Food has this unique ability to transport us back to our memories. Proust had his madeleine, but we all have within us that flavor that takes us back to our grandmothers’ kitchens. If Lyon were to do the same, it would set its sights on this little spot which, having changed little since 1940, hasn’t aged a day—let alone gathered dust. Why change a winning formula? It’s true that the best jams are made in old pots (grandma’s, of course).
Le Garet, the Proustian madeleine of Lyon’s gastronomy
The cozy atmosphere of Le Garet transports us to another era, far from QR code menus and neon signs out front. Here, the red bench seating and tablecloth-covered tables welcome regulars and visitors alike from Monday through Friday, for lunch and dinner, to dine in an atmosphere that exudes the spirit of a traditional Lyon bouchon. Balloon glasses and embroidered napkins complete this scene, which certainly isn’t lacking in color.
As for the menu, you’ll find everything you loveabout traditional, local cuisine: rillettes, terrines, cervelles meunière, and even calf’s head. As you can see, you’d better be a meat lover, and you’d best come with an empty stomach and a hearty appetite, because the portions are as generous as can be.
“JEAN MOULIN, hero and leader of the French Resistance, always sat in this spot”
Here is what can be read on the brass plaque next to the table on the right as you enter. This spot allowed Jean Moulin to keep an eye on comings and goings during his clandestine meetings with his right-hand man, Daniel Cordier. They came here every week, and Jean Moulin dined here one last time just before his arrest on June 21, 1943…Only history will tell us whether Jean Moulin dined wearing that hat, which he took off only on very rare occasions.
Lyon is a major hub of the Resistance. The recent film selected this year at the Cannes Film Festival, starring Gilles Lellouche and focusing on Jean Moulin in Lyon, is further proof of this. More than 80 years after the Liberation, the memory lives on. Fortunately, places like Le Garet keep this chapter of history alive in their own way.
