Restaurants in Lyon and nearby areas: original concepts, unique venues, and culinary experiences

Les Fils à Maman is a restaurant in Lyon serving French home cooking in contemporary interpretations. The interior displays furniture, objects and posters from the 1980s and 1990s. The menu includes traditional dishes such as onion soup, croque-monsieur and blanquette de veau. This establishment is part of a collection of restaurants in Lyon and nearby areas housed in converted buildings or offering distinctive dining experiences. Les Fils à Maman creates a nostalgic environment through its decor and concept, where the food and setting from a particular era combine to shape the meal.

Les Téléphones is a restaurant in Lyon housed in a former convent where diners place their orders using old telephone sets installed on each table. The establishment combines historic architecture with an unusual ordering system, where communication with the kitchen happens through vintage phones.

Oto Oto is a Japanese izakaya restaurant in Lyon that offers guests an authentic Japanese dining experience. The different rooms are separated by rice paper sliding doors, creating privacy and a traditional interior with floor seating. This restaurant invites diners to discover Japanese culture and informal, convivial dining in a setting that evokes the casual spirit of Tokyo's neighborhood establishments.

Aux Prisons in Montagny is a restaurant with guest accommodations set in a 19th-century former prison building. The establishment preserves the cell doors, barred windows, and stone walls from its time as a detention facility. The kitchen focuses on regional products from the Beaujolais area. Guest rooms are located in converted prison cells, offering lodging within a historical setting.

Among Lyon's collection of restaurants with original concepts, La Nef des Fous offers a dining room dressed in baroque decor. The space is filled with ornate furniture, detailed moldings, and classical artistic elements that frame the dining experience.

La Table en Braille is a restaurant where diners experience their meal in complete darkness. The service staff consists of visually impaired employees who guide guests through the darkened space. This concept changes how people normally perceive dining and focuses attention on the taste, texture, and aroma of the food. The restaurant offers insight into the daily challenges faced by people with visual impairments. This restaurant is part of a collection of establishments in Lyon and nearby areas that feature distinctive concepts and unusual venues.

Le Petit Meunier is a restaurant in Messimy housed in a restored 19th-century mill. Diners can observe the functioning water wheel during their meal, which remains part of the original mill architecture. The restaurant combines its historical setting with the dining experience and is part of a collection of restaurants in Lyon and surrounding areas that occupy converted buildings with distinctive concepts.

Messob is a restaurant in this collection that serves Ethiopian dishes. The meals are presented on injera, a traditional flatbread made from fermented dough that serves as both plate and accompaniment. Guests eat with their hands and share the various dishes arranged on the large bread. The restaurant contributes to the diverse culinary experience that defines this collection of establishments with unconventional concepts and distinctive dining formats.

Le Sambahia is a Brazilian restaurant in Lyon spread across two levels, offering guests an authentic dining experience. During evening service, dancers perform traditional Brazilian dances, creating a lively blend of food and cultural entertainment. This restaurant combines Brazilian flavors and rhythms with live performances that transform an ordinary meal into something memorable.

Les Terrasses de Lyon is a fine dining restaurant located at the heights of Fourvière. Large windows frame views of the Saône River and Lyon's old town. Within this collection of restaurants in Lyon and nearby areas that feature original concepts, this establishment offers a distinctive experience: the surrounding landscape becomes part of the meal itself. While other venues in the collection occupy converted buildings like former prisons or mills, or create immersive experiences through darkness or retro decor, Les Terrasses de Lyon lets diners take in the city and river as they eat, turning the views into the restaurant's defining character.

Le Passage sits at the end of a 19th-century covered passageway. The dining room displays exposed stone vaults and offers well-spaced tables. Located within this historic passage, the restaurant gains a distinct character that sets it apart. It belongs to a collection of restaurants in Lyon and nearby areas that occupy converted buildings, each offering spaces and experiences that differ from standard dining venues.

Monplaisir Côté Cour occupies a former industrial warehouse in the Monplaisir district and is part of the collection of restaurants in Lyon and its surroundings housed in converted buildings. This restaurant has retained the original red brick walls and exposed metal beams from the old structure, giving the space an industrial character that adds an extra dimension to the dining experience.

Les Demoiselles de Rochefort is a restaurant in Lyon decorated with a collection of antique objects and red murals. The decor recalls a flea market with old furniture, items from past eras, and a warm color palette that gives the space a character reminiscent of French brocantes and vintage shops. This restaurant belongs to a collection of establishments in Lyon and surrounding areas housed in converted buildings that differ from standard formats. From a former convent now hosting Les Téléphones to a former prison in Montagny occupied by Aux Prisons, these restaurants offer different sensory experiences that combine French or international cuisine with settings that add an extra dimension to the meal.

La Mozzarelle is one of the restaurants in Lyon and its surroundings with an original concept. This establishment makes fresh mozzarella and burrata daily using Italian methods, then transforms them into dishes served throughout the menu. Guests can watch the cheese-making process and enjoy meals that combine French dairy quality with Italian cheesemaking craft. The menu features salads, pasta, pizza, and other Mediterranean dishes, all built around the house-made cheese. French milk quality meets Italian artisanal tradition in a casual, approachable dining space.

Le GentleCat fits within this collection of Lyon and surrounding area restaurants with unconventional concepts. Here, guests can spend time with adoptable cats while eating their meal. The restaurant combines dining with a social purpose, creating a relaxed space where people and animals come together.

A Cantina Comptoir Corse is a restaurant in this collection serving Corsican cuisine alongside weekly traditional polyphonic singing performances. The menu showcases regional products and typical island recipes. Each week, guests can experience the multi-voice singing tradition of Corsica while enjoying their meal.

Matsuri is a Japanese restaurant in Lyon with minimalist design. The space features white walls that create a neutral backdrop for simple light wood furnishings. The interior focuses on functional elements and clean lines, reflecting traditional Japanese aesthetic principles. This restaurant serves Japanese cuisine in a contemporary setting that emphasizes simplicity and natural materials.

L'Épicerie de Ginette is a restaurant in Lyon that specializes in homemade open-faced sandwiches. The dining room is decorated with furniture and ornaments from the 1950s, giving it a nostalgic feel. This restaurant fits into the collection of establishments with special concepts, where the setting and ambiance matter as much as the food itself.

This brasserie sits directly next to the swimming pools and water park area. The menu features classic French dishes including salads, grilled meats, burgers, and seasonal preparations. Diners enjoy their meals while overlooking the pool facilities, combining their dining experience with the leisure and water activities of the surroundings.

Frite alors is a restaurant in Lyon that focuses on French fries, served with hot dogs and poutine. The menu offers Canadian-style dishes prepared quickly, catering to fans of this North American cuisine. This establishment fits into the varied restaurant landscape of the region, where venues serve guests with different dining concepts and culinary experiences.

Au Grand Large sits on the shore of the Grand Large Reservoir, serving Syrian mezze and Italian dishes. The terrace features tables with views directly over the water, letting guests enjoy their meal by the lake. This restaurant fits into the collection of Lyon's dining establishments that offer something different – here, the waterside location transforms an ordinary meal into something special.

Cirque Imagine is a restaurant housed under a circus tent where artists perform cabaret acts while guests dine. In this collection of Lyon-area restaurants with original concepts, Cirque Imagine offers a distinctive experience where diners watch live performances as they eat. The circus setting transforms the meal into an event where food and entertainment merge together.

Delicatessen in Lyon and its surroundings is a restaurant that sells meat by weight and stands out among the unique dining venues in this collection. The establishment offers various types of meat that customers can select and purchase according to their preferences. The owner appeared in the French television series Kaamelott, which has brought additional recognition to the restaurant.

Les Fromagivores is a restaurant in this collection dedicated entirely to cheese cuisine. At lunch it functions as a bistro, transforming into a cheese bar in the evening. The menu features raclette, fondue, and cheese cooked on the plancha. This restaurant serves lovers of French cheese specialties prepared through different cooking methods.

L'Argot combines a restaurant and butcher shop in one space, fitting into Lyon's collection of dining venues with distinctive concepts. Guests select their cuts of meat directly at the counter before the kitchen prepares them. This setup creates direct conversation between customers, butchers, and cooks about where the meat comes from, its quality, and how it will be cooked.

Food Traboule is a culinary center in Lyon that brings together twelve restaurants with service counters under one roof. The dining areas spread across seven rooms, each with its own décor. Visitors can explore different cuisines in one location, moving from one restaurant to another without leaving the building.

Botani is a restaurant situated next to a swimming pool that combines dining with a retail space dedicated to green and indoor plants. Guests can enjoy their meal in a plant-filled environment while having the opportunity to purchase botanical specimens for their homes. This restaurant adds to the Lyon collection by offering an unconventional format where food and another experience merge.

Chez Paul is a restaurant in Lyon that has maintained the traditions of Lyonnais cuisine for generations. The dining room is decorated with old kitchen utensils hanging on the walls, recalling the culinary history of the region. The dishes follow classic recipes from local gastronomy and are served in an environment reminiscent of traditional Lyonnais bouchons. This restaurant fits into the collection of restaurants in Lyon and nearby areas that offer original concepts and culinary experiences.

Crusoé is a restaurant situated on an island in the Saône River, accessible only by boat. Guests are transported from the mainland dock to the establishment via a shuttle boat. This location creates a sense of isolation during the dining experience. The concept combines gastronomy with a brief river journey and fits the collection of restaurants in Lyon and nearby areas that offer unusual locations and distinctive dining experiences.

Koodeta is part of this collection of restaurants in Lyon and nearby areas that stand out for their distinctive spaces and concepts. The restaurant features an industrial character with exposed walls, high ceilings, and metal furniture. The terrace evokes a Cuban mood with palm trees and rattan furniture, creating a relaxed setting for dining.

Bellagio in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or represents one of Lyon's restaurants with an original concept, stepping away from conventional dining spaces. The establishment features violet walls and blown glass lighting that create a warm glow throughout. A karaoke stage positioned in the main dining room invites guests to sing and perform during their meal. This restaurant merges food service with entertainment in a colorful, engaging environment.