as a wine bar before morphing into a restaurant in September in response to demand from customers for a meal more befitting the vinous treasures on offer.
A very affordable by-the-glass list features five whites and five reds at prices between €9 and €15 with a further 14 aged premium wines from high-flyers such as Leroy, Leflaive and de Montille from €25 to €60 by the glass (the latter 2008 Sauzet Chevalier). The full wine list has all the stars — including DRC, Leroy, Rousseau, Coche — at relatively affordable prices. The food, from a choice of several menus, is elegant and well-priced. How does canapes, cannelloni of monkfish, supreme de volaille with pommes boulangeres, deserts and mignardises, all for €29, sound? You can have a seriously enjoyable night here for a fraction of what it would cost in Paris. Lock it in.Burgundylounge.fr
Takao Takano. It didn’t take the locals or critics long to embrace this stylish, contemporary French restaurant, opened in 2013. Chef Takano was already known locally for his work at the nearby Michelin-starred Les loges, and his own restaurant star was bestowed in 2014.
The dining room has an unmistakeable sense of Japanese restraint and form without resorting to hackneyed visual cues. You choose from three set menus of differing content and length (€35, lunch; €55, “Essence”; or €88, “Partage”). That was hard because I wanted to eat every dish from each. As for the food … fish so fresh and perfectly cooked it flakes against your knife? Tick. Sublime, judicious saucing? Tick. Service attentive but not obsequious? Tick. Takao Takano is clearly destined for two stars very soon. With a maximum of 26 six-diners a service, dinner bookings should be made months in advance. takaotakano.com
Malleval. Founded in 1869 — that’s right, 147 years ago — this is quite possibly the most superb retail wine shop (note there is no bar or food) I’ve entered. Every item on the shelves is a gem: there are no shelf-fillers here. Co-proprietor Franck Jabouley has been here since 1989 and it’s a treat to talk to him about his collection, comprising more than 3000 wines and 2000 “alcools”, including a complete century of armagnacs.
The cellars feature every imaginable treasure from Burgundy, Rhone, Beaujolais, Champagne and so on, many in “grands formats”. Classic in every way. Note they do not export: another good reason for wine enthusiasts to visit Lyon. malleval.com