Paul Bocuse - L'Auberge du Pont de Collonges

L'Auberge du Pont de Collonges is the flagship restaurant of the late chef Paul Bocuse, standing on the banks of the Saône at 40 Rue de la Plage in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or, about 8 km north of central Lyon in France's Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Bocuse, a central figure of nouvelle cuisine and one of the best-known French chefs of the twentieth century, held three Michelin stars here for decades; the restaurant lost its third star in 2020 and now holds two. The cooking keeps faith with the classics of the house. Soupe aux truffes noires VGE, the black truffle soup created for President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing and topped with a puff-pastry lid, is the best-known emblem, together with volaille de Bresse en vessie (Bresse chicken cooked in a pig's bladder) and loup en croûte feuilletée (sea bass in puff pastry). The dining room is formal and richly decorated, with the theatrical service expected of a grande maison; jackets are customary for men and the mood is celebratory and relatively quiet. The wine list draws heavily on Burgundy, Beaujolais and the Rhône valley, and the restaurant belongs to the Relais & Châteaux group. Tasting menus cost about €175-280 per person (about $196-314 USD) excluding wine, and a 2026 guide cites prices from €220 (about $246 USD). Reservations are required and should be made months ahead in high season, by telephone on +33 4 72 42 90 97 or by email to bocuse@relaischateaux.com. Opening days were not confirmed in sources, so check current service days when booking. The restaurant is outside the city centre, so visitors normally travel by taxi or car rather than on foot. It suits travellers marking a special occasion who want to experience the lineage of French haute cuisine at its historic source.