After wandering along the top of Fourviere I clambered into Lyon’s cable car and rode down the hill and into the streets of Lyon.
Gorgeous architecture towered over me as I wandered the streets in search of food. Bars, gelato shops, restaurants and the token “Irish” bar (that every location seems to have) spilt onto the streets and as I wandered onto Rue De La Bombarde, I realised that my senses were De La Bombarded with options.
Each restaurant had a common atmosphere; friends and family all together, sharing dishes and good conversation over tables that spilled out of the restaurants and into the streets, bathed in the last of the evening sun. Unfortunately, I had gone past the point of being hungry, which meant that I had lost all decision-making capabilities and so I went for the one where people looked happiest: Restaurant Un, Deux Trois.
Restaurant Un Deux, Trois is no bigger than a hole in the wall, nestled amongst an array of others, but certainly not one that should be overlooked. With more tables available outside than inside, the size is small but the relaxed atmosphere draws you in. Unfortunately, those outside tables were fully booked so I missed out on the evening sun, but I was able to nab one of the last tables inside (there were only 6!)
I scooted into my table, overlooked by Yoda.
Before looking at the menu. With zero expectations for the meal ahead of us, I glanced through the menu. There were three set menus at €17, €20 and €26 and an array of a la carte options with only one that I could identify. (Does anybody else wish they paid attention to languages at school?). I couldn’t decide what to have (there’s a surprise) so I went for the €20 set menu because it had potatoes available as a starter. But when I ordered the potato salad I didn’t realise that it would quite literally be potato and salad.
But carbs are life so it wasn’t too much of a problem. There was also terrine with chutney.
Which was sweet, sharp, savoury and absolutely delicious, and then steak with béarnaise sauce.
Which I didn’t realise came with potato gratin. But there’s no such thing as “too much” potato, right? RIGHT?
I was originally planning on skipping dessert in favour of wandering down the road to get gelato in the shape of flowers because it smelt divine and looked so pretty. But then I saw the face of the person next to me when she tucked into the chocolate mousse. And I wanted my face to be that happy.
So I ordered one.
It was rich, creamy, velvety smooth chocolate mousse with crunchy pieces inside all tucked inside an unassuming pot, on an unassuming plate, in an unassuming restaurant. Yet it was heaven.
There couldn’t have been more than three staff members in Un, Deux, Trois on the night that I ate. I know this because I could see inside the kitchen and there literally wasn’t room for any more than two people. There were no fancy workstations and there was no ‘pass’ for the food to be checked before going out. Just stands which folded down from the wall to stack the finished plates, and the most delightful of hosts who ran the floor and put the dishes out just as quickly as they were stacked. With staff that moved in complete synchronisation the restaurant ran smoother than a well-oiled machine and my evening couldn’t have been more perfect.
After spending hours more than I planned to in the restaurant, I eventually made my way back to Fourviere, skipping the flower-shaped gelato on the way because hotdamn, I was FULL.
