Best Restaurants Lyon has to offer, including cafes and bars Lyon loves

Lyon, France is known as the gastronomic capital of the world. It's home to French staples like coq au vin and Lyonnais sausage, but there are also plenty of trendy restaurants and cafes that serve local cuisine in a creative way. From traditional French fare to modern bistro classics, Lyon has it all. A Confluence restaurant with a bit of everything, a cafe Lyon can't get enough of. We've mapped out all the best restaurants Lyon has to offer, from a bar Lyon loves to go on first dates at. This list has something for everyone. 

1. Paul Bocuse Market

The Paul Bocuse Market is located in the Confluence neighborhood, just north of Place Bellecour and east of Lyon's center. There are Confluence restaurants you won't want to miss, and this market has the bets of them all. The market is open daily from 7am to 7pm, except for Sundays and public holidays (when it closes at 1pm). It's best to visit during the week when it's less crowded.

Emblematic of Lyon and French gastronomic excellence, this market features 56 traders selling everything from cheese products to charcuterie. Not every Confluence restaurant in the area can say that! Be sure to taste the sweets from the chocolatiers with their delicate candies made from local ingredients like pears or walnuts. Or go crazy and try the cheese and chocolate together. It's your choice. 

2. Restaurant Fond Rose

Restaurant Fond Rose is located at 3 Rue du Poulet, 69001 in Lyon, France. To make a reservation, call ahead at the number below. 

Phone: +33 4 72 68 97 59 (French)

The restaurant serves French and Mediterranean cuisine, at a price that's more than most other restaurants on our list. But don't let the price tag scare you away, this is one of the best restaurants Lyon visitors can sit down at. 

Now, let's discuss the setting. 

The Restaurant Fond Rose offers high-end French cuisine in a beautiful way. Located along the Rhône riverbank in Lyon's Confluence neighborhood, the restaurant features a stunning terrace surrounded by 100-year-old trees as well as an interior decorated with antique furniture and details from around the world. If you're looking for the best restaurants Lyons has for a date night, look no further. Restaurant Fond Rose has a great ambiance that's sure to make you and your spouse fall in love all over again. One of the best parts about visiting France is restaurants like this. 

3. L'Etoile Opéra: A Bar Lyon Loves

L’Etoile Opéra is located in the heart of Lyon’s Opera district. It opened its doors 20 years ago and has been a popular place ever since. The restaurant offers delicious food, great service, and an atmosphere that is full of life and good humor.

Pleasant blue neon lights, as well as various other light effects add an additional atmosphere to this establishment.

The menu has a large choice of homemade burgers but also many other dishes such as chicken wings or meat skewers served with fried potatoes (“frites”). If you are looking for something more traditional there is also a wide range of salads on offer here too! The bar is gay-friendly and regularly hosts events for the LGBT community so if you want to meet some new people this could be the perfect place for you!

4. Le Cafe Comptoir Abel

You can visit this Lyon street cafe at 25, rue Guynemer, 69002. Call ahead to make a reservation at: 04 78 37 46 18, or visit their website: Le Cafe Comptoir Abel.

Group bookings are available, and five rooms in the restaurant can seat up to 150 people. Two large rooms on the ground floor can accommodate 70 guests. So yes, this is a fantastic place to visit if you're bringing a large group with you, just call ahead at the number above. Le Café Comptoir Abel has three magnificent lounges upstairs for you to enjoy, which makes this a cafe Lyon tourists love to viit again and again. The Café Comptoir ABEL offers three menus: the local menu, menu "at mom's house" and the traditional Abel menu. Fish dishes are a specialty here but meat lovers need not despair—the veal kidneys with Madeira sauce is a winner too. Try out some of their specialties such as pike quenelle or chicken with cream and morels, all excellent choices at this Lyon street cafe.

5. Brasserie Georges

In the heart of Lyon's city center, Brasserie Georges is a landmark 1836 brasserie serving traditional Lyonnaise fare and serving up some of the best beer art deco dining room in town. You can see why it's a bar Lyon tourists love to visit. A vast Art Deco dining room filled with chandeliers, marble tables and old-fashioned wooden chairs gives you a great opportunity to experience a traditional French restaurant with fancy drinks you'll love. 

Located near Place Bellecour, this fine food and beer establishment has maintained its status as a must-stop destination for foodies since opening its doors almost two centuries ago. That's right - two centuries ago! Not every bar Lyon is home to can say that. Serving everything from snails to whole knuckle of pork, Brasserie Georges offers an extensive menu that includes local specialties such as Burgundy snails (a specialty dish native to Lyon) and rosette de Lyon cheese sandwiches made with Munchingen ham or garlic sausage slices on baguette buns. This is one of the best restaurants Lyon gets to call home. 

6. Le Neuvième Art

Le Neuvième Art is located in the 9th arrondissement, a stone's throw from the Parc de la Tête d'Or and just a few minutes from La Part-Dieu. This restaurant offers refined French cuisine with sublime flavors and produce. Its sober and elegant decor perfectly accompanies the spirit of its dishes on offer: foie gras transformed into a stunning strawberry cake; duck breast cooked to perfection; or even crayfish prepared with fresh herbs from their garden... You'll also find a great wine list at Le Neuvième Art, including some outstanding selections from the Rhône Valley. France is known for their wine, and this Lyon restaurant has them all on display. 

Le Neuvième Art has two Michelin stars and was named Best Craftsman of France (Ouvrier de France) in 2007 thanks to its delicious creations by Chef Christophe Roure and his wife Nati who invite you to sample their refined cuisine packed full of sublime flavors and produce!

7. Agastache Restaurant

Agastache Restaurant is a great place to eat in Lyon. It's an award-winning restaurant that serves exquisite cuisine inspired by nature. The chefs use locally sourced ingredients and create artfully plated dishes, which they serve in a laid-back setting. The cuisine here is inspired by nature, so you'll find plenty of vegetarian options on the menu at Agastache Restaurant.

The wine list at Agastache Restaurant is extensive and includes organic wines from small producers such as Bouchard Aîné & Fils (1er Cru), Domaine Dauby (Villages) and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (Grand Cru). When it comes to food at Agastache, Chef Raphaël Guillot takes advantage of the region’s rich culinary tradition while adding his own personal touch as well; his style has been described as “instinctive” or “intuitive." Agastache offers an instinctive cuisine based on respect for nature: seasonality is essential here. You can expect fresh ingredients that are grown locally whenever possible--and if they're not? Well…you won't be eating them anyway because they're probably not sustainable enough!

8. RESTAURANT Takao Takano

The best sushi you'll find in Lyon is at RESTAURANT Takao Takano, a Japanese fusion restaurant with a menu that changes each month. The casual atmosphere and décor make it feel like you're having dinner in someone's apartment (and thus makes for an intimate setting).

The service is phenomenal, as the chef and staff go out of their way to ensure your meal is exactly what you want—and the freshest ingredients are used for all meals. This place has been voted one of the top restaurants in Lyon several times over, so don't miss out! It's a truly unique experience. 

9. The Monkey Club Cocktail Bar

The Monkey Club Cocktail Bar is a bar that opened in 2013 by two friends who were inspired by the speakeasy bars of New York.

The bar is located in the heart of Lyon's Presqu'île district and offers elegant craft cocktails and stylish finger foods. It's the bar Lyon uses when they need a great cocktail. The venue itself can be described as quirky, with Victorian-inspired decor that transports you to another world. It's a place where creativity meets tradition—a true taste of France!

Located in the very center of Lyon, The Monkey Club is an atypical place, somewhere between a Victorian boudoir and a cabinet of curiosities. Specialists in old-school spirits (rum, brandy, bourbon, and everything else), they also provide some creative twists on classics like Negronis or Mint Juleps - you'll have to visit yourself to see the twist. Their glassware collection is stunning and their bartenders know what they're doing: we recommend trying out the classic Manhattan served up by one such expert whose name we, unfortunately, forgot because it was so long ago!

The best place to take your date if money was no object (it isn't)? This one!

Other best restaurants: Lyon, France

Lyon is a great place to eat if you love French food and cafe culture! Here area few more of our favorite places to eat in Lyon:

• Confluence Restaurant, 109 Rue de la République
• Le Petit Bistro, 9 Rue Des Feuillants
• L’Oustalet, 21 Boulevard des Belges
• Lyon Street Cafe 65 Rue de la Republique

Lyon is a great place to eat if you love French restaurants, cafes, bars, and everything food and drink.

We hope you enjoy your time in Lyon, France! Be sure to stop at the restaurants and cafes Lyon has to offer.