Presqu'île

Lyon, France

The peninsula between the two rivers, Lyon's commercial and dining heart, dense with neo-bistros and wine bars around rue Mercière.

Places in Presqu'île

Les Trois Dômes A rooftop dining room atop a luxury hotel with panoramic city views and refined contemporary French cooking.
Brasserie Le Sud A stylish riverside brasserie with a classic French menu, reliable for a long lunch by the Rhône.
rue Mercière wine bars A strip of neo-bistros and wine bars that fills with an after-work crowd from early evening.

Best time to visit: April to June and September to October bring comfortable weather for walking the old town and riverside. December's Fête des Lumières is a spectacular but crowded exception worth planning around rather than avoiding.
Getting around: Lyon's metro, tram, and funicular network is compact and efficient; the funicular up to Fourvière is worth taking for the ride as much as the view. The old town and Presqu'île are entirely walkable.
Currency: Euro (EUR)
Language: French. English is common in tourism.
Timezone: CET (UTC+1, UTC+2 in summer)
Current trends: The 2nd arrondissement around rue Mercière has become the after-work bistro and wine-bar strip, while the 7th arrondissement, particularly around the Mama Shelter hotel, is developing its own bar scene east of the Rhône.

Vieux Lyon — The Renaissance old town beneath Fourvière hill, its traboules (hidden passageways) connecting streets that hide small bouchons and wine bars.
Croix-Rousse — A hillside district once home to Lyon's silk weavers, now known for its Sunday market and a more bohemian, residential feel.