The Best Vegetarian Restaurants in Lyon

Delicious falafel available at YAAFA
Delicious falafel available at YAAFA | © YAAFA
Callum Burroughs

France’s gastronomic capital includes a number of excellent vegetarian restaurants, as the city’s culinary expertise has begun to take a more inclusive turn. The range of food options available to vegetarians (and vegans) in Lyon is varied enough to make each day of the week different. Here are the best vegetarian restaurants to visit in the city.

Loved by over 40s

Hank Burger Lyon

Restaurant, American, Vegetarian, Vegan

Hank Burger Lyon
© Hank Burger

Originally started in Paris, Hank Burger has now opened a branch down south giving burger lovers a reason to celebrate. Completely vegan and located right in the centre of town, this is an ideal place for your fix of an American staple in the heart of the Auvergne Rhone-Alpes region.

YAAFA

Restaurant, Middle Eastern, Vegetarian, Vegan

YAAFA
© YAAFA

Specialising in Middle Eastern treats, Yaafa is your go-to for falafel in Lyon with both vegetarian and vegan options and a variety of sauces and styles. Located just off from Hotel de Ville, Yaafa is consistently popular with locals looking for their fix of crumbly chickpea goodness either in a wrap or as part of a salad. Food is available to take away or to eat in – opt for the welcoming, cosy terrace if you want to enjoy your falafel outside.

Against the Grain

Restaurant, Vegetarian, Vegan

Against the Grain is a vegan café in Lyon’s 7th arrondissement which serves a variety of both cooked and raw food as well as a number of excellent desserts. Another eatery with an ever-changing menu, the focus here is on organic, local dishes so expect burgers, wraps, lasagnes, kebabs, and other healthy options that are all meat-free.

Toutes Les Couleurs

Restaurant, Vegetarian, Vegan

rsz_toutes_les_couleurs
© Toutes Les Couleurs

Toutes les Couleurs is a cosy organic restaurant in Croix-Paquet. Inventive and healthy, you’re likely to find plentiful salads among other vegetarian delights here on an everchanging seasonal menu with an emphasis on organic local sourcing. Run by chef Agnès Ploteny and her associate Herbert Roers, Toutes Les Couleurs’ colourful options should inspire vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike.

Café Vert

Restaurant, Vegetarian, Vegan

Located in Lyon’s Old Town with a small terrace overlooking the Saône, Café Vert offers some of Lyon’s best vegan and gluten-free food. Open for brunch, lunch, and dinner with a menu that changes approximately every two weeks there’s always something new and interesting to try at the foot of Fourviére hill. Vieux Lyon is full of meat-heavy options, meaning Café Vert offers an alternative to vegetarians in search of lunch on Lyon’s cobbled streets.

Cigkoftem Lyon

Restaurant, Turkish, Vegetarian, Vegan

Part of a chain of Turkish eateries, Lyon’s Cigkoftem is home to both falafel and cigkofte, a vegan alternative to a kebab made of wheat, tomatoes and various herbs and spices. If you’re looking for fresh, good-value food well into the night, this is the place for you.

Fourviere hill in Lyon

Le Jardin Interieur

Restaurant, Vegetarian, Vegan

Le Jardin Interieur
© Le Jardin Interieur

With its colourfully decorated and floral exterior, Le Jardin Interieur is hard to miss and is certainly not one to miss out on. Its revolving organic menu changes regularly with the seasons and market availability, while also regularly including both vegan and gluten-free options.

Soline

Restaurant, Vegetarian, Vegan

Soline describes its food as ‘eco-responsible’ and it’s one to look out for if vegetarian and vegan food is on your agenda. Well-presented dishes are available for lunch throughout the week (but not evenings), with an emphasis on organic and local produce, which is also available to take away.

Place Bellecour where you’ll find Garden State

Garden State - Les Chaises Vertes

Restaurant, French

While not a wholly vegetarian restaurant, Garden State in Bellecour is rare among Lyonnais restaurants in that non-meat options are eminently available. It does have a limited menu, but its location in Place Bellecour makes it a great place to stop off for lunch with vegetarian salads, burgers and sandwiches available as part of deals alongside drinks and desserts.

Like an Elephant

Restaurant, Vegan

A relatively new addition to Lyon’s vegan and vegetarian scene, Like An Elephant offers respite to veggies in the Croix Rousse neighbourhood with a regularly changing vegan menu. Offering everything from Asian-influenced noodle dishes to risottos, burgers and soups, there is something for every taste here, including vegetarian wines!

Le Court Circuit

Bar, French

Le Court Circuit
© Le Court Circuit

As much a bar as it is a restaurant, Le Court Circuit was designed as a collective enterprise and offers a different vegetarian dish for lunch every day, while also providing vegetarian burgers and food boards, too. Conveniently located next to the area’s community garden within a large courtyard, this bar and restaurant suits many purposes.

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