Nosch — Restaurant in Lyon

Disappointing Experience.

Nosch offers an impressive wine list that is undoubtedly its strongest point. However, our recent visit was marred by subpar service and an uncomfortable ambiance.

Despite making reservations and arriving early, we were seated at a cramped, tiny table in the very back of the restaurant. This was particularly disappointing given the availability of other tables, including one that remained empty throughout our meal. When we politely requested a table closer to the front, we were told that it was impossible due to other reservations. This seemed like a fabricated excuse, especially as the restaurant was clearly catering to tourists like ourselves, who were seemingly relegated to the less desirable seating areas at the back, where they seated everyone who didn't speak French as first language.

The noise level in the restaurant escalated as the evening progressed, making it difficult to enjoy our meal. Our server was inattentive, failing to provide dessert menus and taking an excessive amount of time to bring our coffee. It felt as though we were being ignored.

While the wine list is certainly worth exploring, we cannot recommend this place based on our experience. Prospective diners should be aware of the potential for poor service and an unpleasant atmosphere, specially if you...

Got the veal main plate, gaspacho appetizer and eggplant caviar appetizer. Eggplant was easily the most boring and flat version of any eggplant dish I’ve probably had in my life. Presented with oversalted bread. No sweetness brought out. Meh.

Gaspacho was cucumber mint. Again, expected a lot more for a place this highly rated. Was presented in a cute way. The taste was simple. Like, I get it. Again, expected more. Then again, this French restaurant serves ceviche for 22 euros. So, maybe I should not have. They also have a ton of Italian dishes like Vitelli Tonato and Affogato. Why?

The veal dish was mediocre. Veal cooked perfectly and tender but everything with it was again boring and expected. Peaches to provide a little acidity, but the fennel was a bit hard and oversalted. Again, lacked flavor. Seemed boring. A bit akin to the pork and acid sauce dishes back in the states. Really, had higher expectations based on the ratings but seeing that everyone here is English-Speaking and the menu has as many foreign dishes as French ones, yeah, I should have gone elsewhere. Nothing against English speaking folks, obviously, but I’m realizing what people are rating as five stars here are based on their tastes from outside France. This food was very...

We were invited to the table by a very friendly waitress and then a fantastic journey begon. Homemade terrine, soft and tender, but quite complex and a subtle but tasteful burrata were brought to our table by the chef for starters. We chose a bottle of white Saint Joseph Rhone wine recommended by the sommelier that really combined well with the meal. The veal and cheviche as main dishes were both delicious, but the chevice was the clear winner. We ended with 5 cheeses we could pick from.a large plate. We were advised to keep one cheese with garlic as last, as it would finish off our taste buds. And it did, but the taste buds went out in pure joy. Only to be revived by a last sip of St.Joseph. Did I mention the kind waitresses, the friendly sommelier, the chef coming to our table? We spotted the chef regularly checking if all was ok, the sommelier checking if the wine was as to be expected. The waitresses attending to the nudge of an eyebrow even when the restaurant was at it's busiest. Not to forget the lovely atmosphere of a small buzzing Lyonnais restaurant street. This little gem is worth the detour and...