Eating & Staying

Eating & Staying

The food you'll find in the Rhône-Alps region is some of France's best, as it's considered the birthplace of the country's traditional cuisine. In Lyon's countless bouchons, (taverns or eating houses), you'll find everything from gras double (tripe) to boudin noir (black sausage) to paillasson (fried hashed potatoes). If it's a light or vegetarian meal you're after, you'll be hard-pressed to find one here—most dishes are meat-based—although grilled fish does appear on some menus.

Hotels, inns, bed-and-breakfasts, gîtes d'étapes (hikers' way stations), and tables d'hôte run the gamut from grande luxe to spartanly rustic in this multifaceted region embracing non-plus-ultraurban chic in Lyon as well as ski huts in the Alps. Lyon accommodations range from péniches (riverboats) to panoramic guest rooms high in the hilltop Croix Rousse district. The Alps, of course, are well furnished with top hotels, especially in Grenoble and the time-honored ski resorts such as Chamonix and Megève. Many hotels expect you to have at least your evening meal there, especially in summer; in winter they up the ante and hope travelers will take all three meals.