The counters in Lyon worth queuing for: bread, pastry, and the morning ritual.
Bakery counters in Lyon worth queuing for: levain breads, laminated pastry, regional bakes and the morning ritual.
Bernachon in Lyon's 6e is the bean-to-bar chocolatier founded by Maurice Bernachon in 1953, with a Rue Franklin Roosevelt salon de the and a full pastry.
Tip: The President cake is the order; a slice with espresso at the salon is the form.
Worth the queue: President cake, chocolate, hazelnut praline
Maison Pralus runs the bean-to-bar chocolate house Auguste Pralus founded in 1955, with a Lyon counter at Halles Paul Bocuse for the praluline brioche.
Tip: The praluline (pink-praline brioche) is the dish; a whole loaf travels home.
Worth the queue: Praluline brioche with pink pralines
Jocteur runs a Halles Paul Bocuse counter from the family bakery in Saint-Genis-Laval, with naturally-leavened breads and a long-fermented sourdough loaf.
Tip: Closed Sunday-Monday; pain au levain is the loaf; arrive by 09:00 for the warm batch.
Worth the queue: Pain au levain naturel
Pignol is the multi-generation Lyonnais bakery and patisserie with a Place Bellecour counter for the pink-praline tart, sandwiches and chocolate eclairs.
Tip: The tarte aux pralines (pink praline) is the order; sold by the slice from 11:00.
Worth the queue: Tarte aux pralines
Bouillet on Place de la Croix-Rousse in Lyon's 4e is Sebastien Bouillet's patisserie and chocolate counter, with the city's most-faithful coussin de Lyon.
Tip: The coussin de Lyon (marzipan-and-chocolate pillow) is the order; closed Sunday-Monday.
Worth the queue: Coussin de Lyon
Pralus Presqu'ile on Rue de Brest in the 2e is the praluline-brioche counter for the Lyon peninsula, with whole loaves of pink-praline brioche from Roanne.
Tip: A whole praluline loaf travels for a day; ask for the freshly-bagged hot one.
Worth the queue: Praluline brioche, plain and chocolate
Boulangerie du Palais in Vieux Lyon is the praline-rose specialist run by pastry chef Sebastien Bouillet on Rue du Palais de Justice, with a queue that runs.
Tip: Arrive before 11:00 on weekends for the full counter; the box of six small praline tarts is the form.
Worth the queue: Tarte aux pralines roses
Partisan Boulanger on Rue du Chariot d'Or in the Croix-Rousse 4e bakes ancient-grain levains: khorasan, einkorn, methil, petit epeautre, alongside walnut.
Tip: The khorasan loaf is the order; closed Monday.
Worth the queue: Khorasan and einkorn levain
Les Co'Pains d'Antan on Cours Franklin Roosevelt in the 6e is the small neighbourhood boulangerie whose pain au chocolat won regional best, with a second.
Tip: Arrive early for the pain au chocolat; the queue is shortest at 08:00.
Worth the queue: Pain au chocolat (regional best)
Boulangerie Jocteur at Ile Barbe in the 9e is Philippe-Marc Jocteur's flagship, he was Best Apprentice of Rhone-Alpes 1981 and the official baker of Bocuse.
Tip: The tarte sablee aux pralines is the order; Halles Paul Bocuse stocks the loaves daily.
Worth the queue: Tarte sablee aux pralines
Bouillet's Presqu'ile counter on Rue des Archers in the 2e is the Sebastien Bouillet patisserie showcase south of the river, with tarts, macarons.
Tip: The choco-fruits selection is the gift box; the macaron line moves daily.
Worth the queue: Choco-fruits and seasonal entremets
Maison Pignol on Rue Vendome in the 6e is the Pignol family's quartier patisserie counter with the praline tart, macarons and a chosen lunch line for office.
Tip: The tarte aux pralines by the slice and the built lunch box are the order.
Worth the queue: Praline tart and macarons
Antoinette on Rue Sebastien Gryphe in the 7e Guillotiere bakes only long-fermented natural-sourdough breads and fondant brioches: no baguettes, no croissants.
Tip: The praline brioche is the order; closed Sunday-Monday; the shared loaf travels for a day.
Worth the queue: Praline brioche
Boulangerie Saint-Paul in Vieux Lyon is the 1899-founded boulangerie on Place Saint-Paul, where a relaunch under Maison Farine took regional vice-prize.
Tip: The pain au chocolat is the order; arrive before 11:00 for the warm batch.
Worth the queue: Pain au chocolat and country baguette
Boulangerie Marcel on Rue Bugeaud in the 6e is pastry chef Mathieu Jullien's bakery, where trompe-l'oeil fruit patisseries (Granny Smith, lemon.
Tip: The trompe-l'oeil Granny Smith is the signature; arrive before 11:00 for the croissant pick.
Worth the queue: Trompe-l'oeil fruit patisserie
Voisin on Place Bellecour is the Lyonnais chocolatier founded in 1897, the originator of the Coussin de Lyon: a cushion-shaped almond marzipan filled.
Tip: The Coussin de Lyon assortment box is the city gift; available by weight.
Worth the queue: Coussin de Lyon (almond marzipan)
Bouillet on Avenue des Freres Lumiere in the 8e is the Monplaisir-side patisserie counter for Sebastien Bouillet's praline tart, macarons. Family-friendly.
Tip: Tarte aux pralines by the slice and the macaron line of the day are the order.
Worth the queue: Tarte aux pralines and macarons
Le Pain des Jacobins between Marche Saint-Antoine and Place des Jacobins in the 2e is Hugo's contemporary boulangerie running quality country loaves.
Tip: Two small tables only; the tarte aux pralines and the praline-sablee are the order.
Worth the queue: Tarte aux pralines and country loaf
Weiss on Rue de Brest in the 2e is the Saint-Etienne chocolatier founded in 1882, with the Lyon flagship counter and the Nougamandine praline as the city.
Tip: The Nougamandine box and the bean-to-bar slabs are the order.
Worth the queue: Praliné Nougamandine