 Lyon, gastronomic centre
Since the thirties, Lyon has been recognised as France's gastronomic capital. Its reputation is based on a wide selection of restaurants, a variety of local dishes and fine cuisine to suit every budget. In fact, there are more restaurants per square kilometre in Lyon than anywhere else in France.
The traditional Lyonnais restaurant is known as le bouchon and it is the best place to try authentic local cuisine. These intimate restaurants are the cornerstone of Lyon's reputation for gastronomy. The female cooks were fondly known as the mothers, les mères, and they would pass on their own recipes from generation to generation. The Lyonnais would go to les bouchons to experience the homely cuisine and convivial atmosphere at any time of the day.
There used to be hundreds of tiny bouchons in Lyon but today only twenty genuine examples exist. In those that remain, the food served is rich and typically Lyonnais including les andouillettes, which is stuffed cow's intestine, quenelles of Lyon and Lyonnais stew. They are worth seeking out if you are looking for the authentic taste of the real Lyon.
Links
Lyonnais cuisine
More about the chef, Paul Bocuse, who is from Lyon and the authentic cuisine of the city.
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