Culinary Lyonnais highlights
I love hopping on the train (much more than getting on a plane) and turning up a couple of hours later in another city. Last week I was off to discover Lyon.
Here's a list of my culinary highlights:
1. For your typical Lyonnais Bouchon affair: Daniel et Denise (reservations recommended):.
The place is as classic as you can get with red and white chequered tablecloths, a bustling atmosphere and delicious smells wafting from the kitchen.
First up a salad with potatoes and lamb sweetbreads. Lyon is known for its love of offal. Tripe, sweetbread, kidneys, brain, liver... you name it, you'll find it on the menu.
My main course was entitled a "gâteau de foie de volaille" (chicken liver cake - another lyonnais classic) with a tomato coulis and slices of quenelle (the lyonnais dumpling). Just the sight of it and I was thinking I'm never going to manage to eat all of it, and then the waiter turned up with this too:
A gratin of macaroni (macaroni pasta with a creamy bèchamel sauce) and confit potato slices. Even though I was almost exploding at the seams by the end of the main course (I must admit I didn't manage to finish all of it), I couldn't resist the Ile flottante aux pralines (a floating island of meringue in a crème anglaise sea with caramelised pink almonds).
2. Farm shop in the 9th district: a bit of a schlepp and only open on Monday and Thursday 5-8pm but worth it for the super cheap local vegetables.
3. Dufoux chocolaterie for its spiced chocolates (cardamom, marsala, cinnamon, pink pepper...)
4. Bernachon for its chocolates and beautiful selection of pastries.
5. Beautiful deli: Charcuterie Bonnard which, according to Faim de Lyon and her panel of tasters, makes the best pâte en croûte in Lyon.
Quenelle (lyonnais dumplings), snails and poached salmon pictured.
6. I also nipped into an antique bookstore selling some rare 1st edition cookery books (thanks for the tip Alix!).
7. Cute café Chez Guillemette (Merci Mitt for the tip).
8. Dinner at Brazier Wine Bar (reservations recommended):
A fresh alternative to the traditional Lyonnais fair. Absolutely loved my starter a tartare of smoked haddock, granny smith apple, celery and black radish with a soft boiled egg.
9. L'épicerie Pop (also around the corner is bookstore/café Le Tasse livre - great neighbourhood café):
Full of edible goodies that make great presents to take home (all nicely packaged).
10. And last but not least Les Halles de Lyon - Paul Bocuse:
One of the best food halls I've been to in a long time. Great place to go when you can't decide what you want to eat (seafood, classic lyon fare, pasta, quenelles...)
The Saint Marcellin cheese from La Mère Richard is divine. I ate one all on my own and could have eaten a second easily!
Plenty of classic Lyonnais specialities available:
Brioche aux pralines
Saucisson brioché - or an oversized hotdog to me and you ;)
Bugnes - doughnut batter rolled out flat, deep-fried and dusted with icing sugar
