Lyon Cuisine Capital of the World

I have had the opportunity of visiting amazing Lyon in central France twice. I believe true friendship is when you do not see people for years; you reconnect and pick up where you left off. I recently experienced this when Jezzebel and I met friends in Burgundy, France, whom we had not seen for a decade. We are here to spend a weekend with them in Lyon. Ariff is French, with East African heritage. His French wife Mimi drives us to the city from Beaune in their large, twenty year old Renault Safrane, which was the model of car used by Jacques Chirac when he was President of France in 1995.

As we speed along the A6 motorway, Ariff gives us a rundown on each winery we pass. Raoul Clerget, known for its Pinot Noir, followed by Veuve Ambal, known for its Crémant de Bourgogne. We leave the regions of Chalonnaise and Mâconnais and arrive in the heart of the production of Gamay, a great place with a grape variety known for its red, fruity and delicious wines. Jezzebel and I are lucky to have Ariff as tour guide. He is well qualified in viticulture, being a winemaker with over 20 years of experience. Most of his working life has been spent in this region.

Arriving in Lyon, our satnav finds the Cour des Loges hotel quickly and easily. Our reason for staying at this hotel is twofold. One, it is located in the centre of the old city. Secondly, it has a two-star Michelin restaurant. The hotel dates back to the thirteenth century. Four Renaissance townhouses make up the hotel, with nooks and crannies everywhere. It reminds me of the old-style Moroccan riad. Exploring the old town from the hotel is easy.

It takes me five minutes to understand why Lyon is called the food capital of France. Every second building is a restaurant, bistro or some other dining location. Ariff quickly assumes the role of gastronomic leader and takes us to Comptoir du Boeuf. In a packed sardines’ scenario, we are cramped up with others in the hotel restaurant.

The days of goose foie gras are gone. I have to settle for duck foie gras, which is really duck pâté.

Steak next. My taste buds explode. We follow up with an all-inclusive trio of desserts and coffee. A bottle of the local Crozes-Hermitage wine complements our meal.

Jezzebel and I plan our time in Lyon in a way that allows us to focus on the old city, which includes St Jean with its cobbled streets, some named after edible animals .

The alleyways connecting various streets and churches, each has outstanding features and hidden stories. The Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière is a hilltop wonder. During our walkabout we cross the Saône River and enter an island created by the two rivers that run through the city . Lost , the friendly perfect locals enthusiastic help us.

The Brasserie St George is built on the outer edge of the city but now finds itself hidden behind the railway station. What an amazing place. It seats 600, plating up one thousand meals a night. Thank God we came early.

Over lunch we decide that dinner at Paul Bocuse, the three-star Michelin restaurant, will be an excellent choice. Paul Bocuse actually died in 2018. The restaurant, founded in 1765, continues and is situated on the outskirts of Lyon. The building looks like something from Disneyland. Painted walls depict animals together with plates of meats and dishes.

Once inside, Jezzebel tells me, it’s the normal  French aplomb, overdressed waiters run around in all directions. One is in charge of water and another of bread only.

Fabulous food, not as expensive as we thought it might be, but I did wish they had a waiter responsible for removing the breadcrumbs. French bread has a mind of its own.

Albeit briefly, I manage to break away from Jezzebel and indulge my passion for history. My first stop is the Resistance and Deportation Museum. I am disappointed with the level of English translation but they do show the trials of the Butcher of Lyon, Klaus Barbie, who personally tortured French prisoners of the Gestapo. I ask myself why the Americans employed him post war as an agent . He was tried again in the 1980s, dying in prison in 1991. We love Lyon so much. We are definitely coming back. We had the best of times.

Lyon has  4,000 restaurants plus cafés, fast-food joints and a few Irish pubs. Lyon , remains as the food capital of the world.