French fine diningChef Takao Takano€€€€€165 to €245Tue-Fri lunch and dinner, Mon dinner onlyBook 4 weeks ahead
Takao Takano in Lyon's 6e is the two-star Japanese-French tasting room on Rue Malesherbes, with a 22-seat dining room cooking six and nine-course sets.
Order: The nine-course tasting; the wine pairing is the move.
Tip: Lunch on Wed-Fri is the easier seating; closed Sunday and Monday.
French fine diningChef Olivier Couvin€€€€€295 to €445Wed-Sun 12:00-13:15, 20:00-21:15Book 6 weeks ahead
Paul Bocuse's L'Auberge du Pont de Collonges sits on the Saone north of Lyon, the dining room that held three Michelin stars from 1965 to 2020.
Order: Soupe aux truffes VGE, the 1975 dish for Valery Giscard d'Estaing, still on the carte.
Tip: A taxi from central Lyon takes 25 minutes; the suburb is unfit for walking back.
French fine diningChef Christian Tetedoie€€€€€105 to €175Wed-Mon 12:00-13:30, 19:30-21:30, Tue ClosedBook 2 weeks ahead
Tetedoie on the Fourviere hill above Lyon's old town is Christian Tetedoie's one-star dining room with a glass-walled view across the Saone to the city below.
Order: The five-course Saveurs tasting; the Bresse poultry course is the highlight.
Tip: Reserve a window seat; the cheaper bistro Phosphore sits beside it.
Tasting menuChef Gaetan Gentil€€€€€89 to €159Fri-Sat 12:00-13:15, Tue-Sat 20:00-21:15Book 2 weeks ahead
Prairial in Lyon's 2e Confluence is Gaetan Gentil's one-star vegetable-forward dining room on Place Hubert Mounier, with a tasting menu rooted in foraged.
Order: The vegetable tasting; ask for the herbal-juice pairing instead of wine.
Tip: Closed Sunday-Tuesday; the lunch menu is half the price of dinner.
Modern European€€€€€31 to €45 per plateMon-Tue Closed, Wed-Fri 18:00-23:30, Sat 14:30-23:30, Sun ClosedBook 2 weeks ahead
Les Muses de l'Opera sits on top of the Lyon Opera house in the 1er, with a panoramic rooftop dining room above Place de la Comedie and signature cocktails.
Order: Book the rooftop terrace at sunset; the dome view from the dining room is the draw.
Tip: Reserve a window seat on the opera-house side at sunset for the full payoff.
Tasting menuChef Olivier Paget€€€€€85 to €125Mon-Fri 12:30-13:30, 19:15-20:45, Tue dinner only, Sat-Sun ClosedBook 2 weeks ahead
Ombellule in Lyon's 6e on Cours Franklin Roosevelt is Olivier Paget's tasting-menu room with a tight, four-course modern-French set and a selected wine list.
Order: The chef's set; ask for the pairing if the cellar list overwhelms.
Tip: Closed Sunday-Monday; book the chef's counter for the kitchen view.