Overview
By Benjamin Mialot, editor-in-chief of culture and leisure guide Le Petit Bulletin
Often regarded as being like Paris, but on a more human scale, Lyon is unusual among European cities in combining the museums and galleries of a cultural capital with the dynamism of a former industrial hub.
France is a world-beater in lots of things (strikes, pretentiousness, kissing) but its towns and cities are also masters at according themselves the title of capital of something, be it a skill, a dish or a pastime.
Lyon can boast many such titles: gastronomy capital, silk capital and ancient capital of the Gauls. But it was also the capital of repression when it came to electronic dance music. In the middle of the 1990s, when the rave revolution was at its height, the city did its best to stamp it out, by means ranging from the refusal of late-night licences to calling in the riot police.
You won’t find this snippet of local history in any of Lyon’s museums, though. The city has since embraced rave culture as one of its main attractions, and it has never been so easy to burn the candle at both ends – at 130 beats per minute. The big event is the five-day Nuits Sonores festival each May, which celebrated its 12th birthday this year, but every weekend in Lyon sees dozens of DJs and promoters playing all over the city in dedicated electro clubs (DV1, Terminal, Petit Salon); on river barges (Sirius, Marquise, Sonic); and in big concert venues on the outskirts such as Kao and Transbordeur.
One venue in particular epitomises this soaraway success: Le Sucre (see below), in an eyrie on the roof of a former sugar factory that’s now a contemporary arts centre, and run by the team behind Nuits Sonores. It is one of the landmarks of La Confluence, the newly revitalised industrial area on a tongue of land between the rivers Saône and Rhône, dotted with statement architecture, such as the new Musée des Confluences.
La Confluence is part of a feel-good development that included the pedestrianisation of the two river banks and has brought with it an element of gentrification not unlike that happening in Lyon’s 7th arrondissement, to the west. This multicultural and until recently relatively affordable district has seen the city’s trendiest new restaurant openings and its most interesting nightlife (DIY Live Station, Le Café du Rhône) – to the point where it is taking over from the former silk manufacturing Croix Rousse district as the city’s most happening area.
But all up and coming areas eventually reach a plateau, and it becomes the turn of another district to attract a young crowd. In Lyon it’s now the inner suburbs – thanks to citizen politics in places like Villeurbanne, and the transformation of the Grrrnd Zero squat at Vaulx-en-Velin into a place of pilgrimage for underground music (see below) – that must nurture new avant-garde movements.
Music/clubs scene
By promoters Paulin Grégoire, Matthias Perrette and Kimi Do (who work as Merci Bonsoir)
The cultural offering in Lyon is huge. There’s lots of energy: people creating things, and also people organising events, setting up music labels. These projects often prompt established places into upping their game and undertaking big revamps.
Our favourite space is probably the Marché Gare. It holds 300 people, and there’s a Berlin feel to its 1970s public-sector building vibe. The music is indie, in the widest sense. In the same part of La Confluence, Le Sucre has rapidly become Lyon’s big name electro-dance club, hosting internationally known acts.
Transbordeur is one of Lyon’s largest venues by capacity, but stands out for its eclectic choice of acts and its indie credentials. It’s in a former factory and has kept its look industrial, with a huge gantry hanging over the bar. It’s at its most fun during Summer Sessions, an outdoor programme with concerts, street art and film screenings in a group of old containers. Then there’s l’Epicerie Moderne, a little further out, which is the Lyon area’s temple to indie music.
In a recently decommissioned factory in Vaulx-en-Velin, Grrrnd Zero is the heart of underground Lyon. Its carefully curated programme and dizzying list of events make it a must-do, with building work going on all around you.
The best rock music club is still Le Sonic, on a barge moored by the Gare de Perrache. It has low pinkish lighting, red walls and well-chosen acts. You could be lucky enough to find Thurston Moore playing: he says this is his favourite club in Lyon.
Another place to hear live music over a drink or two is Le Trokson. It puts on free concerts several nights a week, leaning towards garage, surf and psychedelic sounds. It’s a nice looking spot, with a vaulted basement room and a convivial atmosphere and is my favourite place in the historic 1st arrondissement, but there’s also Les Capucins, a relaxed bar for a few drinks with friends, and there are regular gigs in its basement. It’s right across the road from a picturesque building used as a Scientology centre. Still on the slopes of the Croix Rousse district, not-for-profit bar La Triperie is the perfect place to catch an underground gig, with old stone walls, parquet flooring, pinball machines and bottled beer, but it’s hard to find out what’s going on there – you have to look out for posters around town.
There’s a similar ambience at Le Café du Rhône on the river bank (as the name suggests), which is also a good daytime stop for a beer and the dish of the day. At night, head downstairs to the basement for concerts, especially ones promoted by French alternative pop outfit La Souterraine. And don’t forget Kraspek Myzik, an independent record shop by day and concert venue by night; its tiny proportions make every evening unique.
Another fine record shop is Dangerhouse, the oldest in Lyon. It’s a treasure trove of garage-rock and 1960s music, its bins overflow with everything from classic albums to unusual finds. Sofa is also very highly regarded, particularly for its African, South American and Asian collection of vinyl.
Where to eat/drink
By Guillaume Long, a Geneva-born graphic novel writer, blogger (A boire et à manger) and illustrator
Lyon is known for the great gastronomic tradition of bouchons, traditional taverns of a kind that these days I rarely visit. Most bouchons are pretty poor, and I don’t think they do the city’s image any favours. There are places being opened up by talented young chefs that deserve more attention.
There are exceptions to this rule, however. For “real” Lyonnaise cuisine, I’d recommend Le Garet (7 rue du Garet, no website). It’s typical of the city and a bit twee, with its wood panelling, checked tablecloths and suitably gruff owner. You eat packed together in a convivial atmosphere. Another bouchon I like is Daniel et Denise (156 rue de Crèqui) in the old town. Its chef is Joseph Viola, winner of a prestigious Meilleur Ouvrier de France award (best craftsman of France) and his cooking is exceptional.
The 7th arrondissement, where I live, is flourishing culturally and has lots of informal bistro-type restaurants, which are much more my kind of thing for everyday eating. In the three years I have lived here, I’ve seen the opening of loads of little places that are worth seeking out. There’s Les Pralins (62 rue Sébastien Gryphe) for Sunday brunch; le Stamtich (44 rue Raulin), where you can eat real flammekueche (a sort of Alsatian pizza) and sumptuous banoffee pie; and Nam Sandwich (12 Place Raspail), where you can get a tasty banh mi Vietnamese sandwich to take away and eat by the Rhône.
For something a bit more exotic, try Chez Terra (81 rue Duguesclin) in the 6th arrondissement: it’s a brilliant Japanese restaurant where the menu is short, but everything’s delicious. Then there’s Doshilack (28 rue de Marseilles), in the multicultural Guillotière district, for divine Korean food.
For drinks, head for Le Bistrot des Fauves (29 rue Saint Michael), which does good beer. Sit at one of several mismatched tables and enjoy it with a very good plate of cheese and charcuterie. It puts on exhibitions from time to time, there are magazines lying around and the clientele is quite boho.
But my true favourite is Le Kitchen Café (34 rue Chevreul), a stone’s throw from my house. The cooking is Franco-Swedish, all made with locally grown produce. It has old sewing machines as lamp stands and table legs, and is a very popular meeting place. The coffee is good, and I always go for the homemade patisserie: cookies, financiers (almond sponge cakes) and petit fours are all top class, at reasonable prices. Close to the Gare de Lyon-Perrache, Café Marmot (51 rue de la Charité) is also worth a trip. Its cookies are delicious and the atmosphere is friendly. Le Palégrié (8 rue du Palais Grillet) is a bit like Le Kitchen Café, with reasonable prices. It’s a simple but very refined little place, where the staff can advise on the choice of excellent wines.
Where to go for art and design
By Julie Rodriguez-Malti, co-director of the Néon art collective
When we started out, there were just three galleries in rue Burdeau in the 1st arrondissement. Today there are 15 or so, thanks to the local authority. When they saw what we were doing, they made it financially attractive for other galleries to set up here, too.
I used to love going to the Salle de Bains not-for-profit arts centre up in Croix Rousse. It has been working peripatetically in Lyon’s museums and galleries since it lost the lease on its premises last year. Through it I discovered lots of young artists from around the world. Apart from that, I love the exhibitions put on by Galerie Mathieu, which displays some lovely minimalist pieces. It is a gallery very much of its era – it was set up in 1979 – with real character and a taste for geometric abstraction.
Lower down in the Croix Rousse quarter is L’Oeil de Beouf, an arts studio that’s very young and eclectic, open just six months of the year. Its backers don’t really communicate much, except on social media, but they organise concerts for each new show. And I often get a nice surpise at the Datta bookshop, which as well as magazines and periodicals, has a small space for showing nice pieces of design, illustration and graphic art.
You can also admire the photography of Gilles Vernet at Le Bleu du Ciel. His work has sociological leanings, but is done with lots of panache. And the setting of the gallery is fantastic and has an incredible view over the whole of Lyon.
In the 7th arrondissement, there are three places in particular worth seeking out. One is a little shop window affair called Bikini, on rue de la Thibaudière. You can’t go in, except on opening nights; you just look from outside. A little notice goes up each month, telling you about shows and how long they are on for. It can seem frustrating, but it is in fact very generous.
On the same street there’s a new gallery called Snap, set up by a sculptor called Paul Raguenes, which has quite big ideas. Its attitude is like that of a Parisian gallery: he’s not afraid of showing large attention-grabbing pieces of work.
And finally, while in the area, make time for the Ilot d’Amaranthes garden at the junction of Rue d’Anvers and Rue de la Thibaudière, which was designed by the artist Emmanuel Louisgrand (with support from Galerie Tator). Once a vacant plot between two buildings, it has become a unique community space, with some amazing roses. If I had to move house, I would go to the 7th arrondissement. It has the freshness and vibrancy the Croix Rousse slopes had a few years ago.
The most unusual place I know is over towards the Île Barbe, an island in the Saône in the 9th arrondissement. It’s called L’Attrape-couleurs, and the walk there along the banks of the river is magical. It’s in the annex of a town hall, a big space with parquet floors and a marble fireplace, opposite the famous Jocteur bakery. The artists curate the shows themselves and you can find works you won’t see anywhere else.
• If you’d like to find out more about what’s on at galleries in Lyon check out Adele, which is published by an association of all the contemporary galleries in the city
Readers’ tips and Instagram
There’s no better guide to a city than word-of-mouth recommendations – from people who live there and people who have visited. We asked our readers to share their favourite experiences and Instagram pictures of Lyon. Here are just a few – you’ll find more readers’ tips here.
Enjoy Lyon by bike
Get yourself lost down cobbled streets and across countless bridges in this extremely bike-friendly city. Take the tour along the quais (the banks of the river Saône and Rhône), particularly Quai St Vincent (underneath La Croix-Rousse looking up to Lyon’s miniature version of the Eiffel Tower). Cycle all the way along the bank until you get to the tunnel de La Croix-Rousse, a cyclist/pedestrian-only tunnel stretching from east to west built under the bohemian arts district known as Croix Rousse. A surreal ride accompanied by music and dancing animals projected onto the wall. When you reach the other side, cross the bridge towards the Parc de la Tête d’Or, a huge park with a lake, pedalos and even a zoo!
Rose Labdon
A fine time with food and wine
La Voûte Chez Léa is a great restaurant, similar menu-wise to Lyon’s many bouchons but the standard of cooking was a good few notches above most. La Cave de Cécile is a great wine bar in an atmospheric setting with a by-the-glass selection that changes daily. Also, try Bernachon, which is a famous chocolate shop and cafe. Tip: the selection in the shop is much the same, and much cheaper, than the neighbouring cafe.
Dave Stenton
The best beers – and great burgers
Lyon is getting more and more of a taste for beer. Several bars dedicated to quality beers have opened these last few years. One of the oldest is the Le Palais de la Bière, with more than 300 beers available. The Ninkasi is a local brewery with several bars around town. The Beers has a friendly atmosphere and is close to the Vieux Lyon. The 405 is close to the town hall and has 40 beers on tap – and shows rugby matches on widescreen TVs around the bar. Les Fleurs du Malt may be a bit pricey but it stocks rare beers and its bartenders know their job. In summer, there’s an amazing beer garden by the river at the Star Ferry, which has a wide selection of beers from all over the world, and great burgers.
Glasny
Discover the city’s on-trend areas
Visit SoBell (South Bellecour), the trendy name for the area south of Place Bellecour and before Perrache train station. Take the metro to Ampere, to where the 2nd arrondissement is shaking down its shabby self with chic new restaurants, such as Comptoire Thomas, and galleries and boutiques (try the Rhône side for late local bars, though it’s a bit prickly around the edges). On the Saône side you’ll find more tranquil cafes and historic ramparts.
LyonLondon
Stroll, savour and learn
Wander round the medieval old town (France’s largest, and a Unesco world heritage site). When you do though, give the odd front door a gentle push. If it opens, it may well lead you into one of Lyon’s (once hidden but now famous) traboules, or passageways. Originally used by the city’s merchants as a short-cut to and from the river, the traboules became vital to the city’s resistance movement during the second world war, as they gave resistance fighters who knew the city a means of escape from the Gestapo. The Gestapo headquarters is now the Resistance and Deportation History Centre.
James King
