The Aux Lyonnais restaurant in Paris offers Lyon-inspired cuisine revisited in an original and creative way, in a setting more than a hundred years old.
Aux Lyonnais is a restaurant where I had already been several times years ago and where I had never been disappointed. But since then, the restaurant, owned by chef Alain Ducasse, has undergone a complete overhaul. Not so much in terms of setting, as you’ll see later, but in terms of cuisine and staff, with the arrival of chef Victoria Boller. The latter has preserved the inspiration and DNA of Lyonnais cuisine, while adding a touch of modernity.
The “Aux Lyonnais” concept
It’s a “bouchon lyonnais”, so it’s a Lyon specialty restaurant, but not the traditional bouchon you might expect.
Indeed, when Alain Ducasse entrusted Victoria Boller with the reins of the restaurant, he also asked her to dust off the traditional bouchon menu, which is pretty much the same everywhere, and give it a modern touch without denying its origins.
A little surprising for those expecting classic Lyonnais cuisine, but ultimately a welcome breath of fresh air.
The setting
The restaurant was established in 1890 and the setting has remained authentic ever since.
A real atmosphere of an old bistro, a traditional Lyonnais bouchon.
The zinc counter adds an authentic touch.
The result is a setting that’s both authentic and warm.
The menu
As already mentioned, the inspiration comes from Lyonnais cuisine, but with a few original touches and a little creativity.
The meal
I arrive on time for my reservation and am seated at my table, far back in a corner and a little in the way. I still feel that solo customers are treated a bit like sub-customers, but at least here they’re accepted.
The welcome is very kind.
The dining room is still partly empty, but will fill up quickly.
My order is taken very quickly.
I’ll start with an aperitif and my usual negroni.
It will be accompanied by crispy pig’s ears with a hint of mustard.
Really good, and a nice change from the usual amuse-bouche. Crisp, tasty and light.
Then I’ll get something else, but the waitress will be relatively inaudible. I think I recognize some ” cervelle de canut “.
The clearing up is a bit messy, and the young waitress (obviously an apprentice) is quickly brought back into line by the head waitress.
Apart from that, the staff are extremely friendly, never failing to say hello when they pass by my table.
My appetizer arrives before I’ve finished my aperitif and my wine has not yet been served. The floor manager finally notices and immediately fixes the problem. She seems very nice, outgoing and I like her already.
For starters, I chose Sabodet with gamay, new potatoes and Kampot pepper, and sage sabayon. I hesitated for a long time over the quenelles, but as that’s what I almost automatically get in a bouchon, it was an opportunity to discover something new.
For those of you who don’t know, which was my case until now, sabodet is made up of the tongue and cheeks of the pig, which give it a very soft texture, and the ears, which bring out the crunchiness of the sausage.
Very good. Tasty and surprisingly light. The potatoes are delicious and melt-in-the-mouth. The sage sauce is surprising, but the whole thing combines very well and makes a very tasty dish.
The background music is very pleasant and not loud: all old French classics. Aznavour, Trenet…
Then I had the roasted pigeon, sweet corn, plum condiment. Here too I hesitated for a long time over the Arctic char, but it’s been a long time since I’ve eaten pigeon.
The cooking is absolutely perfect and the meat melts in the mouth. The corn is tasty, crunchy but not too much.
When you mix it all together, you get melt-in-the-mouth, crispness and great taste…
My table is cleared and I take the opportunity to order dessert. A few minutes later another person comes to clean up the crumbs and asks me….if I want dessert.
Finally, both come back at the same time to bring me a spoon. It’s all a little uncoordinated, but it’s done with kindness and a smile, so it’s forgiven.
I chose the Chocolate, Oatmeal shortbread, Tamarind-mezcal sorbet.
It’s a chocolate made with 75% cocoa.
It’s not fondant but runny and I love that. Very well-balanced with the tamarind sorbet, even if the mezcal is discreet.
I’d love to order a coffee, but I’m a bit forgotten. After a while, I’ll catch the eye of a head waiter, who’ll react promptly.
First, they’ll bring me madeleines with pink pralines and lemon zest.
Very good, light and fresh. A distant cousin of praluline?
The coffee will be strong and of excellent quality.
I ask for the bill but obviously that’s not a priority, there are customers to serve. The wait starts to get tedious, but the manager notices that I’m getting restless… Problem solved in a minute.
A bill of 102 euros for three courses, aperitif, a glass of wine and coffee. A bit high, though. But that’s just a detail: I hadn’t even begun to use up my 200-euro annual credit to spend in restaurants, thanks to my American Express Platinum and the associated Amex fine dining program. A few minutes later I received an email from amex telling me that the amount would be credited back to me in a few days.
When it’s free, it’s always better.
The service
Very good overall, despite one or two bugs.
A special mention for the woman who seemed to me to be the head waiter: talkative and passionate, we talked at length about the dishes and the evolution of the restaurant and its menu. They’re the kind of people who make you want to go to a restaurant.
The atmosphere
Lively but not noisy, very pleasant.
Bottom line
A very pleasant experience with a Lyonnais who goes off the beaten track without denying his origins and the DNA of Lyonnais gastronomy.
A restaurant to return to.
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