XS Bar in Lyon's 2e Presquile is the neon-lit gay bar a few steps from Place Bellecour, open since 2015 with affordable cocktails, an iconic pop playlist and a friendly mix of locals and visitors most nights of the week.
Tip: Tiny room and a small terrace, busiest 22:00-00:00; cocktails from 7 EUR, EuroGames wristbands get a free shot.
Address: 19 Rue Claudia, 69002 Lyon
La Madone in Lyon's 1er Croix-Rousse slopes is the navy-blue corner bar on Place des Capucins, with a green-tiled counter, religious icons and a gay-friendly terrace listed by the Lyon tourism office among the city's LGBTQ go-tos.
Tip: House Madone beer on tap; the terrace fills first from 17:00, the Sputnik-lit indoor room is the late-night fallback.
L Bar in Lyon's 1er Presquile is the lesbian-owned bar and burger counter on Rue du Garet, one of the few lesbian-first venues in the city and the pivot of the Pride-week open-air parties on the surrounding street.
Tip: Burgers and milkshakes on the menu alongside cocktails; busy from 21:00 on theme nights, the Wednesday quiz is calmer.
Le Broc' Bar in Lyon's 1er Presquile is the corner cafe-bar on Rue Lanterne open since 2005, with a mulberry-tree terrace, all-day cafe service and a gay-friendly evening crowd that anchors the Terreaux strip.
Tip: Terrace heated by lamps in winter, shaded by the mulberry in summer; check Facebook for the twice-monthly Thursday electro apero.
Satriale in Lyon's 1er Croix-Rousse slopes is the McIntosh-equipped natural wine and listening shop on Rue des Capucins, with rotating vinyl crates, an all-French natural wine list and a tight 20-seat counter.
Tip: Standing room only after 19:00 Fri-Sat; arrive 16:00 for a stool, wines by the glass from 6 EUR, no kitchen so bring an appetite trimmed to small plates.
La Grooverie in Lyon's 1er Croix-Rousse slopes is the small Rue du Jardin des Plantes bar lined with vinyl sleeves, vintage arcade machines and leather sofas, with a steady soul, funk and jazz selection from the 1960s through the 1980s.
Tip: Babyfoot and a cheap pint list pull the regulars; arrive 19:00 for a sofa, no kitchen so eat before.
Le Bec de Jazz in Lyon's 1er Croix-Rousse slopes is the late-night Rue Burdeau piano room run by a pianist-painter, with nightly improvised sets and the owner's canvases on the walls of the small listening room.
Tip: Door opens 22:30 Wed-Sat; the upright piano sets begin closer to 23:30, tip the musicians, no kitchen.