Miriam I.
Yelp
We chose this restaurant when planning our trip to Lyon, based on its Michelin-star rating, location, and ease of making advance reservations online. We found the service to be absolutely stellar, the cuisine (for the most part) superb, and the setting nothing short of spectacular. Our table looked over the Rhone valley spread out below the hilltop locale, and took our breath away. We were fortunate to arrive before sundown, so we got the full effect. To call our service competent and professional does not do it justice: it was as close to flawless as human beings can manage: quiet, efficient, and always attentive. With all this praise for the setting and the service, I'm sorry to say the cuisine did not always reach the same high level, although for the most part it was very close, and in some cases soared to unheard-of heights. The look of each dish amounted to "food as art." Each item presented could have easily been featured on the cover of the former Gourmet magazine. There were prix fixe tasting menus, priced at a lower, middle and high level. There was also a "chef's choice" menu, at 120 Euros. We both went for the mid-priced menu, and were quite pleased with the result. High point: the veal entree. No point in going into excessive detail on items ordered, however, as I'm sure the chef varies the menu daily, depending on available ingredients and the direction in which his creative winds are blowing. No matter: you can trust him to overwhelm you with the mastery of his craft. At a time when more and more young lions are bolting out of culinary school (or chemistry programs) to take the helm of the latest trendy dining locales in the U.S., it's good to spend some time in a place where food preparation and presentation is an art, not a science or a fashion trend. The classic approach has lasted for a reason.