Day-by-day eating plans for Lyon. weekend classics, family routes, vegan plans, on-a-budget editions.

Day-by-day plans

Lyon weekend: the bouchon, the market and the chocolate house ★ 4.5

First-time visitor, two days2 days

A two-day Lyon weekend structured around the three things the city does best: a Friday-night bouchon dinner, a Saturday-morning market with charcuterie tastings at Halles Paul Bocuse, and an afternoon at Bernachon followed by a natural-wine dinner.

  1. Day 1: Friday: bouchon dinner on the Presqu'ile

    Morning
    Arrive and drop bags. Walk the Presqu'ile from Place Bellecour north to the Opera, stopping at Pignol on Place Bellecour for a slice of tarte aux pralines and a coffee at the counter.
    Afternoon
    Catch the tail end of the Marche de la Croix-Rousse by 12:45 before the stalls close at 13:30, then wander the silk-weaver streets and the Mur des Canuts before a glass of natural Beaujolais at Micro Sillon on Place Fernand Rey from 18:00.
    Evening
    Dinner at Cafe-Comptoir Abel, 25 Rue Guynemer. Order the salade lyonnaise with poached egg to start, the quenelle de brochet sauce Nantua as the plat, and cervelle de canut with bread as the cheese finish. A pichet of Cotes-du-Rhone for the table.

  2. Day 2: Saturday: Halles Bocuse in the morning, Bernachon in the afternoon

    Morning
    Halles de Lyon-Paul Bocuse by 09:30. Stop at Sibilia for a hot slice of saucisson brioche, then move along to Jocteur for a sourdough loaf. Eat oysters at the Maison Merle counter with a glass of Sancerre at 10:30.
    Afternoon
    Cross to Bernachon on Cours Franklin Roosevelt by 14:30. Take the President cake with an espresso in the salon de the. Walk the length of the 6e to the Saxe-Gambetta market neighbourhood and back to the hotel.
    Evening
    Dinner at Ayla, 11 Place de l'Europe in the 6e. Book the 19:30 sitting for the Franco-Lebanese carte; share the tempura vine leaves on labneh and the squid with shiitake to close.

Lyon on a natural-wine circuit ★ 4.4

Wine enthusiast, two days2 days

Lyon has more natural-wine bars per square kilometre than almost any city in France. This two-day route moves through the Presqu'ile and Croix-Rousse wine caves from early evening to late, with bouchon anchors for the main meals.

  1. Day 1: Thursday: 1er Presqu'ile wine bars

    Morning
    Spend the morning at the Marche Quai Saint-Antoine along the Saone, buying cheese and charcuterie for a picnic lunch on the riverside.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Regain, 3 Rue d'Algerie. Book the chef's set lunch for the Mediterranean-leaning natural-wine pairing. Walk the Presqu'ile shops from 15:00.
    Evening
    Begin the cave circuit at Semo on Rue des Fantasques from 18:30. Move to Grisbi on Rue Chavanne for a negroni at 21:00. Close at L'Antiquaire on Rue Hippolyte Flandrin for an old-fashioned.

  2. Day 2: Friday: Croix-Rousse to the 3e

    Morning
    Breakfast at the Marche de la Croix-Rousse. Buy a pain au levain from Jocteur at Halles Paul Bocuse on the way back down to the Presqu'ile.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Daniel et Denise Saint-Jean, 36 Rue Tramassac in Vieux Lyon: pate en croute, then quenelle, with a half-bottle of Beaujolais. Walk the traboules of Vieux Lyon after.
    Evening
    Wine tasting at Les Assembleurs, 12 Rue Mazenod in the 3e, from 18:30 for cheese plates and natural Beaujolais by the glass. Move to Becbec at 20:30 for the last counter seats and three small plates.

Lyon on a budget: three days under €50 per day ★ 4.3

Budget traveller, three days3 days

Lyon is surprisingly manageable on a tight budget if you eat lunch as the main meal, shop the markets for breakfast, and use the city's bouillon and bouchon set-lunch culture for the biggest meals.

  1. Day 1: Day one: Halles breakfast, bouchon lunch, market evening

    Morning
    Breakfast at Halles Paul Bocuse: a hot saucisson brioche slice at Sibilia at the counter for under €5, plus a coffee at the stand-up bar. Budget: €8.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Le Bouillon Paradis, 58 Rue Salomon Reinach: three-course set with oeuf mayo, blanquette de veau and ile flottante for under €18. Budget: €18.
    Evening
    Stop by Bouillet at 15 Place de la Croix-Rousse before its 19:30 close for a coussin de Lyon, then pick up bread and saucisson from a Boulevard de la Croix-Rousse boulangerie on the walk back down to the hotel for a picnic supper. Budget: €12.

  2. Day 2: Day two: Italian sandwich lunch, bouchon dinner

    Morning
    Walk Vieux Lyon and the traboules. A tarte aux pralines slice at Pignol on Place Bellecour at 11:00. Budget: €5.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Les Freres Barioz, 64 Rue Duguesclin in the 3e: mortadella-and-pistachio focaccia sandwich and an orange juice for under €12. Budget: €12.
    Evening
    Dinner at Chez Paul, 11 Rue du Major Martin: saucisson chaud with potatoes and a shared pichet of house red under €20 each. Budget: €20.

  3. Day 3: Day three: ramen lunch, street food market

    Morning
    Sunday morning at Marche Quai Saint-Antoine along the Saone from 08:00. Bread, cheese and fruit from the stalls. Budget: €10.
    Afternoon
    Early lunch (arrive 12:30) at Fujiyama 55, 16 Rue du President Carnot: tonkotsu ramen and gyoza for two people for under €35 total. Budget: €18.
    Evening
    Early dinner at Nafas, 19 Rue Rene Leynaud: hummus bowl with kebab and house pickles for under €14. A glass of wine at La Madone on Place des Capucins before the train. Budget: €18.

Lyon for a special occasion: two nights of Michelin ★ 4.6

Celebration, fine dining, two nights2 days

Lyon has more Michelin stars per capita than any French city outside Paris. This two-night route anchors on a two-star Saturday tasting at Takao Takano and the Sunday bouchon lunch that puts the starred kitchens in context.

  1. Day 1: Saturday: market morning, two-star dinner

    Morning
    Saturday brunch at Halles de Lyon-Paul Bocuse from 09:30: oysters at the Maison Merle counter, saucisson from Sibilia, a pastry from Maison Pralus. Walk the full market before 11:30 closing.
    Afternoon
    Explore the Fourviere hill and Roman theatre, then return to the hotel to change. Pre-dinner aperitif at Bar Pelican, 7 Rue Terme in the 1er, from 19:00.
    Evening
    Dinner at Takao Takano, 33 Rue Malesherbes. Book the nine-course tasting with the natural-wine pairing. Last seating is typically 21:00.

  2. Day 2: Sunday: bouchon lunch as context, cocktails to close

    Morning
    Late breakfast at Cafe Gadagne, 1 Place du Petit College in Vieux Lyon: the weekend rooftop brunch buffer at 11:30. Walk the Vieux Lyon traboules after.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Le Merciere, 56 Rue Merciere in the 2e: the 2022 Best Authentic Bouchon Lyonnais where Cesar Ponsonnet now runs the dining room his father-in-law took over in 1978. Order the quenelle de brochet sauce Nantua and close on the praline tart. Return to the hotel at 15:30.
    Evening
    Cocktails at L'Antiquaire, 20 Rue Hippolyte Flandrin, from 20:00. Walk-in and take a stool at the mahogany bar for a last old-fashioned before the train.
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