My Food Diaries - Lyon's Restaurants

Known as the culinary capital of France, the city of Lyon is strategically placed to receive only the gastronomical best France has to offer. Restaurants are abuzz, offering traditional and not-so-traditional Lyonnaise and French cuisine - therefore much research is required before visiting this city to discern the traditional eateries from the tourist traps. Here were some of my favourite places:

Chez Léon

This establishment located at the iconic Les Halles Paul Bocuse (a review of that to come soon) in the district of Part-Dieu, serves up a wide array of fresh shellfish. Whether you're in it for a Plateau de Fruits de Mer, or for some oysters - you can be assured of a wide selection to chose from and friendly faces to be serving you. They also seem to have a decent selection of complementing wines available.

Allowing my health to take a backseat for the night, I had myself Two-Dozen Oysters with Bread and French Butter. Simple yet absolutely satisfying in itself, if you adore your shellfish like I do. One could arguably get cheaper shellfish elsewhere, but you can rest assured that an establishment's quality and freshness will always remain stellar when located at Les Halles Paul Bocuse.

Address: 102 Cours Lafayette, 69003 Lyon, France

Comme Chez Mathilde

Literally meaning "Like Mathilde's Home", this establishment in the rather touristy UNESCO district of Vieux Lyon is a diamond in the rough - and provides an open invitation for a person to experience unpretentious, pre-Escoffier French food stripped to its bare essentials - and believe me, such stripping is worth lusting over.

The ambiance of the place is truly remarkable - blending in perfectly with the district of Vieux Lyon. It almost reminded me of visiting a grandmother's decades-old house in an old French countryside town. Absolutely no souffles or foie gras here. Instead you will have to make do with some rustic soup, or a French cheese platter.

I had myself an Assiette de Jambon, served with a side salad and some baguette from the self-service station. The waiters took time to explain each variety of meat, with each possessing its own flavour. Comme Chez Mathilde is a great place to experience authentic French charcuterie for a light lunch.

Address: 66 Rue Saint Jean, 69005 Lyon, France

L'atelier du Boulanger

This bakery located outside the metro station in the district of Croix-Rousse seemed to have a reputation that preceded them, judging by the long queue which filled overflowed onto the streets. I was naturally drawn towards the queue, coming out with some viennoiserie and little cakes called 'bouchons'. The pastries were lovely, but the bouchons were mind-blowing!

Having finished whatever I had in hand, I queued in line again - only to end up with 30 of those bouchons to bring back with me - call me crazy, but I don't care. You would do the same too. These bouchons come in a myriad of flavours: from nutella to raspberry, strawberry and salted caramel - and are perfect for munching on as you stroll through the nearby market, or Traboules (alleyways) of this charming district.

Address: 159 Boulevard de la Croix-Rousse, 69004 Lyon, France

Marché alimentaire de la Croix-Rousse 

Nothing touristy remains about this market by the French, for the French. To be frank, if you have no command of basic French, you WILL struggle with basic communication. It is what I'd call an honest market: honest produce, at honest prices, brought to you by honest Frenchmen, who honestly don't speak much English. 

I was fortunate enough to have had some prior experience with conversational French, and so I was able to immerse myself in the sights, smells and sounds. If you are a fan of pork, then you might notice a giant plate with just about everything pork-related. Take your pick, sit down and indulge in finger-licking porky goodness. 

Alternatively, for Muslim visitors who are unable to indulge in pork or those who adore Middle Eastern or North African cuisine, there are many stalls (not pictured) operated by those of Algerian or Moroccan descent offering halal alternatives - such as authentic couscous and tagine stews.

If you love your cheese, look out for this friendly woman who certainly knows her stuff. I simply told her what I was hoping to use the cheeses for, and she instinctively brought out varieties which proved to go amazingly well with the potato gratin and sandwiches I had made upon returning from France.

Address: Boulevard de la Croix-Rousse, 69001 Lyon, France (Closed on Mondays)

Have a look at two of my other posts on Lyon, one of a lovely Michelin-starred restaurant I visited which boasts some of the best views the city of Lyon has to offer, and another about Les Halles de Lyon - and some of what it has to offer.

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

Afternoon Tea at The Ritz, London

What could be more quintessentially English than afternoon tea, and what better place to have it in, than at The Ritz? This iconic hotel on Piccadilly played host to Margaret Thatcher during her final days, featured prominently in the film Notting Hill, and regularly provides catering services to Prince Charles who has since, awarded it a Royal Warrant for catering services.

Afternoon tea takes place in the The Palm Court, which keeps in tune with the hotel's Louis XVI style architecture. Tea here requires a reservation be made way in advance and compliance with a strict dress code. One is entitled to a two-hour slot where you are allowed to eat to your heart's content. Needless to say, my friends and I starved the entire day in order to ensure we got the most out of it.

Afternoon tea began with a selection of rather traditional sandwiches. The Scottish Smoked Salmon with Lemon Butter remained a personal favorite, with the Ham Sandwich with Grain Mustard Mayonnaise coming in close second. Both of these were highly satisfying and got us craving seconds. 

The Chicken Breast with Horseradish Cream was alright, though the Cheddar and Chutney, Egg Mayo and Watercress, and Cucumber and Cream Cheese sandwiches were rather disappointing. I expected more refined a taste and more superior a quality for a place as esteemed as the Ritz. 

We were then served some Plain and Raisin Scones with Jam and Clotted Cream (pictured below). These were undoubtedly one of the best scones I've had. Cutting through them were like through knobs of butter - a smooth and clean slice. The marshmallow-like texture magically transformed into a crumbly satisfaction upon it hitting the mouth. With the Cream and Jam, it was simply divine. 

There are a wide variety of traditional tea blends - about 16 in total. I had ordered myself the Darjeeling First Flush - a delicate floral flavor - to begin with, ending with the Ritz Royal English - a deep malty blend consisting of Assam and Ceylon teas. It was definitely satisfying and up to a standard that one would expect from the Ritz. Quality silver teapots and bone china helped keep it warm and drinkable.

We were then offered a selection of delicious patisserie.  These desserts were decadent, yet light - encapsulating a multitude of flavors and textures within each bite. The Rhubarb Dome proved to be our ultimate favorite as mousse, cake and jam went hand-in-glove. The Salted Caramel Macaron with a chocolate disk sandwiched between was also another favourite of ours.

There were trays of cakes being wheeled around by waiters in tailcoats, as we were offered a choice between Lemon Drizzle and a Pecan Cake with a Toffee-Cream Frosting. I was too full to have tried the lemon drizzle, but zesty scents of it emanated from every slice my friend had made. My pecan cake was dense and deep in flavour - incredibly satisfying but quite the belt buster!

As we munched on our dainty morsels in the gilded surroundings of the Palm Court, we were surprised to have found out how quickly two hours had went. What happened as a result was what I was most disappointed with: we were simply handed our bill, and the card machine brought to us without question. It was unfortunate that such an enjoyable experience was brought to an abrupt end. 

I understand the rationale for this, seeing as The Ritz is often considered 'the' place for afternoon tea - but traditional London hotels such as Goring and Claridge's often do not have such limits, as afternoon tea is generally regarded a leisurely activity. In conclusion, afternoon tea for £47 per person at the Ritz would definitely be worth going for once. But think twice if you plan on coming back again. 

Address: The Palm Court, The Ritz, 50 Piccadilly, London W1J 9BR, United Kingdom

Presentation: 7/10

Ambiance: 8/10

Service: 7/10

Overall Taste: 7/10

General Impression: 6.5/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic