This is the kind of restaurant that doesn’t go unnoticed and yet, paradoxically, blends right into the scenery… Here we are on a historic street in Lyon, and right in the middle of it, the façade of this bouchon already speaks volumes. On either side of the entrance, a host of enamel plaques sets the tone. A slew of Gault & Millau awards, the famous “Authentique Bouchon Lyonnais” plaque, the Guide Hubert, and, more recently, the Michelin Guide. You don’t need a crystal ball to know you’re in for a treat. And then, seeing the number of people rubbing their hands together as they walk in, there’s no doubt left.
Le Mercière, a Lyon institution since 1978
This is one of the best bouchons in the city. It was in the spotlight in 2022 after winning our local Palme d’Or (thanks to the Cannes Film Festival) for best bouchon. And when you look at the resume, it’s easy to see why. At the helm is César Ponsonnet, who took over the family business in 2024 after working as a maître d’ at a three-star restaurant in New York. In the kitchen, Chef Sébastien Plessis (formerly of La Tour d’Argent in Paris and the Carlton in Cannes) brings his expertise to the table. It’s clear that Le Mercière, when it comes to expertise, doesn’t do things by halves. Here, you’ll find all the enthusiasm and passionof a top-notch Lyon establishment: restaurateurs who are passionate about their craft, serving a delighted clientele.
Because on the plate, Lyon’s cuisine is at its finest. Everything is homemade, of course. The best regional ingredients and culinary expertise bring us the authentic cooking of Lyon’s mothers. Artisanal pike quenelles, tablier de sapeur, hot sausage from Sibilia, string-pulled andouillette from Bobosse… in short, the cream of the crop! Add to that an absolutely incredible wine cellar (for all budgets) and you’ll have everything you need to honor the “bon appétit and large soif” in the best possible way.
A bouchon in a traboule…
This is clearly the place’s charm. A bouchon crossed by a traboule. How could it be any more authentically Lyon? Le Mercière even lets you sit down to eat there so you can enjoy it as much with your taste buds as with your eyes.
Far from being a mere curiosity, the traboule that runs through Le Mercière lets you experience Lyon to the fullest. As a reminder, traboules are a feature unique to Lyon and found nowhere else in the world —a feature that, incidentally, allowed Vieux-Lyon to join the very exclusive circle of neighborhoods listed by UNESCO.
📍 56 rue Mercière, Lyon 2
🍴 €21 per dish and €33 for the starter and main course menu
❤️ The black pudding puff pastry and the chestnut cake
⏰Open daily, from 12 PM to 2:30 PM and from 6:45 PM to 10:30 PM (until 11 PM on Fridays and Saturdays)
