Le Desjeuneur in Lyon
After surfacing from the hibernation of the little French village, Pralognon la Vanoise, I was lucky enough to stay in for 6 weeks, I endeavoured to quench my eggs Benedict thirst. Don’t get me wrong, I love French food. The simplicity of a baguette slathered in butter and jam every morning got me through those winter months, and kept me warm by adding to my insulation. However , the monotony got to me, and I dreamt of bacon and eggs, which proved difficult to find in a place which seemed only to serve continental breakfast. Thus when I arrived in Lyon, the closest city to the ski village, an all-day brunch restaurant was at the top of my sight seeing list. Oh and how my dedication to eggs Benedict saw me taking four metros, and walking like a fiend thirsting for souls through the streets of Lyon, to the first open all-day-brunch spot that appeared on the list of google results. And boy was it worth it.
It was called Desjeuner, in the hipster territory of Lyon, with a name that’s a play on the word “dejeuner” which means lunch or to lunch in French. According to its website the concept of the restaurant is to serve brunch all day between 10h00 am and 17h00 pm, and offers a menu of typical French patisseries as well as breakfast food. When I arrived the restaurant was full to capacity of cool people with wire rimmed glasses and I stood in that queue determined to wait to be seated. The menu didn’t offer eggs benedict but I didn’t mind as all I needed was eggs and bacon. I went for the oeufs dish which was simply eggs, bacon, potatoes, bread and butter and a strong tea; as the French village did many things well, but a cup of tea was not one of them.
I gracefully hoovered down my brunch like a ravenous wolf and despite my voracious eating, the flavour was not lost on me. It was a perfect brunch in a perfect location and I had never been happier to be surrounded by the smells of bacon, city sounds and civilisation. Even though the restaurant was very busy the staff were very quick and efficient and my food did not take long at all. It had less of a relaxing ambience and more of a social one as a result of its popularity, which I find sometimes comforting when I just want to eat on my own, particularly when I’m borderline hangry. If you ever find yourself in the charming city of Lyon, I highly recommend a stop at this little hollow of brunch goodness. And if both your budget and your appetite allow, I would recommend following your brunch with one of their decadent dessert.
Here is the link to their website: https://www.ledesjeuneur.com/the-story
