Broken tile floors, moleskin leather benches, timeworn chairs, a Guignol puppet hanging on the wall, pigs embroidered onto the napkins…. Welcome to Le Garet, an authentic Lyon bouchon opened in 1920, and frequented during the war by Jean Moulin – whose favorite seat is now immortalized by a brass plaque. In the kitchens, you’ll find owner Emmanuel Ferra, known in these parts as “le Gros” (a former commis under Bocuse and a sous-chef at Léon de Lyon), who can never get enough of the Lyonnais classics: saucisson chaud, tablier de sapeur (breaded beef tripe), cervelas sausage, calf’s head, andouillette…. For us, the other evening, the “Gnafron” menu included a classic frisée and mixed green salad with small buttery croutons, lardons and a poached egg; a hearty pike quenelle molded with a (very big) spoon, bathed in a rich Nantua sauce, and served with oven-roasted new potatoes in the pan; a classic cervelle de canut cheese; before an enormous dessert of Mirabelle plums in syrup with vanilla ice cream. // A.S.
FEELING THIRSTY? Natural wines selected by the Troisième Fleuve wine shop: a Beaujolais from Kevin Descombes (€38 a bottle), a Fleurie from Jean-Louis Dutraive (€60)… And even a Morgon from Lapierre available in a jeroboam (€295).
PRICE: Menus €22 (lunch) and €30 (dinner).
