August in Lyon - What's Open in 2023 - Restaurants, Bars, Cafés, and More
So you're here in Lyon in August and you're wondering, why is everything closed?
Welcome to French cities in the summer, everyone is on vacation! Les Vacances is a sacred period where French people take at least 3 weeks off, businesses shut down, and even restaurants and bakeries press pause.
This is awesome for those of us who live here, and I myself will be taking advantage of the season to take my own vacation. But what about tourists?
This article will give you a list of some great restaurants that are open in August in Lyon.
TOP TIP: Please book your reservations at least a day or two in advance. Most of our restaurants are not very big so walk-ins aren't a safe bet.
I also decided to compile a list of all the best restaurants, bars, cafés, and bakeries in Lyon which will be open during the month of August. To my surprise, there are loads! So far I've found more than 70 places!
If you want to have all of these spots in a handy google map form, you can click here to purchase the map for €7. Otherwise, read along for a couple of my favorite places that will be open.
Lyon Restaurants Open in August 2023
There are actually a ton of great restaurants open this year. Here are some of my favorites!
Alebrije - Lyon's gastronomic Mexican restaurant
This is one of my favorite places, run by Carla and Vincent. Carla is from Veracruz and came to Lyon to study at the Institut Paul Bocuse before staying to open up her beautiful fancy Mexican restaurant. They serve a tasting menu only, and you can expect fantastic cocktails from Vincent behind the bar.
Alebrije is in the beautiful Croix-Rousse neighborhood.
Le Kitchen - Fine dining breakfast and lunch in Lyon 7
Another restaurant spearheaded by a couple who met at the Institut Paul Bocuse, Le Kitchen is where you want to go for spectacular pastries by husband Olivier and his wife Connie's exceptional creative dishes. This is all about seasonal food and the finest ingredients. The terrace is lovely!
You can find Le Kitchen in Lyon's 7th arrondissement at a very cute little crossroads.
You can't book for breakfast but make a reservation for lunch here.
Le Bistrot d'Abel - A Modern Classic
This is a Lyon classic and takes the traditional bouchon to an elevated level. If you want traditional food but a little cheffy, Bistrot d'Abel is your place.
Bars in Lyon open in August 2023
Thankfully there are plenty of bars open in August!
Odessa Comptoir - Natural Wine Bar
I've mentioned Odessa before in my 5 best wine bars in Lyon video, and I'm pleased to announce that they will be staying open all summer. Go say hi to David for me! Come here for natural wine, a cool vibe, and great food.
You can find Odessa in Les Pentes on Rue René Leynaud in Lyon 1
Soif! - Brand New Wine Bar and Arcade
This place opened in mid-July and is a cool wine bar with an old school gaming arcade. Go check it out for me!
Soif! is also in Les Pentes on Rue Terme.
L'Illustre - Old Town Wine Bar
The old town is dripping with tourist traps, but this place is the real deal. They have a huge wine list with plenty of French wine but also some great foreign wines, and a tapas menu.
You can find L'Illustre in Lyon 5 at Place Ennemond Fousseret
Lyon Cafés Open in August 2023
French coffee is almost universally disgusting, you've been warned. But guess what, we have a really excellent coffee scene here in Lyon.
Fika - for Cozy Co-working
Fika is a hidden gem, and I mean that literally, it's stashed down a tiny little street just past a staircase and can be tough to spot. This place has excellent coffee, free wifi, and plenty of seating if you need to get some work done. They also do pastries and sandwiches.
Check out Fika at 2 Rue Fernand Rey in the 1st Arrondissement
Loutsa - Proper 3rd Wave Coffee in Lyon
Lousta is a roaster and has a few outposts in Lyon but the one in the Presqu'île is probably your go-to. They have truly excellent coffee and if you're a coffee nerd you're going to want to check them out.
What's Open in August in Lyon, get the List of 70+ places straight to your phone!
There is so much more to what's open than these few places, if you're keen to have lots of choices and not get stuck dining at tourist traps, grab my handy google map!