Lyon speciality · The bouchon
Lyonnaise andouillette: the honest charcuterie of the bouchon
Veal andouillette drawn to the string, pan-crisped, lifted with a mustard sauce and served with its grenaille potatoes: one of the great classics of the Lyon table. Here's what it really is, and how we serve it on rue des Trois-Maries.
In short
Lyonnaise andouillette is a traditional charcuterie, in Lyon happily made with veal rather than pork as in Troyes. The phrase 'tirée à la ficelle' — drawn to the string — signals an artisan's work: the tripe is assembled and pulled by hand, guaranteeing an honest texture and authentic flavour. At Aux Trois Maries, we serve veal andouillette in the Braillon style, drawn to the string, pan-crisped and coated in a mustard sauce, with grenaille potatoes. A hearty, generous dish, emblematic of the bouchon — to be discovered in our historic Vieux-Lyon house.
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What is Lyonnaise andouillette?
Andouillette is a cooked charcuterie made from parts of the pig — the tripe, carefully cleaned, cut, seasoned and cased. In Lyon, tradition has given it a particular character: it is happily made with veal, which lends it finesse and sets it apart from the andouillette of Troyes, more robust and made with pork.
It is a dish of terroir, born of the offal cooking so dear to the bouchons: nothing is wasted, everything is elevated by the charcutier's skill. It is most often served grilled or pan-fried, crisp outside and tender within, lifted by a mustard that answers its honest flavour.
Long reserved for seasoned lovers, andouillette is today one of the dishes that best say what a real bouchon is: a sincere cuisine, without detours, owning its working-class roots. To taste it in a house that respects it is to understand the whole Lyon table at once.
'Drawn to the string': the artisan's mark
On a bouchon menu, 'tirée à la ficelle' — drawn to the string — is no flourish: it's a mark of quality. It describes an andouillette whose tripe is cut into strips then pulled and assembled by hand, one by one, rather than machine-minced. The work is longer, the texture incomparably finer.
That workshop gesture makes all the difference on the palate: you find the grain, the bite, the honesty of the product, where an industrial andouillette settles for a uniform softness. It's the signature of the great Lyon charcutiers — the Braillon house is one of the reference names.
This exacting standard is celebrated by enthusiasts themselves: the best andouillettes earn the '5A' distinction, the club of lovers of the well-made product. One marker among others, but it says clearly how much andouillette is, above all, a matter of craft.
Andouillette at the table, Aux Trois Maries
In our house, the veal andouillette 'Braillon' drawn to the string is among the dishes that tell the story of the place. We serve it golden, escorted by a mustard sauce that wakes its flavour, and by pan-fried grenaille potatoes that bring the comforting counterpoint the dish needs.
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. We don't reinvent andouillette; we serve it as it should be.
Served in our rooms with their chequered floor or upstairs beneath the mouldings, it's a dish for sharing and conversation, to be savoured unhurried, a jug of wine on the cloth. The truest way, in the end, to taste Vieux-Lyon.
A cornerstone of the Lyon repertoire
Andouillette is no isolated dish: it belongs to the great family of offal-and-pork cooking that forms the heart of the bouchon. Tablier de sapeur, gras-double, brioche sausage, andouillette drawn to the string — all preparations inherited from the canuts' mâchon, where the best was drawn from the humblest cuts.
It is this cooking — honest and long worked — that made Lyon's name as a food capital. Andouillette is one of its proudest symbols: a dish that doesn't cheat, that demands skill, and that rewards the curious diner with a flavour found nowhere else.
How to cook Lyonnaise andouillette?
Lyonnaise andouillette is sold already cooked by the charcutier: the aim is not to cook it through, but to warm it gently and brown it. The secret comes down to one word: patience. Too fierce a heat bursts the casing and dries the filling; a moderate heat, on the other hand, keeps it melting at the centre and crisp on the surface.
In the pan, the most common method, you lightly score the skin in a few places, then brown it in a little fat, turning it regularly. In the oven or on the grill, the principle is the same: gentle cooking, without piercing it with a fork, to keep all its tenderness. It is often called 'à la lyonnaise' when served with melted onions deglazed with a dash of vinegar.
Then comes the sauce. Mustard is its natural companion: deglaze the pan, bind with a little cream and season with mustard, without letting it boil so it keeps its bite. That's exactly the spirit of the dish we serve at the bouchon, with pan-fried grenaille potatoes. And if you'd rather taste it prepared properly, the table is set on rue des Trois-Maries.
How to enjoy your andouillette
Andouillette has an assertive character, best savoured when accompanied properly. Three markers to appreciate it fully, whether you're a regular or curious about a first try.
The mustard sauce
The classic pairing: an honest mustard, built into a sauce, that answers the andouillette's flavour without masking it. In our house, it escorts the dish with pan-fried grenaille potatoes.
The wine pairing
A local red works wonders — an easy-drinking Beaujolais or a fuller Côtes-du-Rhône. The pot lyonnais shared on the table remains the most convivial way to accompany it.
For a first try
Andouillette is best tasted with an open mind: the grain of the 'drawn to the string' and the mustard sauce make it an honest yet accessible discovery. 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: just the place to taste andouillette done properly.
We recommend booking, especially at weekends and in high tourist season: the room is convivial but tables go fast. A call is enough and we'll keep your place — and, if you wish, a nicely golden andouillette on your arrival.
Keen to extend your discovery of Lyon cooking? The puffed pike quenelle, the onion gratinée and our terroir specialities await on the same menu, in the same spirit of a bouchon true to its roots.
Frequently asked
Lyonnaise andouillette: your questions
What is Lyonnaise andouillette?
It's a cooked charcuterie made from parts of the pig — tripe, cleaned and seasoned. In Lyon, tradition happily prepares it with veal, which gives it finesse and sets it apart from the andouillette of Troyes. It's served grilled or pan-fried, often with a mustard sauce.
What's the difference between Lyon and Troyes andouillette?
The Troyes andouillette 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. Both rely on genuine charcutier's skill.
What does 'drawn to the string' mean?
It describes an andouillette whose tripe is cut into strips then assembled and pulled by hand, one by one, rather than machine-minced. The result offers more grain, bite and honesty: the mark of great charcutiers, such as the Braillon house.
What is andouillette served with at Aux Trois Maries?
We serve veal andouillette 'Braillon' drawn to the string, golden, with a mustard sauce and pan-fried grenaille potatoes. A hearty, generous dish, in the purest bouchon tradition.
Does andouillette have a strong flavour?
It has an assertive character, but the Lyonnaise veal version, drawn to the string, stays honest and accessible. The mustard sauce balances the dish. For a first try, our team is glad to advise.
How do you cook Lyonnaise andouillette?
Sold already cooked, it is warmed and browned over a gentle heat: in the pan with a little fat, skin lightly scored, turning it regularly, or in the oven. Avoid pricking it with a fork so it stays tender, and serve it with a mustard sauce.
Where to eat Lyonnaise andouillette in Vieux-Lyon?
Aux Trois Maries, one of the oldest bouchons in Lyon, on rue des Trois-Maries in Vieux-Lyon, serves veal andouillette 'Braillon' drawn to the string, with mustard sauce and grenaille potatoes. Remember to book, especially at weekends.
What wine goes with andouillette?
A local red pairs beautifully: an easy-drinking Beaujolais or a fuller Côtes-du-Rhône. The pot lyonnais shared on the table is the most convivial way to accompany it.
Explore the house
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Curious about the other bouchon dishes? Find all the Lyon terroir on our Lyon specialities page.
To trace the dish back to its roots, read our article on the origin of andouillette.
Taste the andouillette on rue des Trois-Maries
Book your table online, or call us directly: we welcome you to our Vieux-Lyon bouchon.