Jaja Bistro in Lyon's 2e is the Rue Laurencin natural-wine bistro with a daily blackboard of small plates and a tightly-edited French growers' list.
Signature dishes: Wine-bar plates, Daily blackboard
Must order: The pate en croute from the blackboard, plus a glass of Loire chenin.
Tip: Closed Sunday-Monday; the back room is the quieter seating.
Address: 3 Rue Laurencin, 69002 Lyon
Arsene on Rue Vaubecour in Lyon's 2e runs a working neighbourhood bistro with a 19 EUR weekday set lunch and a slow-changing evening carte.
Signature: Daily plats, Bistro classics
Order: The daily plat from the blackboard, plus a half-pichet of Cote-Rotie.
Tip: Closed Sunday-Monday; book ahead for the evening.
Arsene on Rue Vaubecour in Lyon's 2e runs a working neighbourhood bistro with a 19 EUR weekday set lunch and a slow-changing evening carte.
Signature: Daily plats, Bistro classics
Order: The daily plat from the blackboard, plus a half-pichet of Cote-Rotie.
Tip: Closed Sunday-Monday; book ahead for the evening.
Le Bouillon Paradis in Lyon's 1er runs the Parisian bouillon format in Lyonnais drag: oeuf mayo, blanquette, and a three-course set under 18 EUR all day.
Signature: Bouillon classics, Oeuf mayo
Order: The oeuf mayo as a starter, then the blanquette de veau.
Tip: Walk-in only at lunch; arrive before 12:30 or after 14:00.
Regain in Lyon's 1er sits at the foot of the Croix-Rousse slope, where the kitchen runs a Mediterranean-leaning author menu paired with the city's tighter natural-wine lists.
Signature: Cuisine d'auteur, Mediterranean small plates
Order: The carte changes weekly, take the chef's tasting at lunch for value.
Tip: Lunch is the easier seating; book the natural-wine pairing for the full effect.
Takao Takano in Lyon's 6e is the two-star tasting room where the chef applies Japanese training to French sourcing across a six-course set.
Signature: Tasting menu only, Japanese-French technique
Order: Tasting only; let the kitchen drive.
Tip: Book three to four weeks ahead; lunch is the easier seating than dinner.
La Mere Brazier in Lyon's 1er is the historic room where Eugenie Brazier earned six Michelin stars in 1933, now run by Mathieu Viannay in two-star form.
Signature: Volaille de Bresse demi-deuil, Artichoke and foie gras
Order: The Volaille de Bresse demi-deuil, the signature dish since 1921.
Tip: Book the lunch menu for half the dinner price; the dining room is the original.
Tetedoie sits on the Fourviere hill above Lyon's old town, where Christian Tetedoie cooks a one-star menu from a glass-walled dining room with the city below.
Signature: Tasting menu, Local Rhone produce
Order: The five-course tasting; the view sells the room twice over.
Tip: Reserve a window seat; the bistro Phosphore on site is the cheaper alternative.
