La Mère Brazier

La Mère Brazier is a two-Michelin-star restaurant at 12 Rue Royale in the Presqu'île, Lyon's 1st arrondissement, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. It was founded by Eugénie Brazier, the pioneering Lyonnaise cook who earned three Michelin stars at two restaurants in the 1930s and trained a generation of chefs including Paul Bocuse. The house is now run by chef Mathieu Viannay, who preserves the founder's repertoire while refining it to modern fine-dining standards; Gault&Millau scores it 16/20. The signature dish is poularde demi-deuil, Bresse chicken with slices of black truffle slipped under the skin and poached, a dish that has been the emblem of the house since the Brazier era. Other classics include artichoke and foie gras and quenelle de brochet, the pike dumpling at the centre of Lyonnaise cuisine. Menus run from €98 to €250 per person excluding drinks, with a children's menu at €35, so the choice between a shorter lunch menu and the full tasting is the main budgeting decision. The dining room is elegant and calm, with attentive service, well-spaced tables and a low noise level; smart dress is expected, and jackets are common for dinner. The wine programme draws on Burgundy, the Rhône valley and Beaujolais, with a cellar suited to the classical cooking. Reservations are required and should be made well ahead, particularly for dinner and for the weeks around major events in the city; booking is by phone on +33 4 78 23 17 20 or through lamerebrazier.fr. The restaurant serves Monday to Friday, lunch from 12:00 to 13:15 and dinner from 19:45 to 21:15, and is closed on Saturday, Sunday and listed public holidays.