Au 14 Février

Au 14 Février stands on rue du Bœuf, among the Renaissance mansions, cobbled streets and arcaded galleries in the heart of historical Lyon. A wonderful location in which to sample the surprise menu of chef Tsuyoshi Arai, whose talent and imagination are no longer up for discussion. Born in Kyoto, he belongs to the large family of Japanese chefs who have fallen for France's culinary heritage. He elevates exceptionally fresh ingredients (Miéral poultry, Wagyu beef) by playing on textures, bitterness and acidity: peas, broad beans and snow peas with tamarind, crab and caviar; beetroot tarte tatin with strawberries and foie gras; squab cooked over a cherry wood fire… At every meal, he enchants his clientele with his seasonal symphony. On top of that, the service is extremely obliging.

• A modern tasting menu in the middle of Renaissance-era Vieux Lyon, on rue du Bœuf among cobbles and arcaded galleries.
• Arai’s style is Japanese in its precision and balance, then unapologetically French in technique and richness.
• The menu is built as a seasonal symphony, dishes pivot on bitterness and acidity as much as depth and fat.

• Miéral poultry and Wagyu beef, treated as headline proteins in the tasting sequence.
• Crab and caviar paired with peas, broad beans and snow peas, lifted with tamarind.
• Foie gras used in unexpected sweet-savoury framing, including beetroot tarte tatin with strawberries.
• Squab cooked over cherry wood fire.

A surprise menu in Vieux Lyon from Kyoto-born chef Tsuyoshi Arai, French technique with Japanese sensibility and razor-sharp seasoning. The cooking plays texture, bitterness and acidity, built around exceptionally fresh ingredients.