Lyon

I remember the first time I stepped out from the train in Lyon in 2015. Stepping into the unknown. As it truly was unknown to us, a couple from Riga, who knew something about Paris, Bordeaux, Cognac, and Champagne, but nothing at all about Lyon, like it did not even exist.

It was September, with the weather still warm. We settled in our 5th-floor and no elevator apartment in the 2nd arrondissement (rented from 2beapart.com, still our favourite place to recommend for our friends), and off we went to get lost in the city of two rivers, many bridges, and charming hills. I still remember that smell of the warmth that was in the air, although one might say you cannot smell a thing like that. I could. And then, there was a smell of our first perfectly whipped cappuccino, hidden in a very small and even dark street in the 2nd arrondissement.

There were only two good specialty coffee shops, lots of bigger brands or smaller boulangeries, where in most of them margarine was used instead of butter. There were tempting markets yet not offering too much of organic produce. It was and still is the city of gastronomy in France, yet with that, you still had to really search for wine shops that would go beyond selling big-branded wine house wines.

During these years, arriving in Lyon almost every year, it has been nice to notice those slow and steady changes as more conscious boulangeries have been opened, as well as markets have started offering more organic produce and this is not just a fashion trend, but a life people choose. Things have changed and continue to do so. There is no doubt that, although there are plenty of places to avoid, there is much more to look out for, starting from coffee places to boulangeries, local produce shops and specialised shops and markets. They do not scream at you from every corner, and you should know where to look, and to help, I have prepared various guides for you, divided by arrondissements as well as by themes and everyday necessities (yes, a good croissant is an everyday necessity).