Lyon, France: the best places to eat and drink

Reach for the stars

Takao Takano’s Michelin-starred cuisine is seductively delicate and exceptionally precise. The chef takes a traditional French repertoire and infuses it with a flavour of Japan. Expect plates of poached crayfish in a fragrant, Asian-inspired sauce served with garlic flowers. (takaotakano.com)

A speakeasy

Cool off with a Russian Clover, made with vodka, strawberry syrup and lemon juice, at l’Antiquaire, a rendezvous for cocktail lovers. (20, rue Hippolyte Flandrin, 00 33 634 215 465)

To market

The city’s best food producers including bakers, cheesemongers, wine merchants, and anything else you might need, can be found at Halles de Lyon. Start by filling your bag with rosette (cured sausage) from Sibilia and macarons by Sève. (halles-de-lyon-paulbocuse.com)

A culinary legend

Don’t even think about visiting Lyon without paying homage to Paul Bocuse, who is among the chefs credited with inventing nouvelle cuisine. Book a table well in advance at L’Est, where you can sample classic French dishes including waffles just like the ones every French grandmother used to make. (nordsudbrasseries.com/lest)

Organic wines

Visit Ô Vins d’Ange and enjoy a trip by the glass through France’s organic vineyards. Order a cheeseboard or a plate of cured meats to go with it; the cured sausage from Chavassieux is extraordinarily good. (ovinsdanges.free.fr/ovinsdanges4)

Burger heaven

At Les Frangins the buns are pillow-soft and the chips fabulously crunchy. Order the Captain Jack - the beef is marinated in Jack Daniel's. (9 rue des Marronniers, 00 33 624 154 147)

just desserts

Kitchen Café is the place to savour desserts worthy of a fine dining restaurant in a relaxed atmosphere. Fancy a millefeuille? They’ll whip it up in an instant; the same for a chocolate mousse, or nougatine with caramel ice cream. (34, rue Chevreul, 00 33 603 364 275)

caffeine kick

If you’re a coffee purist, head straight to Café Mokxa. From the choice of bean to the roast, nothing has been left to chance here, as you can tell the moment your lips sink into the foam on your latte. (cafemokxa.com)

a temple to chocolate

Bernachon is one of the rare French chocolatiers that makes its own chocolate; the result is an aroma of cocoa enveloping its boutique and adjoining tearoom, luring clients towards the extraordinary chocolate eclairs or the signature Gâteau President. (bernachon.com)

a meal with a view

At the Terrasse de l’Antiquaille, high on Fourvière hill, you’ll have the whole city of light sparkling below you as you dine. Specialising in grilled food, the kitchen is as exceptional as the view. Try the hanger steak or the scallops and prawns. (tetedoie.com/terrasse)

chilled thrills

In the heart of Lyon’s Old Town, Terre Adélice sells an impressive range of handmade ice-creams. Go for one of the more unusual flavours - basil, lavender, smoky bacon or Armagnac. (terre-adelice.eu)

master baker

To savour a real, handmade, oh-so-buttery croissant make your way to Partisan Boulanger. (2, rue du Chariot d'Or, no phone)

sweet treats

In the charming Passage de L’Argue, Violette & Berlingot is filled from floor to ceiling with traditional homemade sweets. Don’t leave town without trying the fig or gingerbread caramels. (violette-berlingot.com)

Where to stay

It took four years and 800 craftspeople to restore the iconic 18th-century building that houses the Hotel Dieu. You don’t have to be an overnight guest to enjoy the surroundings (which also stretch to shops and a food-focussed exhibition space) but the InterContinental Lyon – Hotel Dieu at its heart is worth a visit in its own right. Order a glass of burgundy at the hotel’s gleaming alabaster bar, beneath a 72-metre-high dome, or sit on the restaurant’s leafy terrace and enjoy chef Mathieu Charrois’ signature take on local fish dish, pike quenelle.

Doubles from £261 per night, check availability at ihg.com or booking.com

Published in June 2015

Photographs: Getty, Alamy, Nicolas Villion