Garden Bistro - Restaurant Français Rue Mercière — Restaurant in Lyon

After reading other reviews, I’m reluctant to post anything since “the manager” who responds to posts, seems to only take positive reviews on board and is unable to take constructive criticism that may actually help business. Although at risk of being branded as having a bad attitude by said manager for simply giving my honest opinion, here goes...The place does exactly what it says on the tin! It’s a bright, fun, cocktail led bar in a touristic part of Lyon. I’d like to come back on a Saturday evening when I’m sure the place thrives. Prices are fine, nothing crazy at all! I ordered the 4 cheese pizza. All was good (tomato sauce on pizza was delicious 😋) but for some reason there was a mound of cos salad drenched in balsamic vinegar placed in the centre of the pizza which made the middle of it soggy, tart and inedible! The barman also turned the music up a few levels while I was there, it made it very uncomfortable. Keep in mind, it was only 19:00 and there were a lot of people still eating dinner. It’s not like they were trying to lure in the night time drinking crowd yet!!! All in all, pretty good experience. What turned me off the most (as stated previously), was reading the comments made by “the manager” on this forum to customers who seemed to have had issues...it doesn’t give a good customer focused image 🤷🏼‍♀️

*EDIT: The barman vaping and allowing 2 of his friends to do so also was a...

I was looking for somewhere nice for dinner in Lyon that also offered some classic dishes from the region to try. Garden Bistro offered a range on their menu, so we thought we would give them a try. It was a very busy restaurant, and shortly after we arrived at 7pm, nearly every table was full - which is always a good sign.

The food we had was delicious. I started off with the Buratta, and although it wasn’t a Lyon dish, it was great, and came with a very flavoursome Pesto. For main I had a Duck Cassoulet which featured melt-in-the-mouth Duck, with Truffle Mashed Potatoes and a delicious sauce. It was sensational and one of the nicest dishes I’ve eaten whilst in Lyon. The dessert plate at the end was a good mix of little deserts which were great to share between two.

The service was friendly and at a nice pace so you didn’t feel rushed. We sat outside as it was a warm evening, which was a great place to sit and people watch. The menu was well priced for the quality, and I would definitely recommend a visit if you’re looking for somewhere to...

Started with the warm goat cheese salad. Fabulous! The cheese was melted on sliced baguette. Great mix of veggies and finished with balsamic reduction.

Octopus. Perfect preparation. Grilled and yet tender. The sauce was lightly seasoned and did not distract from the delicate octopus flavor.

Pork rib. Glazed in house made bbq sauce, light and not over powering. So tender. Grilled on the outside; soft and tender on the inside. Melts in your mouth.

Both plates included a mix of vegetables cooked just right and seasoned nicely. Mashed potatoes, not fries.

Perfect meal for our last...