Aux Lyonnais, Alain Ducasse's Parisian "bouchon lyonnais" brilliantly taken over by the Dumant brothers

Canaille, the Aux Lyonnais bistro has been one since its early days, and will remain so. After nearly 25 years under the direction of Alain Ducasse, this true Lyonnais bouchon in the heart of Paris is changing hands. While the multi-starred chef keeps a watchful eye on his beloved restaurant, it is now the unstoppable Dumant siblings who have taken over the reins with brio.

The story began in October 2002, whenAlain Ducasse fell under the spell of Aux Lyonnais, an establishment a stone's throw from the Opéra Comique that had been a coal, wood and wine depot since 1890, before becoming a veritable bistro in the aftermath of the Second World War under the impetus of restaurateur Daniel Violet.

Now listed at Monuments Historiques, with its mythical wooden façade and"Maison Lyonnaise" sign, there's no doubt about it: here, the cuisine is that of a true traditional Lyonnais bouchon. Floral wood panelling and mouldings, light fittings, photos from the last century and earthenware on the walls, red banquettes to curl up on and a private lounge upstairs surrounded by quilted mirrors... The Aux Lyonnais restaurant plunges diners into the France of yesteryear, for the duration of a meal.

But if the decor hasn't changed one iota since it opened, there's something new about the owners. Nearly 25 years after Alain Ducasse took over Les Lyonnais, the Michelin-starred chef is passing the torch to the Dumant family - all the while keeping a watchful eye, from afar, on his beloved establishment, whose reputation is well established.

"I chose the Dumant family to ensure the future of this restaurant, to which I am so attached, because they have amply demonstrated their ability to keep the Parisian bistro tradition alive. I know that Aux Lyonnais will remain the emblematic address for Lyonnais cuisine in Paris," explains Chef Ducasse.

But where will the Dumants stop? Now among the most influential restaurateurs in Paris, twins Félix and Margot Dumant are true lovers of bistro cuisine. To see for yourself, just look at the family's history, which began in 1984 when brothers Jérôme and Stéphane Dumant opened Paris Seize, followed by L'Auberge Bressane in 1992 and Les Marches in 2014.

In 2017, it was the turn of Jérôme's children, Margot and Félix, to add Aux Bons Crus to their collection, followed by the opening of Aux Crus de Bourgogne in 2019 and Le Chardonnay in 2022... not forgetting the takeover of the institution L'Auberge du Mouton Blanc, this very year. The duo has achieved one success after another, without ever losing sight of their objective: to scrupulously respect the personality of each restaurant, preserving its spirit, while paying homage to traditional French cuisine.

Margot and Félix Dumant have teamed up with their cousin, Kevin Marengo, to embark on this new adventure, with the utmost respect for Lyon's gastronomic heritage. The team from the Ducasse era remains unchanged, with Lyon chef Victoria Boller still at the helm.

Forgotten, sometimes outdated, these Lyonnais specialties are restored to their former glory by the chef, who, without over-modernizing or distorting them, succeeds in bringing them up to date (by lightening them up and taking care with the presentation), but without ever compromising the undeniably comforting and generous aspect of bouchon cuisine. The sauces ( Lyon's cuisine is a bourgeois affair, where every last drop is served with sauce) are all very sapid.

We're thinking of the Bonne Femme sauce that accompanies a perfectly cooked Pyrenean trout (30€); of the Dijonnaise sauce that generously coats this andouillette with veal strawberry (a much finer choice than the usual pork; 32€), cooked in such a way that it arrives snacked and crispy on the table ; and, of course, the Nantua sauce that accompanies the amazing quenelle of pike (22€), which we chose as a starter but which, as a real eye-catcher, gave us that feeling of return that almost made us regret not having chosen it as a main course.

While cervelle de Canut (8€) remains a must for a good start to a Lyonnais meal (in this case, it's as tangy as you could wish for),ile flottante aux pralines roses (14€) seemed to be the dessert of choice to round off this auspicious dinner. Alas - or not, as Lyon's cuisine is also a generous one, we simply ran out of room. We're off!

Buoyed by the attentive service inherent to Dumant addresses, the Aux Lyonnais institution still has a bright future ahead of it, and is even available to all budgets, with lunch menus at €28 starter/main course and €32 starter/main course/dessert. Much more affordable than a return train journey to Lyon!

This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please let us know.