La Mère Brazier — Restaurant in Lyon

This was a fantastic experience! We opted for the Centenary menu. All of the courses were great, but if you choose for an à la carte experience, these were our favorites: (1) The crab and oscietra caviar was extremely decadent and the foam diffused beautifully over your palette as you consume it. (2) The foie gras continued the opulent journey in its richness. (3) The rabbit was not on the menu but was offered as special. It was recommended by our server as a substitute and well worth the change. It was a very hearty, comforting plate for a cold evening in Lyon. If you offered the rabbit as an option, then you should take it.

The sommelier is solidly in concert with the chef. Each wine pairing was a harmonious marriage. I give a particular shout out to the foie gras pairing. It was the Domaine du Chêne Condrieu 2022. I am always interested in the choice of pairing of foie gras. Sauternes is the usual choice, but the Condrieu from the Viognier grape was really a good choice. It had some nice aromatics to hold up to the fat of the liver without overtaking the foie gras with sickly sweetness. Also, if you want a glass of wine with dessert, the pairing of sake infused with ouzo (unfortunately I forgot the producer’s details) made the red lemon parfait and grapefruit truly sing to end the meal.

Service was impeccable (as expected for two stars). I know everything is always (or should be) well orchestrated at this level, but there was just enough warmth and a little playfulness to make the experience feel even more intimate. They were also very generous to accommodate my poor French but ready to switch to English seamlessly if I needed a clarification.

As another shoutout to service, they are completely flexible and adaptable to our lactose allergy. This is often a challenge at Michelin star restaurants, who do not want to deviate from their prescribed path. I noticed diners with other allergies in the restaurant were also easily accommodated. Of course, it is always wise to make your allergies and preferences known at the time of booking.

All in we each had a wine pairing and two Centenary menus. Total price was 716 Euros. Service is included. For my fellow Americans, you can leave up to another 5% in cash as an acknowledgement, which we did (about 35 Euros). We believed the price was well worth the exceptional gastronomy and service. I would...

We attended for a lunch service which offered a smaller menu at a reasonable price of €98. However, overall we were left a bit disappointed for our first experience at a two star Michelin restaurant in the foodie capital of France. While the lunch menu price might have been reasonable, the cost of the champagnes provided as an aperitif was not - at €24 each. We were not provided with a wine menu to choose the aperitif and while I expect to pay that much for a glass of champagne at a Michelin restaurant - I probably would have liked to have been warned first? Perhaps this is customary in such types of restaurants but after four glasses it left a slightly bitter taste in our mouths. If we were not concerned about cost we would have opted for the full dinner menu at 185 or 285 € (a price much more common for restaurants of this calibre).

The cherry and foie gras entrée was quite good. But didn’t blow me away. The stand out dish for sure was the entree of spider and sea crab with caviar. This was 10/10. I found the other dishes - the monkfish and the amuse bouches to be good but nothing special. My partner enjoyed the beef sirloin, which was flavoursome. I was again disappointed with the souffle but astounded by its size. Personally, I think if it had been smaller it would have had more flavour.

I can’t fault the service (besides my gripe about the champagne - which is perhaps just my mistake). The atmosphere was also nice. Though nothing special. I think if I was to return I would have the spider crab with caviar again but order the pressed chicken for which Mere Brazier is famous. I was also jealous of the cheese trolley.

All up the experience cost about €360 (around $700 AUD at time of writing for those playing at home) for what was really four courses (appetiser, entree, main, dessert + two amuse bouches) four glasses of champagne and one small glass of wine. Again - I understand this to be the price point for Michelin 2 starred restaurants but I have had better experiences at bib gourmand elsewhere for half the price. Not bad but not a stand-out of our three month trip around Europe that was focussed almost exclusively on...

What a wonderful restaurant filled with charm and character, perfect to match the excellent food. Was in Lyon for one night and decided I would try my luck as a solo diner to get a Reso here which I was lucky to!

When I arrived I was kindly greeted by the team and shown to my seat, which was tucked away in the main dining room. It did feel a little stark, not a ton of vibe I’d say with no music, perfectly pressed white table clothes, teacup chairs, but the details of the wallpaper, lights, and building itself lent me enough to appreciate.

The food itself was outstanding. I did the classic Eugenie Brazier menu with wine pairing and left full, satisfied, and appreciative of the skill level displayed. The soft shell crab. Artichoke Foie gras. The scallops, oh.. MY GOD, maybe a top 3 dish I’ve ever had. The stuffed cabbage, never had anything like it. The grand marnier soufflé. Perfect!

Beyond that, it was truly the kindness of the team and staff as a whole that made the experience so lovely. As a solo diner in a two Michelin resto, it’s easy to feel out of place, forgotten about, or left out. I felt like I received extra attention and care, and was treated with the utmost respect. Thanks so much to the whole team. I’ve eaten at amazing restos all over the world, and I’ve never written a review this long so that says a lot. GO...