Not just anyone can be from Lyon. In addition to a local vocabulary, if you haven’t passed the test of fire by tasting each of these 10 typical Lyonnais specialties at least once in your life, you’re not legally entitled to the Lyonnais origin. To obtain it, we’ve compiled a list of these must-try dishes and (above all) where to find them.
1. Lyon’s top speciality: the praline tart
The brainchild of Lyonnais chef Alain Chapel, the tarte aux pralines was invented with the aim of adding a dessert to the menus of Lyon’s bouchons. Its pink color makes it unique, and it has become one of the city’s must-try pastries. Beware: you’d better love sugar!
Where to find them?
In Pralus boutiques (Saint-Jean, Croix-Rousse, Presqu’île and Monplaisir)
In Lyon bakeries
2. Brioche sausage
Emblematic of family meals à la Lyonnaise, brioche sausage can be eaten as a whole dish, sliced and even served with salad leaves. Whether homemade or enjoyed in a “bouchon”, the combination of warm sausage and soft brioche has won over the Lyonnais.
Where can you find it?
In most of Lyon’s charcuterie shops
In the bouchons (the one at Les Lyonnais is excellent)
3. The quenelle
In the 19th century, when an invasion of pike was raging in the Saône and the authorities were struggling to decide what to do with the fish, pastry chef Charles Morateur decided to mix pike meat with choux pastry, and invented the first quenelle lyonnaise. Its light, fluffy texture earned it its reputation, and it has become inseparable from Lyonnais gastronomy.
Where can you find it?
In many of Lyon’s bouchons and restaurants
(we recommend Café du Soleil, Giraudet, or Le Poêlon d’Or).
4. La cervelle de canut
Although the name doesn’t sound very appetizing, it’s simply a kind of traditional fromage blanc, typical of Lyon! Its origins remain unclear, but it may have been invented by the canuts(Lyon’s former silk weavers) in the 19th century… In any case, the freshness of the fromage blanc mixed with garlic, butter and small onions has not finished delighting us.
Where can you find it?
In certain Lyon cheese dairies and bouchons lyonnais
(Chez Grand-Mère, Le Bouchon des Filles, Maître Boeuf, Chez Paul).
5. The sapper’s apron
This typical Lyonnais dish is made with beef fat marinated in white wine, breaded and served in sauce with potatoes. Its name derives from a former military governor of Lyon, who wore a leather apron and loved meat…
Where can you find it?
In several Lyon restaurants
(we recommend Le Morgon, La Meunière, Bouchon Comptoir Brunet).
6. Les bugnes
The word bugne is the French version of the Lyonnais term bugni, which designates a doughnut. Sometimes crunchy, sometimes soft, this little Lyonnais dessert has its origins in the Middle Ages (some even speak of ancient Rome!). This little fried turnover is so simple, yet so delicious, that it’s hard to stop eating it!
Where to find them?
Several bakeries in Lyon
(we recommend Boulangerie du Palais, Maison Tourtiller, À la Marquise, Sève)
7. Cushions
Created by Lyon chocolatier Voisin, cushions (which are made of marzipan and chocolate ganache) take up to 4 days to make! In 1643, during the plague epidemic in Lyon, the aldermen placed a golden shield on a silk cushion on Fourvière hill to ask the Virgin Mary to spare the city. Every year since, the ritual has been repeated, inspiring the famous Lyon cushion, a confectionary born in 1960, symbolizing tradition and delicacy.
Where to find them?
Chocolats Voisin (several stores in Lyon)
8. Grattons
Grattons(also spelled gratons) are another typical Lyonnais speciality, made from melted animal fat or pork, sautéed and seasoned with salt and pepper. They are served as an aperitif, as a main course with a salad, as a side dish, or used in tarts, pies and other culinary specialties.
Where can you find them?
In Lyon’s charcuterie shops, ready-to-eat (Charcuterie Sibilia, Charcuterie Bobosse).
9. Cardoons
Cardoon is an ancient vegetable belonging to the same family as artichokes. Cardoons are in season from August to October, and are mainly used in Mediterranean cuisine. A traditional Lyonnais dish, cardoon gratin is a pure delight and one of our gastronomic specialties.
Where can you find it?
In Lyon, we recommend Le Jardin Gourmand, in the 1st arrondissement.
10. Saint-Marcellin
So, yes, you’ve got to like strong cheeses. But Saint-Marcellin, from the village of the same name near Lyon, is really something. A small, soft cheese with a bloomy rind, made from cow’s milk, it’s perfect in a potato gratin, with roast duck or simply on toast. One of Lyon’s finest specialties, to be devoured without moderation!
Where can you find it?
In many cheese shops, of course, but we recommend Les Halles de Lyon!
11. Lyonnaise salad
Every major city in France has its own typical salad. Lyon’s salad consists of green salad leaves (frisée or dents de lion), smoked bacon, bread croutons, poached egg and vinaigrette sauce. It’s not just a tasteless diet dish!
Where to find it?
In several restaurants in Lyon: Le Moulin, Les Pavés de Saint-Jean, Le Bistrot de Lyon, Le Petit Glouton