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30 March 2026Ancient and Modern
A travel guide to Lyon: the food, history and hidden corners of France’s culinary capital.
Words: Dan Hayes
T he early spring sunlight has brought out the citizens of Lyon. The restaurant and bar terraces in the Old Town and along the banks of the city’s Saône and Rhône rivers are packed as people make the most of the sudden burst of T-shirt weather.
This is a place where food and drink are a serious business, come rain or shine. Lyon’s traditional restaurants, called bouchons, serve down-to-earth local dishes in cozy surroundings which often feel as if they haven’t changed much in decades.
These establishments have their origins in the silk weaving industry that was the city’s bread and butter for around 400 years between the 1500s and the mid 20th-century. The weavers, known as canuts (probably derived from the word canette – the spool in a traditional loom), needed access to cheap, energy-giving food that was available throughout the day.
Step forward the bouchons, named after the bundles of twigs they used as signs in the 16th century, with menus that lean heavily on hearty, full-fat dishes that could fuel a manual worker for the duration of their shift.
Many bouchons are to be found in the central Presqu’île area, located on a strip of land between the rivers
Menus today take a similar approach, with classic dishes including quenelles de brochet (pike dumplings), served with sauce Nantua (crayfish sauce); tablier de sapeur (literally fireman’s apron), featuring a slice of breaded, fried beef tripe; and andouillette (a coarse sausage, often served with mustard sauce, that is something of an acquired taste – to the uninitiated its flavour can be reminiscent of manure, or worse). Many bouchons are to be found in the central Presqu’île area, located on a strip of land between the rivers and site also of the excellent Musée des Beaux Arts, which deserves to be on any visitor’s agenda.
Set in a 17th-century former abbey, complete with cloistered garden, its wide-ranging permanent collection includes works from the ancient civilisations of Egypt, Greece and Rome, plus an extensive collection of French paintings. Among the latter are works by some of the biggest names in European art, such as Dutch masters Rembrandt van Rijn and Peter Paul Rubens and Impressionists Edoaurd Manet, Claude Monet and Camille Pisarro.
Set in a 17th-century former abbey, complete with cloistered garden, its wide-ranging permanent collection includes works from the ancient civilisations of Egypt, Greece and Rome
From here it is a short walk across the Saône to the Vieux Lyon district, famed for its traboules – narrow passageways and hidden courtyards that give a glimpse of what the city was like in the 15th and 16th centuries.
The name comes from the Latin “trans ambulare” (walk through) and there are around 200 in this one district alone.
Over the centuries they have served as shortcuts for silk weavers, keen to keep their wares out of the rain, and bolt-holes for revolutionaries and resistance fighters looking to evade the grasp of the authorities.
Also worth a look is the Cathedral of St John the Baptist, on Place St-Jean. Dating to the 12th century, its blend of Romanesque and Gothic reflects the wide expanse of Lyon’s history.
Nowhere is that more evident than on Fourvière hill, which rises steeply behind Vieux Lyon and rewards the climb (or the short funicular ride) with some of the city’s most memorable sites (and sights).
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Near the summit lie the remarkably well-preserved Roman theatres, built around 15BC when Lyon, then Lugdunum, was the capital of Roman Gaul.
The larger of these could once accommodate up to 10,000 spectators, and even today it retains a quiet grandeur, its curved tiers of seating looking out over both the stage and the modern city below.
It is not difficult to imagine the crowds gathering here two millennia ago, attracted by drama or music, much as visitors are today.
A short walk further uphill reveals the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, its pale, ornate exterior a signature feature of the Lyon skyline. Built in the late 19th century, it has a distinct Byzantine influence to its decor, with colourful mosaics and gilded interiors that recall an era both of religious devotion and civic pride.
But it is perhaps the view from the terrace outside that lingers longest. From here, Lyon spreads out in full: the red roofs of Vieux Lyon, the orderly avenues of the Presqu’île, and the twin ribbons of the Saône and Rhône as they converge and continue south.
But it is perhaps the view from the terrace outside that lingers longest. From here, Lyon spreads out in full: the red roofs of Vieux Lyon, the orderly avenues of the Presqu’île, and the twin ribbons of the Saône and Rhône as they converge and continue south.
In the soft light of late afternoon, the rivers catch the spring sun, and the city almost seems to breathe a contented sigh as it contemplates the approach of warmer, longer days.
To find out more go to the Visit Lyon website.