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  • Number 7 - Winter 2022
Food A LA CARTE

Lyon’s brasseries are here to stay

© Suzie Waroude
Susie Waroude
By Julie
Published on 02/12/2022

The French word ‘brasserie’ was originally used to refer to a brewery. In Lyon, the very first brasserie appeared in 1806 and was rapidly joined by others, which gradually evolved into restaurants offering fast service and good food, including dishes that have become representative of French cuisine.

The history of Lyon’s breweries began in the nineteenth century. “French brewers moved to Lyon where they made a brown ale through top fermentation, drawn by the very pure water of the Rhône,” explains Yves Rouèche, author of the book ‘Histoire(s) de la gastronomie lyonnaise’ ((Hi)story(ies) of Lyonnaise gastronomy): “In 1870, they were joined by brewers from Alsace and Germany; however, during the interwar period, many opened dance halls and cinemas instead.” 

Among the remaining breweries, a change began to take place and the focus shifted from serving drinks to serving food. La Brasserie des Brotteaux, which was established in 1913 and has conserved its character and Art Nouveau decor, used to welcome passengers getting off at Brotteaux railway station, serving beer and coffee. Popular dishes in brasseries at the time included sauerkraut, imported from Alsace, as well as seafood. These two specialities can still be found on the menu at Brasserie Georges, known by locals as ‘La Georges’, an establishment that is celebrating its 186th anniversary this year! From old menus, we know that brasseries also served rib steak, roasted half chicken, andouillette (sausage made from chitterlings), gras double (a tripe dish), sole meunière (a classic French fish dish) and omelette au rhum soufflée (rum soufflé), an ancestor of the omelette norvégienne (Baked Alaska). These dishes lie somewhere between those that can be found in Lyon’s bouchons (traditional eateries) and in Paris’s famous cafés.

© Claire Marine

Brasseries: more modern than ever before

Brasseries as they are known in France today are a result of this mixture of styles. They are bar-restaurants where people come to drink a coffee in the morning and enjoy cuisine bourgeoise (good plain cooking) for lunch and dinner, including grilled and stewed meats (such as beef bourguignon and blanquette), rum baba and crepe Suzette. These French classics can be found in establishments such as Café Bellecour, Le Bistrot de Lyon, Le Théodore, L’Institution (formerly Le Bar Américain), Le Grand Café des Négociants and Léon de Lyon (a former Michelin-starred restaurant that was converted into a brasserie in 2008). 

 In addition to these well-known names in Lyon, which have remained popular from one generation to the next, there is the internationally renowned ‘Bocuse’. In 1994, the three-Michelin-starred chef opened his very first brasserie – Le Nord – on Rue Neuve. Nothing short of a minor revolution, it was joined by several others and many Michelin-starred chefs followed suit. Despite their young age, they have already become landmarks on the local food scene, and now serve up great classics of French cuisine, including their famous freshly-made waffles. Funnily enough, the original idea of a brasserie is now making a comeback, a trend noted by Yves Rouèche, who points to the Ninkasi chain of beer and burger restaurants: “A micro-brewery that serves food and hosts live music”. This is exactly the spirit of the first brasseries, before they went up market and became, to the delight of gourmets, a culinary genre all of their own. 

ADDRESS BOOK

Grand Café des négociants

Established way back in 1864, this place has a singular history. In the mirror-clad interior, silk manufacturers, diamond merchants and traders negotiated deals by making subtle signs. Just a stone’s throw from the Hôtel de Ville (city hall) and Palais de la Bourse, Le Grand Café des Négociants later became one of the preferred restaurants of businessmen, politicians and artists. Today, people come to enjoy the Second Empire-style decor, filled with mouldings and draperies, and have a coffee, a delicious hot chocolate, or a meal (from 7 am all the way through to 3 am!).

Brasserie Georges

Opened by Georges Hoffherr of Alsace in 1836, Brasserie Georges is the oldest of Lyon’s brasseries still in business. Its motto ‘Bonne bière et bonne chère depuis 1836’ (good beer and good food since 1836) says it all. Beer is still brewed here and served at the bar and in the restaurant, which is one of the few in the city that serves delicious authentic sauerkraut.
You will also find andouillette (chitterlings sausage), an excellent steak tartare prepared at the table, and the famous omelette norvégienne (Baked Alaska), all served in a lively atmosphere.

Brasseries Bocuse

When he opened Le Nord, in 1994, Paul Bocuse took the popular cuisine foreshadowing the arrival of the bistronomy trend. This chef and shrewd businessman rightly calculated that the people of Lyon would come to his brasserie more frequently than to his three-Michelin-starred restaurant. In the years following the opening of Le Nord, he opened brasseries at each of the city’s other cardinal points, with Le Sud, L’Est and L’Ouest, where his finest chefs served up great French cuisine influenced by the styles of the south, east and west. These geographical inspirations are less clear cut today, but chicken tagine and pastilla remain stars of the menu at Le Sud, while tataki, nems and accra are served at L’Ouest.

Brasserie des Brotteaux

Standing opposite the former Brotteaux railway station, this brasserie boasts an eye-catching Art Nouveau style and a large wrought iron-glass canopy that covers the terrace. It was originally a bar where people would come to drink a beer at the counter while waiting for their train. This beautiful establishment founded by Emmanuel Faucon, has since moved towards bistronomy and become a firm favourite, serving dishes such as egg-mayonnaise with truffles, hand-cut steak tartare, boudin noir (blood sausage) with apples, chicken supreme with morel mushrooms, monkfish tail meunière and chocolate millefeuille. 

Brasserie des Monts d'Or

Housed in a striking bourgeois building, with its red and white front, the Brasserie des Monts d’Or is nestled in the heart of the village of Saint-Cyr-au-Mont-d'Or. From the terrace or the first floor, diners enjoy a stunning view of Lyon or the large glazed wine cellar with a selection of 200 wines. In terms of food, it serves seasonal, market cuisine, including various tartare dishes, mixed salads, rib steaks, fish of the moment and inspired dishes of the day. 

Number 7 - Winter 2022

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