When foreigners think about France, they think about croissant, baguette, wine, cheese and, of course, Paris. Obviously Paris is a magnificent city and the symbol of luxury. Well, even if this is true, the French people’s way of life is not focused on a Parisian lifestyle. Lyon is the third-biggest city of France, the city with the second-most students, and it could well be the world capital of gastronomy. Here are three restaurants typical of a Lyon lifestyle that won’t make you break your piggy bank!
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Savour Lyonnais cuisine at "Chez M’man"
“Chez M’man” is a “bouchon lyonnais”, that is to say a typical restaurant serving specialities. In Lyon and in this restaurant you can find the following specialities: “tablier de sapeur” (pork marinated in white wine and fried), “quenelles” (ball of paste with different flavours such as pike or veal and served with a sauce), “salade lyonnaise” (green salad, smoked bacon or chicken liver, a calf egg and croutons), and the famous “cervelle de canut” which literally means canut’s brain (a canut was a Lyonnais silk worker). You obviously won’t eat a human brain but it is actually a delicious white cheese seasoned with shallot and fresh herbs. A lunch, including a main meal, a dessert, and coffee will cost you 11.50 EUR (approximately 12.55 USD).
Feast on specialities cooked with wine at "La Traboulerie"
If France is well known for its wine production, let’s remember that French people also cook with it! In this restaurant you’ll only eat specialities. I recommend the main meal “hot slicing sausage in wine sauce with steamed potatoes” (in French, “saucisson chaud pommes vapeurs”), a classic that you’ll enjoy during cold weather. All desserts are homemade: you’ll have the choice between a chocolate cake, a Tatin pie (an inversed apple pie which was invented by accident. This is delicious with vanilla ice cream), caramel cream and even crepes. A meal will cost between 11 and 20 EUR (between approximately 12.30 and 22.30 USD) according to the choice you make. The restaurant is really small and it makes the atmosphere really cosy, everyone says hello to everyone as the tables are close to one another and you also get liquor offered to you at the end of your meal.
Woke up too late for breakfast? No worries, you can still have brunch!
Brunch is a good compromise if it’s not breakfast time anymore but too soon for lunch! “Place des sens” is the perfect location for a brunch, well located in the sixth district of Lyon, just next to Saint-Pothin’s church located on a nice square. You have three different brunch menus: the gourmet brunch, the Nordic brunch (above), and the classic brunch. The price ranges from 17 EUR (approximately 18.55 USD) to 23 EUR (approximately 25 USD). In each menu you have a cold and a hot drink, toasts and marmalade, and according to the menu, you have different salty and sugary side dishes that you can choose. The restaurant is highly involved in sustainable growth and the staff are really sweet.
Come to Lyon and discover another side of France
Now that you’ve discovered all these places and the most famous gastronomic specialities of Lyon, you should come here for your next holiday. There is a lot to do in Lyon: go to museums (Museum of the Lumière brothers), shopping, sightseeing (check out the view from Fourvière), visit a park (la Tête d’or) and if there comes a time when you need a bit of fresh air out of the city, I recommend to visit the Beaujolais vineyards, where stunning views and wine tasting are waiting for you!
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