The best galettes in Lyon - 2020

During the Saturnalia festival and at the zenith of Antiquity, the Romans appointed a slave as a “king for the day”. The idea was to briefly break down social barriers, and more importantly reconcile for a short period of time (between late December and early January) with their God Saturn, who was very picky when it came to the tradition (and strict in enforcing it!).

In each household, the family would hold extravagant parties and banquets, during which they served a cake (or ‘galette’, in French) with a charm hidden inside. The slave who found the charm would be granted freedom until midnight. Then, they could either choose to return to slavery or to be executed (all that fuss for that!).

A couple of thousand years later and the tradition has evolved greatly, yet the most burning question still remains the same: where can you find the best galette in Lyon? And who will be crowned king or queen? Qui, à défaut d’être couronné.e, profitera d’un instant gourmand de haute volée ?

The flakiest pastry, the least stodgy frangipane, the rarest charm, the best-looking crown… There are so many crucial criteria that go into choosing the ultimate galette, which Lyon’s chefs truly take to whole new heights.

Here is our selection of where to find a galette guaranteed to wow your taste buds:

• Sève - at Les Halles de Lyon, quai Saint-Antoine or Champagne au Mont-d'Or
• Kitchen Café
• Délice des Sens
• Bouillet : rue des Archers (Lyon 2e), at Les Halles de Lyon ou à la Croix-Rousse  
• Pâtisserie Pépin
• A la Marquise