The Lyonnais bouchon is sort of the local answer to the bistro. (That’s a huge overstatement whose inexactitude troubles me, but for the purposes of this review, it’ll do. If you need more info – and why wouldn’t you? – I can definitely recommend the Plum Lyon cooking school’s courses. But I digress.)
I love traditional French food. I don’t go out for it all that often in Paris, though, because of its unfortunate unevenness. I’m not saying it’s impossible to find good classic French food in Paris; I’m just saying that so many places are unfortunately resting on their laurels and turning out ho-hum versions of dishes that used to be exciting and enticing. It’s far more likely to find high-quality food at a contemporary or international spot these days, as so many bistros are catering to tourists, who, they assume, are less discerning (which isn’t always the case).
The same kind of holds true for Lyon’s bouchon, with the more touristy spots remaining almost like a museum to the past. They serve the same dishes they always have, and they can be uneven (though in my inexpert experience, it seems like there’s a lot more work being done to suss out and protect the good ones, by associations like Les Bouchons Lyonnais). But while some, like Le Poêlon d’Or (which I visited on my last trip to Lyon) stay true to a super traditional menu, and others, like Le Bouchon des Filles (which I also visited on my last trip to Lyon) deviate fairly substantially from the traditional to the contemporary, others, like Bouchon Tupin, situate themselves fairly comfortably right in the middle – and I’m a fan.
Like most restaurants in France, Bouchon Tupin is currently taking full advantage of laws allowing them an expanded terrace, which means that this pot (a local measure of 45 cl of white wine – complete with a slightly terrifying but oh-so-local image of a guignol painted on the front) was enjoyed outdoors.
The menu features a great blend of the modern – like this vegetarian terrine of summer veggies – with the traditional – like that quenelle of cervelle des canuts, a local cheese concoction of fromage blanc seasoned with garlic and herbs.
A summery risotto, meanwhile, is more Italian than French, with its topping of pesto and tomatoes, but it certainly affords more diversity to the menu – particularly for those for whom the Lyonnais propensity for eating meat-on-meat-on-meat is… less than palatable.
In the vein of more traditional offerings, this pâté en croûte is a standout (and this coming from someone who’s eaten her share of poor versions). It’s filled with liver and pork and served with pickled red onions and dots of blackcurrant compote for a lovely acidity to accompany the richness of all of that fat – and the butter in the delightful pastry. (To find out more about this local specialty, check out this story I wrote on the brotherhood of pâté en croûte for Atlas Obscura).
Still in the category of the very-traditional, I offer the only fish dish a traditional bouchon can reasonably be expected to have on the menu: quenelle lyonnais, a dumpling of sorts made from perch that is then doused in a creamy homardine sauce and broiled until crispy on top. This one was perfect: creamy yet firm, with an ultra-flavorful sauce boasting phenomenal depth of flavor.
Yum.
I’m not sure any bouchon experience would really be complete without a slice of pink praline tart. Pink pralines are a local specialty made with nuts covered in sugar. They’re ultra sweet – as are both iterations of the tart I’ve tried – though this one stood out for its high proportion of nuts and top-quality pastry. The only thing that might have made it a bit nicer? A touch of the unsweetened whipped cream served with the (cloying) version of the tart at Le Poêlon d’Or.
I’m not a fan of restaurants that remain museums to the past. Sure, they’re fun once in a while, but it’s always even more fun to see innovation and freshness on the menu. I love the way that Bouchon Tupin walks this line so elegantly, retaining high-quality versions of traditional dishes while also not being afraid to explore the unexpected.
Bouchon Tupin – 30 Rue Tupin, 69002