If Lyon is home to a plethora of cocktail bars all around the city, the speakeasy trend is also on the rise, offering us intimate and secretive atmospheres where we can sip our drinks quietly. And by chance, we stumbled upon a hidden gem with 30 seats right in the heart of Vieux-Lyon since September 2021. The Café de Bon-Secours, a charming café specializing in French chocolate, hosts an incredible underground clandestine cocktail bar. It's a timeless place that immerses us in the heart of old France, with attention to every little detail.
French Cocktails, Vaulted Cellar, and Vintage Furniture
In the past, many French cafés offered gambling at the back of their rooms, in password-accessible spaces to ensure that the police wouldn't snoop around... It’s this (almost) bygone era that the Bar de Bon-Secours brilliantly brings back to life with its cocktail bar twist. In a setting inspired by the 1930s, complete with vintage furniture and large vintage advertising posters adorning the vaulted stone walls, the bar serves up French cocktails made from liqueurs, spirits from French distilleries, and freshly squeezed fruits (never any fruit juice) along with plates filled with delicious local products to accompany your drinks (sourced from the same farm in the Lyonnais Mountains). All of this is set in a typical 16th-century building that was once the home of the King's Prosecutor. Just a little touch of history…
The secret address located at 12 rue du Boeuf, right in the heart of the most star-studded street in Lyon, opens its doors from Thursday to Monday from 7 PM to midnight... just with a password (but we’ll share it, it's "le Clandé Bars")! As for the atmosphere, the place is dedicated to playing timeless tunes like Édith Piaf, Frank Sinatra, Yves Montand, and Charles Trenet. On other days of the week, this secret spot can be booked for special occasions. It’s a fantastic way to impress your friends, even those who pride themselves on knowing every inch of Lyon, and to treat yourself to an invaluable journey back in time…
