No visit to Lyon would be complete without eating in a bouchon, where you will discover part of the city’s heritage.

Bouchons are an essential part of Lyon’s notoriety. These unique places have no equivalent anywhere in the world. The bouchon has existed for centuries and is a genuine pillar of Lyon’s history. It is an integral part of Lyon’s cultural heritage.  It is very important to the city’s economy.

It is not easy to clearly define what a bouchon actually is. In a nutshell, it is a restaurant where people enjoy Lyon specialities, washed down with a pitcher of regional wine, in a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The word bouchon allegedly comes from the tree branches that cabaret owners tied to their door to mark their establishment.

If you are a lover of good food, you will be delighted!

The first bouchons opened in Croix-Rousse, the district of the Canuts (silk workers), who were their principal customers. While his wife took care of the cooking, the man was in charge of the wine cellar and the customers in the dining room. The dishes were essentially made of the leftovers from the day before to avoid waste.

Lyon’s cuisine is largely based on pork products. The pig farms are located in the Monts du Lyonnais. Lyon’s bouchons also specialise in offal. Liver, snout or head: nothing is wasted! Lyon sits at the crossroads of different regional culinary traditions. For example, poultry comes from Bresse, cattle from the Charolais and game from the Dombes region.