Your Michelin-starred journey to Lyon, France

From the corn yellow, apple green, and ivory palette of the sunlit dining room to awe-inspiring botanical plating, the Prairial restaurant highlights the beauty of nature of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. The visionary chef of this fine dining establishment, Gaëtan Gentil, has developed a well-balanced menu that pays homage to the meadow, with its herbs, fruits, and vegetables, as well as cattle and fish from the region. Similar to the genius Claude Monet and his canvases, Chef Gentil manages to capture the essence of each season on the plate, creating a sophisticated “culinary impressionism”.

Every dish on the menu is a celebration of flavors and lightness, including fine fat beef from Mezenc with bear garlic and black garlic, BBQ asparagus with lovage and citron, or cristivomer with squash and hogweed. All ingredients – organic and artisanal – are carefully selected from local producers. The extensive wine list only features labels that don’t include any chemistry to provide a responsible and sustainable experience.

Menu per person – €109
Food & drink pairing – €56

At a Michelin-selected place one usually expects to have an exceptional meal while savoring impeccable and bold culinary creations. Apart from this, our next recommended restaurant in Lyon is of utmost historic significance, to say the least. La Mère Brazier is named after Chef Eugénie Brazier – a gastronomic pioneer and the first woman awarded six coveted Michelin stars in 1933. Soon after its opening, Chef Eugénie's restaurant became the benchmark for classic Lyonnaise cuisine. In 2008, La Mère Brazier was bought by a new owner who managed to keep the soul of the house and its charm by restoring and highlighting the old decor – the 1930s earthenware, parquet floors, and bay windows.

In the welcoming ambiance of this intimate place accommodating up to 60 people, you will find seasonal delicacies, such as spider crab with condiments, shell emulsion, and Ossetra caviar, beef and beet tartare with oysters, caviar and sour cream, cod loin in white shrimp, focaccia and spicy fennel, or milk-fed lamb, confit, roasted and curdled with herbs, chickpeas, and sesame seeds. The heavenly dandelion honey soufflé with Maltese orange sorbet, mead, and pollen gel is above and beyond any compliments.

Average menu pricing per person – €160 – €300

7 years in a row, Chef Jérémy Galvan has been rightfully getting recognition from the Michelin Guide. At his restaurant, every detail of the minimalist, very organic, and monochromatic gray interior design calls the patrons to free themselves from whatever culinary knowledge they might have to feel the purity of raw emotions, let them flourish, and be experienced in all intensity. Starting from the plating of the dishes – contemporary and very naturalistic – to the “speakable” ingredients illustrative of the region and season they came from, everything in this aesthetic space is sincere and inventive.

At Jérémy Galvan, you can have an immersive culinary adventure by relishing an 8-course menu featuring 22 mouthwatering delicacies, including Feuille à feuille (Leaf by leaf) – a palatable visual treat made of cepes and wild herbs; poached egg, with fennel, and candied lemon, and elderberry cones – a subtle sweet note to conclude your meal.

8-course menu – €149

Our next recommendation is a beautiful example of a tasteful fusion of French and Korean cuisine – Le Passe Temps. Headed by Chef Younghoon Lee, this place gives you a subtle and effortless vibe with its light grayish color palette of the sunlit spacious dining area. After years of studying gourmet cuisine and working in the best fine dining restaurants, Chef Lee moved to Lyon to open his place in the very heart of the city in 2014.

While Lee’s wife manages the front of the house by welcoming the guests at the entrance and ensuring that the service runs smoothly, the kitchen creates a symphony of flavors that changes constantly but always follows the leitmotif – to bring up the successful gastronomic marriage of two culinary traditions. There is no set a la carte menu, and every visit to Le Passe Temps is a pleasant surprise. But some of the dishes that generate buzz among food critics are cod with peas in a refreshing green emulsion, beef tartare with caviar, and a variety of poke bowls featuring the best local produce.

Walking menu – €69

Signature menu – €98

6-course Hobby menu – €105

8 course Hobby menu – €125

When you come to Lyon, at some point, you will hear about Christian Têtedoie – the author of several cookbooks and the master of refined French cuisine. At his Restaurant Gastronomique, you will not only get to witness the skill attained through deliberate effort and dedication but also be presented with arguably the most stunning panorama of the city as an enchanting bonus.

Chef Têtedoie believes in sharing his passion for gastronomy with everyone on his team. For promoting French cuisine throughout the world, he was appointed to the presidency of the Maîtres Cuisiniers de France in 2011 – the most important Chefs’ association. Drawing inspiration from the products and handling each ingredient with precision, Christian Têtedoie creates unparalleled masterpieces: mackerel grilled on the barbecue, kale, and blackcurrant, Madame Ollagnier's pigeon with cardamom, and 70% Duarta chocolate, sorrel, and cocoa nibs, to name a few. Bask in the comforting glow of the setting sun's warm rays while indulging in an amazing dinner at the Gastronomique restaurant.

Rooftop menu – €65
Inspiration menu – €140
Lunch menu – €71

Lyon is a stunning getaway to escape your monotonous life, crowds of the big town always rushing somewhere, a nine-to-five job, and to embrace every moment of your being to its fullest: start your day in a relaxed mood by sitting on a terrace of an old local cafe with a cup of rich coffee, take a leisurely walk through the scenic streets of the city, and spend the whole afternoon at the Museum of Fine Arts not worrying about any deadlines or emails. We hope this article gave you an insight into the gastronomic scene of Lyon and that you added some of these restaurants to your itinerary.

How would you like to spend your vacation in Lyon? Share your thoughts with other foodie travelers in the comment section below. And don't forget to check out our top recipes and latest articles. Bob Appetit!