Hanl you have given me invaluable advice on my trip. We are leaving on Monday. One last question please. We would like to have a special dinner our last night in Lyon which is also our last night in France. We would not like to spend more than 50 or 60E each which is close to $100 cdn. I have read about Maison Villemanzy which is supposed to have a nice view. What do you think about that? Please give me your best choice and I will pick that-also email or phone number if possible. Merci.

Hi Ita,
I posted an answer to your previous post yesterday (if you click on your name the posts should appear in the left-hand pane), but I'll copy and paste my answer again here:
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Author: hanl
Date: 09/28/2004, 11:16 am

Message: Hi Ita
Well, Maison Villemanzy definitely does have one of the best views in Lyon. We took my mother and aunt there in June on their first night in Lyon and they absolutely loved it. I don't know if I'd go so far as to class the food as "very special": we've always eaten very well there, but I don't think it's "the best" we've had in Lyon. It certainly is very reasonable value at around 25 euros for the 3 course prix-fixe menu. You can check out the setting for yourself here: http://www.leondelyon.com/uk/bistrots.htm (click on the Maison Villemanzy icon in the left hand menu)

Some friends of mine here in Lyon say Maison Villemanzy is their favourite restaurant, but as you may have gathered from previous posts, we adore the Caro de Lyon for the food and decor (and a *lot* of happy memories with friends and family). No wonderful views of Lyon though. You can get a bit of info (mainly French though) and see some pictures here: http://www.packline-france.com/caro/index2.htm

I'm quite busy with work at the moment so I'll have a think about other places you might like and post back later.

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I've had a bit more of a think since I posted yesterday. If you have a car and are willing to drive outside Lyon (I understand that you may prefer to dine in the city), then I can think of two wonderful (but reasonable) restaurants with fabulous views.
The first is Le Donjon in the beautiful old village of Oingt in the Beaujolais region, about 30 minutes drive north west of Lyon. The village itself is an old fortified medieval village built of honey coloured stone. The restaurant is perched on the hillside and has the most fabulous views over the Monts du Beaujolais. We have eaten there 3 times and the food is always excellent. The prix-fixe menu prices range from about 25 euros upwards, I think.

Another fantastic place we ate at recently is a restaurant called les Platanes in Chenas, a village that's also in the Beaujolais region but slightly further north, about 45 minutes drive. Fabulous cuisine and stunning views - when the weather's warm the tables are set outside under the plane trees, and when it's colder there's a large dining room with a big fireplace and a huge window looking out over the hills beyond.

Of course if you would rather dine in Lyon, then on your budget you might just be able to dine at the Tour Rose, one of Lyon's most famous restaurants (also a hotel), located in a beautiful Renaissance building in the Old Town. I think they have a prix-fixe menu at around 55 euros, but wine would be on top of that.

I hope that helps a bit. If there are any other restaurants you've read about and are considering, I'll be happy to give you an opinion if I know them!! Anyway, as I said above, I think you would enjoy the Maison Villemanzy, especially if you can get a table with a view. It would be well within your budget and so you'd be able to splurge for a nice aperitif and some great wine, too!
If you're real foodies however, then go for the Caro de Lyon.

Thank you Hanl. I am sorry I couldn't find the first post. I have just made reservations at Caro de Lyon

Let me know how you get on!!
And have a fabulous trip

P.S. what really impressed me is that Caro de Lyon has a non-smoking section. North Americans have become very used to dining in a smoke free atmosphere. I remember a dinner at la Bouqiniste that was completely ruined because of a large table next to us where everyone smoked continuously.