The oldest establishment in the capital of gastronomy where you can actually dine is celebrating its 190th anniversary this year—that’s been ages! In fact, over nearly two centuries, the famous chandeliers of “Georges” have seen some truly remarkable guests pass through its doors! Who else can boast of having seen the Lumière brothers, Jean-Paul Sartre, Édith Piaf, Émile Zola, Paul Verlaine, or even Colette take a seat at its tables? If Paul Bocuse is indeed the living, breathing embodiment of Lyon’s gastronomy, Brasserie Georges is its counterpart in iron and stone.
190 years ago: a marsh between the Saône and the Rhône…
Let’s rewind a bit. Here we are in 1836, at a pivotal moment in our history. We are under the July Monarchy (1830–1848), the Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile has just been completed in Paris, photography is in its infancy, electricity is far from being harnessed for domestic use, and in Lyon, excitement is at its peak (we find ourselves between the two major revolts of the silk weavers in 1834 and 1848).
Amid all this bustle, an Alsatian decided to settle there—more precisely, at the confluence of the Rhône and the Saône. It was there, in fact, that the stagecoaches on the Paris-Marseille route made their stop. The decision was made: Georges Hoffherr would brew his beer in Perrache, since Lyon was already renowned at the time for the quality of its water.
The brasserie was taking shape, and the challenge was immense: a 700 m² ceiling spanning a single bay, supported by three fir beams—all built on marshy, unstable ground! The gamble paid off, since a year later, Perrache Station was built just a stone’s throw away, which truly launched the “Georges’s” success for centuries to come.
France’s largest brasserie is still going strong in 2026
With a dining room seating over 350 guests, it is quite simply the largest brasserie in France. This behemoth—the size of a handball court—runs as smoothly as a Swiss watch. In fact, the clock on the ceiling has time to complete a full rotation between the first and last seatings. Open seven days a week, the brasserie operates at full capacity. The ceaseless ballet of staff, suppliers, and customers is worthy of a true waltz with a thousand steps. Might Jacques Brel, a regular here, have found inspiration on one of those red benches?
It’s often said that the best jams are made in old pots. At Brasserie Georges, it wouldn’t be hard to find a truer statement. The choucroute garnie—as is the Alsatian tradition—has been on the menu since day one. But at “BG,” people also come for the onion gratin, bone marrow, or snails, which are usually washed down with a beer brewed on the premises…
