Les Halles de Lyon – Paul Bocuse is an incredible indoor food market in Lyon, and one of the most famous in the world. With Lyon considered as the gastronomical capital of France and indeed the world, Les Halles de Lyon play a huge role in this. The halls contain a wide variety of the highest quality of foods all available under the one roof.
The Facts
In 1971, Les Halles de Lyon was opened in La Part Dieu close to the city’s major train station. The food market brings some of Lyon’s world-famous local delicacies together in the one place, making it easy for foodies to access these high-quality food products.
Les Halles de Lyon were extensively renovated back in 2004, now the halls are three-stories high and holds more food stalls than ever. Over 50 vendors are now located here, including a large array of Lyon’s finest butchers, bakers, fish mongers, fromagers, wine specialists to name but a few.
These legendary food halls are named after an equally legendary chef, Paul Bocuse, owner of three Michelin stars and one of Lyon’s most well-known chefs. By naming these halls after Bocuse, Les Halles des Lyon secured their position as one of the finest food markets in the world.
The Location
Les Halles de Lyon is located in the La Part Dieu neighbourhood, close to the main train station in Lyon. It’ll take you roughly about 10-15-minutes to walk from the train station to the halls. Public transport is also an option that can be used to get there, both the C1 and C13 bus routes have a stop that will be bring your right to the doors of Les Halles (stop Halles Paul Bocuse).
My advice to people looking to visit Les Halles de Lyon is to get there as early as possible. As well as ensuring you that no food item you were hoping to sample is sold out, some of the stands close for lunch time and don’t always re-open after lunch. So, if you are looking to make the most of your visit, avoid disappointment by arriving sometime in the morning.
Les Halles de Lyon are open from 7am – 10:30pm, according to their website.
The Experience
For any tourists visiting Lyon to experience the gastronomy or any foodies that happen to be here, this is somewhere I highly recommend visiting. The wide array of stands containing every type of food imaginable makes Les Halles de Lyon almost like a funfair for food-lovers!
Even if you don’t consider yourself a food expert or a great chef, the halls is somewhere I would still recommend wandering around for a couple of hours. The unique ambiance mixed with all the colour and delicious smells coming from the different stands is something that you don’t experience very often.
As well as many stands selling sampler platters and individual food items, there are also a number of bars and restaurants scattered throughout the halls where you can enjoy a meal made out of Lyon’s finest ingredients. However, you should note that the cost will also match the high-quality meals on offer.
