Lyon #2 the gourmand side

a detail of  la Fresque des Lyonnais, a trompe l'œil painted wall depicting 31 famous people from Lyon, as the Lumiere brothers and Antoine de Saint Exupéry 

there was a reason to choose the third weekend of November for our visit to Lyon. since i was looking up information about the city i wanted to visit during autumn, i learned that the most famous wine of the region, the Beaujolais Nouveau, is released to be sold from the third thursday of November. so, i wanted to see for myself how the city was going to celebrate the event.

beaujolais noveau is the progenitor of all the vin the primeur line, or noveau wines, very young wines bottled only 6-8 weeks after harvest. all the restaurants, bar, pubs, bistros and wine bars in town had the same welcoming sign: le Beaujolais nouveau est arrive! and, on the inside, friends, couples, families and colleagues warm their spirits up with ruby red pots {Beaujolais is usually served in 45 cl glass bottle called pot or in the 25 cl one known as fillette}. 

a salami stand at the Lyon open air market 

aside the beaujolais buzz, Lyon is known to be the most gourmand city in France. certainly, i can say that the Presqu'île open air market we visit on saturday morning lives up to this reputation.

and it seems that a typical lyonnaise breakfast is made of oysters and white wine. 

oysters stand at the Lyon open air market

fresh shucked oysters 

at the Lyon open air market. a sunny saturday morning breakfast with crisp white wine by the river. waiting for fresh oysters. 

with heavy heart i gave up the idea of spending the day shopping at the cheeses and salami stands {we were travelling with just our hand baggage} but the handmade macarons and coffee booth made my morning instead. 

pistachio macaron, anyone?

my raspberry and chocolate macaron morning break 

another institution that makes Lyon the perfect destination for foodies is the bouchon. in french, bouchon means cork. if you are in Lyon, it also identifies a small bistro that serves typical Lyonnais cuisine with local products, casual atmosphere and simple service. 

menu lyonnais outside a bouchon

bread, white wine and oyster for apéro outside a bouchon

i hope this side of Lyon makes you hungry, or ready to pack!

to read all posts about the city click here ♥