Lyon
Lyon's craft-beer scene runs deeper than the tourist taps. These ten are where locals drink. The craft beer bars on this list span every neighbourhood worth a trip, Vieux Lyon, Presqu'île, Croix-Rousse, Confluence all show up, and every price tier from a $5 local pour to a $25 hotel-bar tasting. Each bar earns its spot for a different reason.
PRESQU'ÃŽLE · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Lyon's most awarded cocktail bar. Order: Beaujolais & cassis. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded, book ahead or arrive early.
CROIX-ROUSSE · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Small cocktail room on the silk-worker hill. Order: Beaujolais & cassis. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
VIEUX LYON · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Cocktail bar inside a former antique shop. Order: Beaujolais & cassis. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing, the upstairs gets loud.
CROIX-ROUSSE · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Wine-and-small-plates bar with one of the best Beaujolais lists in the city. Order: Beaujolais & cassis. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.
VIEUX LYON · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
British-Irish-style pub in a 16th-century stone room. Order: Beaujolais & cassis. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded, book ahead or arrive early.
CONFLUENCE · $$$ · ROOFTOP BARS
Hotel rooftop bar at the rivers' meeting point. Order: Beaujolais & cassis. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
Use this guide either as a single curated route through Lyon or as a checklist to revisit over a long weekend. Reservations are flagged where they matter. Otherwise, walk in. Below: the ten craft beer bars that any serious drinker in Lyon would tell you to put on the list.
Lyon's most awarded cocktail bar. Order: Beaujolais & cassis. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded, book ahead or arrive early.
Small cocktail room on the silk-worker hill. Order: Beaujolais & cassis. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
Looking beyond Lyon? See our guide to the best craft beer bars worldwide, or compare craft beer bars city by city. Or find craft beer bars near you.