Le Mercière

Anytime I need real Lyonnaise food, I go to Le Mercière, a “bouchon Lyonnais” that has offered typical recipes for 40 years. The Chef and owner, Jean-Louis Manoa, grew up with Marcel Lapierre and eventually met with Jules Chauvet and other legendary producers from Beaujolais. Naturally, he quite soon developed a great appetite and curiosity for good wines in general.

Today, the place is run by César Ponsonnet, who, just before this adventure, lived for seven years in New York, where he worked at the iconic three-star restaurant Le Bernardin. César is in charge of the wine selection, following one key rule: keep learning and being excited about wine! Last but not least, he has long-lasting relationships with winemakers in the surrounding wine regions, which allows him to offer great allocations on, for instance, Chanterêves in Burgundy, Rayas, or even Tissot. Don’t forget to look at the larger formats as well; for example, Clos de La Roilette (with age) can be found there!

(Editor’s note: Le Mercière’s General Manager is the husband of our Lyon ambassador Marie Ponsonnet)