Paris or Lyon

Question for those who’ve been to both. I’ll be going back to Paris but am considering stopping in Lyon for a few days. Which is a better city for great wine lists in restaurants and great wine retail shops? Any recommendations would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Lyon is often considered the heart of French cooking, many chefs having learned at their mother’s side. And it has wonderful old Roman ruins. Highly recommended - I had some friends there and visited a number of times.

But Paris is . . .

Paris.

Seriously.

No comparison.

Both cities can be great, but the best spots are off the beaten path.

#nobrainer

PARIS.

Been to both, love them both, good to experience both. If you have been to Paris before, by all means spend a couple days in Lyon. Not so sure about wine shops in either place. But The Lyonnais love their Cotes du Rhone, so be prepared for that. And do go to the Roman ruins, take the vernicular up the hill, eat at the Bocuse restaurants, walk the rivers.

Funny, we just booked a trip around Thanksgiving week where we will be spending a few nights in each plus Brussels. (Unfortunately?) we’ll have the 6 and almost 8 year olds which will likely put a damper on our food options—not to mention my desire to go nuts touring Burgundy.

Okay okay—so I’m actually really looking forward to having the boys with me, even if it limits my food and wine options. But maybe I can convince the boss to give me one free day in Burgundy!

Anyway, looking forward to drafting off of any good tips from this thread.

You’re arranging a spa day as a trade?

Anyone been to Antic in Lyon? I’ve been to Legrand in Paris and while selection was good I’d love to find some back vintage gems as well as my favorite burgundy, Rhône and champagne producers for a fraction of the price of here in NYC.

I’ve been; selection is not bad but don’t expect it to be cheap

Also I thought Bocuse was overrated when I went in 2017 and that was before he passed away. Check out La Mere Brazier, which is where Bocuse and many other famous chefs learned their trade :slight_smile:

He’s definitely gone downhill since then…

Unimpressive since way before then.

You’re arranging a spa day as a trade?
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Whatever it takes!

Good updated information on Bocuse. I was there in 2011 and prior, so it has been a while. And fwiw, the brasserie restaurants I was referring to were Le Sud, Le Nord, etc. I enjoyed them.

Agreed. The cellar is particularly fun to visit.
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Just returned from a trip including both. I have been to Paris many times but this was a first time in Lyon.

Paris is obviously a “world city” with the best of everything available, at a price and always something new.

That said, I was very impressed with Lyon! Plenty to see. Much less intense vibe. Great food, both at the high end and more modest Bouchons. Among the best meals ever at La Sommeliere. Burgundy Lounge has great food and a cheap wine list.

Antic was a very enjoyable shopping visit and I left with a few well priced rarities.

We loved Lyon when we went a few years ago. And Burgundy Lounge was great too. Lyon sort of felt like a smaller, more intimate, less international version of Paris. Great food, very walkable city. Plenty to do.

But Paris is all that and then more. Like others have said, if you have been to Paris before, then give Lyon a whirl.

Since you mention a side trip, I’ll offer advice that I always offer: no matter which you prefer, unless you have 5 days (or so) don’t split your time. The time used to get to the second location, check in, etc, while not entirely wasted, is to me time best spent over a very long lunch.

As to the question at hand, I’d pick Paris again and again. One reason: the cooking in many of Lyon’s best regional restaurants is quite repetitive.

We’d all like this to be true, but really, it isn’t. And even if you could string together a great list of off-the-beaten-path places, you’d spend an entire season just getting from one to the other. While that’s a great trip in itself, even those who attempt it never succeed.

Good thought. Ive got 3.5 days then down to Avignon for two days. It seems Most everyone agrees with Paris. As a previous poster mentioned. It does come with the Parisian cost. Though Lyon is one of the largest cities in France I figured the retail price of burgundy and Rhône would be a bit more modest with a great selection due to proximity.

In my opinion, retail is much better in Lyon vs Paris, especially for Rhône and Beaujolais, Burgundy not so much. Cavistes in Paris do have an extra ‘bobo Parisien’ mark-up!
There are some really good cavistes in Lyon: Antic wine mentioned is a fun visit as you can dig away in the cellar, there are older vintages, mags of Foillard etc… nearby on the Presque-Ile of Lyon is Malleval, another very good high-end store, good deep selections in Rhone, Burgundy. I also recommend ‘Euvrard Selections’ which is easy to find on the Saône riverside just north of the centre: again good burgundy and Rhône offerings. If you choose Lyon, you also have the option of doing a day trip to either Cote Rôtie or Beaujolais if you fancy hiring a car! [drinkers.gif]