Lyon: Restaurant Têtedoie

Chef Christian Têtedoie, a Meilleur Ouvrier de France, has opened his coolly glamorous new Restaurant Têtedoie, perched on a hillside with wonderful views over Lyon, and the always food-savvy Lyonnais have met the new table with mixed reactions. Some find the prices too lofty—it is expensive—and the cooking a bit overwrought. But when we stopped for lunch, our meal was very good. We sampled two different tasting menus—Cuisine de Lyon d’Aujourd’hui (€58) and Découverte et Gourmandise (€70), and both were imaginative and appealing. As starters, a quenelle de volaille with walnuts and cherry vinaigrette was a winning combination, and foie gras with Serrano ham and nougat glacé was an inventive way of varying the luxurious French classic for summer dining. As a main course, the Lyon menu offered veal kidneys with a celery-root-and-red-onion millefeuille and a jus spiked with moutarde violette. The Découverte followed a tasting portion of swordfish with artichokes and red peppers in lemon foam with a taster of roast duckling. Desserts were excellent too—a soufflé of fromage blanc with sour cherries and pistachio milk, and a lemon verbena sponge cake with apricot compote and sorbet. The view must be dazzling in the evening, since after dark Lyon is one of the most beautifully illuminated cities in the world.

Montée du Chemin Neuf, Lyon, 04.78.29.40.10. Various fixed price menus €36 (weekday lunch)–€108, à la carte €100. website

Prices are approximate, per person, without wine.

Originally published in the October 2011 issue of France Today; updated in September 2012

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