LYON
Left: the kitchen at L’Auberge du Pont de Collonges
of creme brulee on the table. My eyes widen, my body says no, but my taste buds won’t be denied. To finish, a small espresso, not nearly enough of a ‘digestif’ for this feast. Indeed, I can’t eat another thing for 24 hours. If you’ve overindulged in Lyon, then Vieux
Lyon, the city’s old quarter, is the perfect place to walk it off. Here, the narrow, cobbled streets hide a network of secret passageways, towers and staircases known as traboules, which have provided shortcuts for the city’s residents as far back as the Middle Ages. Those in the Croix- Rousse district are more recent, built in the 18th and 19th centuries so that the city’s many silk workers could protect their precious fabrics from the weather and dirty streets as they moved between looms and merchants. The city’s famous bouchon restaurants,
in many cases established by the Mères Lyonnaises, were a byproduct of the silk industry, providing quick meals for workers and traders. The best of these can be found in the Part-Dieu, Presqu’île and Croix-Rousse districts, and traditionalists will be pleased to hear they still serve the offal-heavy menus for which they’re known. Yet, for all its history, Lyon isn’t immune to
change. A new concept has been introduced to the old town, which promises to combine the city’s heritage with a more modern dining experience. The Food Traboule is the brainchild of two of Lyon’s most dynamic
chefs, Tabata Mey and her husband Ludovic, who run a small, excellent restaurant named Les Apothicaires in Part-Dieu. The couple met working at one of Bocuse’s other restaurants, Marguerite, and, having travelled the world observing how different cultures eat food ‘on the go’, they returned to find the French were also embracing a more casual style of dining. This gave them an idea. Further inspiration
came from the relationship they enjoyed with other restaurateurs in Lyon. “There’s no competition between us,” says Tabata. “We’re great friends. We share recipes, have a drink and help each other out if there’s a problem. “We also run the annual Street Food
Festival together each September, during which 25,000 people come and enjoy food from dozens of different stands. And it made us think, ‘Why can’t we do something more permanent together?’” And so began The Food Traboule, which
utilises the different spaces available in one of Vieux Lyon’s most-loved buildings, the Tour Rose, for a collection of mini-restaurants. “The Tour Rose has a special place in the Lyonnais’ hearts — the buildings in Vieux Lyon are UNESCO-listed and Molière performed his first plays in the courtyard there, so it’s really linked to the history of the city,” says Tabata. Each of the 12 restaurants — plus the
cocktail bar — are an offshoot of an already successful Lyon restaurant, serving a simplified
The city’s famous bouchon restaurants were a byproduct of the silk industry, offering 18th-century workers a quick meal — and they still serve their offal-heavy menus today
Cervelle des Canuts The name may translate as ‘silk workers’ brains’, but it is, in fact, vegetarian. A classic starter, it’s served throughout the city and chef Matthieu Charrois serves it as an aperitif (champagne recommended) at the Intercontinental Hotel Dieu’s restaurant, Epona.
SERVES: 4 10 MINS PLUS 1 HR CHILLING
INGREDIENTS 200g faisselle cheese (fresh cow’s milk cheese), drained; alternatively, use ricotta or quark
70g sour cream 1 tbsp of olive oil 1 tbsp spoon of vinegar ½ bunch parsley, finely shredded ½ bunch chives, finely shredded 20g shallots, finely chopped 10g spring onions, finely chopped
METHOD Tip the cheese and sour
cream into a salad bowl and mix vigorously. Add the oil, vinegar, herbs,
shallots, spring onions and a pinch of salt and pepper and gently mix all together, then put in the fridge for at least 1 hr. Serve with plenty of good-
quality bread.
NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.CO.UK/FOOD-TRAVEL
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