While drinking in this gastronomic city is still firmly rooted in the centuries-old wine-growing heritage of the surrounding Rhône Valley, new addresses have embraced the world's cocktail culture in style, using Lyon's long-envied gastronomic know-how and the rich bounty of local seasonal produce to create a number of sensational new drinks and food combinations as only the French can do. Come the warmer days of spring and summer, the city's fiery café life spills over onto pretty terraces and floating bars moored along the landscaped Rive Gauche (left bank) of the Rhône, where dance parties and festivities take place after dark. Clubbing remains fairly mainstream.
For more Lyon inspiration, check out our guides to the best hotels, restaurants and things to do.
Find a bar by area
Presqu'ile
Le Rooftop
Located on the sixth floor of the Maison Nô design hotel, this bar offers 180-degree panoramic views of the skyline all day long. On warm days (which is wonderfully common in this fairly 'southern' city) you can take to the deck for sun-drenched views of Fourvière's Wedding Cake Basilica and its Eiffel Tower lookalike (west), or the ugly but iconic 'Crayon' skyscraper of Lyon in the Part-Dieu (east) business district. A White Negroni is as traditional as it gets on the very original cocktail menu. Gourmet delicacies to share include duck heart, lobster and marinated beef.
The Monkey Club
Just around the corner from the Opera House, with a graceful sidewalk terrace overlooking the traffic-heavy quays of the Rhône, this vintage-style cocktail bar - particularly open until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays - has long been a hotspot for chatting with fashionistas among the enjoyment of a sparkling drink. French CanCan (mixing champagne with calvados, apricot liqueur and lime juice) or other artisanal seasonal cocktail. Victorian velvet armchairs, potted greenery and antiquarian books inject a nice touch of 19th-century exotics into the salon's interior, and talented mixologists play into the cabinet of curiosities theme with unusual elixirs and bitters. For the sweet taste of Lyon, order the Rosa Sour mixed praline syrup with Hendrick's Gin, champagne, lime and fresh raspberries.
L'Officine
Old-school elegance reigns in this retro-chic cocktail bar with elegant wood paneling, copper cladding and plush olive green banquet chairs at the Grand Hôtel-Dieu. Stunning views of the medieval hospital's emblematic 18th-century dome are paired exquisitely with world-class cocktails from Lyon's mixologist virtuoso Marc Bonneton and head bartender David Capdeville. Classics get an inventive twist, but it's the six signature cocktails, such as the Lyonnaise (Grey Goose vodka, ginger beer, lemon juice, strawberry and hibiscus), that really showcase the local seasonal flavor. Live piano sessions and jazz evenings contribute to the peaceful lounge atmosphere.
Soft drink bar
DJs spinning soul, funk, groove and hip-hop draw crowds at the weekend to the city's original cocktail and music bar - just as lively, fun and innovative as the night it opened in 2006. The extensive drinks menu reads like a history of cocktail culture, with expert bartenders shaking everything from the intoxicating Prohibition-era Zombie (rum, citrus, exotic fruit syrups and flaming absinthe) to '90s and new millennial Tiramisu Martini cocktails -favorites packed with unusual bitters and flavored spirits. Come early to snag a spot on the pocket-sized sidewalk patio.
Vieux Lyon
The smoking dog
You can watch a variety of sports matches on the big screen at this veteran English pub, one of many in Vieux Lyon (Rue Ste-Catherine behind Place des Terreaux on the Presqu'île is the other main, English Pub street). Cheap pints (11 beers on tap) lure punters during Happy Hour (Monday to Friday, 6pm to 8pm); Tuesday evening is quiz night; and most weeks a locally brewed guest beer is included with drinks card (menu). Check the Facebook page for the weekly schedule of live sports screenings.
Contact: 00 33 478 28 38 27; facebook.com/Smoking-Dog-Lyon
Opening hours: Mon-Fri, 4pm - 1am; Sat-Sun, 12pm - 1am
Nearest metro: Vieux Lyon
Prices: £
Getting in: Depending on the match being shown, you may have to fight your way in - or not enter at all. Make sure you are present at major matches well before kick-off.
Baragones
This trendy cocktail bar is a clever play on the Lyonese term of endearment for a 'disappeared' or child of Lyon. This trendy cocktail bar draws inspiration from the Latino flamboyance and color of South America and the Caribbean. Signature cocktails and mocktails are tailored to the season and combined with tapas where empanadas are mixed with rosette lyonnaise (local salami). To get acquainted with the know-how of the expert mixologists, you can sign up for a practical cocktail lesson. Next summer the action will take place on two beautiful terraces: on the street side and on the roof.
Croix-Rousse
Cafe du Gros Caillou
When a wonderfully mellow, typically French evening beckons on a traditional café terrace, join the locals in this village-like café-bar on a pedestrianized square in the Croix-Rousse hilltop (complete with 'gros caillou' or 'very large stone boulder') . ' at the far end and views of Mont Blanc on clear days). Order a Communard - a glass of local red Côte du Rhône or Beaujolais mixed, as scandalous elsewhere in France, with blackcurrant liqueur - as an aperitif or a pot (Lyonnais carafe) wine, accompanied by a tempting mixed cheese board, range of regional charcuterie or a round of sticky St-Marcellin.
Confluence
Le Sucre
An upcycled 1930s sugar warehouse is the hip location for this achingly cool rooftop bar and electro-dance club on the riverfront in the Confluence district, where hipster city dwellers come for a drink. The views of the Saône from the parasol-shaded, wooden terrace on the roof are predictably beautiful and most Friday evenings there is a live band, themed soiree or other cultural event. Other evenings you can relax with an after-work drink and a round of table football. With a strong presence on the international circuit, the dance club hosts some of Europe's best techno DJs and artists.
Rive Gauche
La Barge
As the sun sets, join a cheerful crowd aboard this steel vessel, moored next to the Passerelle du Collège pedestrian bridge on the left bank of the Rhône. Straw-woven sails provide shade and tropical funk on the upper deck during the day, and faux palm trees illuminate the tables after dark. The extensive drinks menu includes nine beers on tap, classic cocktails, French aperitifs such as pastis and kir (white wine with blackcurrant, peach, blackberry or raspberry liqueur), homemade sangria (by the jug or glass) and boozy house-flavored rum ( caramelized pineapple). and fresh vanilla). Food-wise, you can expect nachos, roasted camembert with sweet fig chutney, shared cheese and charcuterie platters and more.
La Marquise
Summer in Lyon translates as warm, balmy evenings of drinking and dancing under the stars - in a traditional way peniche (riverboat) like this mythical grand dame of a café-bar and dance club moored at Quai Victor Augagneur. The soirées start with a chilled mojito or beer and an outdoor view of the river at the deck bar or around tables on the dock, followed by a live band and dancing in the cabin. Most concerts start at 8:30 PM and subsequent underground sessions can continue until 5:00 AM. DJ sets cover a huge range of sounds (electro, funk, disco, new wave, punk, house).
The Assemblers
French wine curiosities will quickly fall in love with this unusual wine bar, with a few dozen wines on tap, tasty food and friendly sommeliers ready to pair each dish from each course with a different assemblage (blend). Aspiring winemakers can order their own blend of grape varieties to drink by the glass: mix a local white Viognier from the Rhône Valley with a Sardinian Vermentino, perhaps to sip with a dozen freshly shucked oysters, or a red Rhône Valley Syrah with a Burgundian Pinot Noir to complement a classic steak fries. Themed tasting evenings with DJ sets provide a festive element.
How we choose
Every bar, venue or experience on this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, who's dropped by to give you their insider perspective. We cover a range of budgets and styles, from casual pubs to exquisite cocktail bars - to suit every type of traveler - and take service, drinks, atmosphere and price into account in our recommendations. We update this list regularly to stay informed of the latest vacancies and to provide current recommendations.
