Le Bouchon des Filles

Le Bouchon des Filles is a women-run bouchon at 20 Rue Sergent Blandan in the Presqu'île, Lyon's 1st arrondissement, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. It reinterprets the traditional Lyonnais bouchon with a single fixed-price menu rather than the long à la carte lists of older houses, and the all-female team gives the place a different tone from the male-dominated history of the form. The kitchen cooks comforting, home-style plates: macaroni gratin with comté, a rich and creamy side that has become one of the house signatures, and chicken in vinegar, a Lyonnaise classic in which the poultry is cooked in a sharp, reduced vinegar sauce. The menu changes with the kitchen's choices, and the fixed price of about €32 excludes drinks. Because there is one menu, choice is limited, so visitors with dietary restrictions should mention them when booking. The dining room is small, warm and informal, with a friendly atmosphere and moderate noise; there is no dress code. Wine follows the regional pattern of Beaujolais and Rhône valley bottles. Reservations are essential, and booking up to two weeks ahead is advised; the telephone number is +33 4 78 30 40 44. Sources conflict on opening: one says evening service Wednesday to Saturday plus Sunday lunch, while another says the restaurant is closed at weekends, so confirmation by phone is needed before travelling. The location on Rue Sergent Blandan is close to the Terreaux area and the slopes of the Croix-Rousse, so the restaurant fits naturally into a day on the northern part of the peninsula.