5 late-night dives in Lyon, editor-picked by TableJourney. All Lyon nightlife.
The Smoking Dog ★ 4.0
5e · 16 Rue Lainerie, 69005 Lyon
The Smoking Dog in Lyon's 5e Vieux Lyon is the family-run English pub on Rue Lainerie open since 1995, with 11 draft taps including English, Belgian and French beers, weekly pub quiz and a regular live music slot.
Tip: Tuesday pub quiz at 20:30 is the room at its busiest; Guinness pours are reliably the best in the city.
Wallace Bar ★ 4.1
5e · 2 Rue Octavio Mey, 69005 Lyon
Wallace Bar in Lyon's 5e Vieux Lyon is the Scottish-leaning pub that opened in 2005 as the city's first proper pub-restaurant, with a wall of whisky from Scotland and beyond, 16 draft beers and a weekend brunch.
Tip: Over 30 gins and a long whisky list; the small upstairs is calmer than the front counter after 22:00.
L'Atmosphere ★ 3.8
1er · 9 Montee des Carmelites, 69001 Lyon
L'Atmosphere in Lyon's 1er Croix-Rousse slopes is the small Montee des Carmelites bar with a cheap-pint list and a regular live acoustic slot, a fixture of the Pentes after-work scene since the 2000s.
Tip: Cheap pints under 5 EUR; the back room is quieter, the front terrace fills first on warm evenings.
Look Bar ★ 4.0
5e · 2 Rue du Palais de Justice, 69005 Lyon
Look Bar in Lyon's 5e Vieux Lyon is the dim Rue du Palais de Justice room with vinyl racks behind the counter and a roaring-twenties fit-out, with the house Nuage Noir cocktail (a riff on the black russian) at 9 EUR.
Tip: Open until 04:00 every night; cocktails 8-10 EUR, the back booth is the easier seat after the front counter packs.
Ayers Rock ★ 3.9
1er · 4 Rue Desiree, 69001 Lyon
Ayers Rock in Lyon's 1er Presquile is the Australian-themed party bar on Rue Desiree open since 1997, with a resident DJ booth, the Terreaux late-night queue and a 06:00 close that anchors the weekend after-Sucre crowd.
Tip: Happy hour 20:00-22:00, cocktails from 5 EUR; the upstairs floor is the easier walk-in after midnight.