Lyon speciality · Bouchon charcuterie
Andouille in Lyon: what the bouchon really serves
In Lyon, when people say andouille, they almost always mean andouillette: veal, drawn to the string, pan-crisped and coated in mustard sauce. Let's untangle the two, and see how we serve it on rue des Trois-Maries.
In short
Andouille and andouillette are two charcuteries from the same family, made from tripe: 'andouillette' is in fact the diminutive of 'andouille'. Andouille, larger, is usually eaten cold and sliced; andouillette, smaller, is cooked and served hot. In Lyon, andouillette rules the bouchon, happily made with veal and 'drawn to the string'. At Aux Trois Maries, we serve Braillon-style veal andouillette, golden, with mustard sauce and grenaille potatoes.
Contents
On this page
Andouille or andouillette: what are we talking about in Lyon?
The two words are often confused, even in the traboules. Yet andouille and andouillette share the same lineage: traditional charcuteries made from tripe, cleaned, cut, seasoned and cased. The second name is simply the diminutive of the first.
The difference shows at the table. Andouille, larger, is generally eaten cold, thinly sliced. Andouillette, smaller, is made for cooking: grilled or pan-fried, crisp outside and tender within, it is served hot.
In a Lyon bouchon, it's andouillette you order. And here it has a character of its own: Lyon happily makes it with veal, giving it a finesse that sets it apart from the andouillette of Troyes, made with pork and more robust.
Tripe, craft and 'drawn to the string'
Andouillette is made from chaudins and fraises — parts of the digestive tract that the charcutier carefully cleans and seasons. All the skill then lies in how they are assembled.
'Tirée à la ficelle' — drawn to the string — signals an artisan's work: the tripe is cut into strips, then pulled and assembled by hand, one by one, rather than machine-minced. The result has grain, bite and honest flavour, where an industrial version settles for uniform softness.
It's the signature of the great Lyon charcutiers, the Braillon house being one of the reference names. Enthusiasts even have their own distinction, the '5A', honouring the best-made andouillettes.
An heir to the canuts' mâchon
Andouillette belongs to the great offal-and-pork cooking at the heart of the bouchon: tablier de sapeur, gras-double, brioche sausage… All recipes inherited from the canuts' mâchon, where the best was drawn from the humblest cuts.
This honest, long-worked cooking made Lyon's name as a food capital. Andouillette remains one of its proudest symbols: a dish that doesn't cheat and rewards the curious diner.
Our andouillette, on rue des Trois-Maries
In our house, the veal andouillette 'Braillon' drawn to the string is among the dishes that tell the story of the place. It arrives golden, escorted by a mustard sauce that wakes its flavour and by pan-fried grenaille potatoes.
It sits alongside the other bouchon classics — brioche sausage, hot sausage in wine sauce, puffed pike quenelle — in the same spirit: chosen produce, home cooking, unashamed generosity.
Savour it unhurried, in the chequered-floor room or upstairs beneath the mouldings, a jug of wine on the cloth.
How to enjoy it
Andouillette has character: it is best savoured when properly accompanied. Three markers, for regulars and the curious alike.
The mustard sauce
The classic pairing: an honest mustard, built into a sauce, that answers the andouillette's flavour without masking it.
A local red
An easy-drinking Beaujolais or a fuller Côtes-du-Rhône; a shared pot lyonnais remains the most convivial way to go with it.
A first try
The Lyonnaise veal version stays honest yet accessible. Taste it with an open mind: our team will gladly guide you.
Where to eat andouillette in Vieux-Lyon
Vieux-Lyon, a UNESCO-listed Renaissance quarter, is one of the cradles of the Lyon table. On rue des Trois-Maries, steps from place de la Baleine and Saint-Jean cathedral, our house is among the oldest bouchons in the city.
We recommend booking, especially at weekends and in high season: the room is convivial, but tables go fast. A call is enough for us to keep your place.
Frequently asked
Andouille in Lyon: your questions
What's the difference between andouille and andouillette?
They belong to the same family of tripe-based charcuteries, and 'andouillette' is the diminutive of 'andouille'. Andouille, larger, is usually eaten cold and sliced; andouillette, smaller, is cooked and served hot.
Do Lyon bouchons serve andouille?
The bouchon serves andouillette: happily made with veal, drawn to the string, golden and served with a mustard sauce. When people say andouille in Lyon, that is almost always what they mean.
How does Lyon andouillette differ from Troyes andouillette?
The Troyes version is made with pork and aims to be more robust. The Lyonnaise version is happily worked with veal, giving it a finer texture and flavour.
What does 'drawn to the string' mean?
The tripe is cut into strips then pulled and assembled by hand, rather than machine-minced. The result has more grain and bite: the mark of great charcutiers, such as the Braillon house.
How is andouillette served at Aux Trois Maries?
We serve veal andouillette 'Braillon' drawn to the string, golden, with a mustard sauce and pan-fried grenaille potatoes.
Should I book to taste the andouillette?
It's recommended, especially at weekends and in high season. Book online or call us: we welcome you on rue des Trois-Maries, in Vieux-Lyon.
Explore the house
Discover on the site
Read on
Everything about the dish itself, from cooking to sauce: read our guide to Lyonnaise andouillette.
To trace it back to its roots, see also our article on the origin of andouillette.
Taste andouillette in the heart of Vieux-Lyon
Book your table online, or call us directly: we welcome you to our bouchon on rue des Trois-Maries.