From our hotel we took the train to Michelin-listed Le Grand Réfectoire. We did not have a reservation so we were really hoping to get a table. It’s in the historic Grand Hôtel-Dieu, an Opulent riverside building that housed a hospital for many centuries & is now a series of fancy shops, restaurants and a hotel.

We walked in and waited a few minutes to get a table – what luck! I love the interiors already!

So happy to eat here!

I kept staring at the vaulted ceilings, the chandeliers & massive stained glass windows.

The bread is amazing. We asked for butter coz they don’t usually serve bread with butter in Lyon. It was sooo good. French butter really is the best!

KID’S MENU

French children eat everything so it’s no surprise that any kid’s menu here in Lyon will basically be the same food as the adults, just in a smaller portion. DiploBaby’s starter is a lentil curry soup. The modern cuisine of Le Grand Réfectoire has West Indian influences. It’s a bit too “spicy” (too much exotic spices) for his taste so we ate it.

MENU FÊTE DES LUMIÈRES

For the Festival of Lights weekend, they had a special menu. My husband and I took the special Menu for the Festival of Lights weekend which came with starters, main, and dessert for only 32 Euros. Not bad at all for a Michelin-listed restaurant with a 2-star chef.

STARTERS

My husband and I don’t particularly like pate & similarly textured food, but we were surprised to enjoy the Chicken Terrine & Tuna Tartine.

MAIN COURSE

DiploBaby’s main was Rigatoni with some sort of sauce & shrimp. I’m so glad he ate some.

I was so happy with my salmon with crispy skin on top of black rice, pak choi & Mandja sauce. For me this was the best dish! SOOOOO good!

My husband enjoyed his Pork Pluma with sweet potato puree & cane syrup sauce. It’s not my thing.

DiploBaby finished off the bread & was happy with the activity book they gave. DiploDog was also happily eating some bread with his own dog food.

The face of someone who is super happy with their food lol!

DESSERT

We got the Citrus millefeuille with spiced orange caramel and candied grapefruit which was good. But we both agree the star dessert was the Chocolate finger with passion fruit & chocolate whipped cream.

DiploBaby was deliriously happy with his cup of vanilla ice cream. He was in a food coma after LOL!

THE TOILET

The only point for improvement for me is the toilets. Only one toilet for such a massive venue. The wait was quite long for us

In the heart of the grandiose Hôtel Dieu, beneath the hundred-year-old vaults of the nuns’ former refectory, the menu of this huge brasserie is signed by Marcel Ravin (2*-chef of Monaco’s Blue Bay). The modern food is sprinkled with exotic West Indian influences. The swish rooftop bar (L’Officine) draws city slickers like bees to honey, as does the exquisite patio in the inner courtyard.
– THE MICHELIN GUIDE

We highly recommend Le Grand Réfectoire Lyon if you are okay with French Modern Cuisine with Indian influences. But be sure to BOOK A TABLE beforehand so you aren’t stressed going all the way there then not being seated.

Below is the menu when we were there but be sure to check their MENU online to see if it’s something you like. What we love about French Gastronomie is that we end up trying ingredient and flavor combinations that we would not dream of or that we think we don’t like, but end up getting surprised. Most of the time it doesn’t read good in the menu, but in reality it’s so good. Also the price when you get a menu is very reasonable.