The Best Markets in Lyon

Oysters, aged Comté, and heavy cuts of meat sit behind perfectly lit glass displays in this high-end indoor market. Chefs in white jackets drink white wine at small zinc counters alongside local politicians and wealthy retirees. The stalls here supply the city's top Michelin-starred restaurants with their raw ingredients. You will spend more than you intended here on small plates of charcuterie and glasses of Burgundy. The uncompromising quality of the produce justifies the steep prices.

A kilometre-long stretch of stalls sets up along the tree-lined boulevard at the top of the working-class hill. Vendors loudly advertise seasonal vegetables, rotisserie chickens, and local cheeses to a dense crowd pulling shopping trolleys. The atmosphere feels more like a large provincial village than a major metropolitan centre. You can buy hot slices of socca or fresh bread to eat while navigating the tight spaces between tables. It operates six days a week, but the weekend edition brings out the largest number of regional farmers.

White tents run directly alongside the Saône river, framing views of the Fourvière basilica on the opposite bank. This is where the residents of the wealthy central peninsula buy their weekend provisions. Bresse chickens hang near massive wheels of Alpine cheese and fresh river fish packed in ice. Locals routinely buy plates of fresh oysters from the seafood vendors to eat standing up right by the water's edge. It provides a sharp, colourful contrast to the grey stone of the surrounding neoclassical buildings.