Le Melhor in Lyon's 2e is the 8th-floor cocktail bar at the Sofitel Bellecour overlooking the Rhone, with live jazz on Friday and Saturday nights and house-made foams, syrups and bitters behind the mixology counter.
Tip: Book a Rhone-facing window for sunset, cocktails 17-22 EUR; the jazz set Fri-Sat starts around 21:00 with no extra cover.
Address: 20 Quai du Docteur Gailleton, 69002 Lyon
L'Officine in Lyon's 2e Grand Hotel-Dieu is the Lyon d'Or 2020 cocktail bar tucked in Cour Saint-Henri, with a speakeasy-style room and a rooftop terrace looking onto the dome of the 17th-century hospital.
Tip: Book the rooftop terrace for sunset; the indoor jazz-lit bar is the walk-in fallback. Cocktails 13-16 EUR, custom orders by spirit and flavour.
Le Crayon in Lyon's 3e Part-Dieu is the 32nd-floor bar and restaurant on top of the Tour Part-Dieu, the 150-metre pencil-shaped skyscraper, with a 360-degree view over the Rhone valley and a European-inflected cocktail list.
Tip: Book ahead and ask for the Fourviere-side window; cocktails 16-20 EUR, dress code is smart, lift access from the hotel lobby.
Mama Shelter Rooftop in Lyon's 7e Guillotiere is the colourful sixth-floor terrace above the Philippe Starck-designed hotel on Rue Domer, with house cocktails, Rhone valley wines and weekend DJ sets above the Garibaldi rooftops.
Tip: Sundown 19:00-21:00 is the busiest stretch; arrive earlier in summer for a sofa, cocktails 12-15 EUR and small plates from the bar menu.
L'Officine in Lyon's 2e Grand Hotel-Dieu is the Lyon d'Or 2020 cocktail bar tucked in Cour Saint-Henri, with a speakeasy-style room and a rooftop terrace looking onto the dome of the 17th-century hospital.
Tip: Book the rooftop terrace for sunset; the indoor jazz-lit bar is the walk-in fallback. Cocktails 13-16 EUR, custom orders by spirit and flavour.
L'Antiquaire in Lyon's 1er Presquile is the Marc Bonneton cocktail bar on Rue Hippolyte Flandrin, with Chesterfield booths, vintage fans and dim Charleston-era lighting that helped seed the city's craft-cocktail scene.
Tip: Quietest 18:00-20:00, jammed after 22:00 Thu-Sat; cocktails around 10 EUR including the house Bacardi Fizz with chartreuse and cream.
Le Florian in Lyon's 5e Vieux Lyon is the Prohibition-styled cocktail bar tucked inside a 15th-century building on Place de la Baleine, with a Venetian Renaissance room and a linden-shaded terrace since 2012.
Tip: Seasonal cocktail menu around 11-14 EUR; the terrace by the linden tree is the calmer pick, the basement room livelier on weekends.
Soda Bar in Lyon's 1er Presquile is the 2006 cocktail institution on Rue de la Martiniere, taken over by Maxime Chabert in August 2024 with a 1970s recording-studio fit-out, JBL speakers and a soul, funk and vinyl-led playlist.
Tip: Open until 04:00 every night except Monday; cocktails 11-14 EUR, the back banquette is the quieter table after midnight.