Lyon, capital of gastronomy, has many specialities. And our beautiful city has not finished surprising us! The people of Lyon love to eat. They love to eat well. And when it comes to creating environments or dishes that are completely offbeat and atypical, our chefs are bursting with imagination! If you haven’t heard of them yet, here are 10 totally unusual restaurants!
Innovative concepts
In Lyon, ideas abound for new concepts to enrich your gastronomic experience. From the smallest detail that makes you smile to an immersive experience, Lyon’s chefs stop at nothing when it comes to innovation.
La Table en Braille
Close your eyes, turn off the lights and sit down to dinner. Here’s what La Table en Braille has to offer, a restaurant in the dark that will thrill all your senses. No source of light is tolerated: connected watches, telephones, lighters… The aim is to help you rediscover the taste of food and immerse yourself in a unique experience. The food is particularly good, so don’t worry, you won’t get any bad jokes!
📍 44 Quai Charles de Gaulle, Lyon 6. Tuesday to Friday, 7pm to 9pm, and Saturday, 12pm to 1:30pm and 7pm to 9:15pm.
❤️ Menus are to be discovered on the spot, but everything we ate was delicious.
👉 Find out more on the official website
At the Prisons
Hands up! You’ve been thrown into the best prison there is: Montagny Prison. You certainly won’t be behind bars during your meal, although we can assure you that you’ll probably ask to be handcuffed to your chair so you don’t get kicked out of the restaurant, as the food tastes so much like home. This restaurant is also a chambre d’hôte, and this time you can try out the room-cell experience. An unusual and particularly beautiful setting, making this an address well worth keeping!
📍 5 Rue de la Mairie, Montagny. Tuesdays and Saturdays, 7.30pm to 9pm. Wednesday and Thursday, 11.45am to 2.15pm and 7.30pm to 9.00pm. Sundays 11.45am to 2.15pm
❤️ Pumpkin velouté and confit lamb mouse 8 hours
👉 Find out more on the official website
Timeless places
Because we also eat with our eyes, why not treat ourselves to a restaurant outing in an idyllic setting, and enjoy a parenthesis out of time?
La Nef des Fous
Overloaded decor, knick-knacks on all sides, bathtub at the end of the staircase… Be careful where you step in this madhouse! The baroque ambiance of the place transports us directly into a parallel universe. The food is good, the dishes are hearty and the quality/price ratio is correct. A must-try restaurant for a local change of scene!
📍 5 Rue du Bœuf, Lyon 5. 7-10.30pm daily.
❤️ Le Gratinée de ravioles au Comté et au gorgonzola and Panna cotta vanille
👉 Find out more on the official website
Le Petit Meunier
Meunier never sleeps here! Let’s get away from Lyon for a while and head for Messimy, about 20 minutes from Lyon. Le Petit Meunier offers cuisine prepared with the finest ingredients! The setting is absolutely delightful, with a small stream running alongside the restaurant, sheltered from everything. The intimate decor, inside and out, makes you want to retire to the countryside for the rest of your life. Thanks to a large bay window inside, you can see the mill wheel. In short, a place that’s well worth a visit, as much for the cuisine as for the beauty of the surroundings.
📍 12 chemin des Moulins, Messimy. Tuesday to Sunday, 12pm to 2pm. Saturday to Sunday, dinner service from 7pm to 9:30pm.
❤️ Scallops with Comté cheese and Filet of sea bass
👉 Find out more on the official website
Les Fils à Maman
coquillettes with ham, cordon bleu, babybels… Ah, the sweet flavors of our childhood. At Les Fils à Maman, we fall back on the comforting dishes of our parents! The decor is warm and inviting, as is the cuisine. Here, the joy lies in simplicity revisited. Everything is homemade, so that young and old alike can enjoy an unforgettable moment… Just like home!
📍 25 Rue de l’Arbre Sec, Lyon 1st. Monday to Thursday, 12pm to 2pm and 7:30pm to 10pm. Fridays and Saturdays, same lunchtime hours, except evenings until 10:30pm. Sunday, 11am to 3pm
❤️ The croque-madame with raclette and mushrooms and the famous cheesburger.
👉 Find out more on the official website
Flavors from elsewhere
Sometimes the best way to travel is on your plate. From the decor to the dishes served, these restaurants take you on a voyage of discovery of new cultures without leaving Lyon.
Oto Oto (Japanese)
Oto Oto is a restaurant that reinvents Izakayas, those popular Japanese bistros. Here, you’ll eat in a kind of egg/grotto that will make you feel like you’re in your own little bubble. On the menu, truly succulent traditional dishes. Right in the heart of the 7th arrondissement, Oto Oto is perfect for lunch or dinner!
📍 15 Rue d’Aguesseau, Lyon 7. Wednesday to Sunday, 12pm to 2pm and 7pm to 10pm
❤️ Le Kakuni (ultra-melting pork belly)
👉 Find out more on the official website
Gojo (Ethiopian)
We’ve already mentioned it in our selection of the best restaurants in Lyon in 2025. This address invites you to explore the richness of Ethiopian cuisine. Opened in June 2023 by a mother and daughter, this restaurant offers dishes of incomparable flavor and color. It’s a veritable nugget where you can savor little-known dishes while sharing an authentic and convivial moment. Gojo is an experience not to be missed!
📍 327 Rue André Philip, Lyon 3, Open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.
❤️ Our reco: Beg wot (lamb stew)
👉 Find out more on the official website
Messob (Ethiopian)
Ethiopia is definitely in the spotlight! Messob, another must-try restaurant, is a veritable Ethiopian showcase right in Lyon. The decor, the atmosphere… It’s all there for you to spend an exceptional moment, far from the capital of the Gauls. At Messob, you eat with your hands and with injera, the traditional bread roll. Prices are reasonable for a truly out-of-the-ordinary experience.
🕕 85 Rue Masséna, Lyon 6. 7pm to 11pm daily. Weekend lunchtime service from 12pm to 2pm.
❤️ Our reco: Doro wot: chicken and hard-boiled eggs in sauce
👉 Find out more on the official website
Le Sambahia (Brazilian)
Head for Brazil with the colorful dishes of the Sambahia restaurant! Here you can discover new flavors straight from South America, all in a festive, friendly atmosphere. Sip your best Caïpirinha in front of a Brazilian dance show to the frenzied rhythm of the samba, while waiting to fill your belly with a hearty feijoada.
🕕 8 Rue du Viel Renversé, 69005
❤️ Our reco: Moqueca de Peixe (Cod with manioc sauce and coconut milk)
👉 Find out more on the official website
Bonus: Le Gentle Cat
We’ve already told you about this atypical address in Lyon, and it’s clear that it also deserves a place in this article. Le GentleCat, a cat bar in Lyon, offers a cosy space for snacks, meals and coworking surrounded by cats. Located at 51 rue Auguste Comte, it combines conviviality and respect for animals, while donating 10% of its profits to an animal association.
🕕 51 Rue Auguste Comte, Lyon 2
❤️ Our reco: Oven-roasted cheese
👉 Find out more on the official website