Ah, the famous three rivers: the Saône, the Rhône, and... the Beaujolais. Lyon has always lived with its feet in wine, from the essential Beaujolais to the northern Rhône. But now, dangerous rebels are opening bistros as new horizons and are reshaping the natural landscape from the Massif Central to the Alps like Europe once stretched from the Atlantic to the Urals. Here are 5 Omnivore addresses for as many new hubs.
Bistrot Compa
20 place Carnot
69002 Lyon
Closed Saturday and Sunday
25-50€
Compa has an eye for both aesthetics and spatial planning. Since its arrival at Place Carnot, just before France emerged from the pandemic, this bistro on the banks of Perrache (the gray and unattractive train station that Lyon’s travelers love to hate, including you) has brought a gentle light and a reason to visit. People now flock there for a lunch menu at €22, which is always clever in its bistro offerings — spiced grilled octopus, roasted cauliflower à la Ottolenghi, and legendary rice pudding — but especially for its keen exploration of regional natural values. From the Jacquère of Domaine Dupraz in Savoie to the pet-nat from Domaine Saint Cyr in Beaujolais, and including the Côtes du Jura from Macle… Thanks to Compa, Lyon is reclaiming its geographical polarity by breathing life back into a whole wine region.
Cocotte
2 cours d’Herbouville
69002 Lyon
Closed Sunday and Monday
50-70€
The Lyonnaise peninsula of the Parisian Vertigo Family (see Scan p.8), Cocotte has played a significant role in the serious revival of Lyon's bistros at the end of the 2010s. And for good reason: Julien Fouin, the group's head who resides in Lyon, and Massimiliano Monaco, the associated Italian chef, take their principles seriously. The vegetables from Agriz in the Drôme, the poultry from Alice's farm in Cantal… everything is sourced to provide the best foundation for this roast chef's cuisine with a fiery temperament. Sharing plates abound at the foot of Croix Rousse, and the Beaujolais River flows down alongside the Rhône — we are on the banks. Because in the cellar, they don’t joke around either. The Marsannay from Sylvain Pataille sits alongside the rare Rhône wines from Gangloff or the Vernay family, as well as a wide selection of Savoyard or Jura delights. Vedi, vini, vici!
Grive
1 rue du Viel renversé
69005 Lyon
Closed Sunday and Monday
40-60€
When Olivier, the ex-boss of Club Med turned passionate about natural wine, crouches down next to you to read the daily specials and begins to inquire about your wine preferences and tastes, it guarantees an immediate disconnection from the outside world. Grive has this cocooning ability, this suave sensuality that allows for a moment of forgetting the world. Olivier is a poetic soul, a gentle guide to Loire wines in particular, which he cherishes and knows how to make you love — sometimes even, often! — going against your certainties. The Chenins from Jean-Christophe Garnier or Benoit Courault, the white Beaujolais from Julien Merle… But above all, let yourself be guided, as most of the wines are not on the menu. Alongside this, there’s a top-notch pâté en croûte, crunchy and melting sweetbread cromesquis, and one of the most agile bistronomic menus in Lyon!
Le Troquet
34 rue des Remparts d’Ainay
69002 Lyon
Closed Saturday and Sunday
25-40€
Just after Covid, Le Troquet des Sens underwent a makeover and lost the second part of its name in the process. As if there were a need to focus even more on the essentials, beyond the business name. And that’s just right: here, they cook, like a true bistro in perpetual regeneration of inspiration. The lunch dishes are sharp and varied; blood sausage, octopus, pork cheeks, razor clams, placed on the fire by a skillful Florian Béal, who expertly handles the right seasoning, lavish purée, and deep juices. The lunchtime service is brisk, wrapped in good cheer, all within an hour, by Benjamin and Mathieu, who seamlessly transition between the kitchen and the dining area. The evening runs similarly but with more time to enjoy, always featuring a selection of Beaujolais wines, Rieslings from Catherine Riss, Clessé from Vallette… Everything you need to drink in what is establishing itself as one of the best bistros in Lyon.
Soif!
4 rue Terme
69001 Lyon
Open 7/7 on evenings
40-60€
It goes gling-bling on the first floor and glou-glou on the ground floor! To translate: video games galore for Gen Z craving 90s retro gaming and natural wines — almost — at will for a quest for biodynamic bacchanalian emotions. Soif! opened at the foot of the Croix Rousse, just a stone's throw from Place Sathonay, a few months ago to bring its wave of free-spirited wines, boasting over 400 references patiently collected by the discerning Arthur Verdiel, all presented with a wide aromatic palette and finely crafted pricing. You can enjoy a delicate 2022 Pinot Noir from Alsace from Vins de Yura while biting into a reinterpretation of pistachio sausage enhanced with the brain of canuts or a Patanegra boosted with a spicy margarita-style gazpacho. In short, you won't be bored!
