Will be in Lyon for a few days and would like some restaurant recommendations. For two I really don't like to spend more than $150. Don't care if they have a Michelin *, just like good food.

Restaurant Anticipation. DH and I ate there twice, two separate visits. It is wonderful. This is from Fodors:

Light, creative dishes using the region's famed specialties (such as poulet de Bresse) are carefully prepared here by John Rosiak, a former cook at Georges Blanc. The homey feel makes it a place where you can settle in for an evening of good fare and fun. AE, MC, V. Closed Mon. No dinner Sun.

Address: 8 rue Chavanne, Presqu'île, Lyon, France
Phone: 04-78-30-91-92

Thank you Lori. I'll look that one up. Anyone else?

Hello,
A few suggestions:
For great local cuisine using fresh, seasonal ingredients try La Table d'Hippolyte at 22 rue Hippolyte Flandrin, in the 1st arrondissement (not far from Place des Terreaux, towards the Saône quayside). The chef usually comes out and presents the dishes himself, and there is a very cute pavement terrace. It's a very small restaurant so booking is essential (+(33) 4 78 27 75 59)

Le Caro de Lyon is a great option for innovative French cuisine at affordable prices. It's on rue du Bât d'Argent, just off Rue de la République (towards the Rhône) and not far from the Opera. Their à la carte options are superior to the set-price menus, however. Dishes we've enjoyed there include an incredible "capuccino" of foie gras, a lovely chilled green olive soup, squab en croute, seared tuna with peppercorns, lobster ravioli, red mullet with thyme... And the decor is great, with books and old antiques lining the walls, and the tables set around different rooms and mezzanines, plus a comfy part-covered terrace in the summer. (http://www.lecarodelyon.com/restaurant_lyonnais.htm)

The Bistrots des Cuisiniers group of restaurants are also worth checking out. It's not a chain, but just a number of restaurants under the patronage of Jean Paul Lacombe (one of Lyon's top chefs) which all subscribe to the principle of offering an affordable (approx 25 euros) 3-course menu using fresh local ingredients. If you want dinner with a view, then you should book a table (well in advance!) on the terrace of la Maison Villemanzy, which is set on the slopes of the Croix Rousse hill. The food is good and the views are unrivalled.

Another of the restaurants in the group is Le Bouchon aux Vins, which is one of the more reliable options (and open 7/7) on Rue Mercière, a busy pedestrian street lined with restaurants and catering to both tourists and locals alike. (http://www.bistrotsdecuisiniers.com/)

Restaurants in the old town are more of a hit and miss affair. The area around rue St Jean is full of restaurants offering "Lyonnais" menus, often at very cheap prices. A few of these places used to be quite decent (L'Auberge Rabelais, les Ventres Jaunes and le Comptoir du Boeuf) but I've been disappointed the last few times i've eaten there as quality definitely seems to be slipping.

If you do want a nice lunch somewhere in the old town, I'd suggest going to the Sol Café at 28 rue du boeuf. They have a nice little pavement terrace and serve great food (huge pots of mussels, brochettes, salads, tapas) all day, which is very rare in Lyon. It's just a stone's throw from the heaving masses of rue St Jean.

A real Lyonnais institution is Brasserie Georges, located just behind Perrache train station. It's a huge old place with an enormous dining room and banquette seats, serving traditional lyonnais and brasserie fare. They do incredible "omelettes norvégiennes", a kind of baked alaska, which they make in varying sizes. Sometimes they have a live jazz band playing.

For a splurge, you could check out the beautiful Tour Rose in the old town. It's a hotel and restaurant in a stunning renaissance building, with beautiful courtyards and dining rooms, and the cooking is excellent. It's pricey, but at lunch time I think they have a more affordable set menu (maybe around 60 euros a head, though you'd have to check). (www.tour-rose.com)

You might also want to check out one of the restaurants run by the Chabert family on rue des Marronniers. There are three restaurants in a row, one serving mainly meat (Le Bouchon des Carnivores), one fish (La Cabane du Pecheur) and one Lyonnais food (Chabert et Fils). (http://www.chabertrestaurant.fr/)

Will you have a car while you're there? There are some lovely restaurants I can recommend about 30-40 minutes drive from Lyon, in the Beaujolais hills, with stunning views and great food.

Wherever you decide to eat, I'm sure you'll have some wonderful meals in Lyon, as it's absolutely packed with great restaurants (as long as you stay away from the tourist traps in the old town!).

hanl; you seem to be very knowledgable about Lyon. Hope SkiBum doesn't mind me using his thread, but we will be in Lyon in July (just travelling through) and were also looking for a good restaurant. Which of the ones you mention would be best for taking children to (age 8-14, they like good food).
I'm also looking for a hotel in the center of town, with private parking, for one night. No more than 200 Euro per room/night. Any ideas?

Hi Tulips,
My Lyon knowledge comes from the fact that I lived there for 2 years before moving to Brussels in late 2004.

I think the Maison Villemanzy might be nice with children because of the setting and nice view (plenty to look at!), and the food is good but not overly fancy or expensive. If you have a specific date in mind then book now to be sure of a table on the terrace (seriously, it's very popular).

As for hotels, I'm not sure where has private parking. I'll have a think and get back to you.

Thank you hanl. I will look into that restaurant. For hotel I was thinking a Mercure or something like that. It's only for one night; hopefully we will have more time for Lyon on a next trip.

Wishing you a sunny weekend in Brussels! (I live in Antwerp)

Well, there's a Mercure near place de la République that's very well located and perfectly decent (I stayed there once a few years ago). It's called Mercure Plaza République - http://tinyurl.com/ls3sq
However, I don't think it has private parking. There are various multi-story carparks nearby though, and charges for parking are pretty low in Lyon (I think the overnight charge is only a few euros).

Have a nice sunny weekend in Antwerp too! I'm actually off to Paris this weekend and rain is forecast.

PS. SkiBum123, sorry for hijacking your thread

I'd advise you to follow any restaurant recommendations by "hanl". We did when we were in Lyon in September '04, and were very happy with the results.

Before that trip, I created some files on Lyon restaurants and other Lyon sights, combining information from Fodor's with info from hanl and others. I'd be happy to send them to anyone interested - just write me at "[email protected]". Frankly, the notes from hanl proved to be much more useful and accurate than the Fodor's recommendations.

But note that one of the files is not in WORD format. It's an HTML file; you open it in your browser. I did that to enable me to put links in it that would enable me to jump around rapidly when viewing it on my PDA, with its small screen. I also do have a WORD file with info on Lyon, some of it also taken from various posts by hanl.

You might also be interested in my trip report from that trip, where Lyon is mentioned near the bottom:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34533499

And you might like my comments on deciphering French menus, in which I recommend the Patricia Wells food glossary, which can be downloaded from the web. The thread is:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34534230

- Larry

Hi SkiBum, was there in October.

Brasseries Georges +++
Cafe Leffe ++
Panier a Salade skip
La Machonnerie +++
Patisserie Paul +++
L'Est +++

Stayed at Hotel Citadine Part-Dieu, 45E/night for Sat/Sun, 64E/night for Mon/Tues. Across from Part-Duie station, very convenient for TGV and Metro.
Here is my long trip report:


http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...e=Michel_Paris

Thanks Larry! (blush) I'm glad my recommendations were helpful. I hope they are still up to date, though, as we moved away from Lyon a while ago (sob!). We try and go back as often as we can, of course, and always eat at least one meal out when we're there.

Thanks Larry, Hanl, and Michel. I really appreciate the info. Will be checking them out and will e-mail you, Larry.

You must go to a true "Bouchon." One of the best and most famous is the Cafe des Federations. You should also eat on the Rue Merciere, if only to watch the passing parade. We ate at a sidewalk table at Le Merciere and had a show as well as a good meal. Near the old Brotteaux station, the restaurant Splendid is operated by Georges Blanc and is an homage to Les Meres (the mothers) who carried Lyonnaise cuisine in the 19th century. Lovely place, lovely neighborhood, lovely food. All the places I have recommended are very inexpensive by your standards. All have websites, if I recall correctly.

Go to the tourist office (southwest corner of Place Bellecour). You can get a 1, 2 or 3-day pass that includes metro, museum entries and guided walks. I strongly recommend the guided walk of Vieux Lyon. It is offered in English, at least in summer.

Thank you vedette; inexpensive is good. We like walking tours so will be sure to check out the TI.

Dan