We open the door to what should be written in every school textbook in Lyon and beyond: the local specialties you should try at least once in your life. Some are well known, others perhaps less so… So get lost in this primer on sweet and savoury delicacies, and we hope it will whet your appetite!
For the aperitif
Grattons
Grattons(also spelled gratons) are another typical Lyonnais speciality, consisting of animal fat or pork residues that have been melted, 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.
❤️ Our favorites
Charcuterie Sibilia and charcuterie Bobosse
Le Jésus de Lyon
Sweet Jesus! Here’s another specialty with a loyal following… Jésus de Lyon is a rather small but rather large dry sausage. In terms of flavor, it’s pretty damn formidable, since it’s made exclusively from the finest parts of the pig. Your best friend for an aperitif or to accompany a cheese platter.
❤️ Our favorites
Sibilia charcuterie, Les Halles de Lyon
The 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 could have been invented by the canuts(former silk weavers in Lyon) 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.
❤️ Our favorites
Chez Grand-Mère, Le Bouchon des Filles, Maître Boeuf
À table !
Lyonnais liver cake
This is one of the great classics of local cuisine, and one that can be found in many of our bouchons. A typical dish of “our grandmothers”, it’s always a pleasure to share it at the table with family or friends.
❤️ Our favorite – this video of Paul Bocuse at work (great moment!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9KOQ5tWZg8
The brioche sausage
Emblematic of family meals à la Lyonnaise, the brioche sausage can be eaten as a whole dish, sliced and even accompanied by salad leaves. Whether homemade or eaten in a “bouchon”, the combination of warm sausage and soft brioche has won over all the Lyonnais.
❤️ Our favorite
La charcuterie Sibilia
Poulet au vinaigre à la lyonnaise
Another classic of Lyonnais cuisine, chicken in vinegar is a Proust’s madeleine for many of us… It’s a recipe that can be found on the tables of many of the city’s restaurants, because it’s synonymous with instant pleasure and delight. The Lyonnais will tell you it’s a “must”!
❤️ Our favorite
Go to Bouchon Léa (11 Place Antonin Gourju) for a supreme of chicken with tarragon vinegar, mushrooms and homemade purée, a real delight!
The Lyon 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.
❤️ Our favorites
Le Café du Soleil, Giraudet and Le Poêlon d’Or (yum!)
Le tablier de sapeur
This typical Lyonnais dish is made from beef fat marinated in white wine, breaded and served in a sauce with potatoes. Its name comes from a former military governor of Lyon, who wore a leather apron and loved meat…
❤️ Our favorites
Le Morgon, La Meunière, le Bouchon Comptoir Brunet
Cardoons
Cardoon is an ancient vegetable belonging to the same family as artichokes. Cardoon is in season from August to October, and is mainly used in Mediterranean cuisine. A traditional Lyonnais dish, cardoon gratin is a pure delight and one of our gastronomic specialties.
❤️ Our favorite
In Lyon, we recommend Le Jardin Gourmand
Lyon salad
Every major city in France has its own typical salad. Lyon’s salad consists of green salad leaves, smoked bacon, bread croutons and poached egg. And don’t forget the vinaigrette! Suffice to say, it’s not just a tasteless diet dish!
❤️ Our favorites
Le Moulin, Les Pavés de Saint-Jean, Le Bistrot de Lyon, Le Petit Glouton
Saint-Marcellin
Here’s another Lyon specialty. Yes, you have to like strong cheeses. But Saint-Marcellin, from the village of the same name just outside Lyon, is really something. It’s a small cheese, but it’s super-powerful. It’s best served in a potato gratin, with roast duck or simply on toast… Be warned!
❤️ Our favorite
Les Halles de Lyon!
Lyon 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 deep-fried turnover is so simple, yet so delicious, that it’s hard to stop eating it! We devour them, but especially during Carnival in March!
❤️ Our favorites
Boulangerie du Palais, Maison Tourtiller, À la Marquise
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!
❤️ Our favorites
Boulangerie Jocteur, boutiques Pralus and Pâtisseries Bouillet, Maison Rodancy
The cushions
Created by Lyon chocolatier Voisin, the cushions (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 confection born in 1960, symbolizing tradition and delicacy.
❤️ Our favorite
Chocolats Voisin, of course! (several stores in Lyon)
Warning: After all these goodies, don’t forget to exercise (and brush your teeth!).