La Mère Brazier

Extraordinary by any measure. We did the tasting menu with wine pairing. Every course was as beautiful to look at as it was to eat. Artistry and food held hands. The wine choices were surprising, yet flawless. The service was sophisticated and welcoming. There were many surprises throughout the meal. Hats off to the Chef for taking this Lyonnais institution to the next level.

The food at La Mere Brazier was very good. The service was definitely not two star Michelin service and if they keep it up they’ll never get a third and in fact may lose their second ! My glass was empty more than it was full. My wife had to fill the water for both of us several times. I asked for a check by the end of night as I was nearly falling asleep 4 times. After waiting :20 I got up to pay it so we could leave … Great food (see photos) Awful service

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 HERE. Enjoy it!!

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 food and wine.

4.5/5 stars. Food is very solid, and is great value if you get the lunch menu! You get a ton of food. The bread (traditional) and butter were fantastic. (Be warned that the drink they offer at the start is an extra charge)