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.
Address: 2 Rue Octavio Mey, 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.
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 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 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.
Le Sucre in Lyon's 2e Confluence is the 780-capacity rooftop club perched on top of the 1930s Sucriere warehouse on Quai Rambaud, with techno, house and disco programming and a wraparound terrace over the docks.
Tip: Tickets on Shotgun or RA, usually 12-22 EUR; Friday-Saturday floor opens 23:00, the rooftop daytime apero runs in summer only.
Le Petit Salon in Lyon's 7e Gerland is the two-room electronic club near the Jean Mace tram, with one floor decked out as a 1970s lounge and the other a modern dance hall booking techno, house and disco residents.
Tip: Tram T2 to Garibaldi Berthelot is the easiest route; tickets on Shotgun and Dice, 12-18 EUR depending on lineup.
Le Sirius in Lyon's 3e is the 1950s sand dredger moored on the Rhone at Quai Augagneur since 2002, hosting around 200 concerts and 300 DJ sets a year across the deck, hold and waterside terrace.
Tip: Monday jam session is the long-running ritual; arrive 21:00 to grab a hold-level table before the band starts.