7 places in Lyon to toast without being spotted

Paradoxically, if our era is driven by the frenzy of the all-instagrammable - the restaurant has become a place of pomp and circumstance where you have to be seen - the experience is also deemed successful when it takes place away from view, giving the impression of being customers apart.paradoxically, if our era is driven by the frenzy of the all-instagrammable - the restaurant has become a place of pomp and ceremony where you have to be seen - the experience is also deemed successful when it takes place out of sight, giving the impression of being customers apart. In June 2024, an Ipsos study for the American Express Lifestyle Trends Observatory showed that 69% of French people expect to enjoy a unique dining experience.

" To live happily, let's live hidden ", said Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian. When it's time to sit down to a meal, or sip a cocktail, this maxim is more than ever obvious, with a host of good addresses betting on the confidentiality of their address, counting on word-of-mouth to succeed... without depriving themselves of showing off on the networks. in Lyon, it's working, and not just in speakeasy-style bars.

The underground bar: Au Bon-Secours

A bit of an understatement for a hidden bar, given that the Bon-Secours is undoubtedly... the best-known. It has to be said, it's a smooth-running business, with a front door you don't even notice when you're strolling through Vieux Lyon, especially on the traboules side. You literally have to go down into the cellar to taste the atmosphere of a pleasure that suddenly seems forbidden. It's a "coquetel" based on elixirs concocted by a regional company, the Crozet distillery, a well-known address in the Lyon area since 1875.

• Where? 12 rue du Bœuf, Lyon 5ᵉ
• When? Thursday to Monday, 7pm to 1am

The hidden gastronomic table: Miraflores

Enter by way of a bar serving auteur cocktails to honor a reservation at a gourmet table. You have to admit, it's a bit unusual. And yet, it's part of the charm of chef Carlos Camino's establishment. The Peruvian-born chef hides his talent on the other side of the curtain at the YKA bar, well known in Lyon for its ceviche-style bowls, pisco and maracuya sour. When it comes to gastronomy, the chef we honored with three toques weaves a moving link between France and Peru, daring to retain the culinary bastions of each nation, such as foie gras, truffles and Challans duck, but also choclo corn, hoja de coca and cactus.

• Where? 112 Boulevard des Belges, 69006 Lyon
• When? Every evening, Tuesday to Friday

The speakeasy restaurant: Le Passage

In the "speakeasy" category - that is, bars that play the intimacy card, relying on the discretion of their location in reference to those clandestine addresses - Le Passage is a must.in the "speakeasy" category - i.e., bars that play the intimacy card by focusing on their discreet location, in reference to the clandestine addresses of the Prohibition era in the United States - Le Passage offers a different interpretation of the theme, as it is... a restaurant. The emphasis here is not just on well-crafted cocktails. For first-timers, you'll need to keep your eyes peeled when you're on Lyon's Presqu'île. The table is wedged in a passageway between the two windows of a luxury ready-to-wear clothing store. Only the most observant will notice the easel announcing the menu outside (when installed). On the menu: delightful bourgeois cuisine, represented by salmon with sorrel or prime rib with Béarnaise sauce to share, and the indispensable crêpes Suzette.

• Where? 8 Rue du Plâtre, 69001 Lyon
• When? Tuesday to Saturday, 12 noon to 2pm and 7pm to midnight

The desecrated chapel: La Source

At the junction of the Perrache and Confluence districts, it has to be seen to be believed, but the chapel of Lyon's former St. Joseph's prison does indeed provide a refuge from the noise, here just 100 m from the station, while the A7 passes below... And yet, as you pass the porch, a restaurant offers the opportunity to get away from it all. A no-fuss spot where you can share a drink on one of the four terraces, or order a dish from the à la carte menu, which changes weekly. La Source doesn't forget the basics, with eggs en meurette, but also knows how to break away from regional clichés with the chef's bacon-based burger.

• Where? 17 rue Delandine, 69002 Lyon
• When? 12pm to 3pm Monday to Friday, 6pm to 11pm Tuesday to Friday

The speakeasy bar: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra

lyon's Rue Royale lives up to its name: it's home to the legendary Mère Brazier, where Matthieu Vianney now works. The Lyonnais institution, which dates back to 1921, shouldn't obscure the fact that just a stone's throw away, you can also immerse yourself in another era, that of the Roaring Twenties, behind the door of Le Fantôme de l'Opéra. in fact, you need to have the information to know which door to push. A cosy, relaxed atmosphere opens up, where you can sip cocktails designed with the same precision as in the kitchen. Red vermouth infused with porcini mushrooms, a cup of instant noodles as a glass... The creations are deliberately mischievous, from the way they're made to the names: "boum boum crush", "la fille de 20 h 20", "call me little sushi"... The menu changes every three months, in step with the seasons.

• Where? 19 rue Royale, 69001 Lyon
• When? Tuesday to Saturday, 6pm to 1am

The trendy restaurant: Piedra

This new nugget in the Croix-Rousse district has been attracting a lot of attention since it opened in September 2024. The fine team of Robin, Felipe, Ugo and Clément (formerly of Pierre Gagnaire) concocts a daring bistronomic cuisine that plays with contrasts between local products and foreign influences. With the arrival of fine weather, it's a safe bet that the new haunt will maintain its aura thanks to.... its hidden terrace! You have to go all the way up the restaurant to discover a new opening onto a quiet, delightfully shaded area. It's the perfect place to soak up the Lyonnais sun at lunchtime, when the menu takes on the air of a modern bouchon, or in the evening to pick your way through shareable plates of pâté croûte, crispy panisses, fried gnocchi with marjoram...

• Where? 17 rue d'Austerlitz, 69004 Lyon
• When? Lunch and dinner, Tuesday to Saturday

The rooftop: the Collège Hôtel's perched terrace

This selection of the most discreet addresses in the capital of the Gauls would not be complete without a place to stay... high up. In other words, an (unsuspected) rooftop. And there's one address we'd recommend for afterwork, whether you're a local or just passing through. It's a terrace perched in the highly sought-after Vieux-Lyon district. At the Collège Hôtel, which has retained the charm and soul of the 1930s buildings, you'll enjoy climbing a little higher into the sky to overlook the famous traboules, and catch a glimpse of the inescapable Fourvière basilica. Awnings provide protection from the sun, we assure you. And you can sit back and sip a cocktail, the making of which is supervised by the Baragones team. top it off with a few tapas, including "pan con tomate" in the Spanish culinary tradition.

• Where? 5 place Saint-Paul, 69005 Lyon
• When? Wednesday to Sunday, 4pm to 9:30pm