Lyon
Out on the Town
Lyon is a great student city with loads of bars and clubs to see. The old town (Vieux Lyon) is filled with bars, cafe’s and restaurants which are all worth a try. Some of the favourite haunts for UK students in this area are The Smoking Dog and Jonny Walsh’s, both typically English/Irish pubs with lots of character and always lively. They are open till reasonably late 1am and 2am respectively but if you fancy carrying on then check out the melting pub; a bizarre little place where people seem to congregate until the sun comes up. Although these are some great pubs, please don’t spend too much time there, you won’t learn any French and will have missed out on all of the local culture. Treat yourself once in a while.
In the centre of town one of the favourites is Ayers Rock, situated just behind La Place des Terreaux. An australian bar, which is open till 3am where you can get on the tables and dance the night away. It’s probably the closest thing that you will get to an English student night. We do recommend that you be careful (especially the girls) around that area as it is quite seedy.
If you fancy something a bit more up-market or club like, then head down to the banks of the Rhone, where you will find river boats that have been converted into nightclubs. The Fish is one of the more popular but it is quite expensive and you will have to pay to get in, it is open till 7am so you can get your money’s worth. Further out again, in an old converted train station is the First. An exclusive nightclub where all the footballers and other celebrities hang-out, you won’t get a beer for less than 10€ though!
These are just a few bars and clubs in the city, however there are many, many more. Check out ’Le Petit Paume’ for listing and recommendations of all the bars and restaurants around the city.
Vieux Lyon, the old town, is the site of many bars and pubs, and has a distinct ERASMUS atmosphere. Here you will find the ubiquitous Irish pub, such as Johnny Walsh’s (and its neighbouring restaurant good for pub food, Johnny’s Kitchen) and the Cavern. Also in this area are craft shops and beautifully maintained architecture from up to 300 years ago. You can also find “Café Théâtre” comedy shows here. Place des Terreaux and the surrounding area have some plusher bars. Some clubs worth looking into are La Chapelle, an old castle found on the hill side next to Perrache, for house music lovers. The music is accompanied by performers and entertainers; DV1 offers techno and electro music; Ayers Rock offers party classics and cheese and can be found at Hotel de Ville; le Fridge on Boulevard Vivier Merle near Part Dieu has some good student nights; Loft at Jean Macé has up-to-date dance music, but beware of the bouncers who can seem quite arbitrary, and also the mandatory hand bag and oat check-in at the cloakroom; and La Voile at Perrache for some fun studenty nights.
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