The Lyon region’s fine dining tradition speaks for itself. With 17 Michelin-starred restaurants and more than 5,000 establishments across the metropolitan area, Lyon offers a rich culinary landscape—both in diversity and in price range.
This savoir-faire is being handed down through generations. Today’s emerging chefs are reinterpreting traditional Lyonnaise cuisine to meet the challenges of the 21st century—focusing on sustainability, local sourcing, and plant-based options.
Food in Lyon is also a vehicle for connection and solidarity. Across the metropolitan area, numerous initiatives are using food as a powerful tool for promoting social inclusion, health, and community spirit.
Simply delicious
How Did Lyon Become the “Capital of Gastronomy”?
In Lyon, gastronomy is deeply rooted in history and passed down like a cultural heirloom. The title “world capital of gastronomy” was coined in 1935 by renowned culinary critic Maurice Edmond Sailland, better known as Curnonsky. Lyon’s geographic location—at the crossroads of France’s finest agricultural regions—helped shape this culinary reputation over the centuries.
As early as Roman times, Lugdunum (ancient Lyon) enjoyed access to the Empire’s finest ingredients. The Renaissance period saw the city flourish as a gastronomic hub, celebrated by François Rabelais, who praised Lyonnaise cuisine in Pantagruel (1532).
Women also played a pivotal role in shaping Lyon’s culinary identity. The “Mères lyonnaises” (Lyonnaise Mothers) brought traditional cooking to prominence, blending bourgeois and popular influences. One of the most iconic figures, Eugénie Brazier, founded the restaurant La Mère Brazier, which earned three Michelin stars in 1933. In 2008, acclaimed chef and Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF) Mathieu Vianney took over the helm.
Boulangerie Saint Vincent by Charles (my friend)
Another pillar of Lyonnaise gastronomy is Maison Bocuse, founded in 1924 by the grandparents of legendary chef Paul Bocuse—who himself trained under Mère Brazier. Today, Maison Bocuse remains a beacon of French culinary excellence. In 2024, the institution celebrated its centenary with a year-long program of events, including a special anniversary menu that revisited iconic dishes and introduced seasonal innovations.