Vieux-Lyon · Saint-Jean quarter
A restaurant in Saint-Jean, at the heart of Vieux-Lyon
In the shade of Saint-Jean cathedral, on rue des Trois-Maries, Aux Trois Maries keeps the Lyonnaise table alive: one of the oldest bouchons in the city, in Lyon's most lively Renaissance quarter.
In short
The Saint-Jean quarter is the heart of Vieux-Lyon, a UNESCO World Heritage site, gathered around Saint-Jean-Baptiste cathedral. There, on rue des Trois-Maries, stands Aux Trois Maries — one of the oldest bouchons in Lyon. Lunch and dinner here mean honest Lyonnaise cooking, served in a room with a chequered floor, a few metres from the Saint-Jean square and the Vieux-Lyon metro station. A terrace in fine weather, rooms for groups, vegetarian and gluten-free options: just the table to discover the real bouchon in the Saint-Jean quarter. Booking strongly recommended at weekends.
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What you'll find on this page
The Saint-Jean quarter, heart of Vieux-Lyon
The Saint-Jean quarter is the core of Vieux-Lyon, one of Europe's largest Renaissance ensembles and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It gathers around Saint-Jean-Baptiste cathedral and its square, between the Saône and the Fourvière hill, in a maze of cobbled lanes and traboules where getting lost is a pleasure.
It is a quarter of tables: bouchons and terraces line rue Saint-Jean, rue de la Bombarde, rue des Trois-Maries. But behind the signs cut for tourism, the real Lyonnaise cuisine — the one passed on without folklore — still has to be found.
Aux Trois Maries holds that thread on rue des Trois-Maries, a quiet parallel to rue Saint-Jean. Born in the middle of the last century, the house is among the oldest bouchons in the city: just the place to eat in the Saint-Jean quarter without giving in to the postcard.
A table steps from the cathedral
The restaurant sits on one of the quarter's pedestrian lanes, a few dozen metres from the Saint-Jean square. The street owes its name to a 17th-century sign honouring the three Marys of the Gospel — Mary-Salome, Mary-Jacobe and Mary-Magdalene; it is also the house's name, echoed by the three silhouettes of its logo.
You'll spot the front by its red awning, among the shopfronts and Renaissance courtyards. In fine weather, the terrace spreads over the cobbles, in the shade of the lime tree on place de la Baleine, a stone's throw from the Saône: the best seat to feel the pulse of the Saint-Jean quarter.
The Vieux-Lyon – Cathédrale Saint-Jean metro station is under three minutes' walk away. From Bellecour and the Presqu'île, line D links the quarter in a few stops: you leave the car without a thought and arrive relaxed, ready to sit down.
Lyonnaise cuisine, in its rightful place
On the plate, no needless staging: honest, local cooking made from a careful selection of terroir produce. Fine charcuterie, the Lyonnaise gratinée, bouchon specialities and house desserts make up a menu true to the Lyon spirit — more contemporary, yet just as convivial.
Regulars of the Saint-Jean quarter find the classics of a real bouchon here, alongside more contemporary openings — vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. Enough to seat, at the same table, the lover of tradition and the curious traveller come to taste Lyon.
Two rooms, a Lyonnaise setting
The décor says at once where you are: a black-and-white chequered floor on the ground floor, wall slates, white linen and burgundy napkins. Nothing forced, nothing fake-rustic — just the atmosphere of a bouchon that has crossed the decades at the heart of the Saint-Jean quarter.
Upstairs, a second, moulded room suits quieter meals and larger parties. Two floors, sixty-five covers in all, a terrace: room for a table for two at lunch as much as a family dinner or a corporate event.
Air-conditioned room, wheelchair access, Wi-Fi: today's comfort in a setting of yesterday. It is that continuity — the heritage décor, the attentive service of the present — that makes the house's signature on rue des Trois-Maries.
At the table, in the Saint-Jean quarter
Three markers to build your meal in the bouchon spirit, whether you're passing through Saint-Jean or a Vieux-Lyon regular.
Starters
Fine charcuterie, creamy burrata, generous salads: the meal opens on carefully chosen produce, in the Lyonnaise tradition.
Mains
Tender meats, bouchon specialities and house purées — terroir cooking executed with precision, no showing off.
The classics
The Lyonnaise gratinée, croutons and melted cheese, and the house desserts: the signatures that give a real bouchon its soul.
Around the table: Saint-Jean and Vieux-Lyon
Eating in Saint-Jean also means extending the visit: the cathedral and its astronomical clock, the Renaissance courtyards and traboules, the Saint-Paul district further north, and the climb to Fourvière basilica by the funicular — the famous 'ficelle' — which sets off at the foot of the quarter.
Lunch before the climb to Fourvière, dinner after a stroll through the lanes: the table fits naturally into a Lyon day. We recommend booking, especially at weekends and in high tourist season, when the Saint-Jean quarter fills up fast.
Keen to extend your discovery of the terroir? Our Lyon specialities, our concept and the story of the house await on the site, in the same spirit of a bouchon true to its roots.
Frequently asked
Eating in Saint-Jean: your questions
Where is the restaurant in the Saint-Jean quarter?
At 1 rue des Trois-Maries, in Vieux-Lyon (Lyon 5th), a few dozen metres from Saint-Jean cathedral and the Vieux-Lyon – Cathédrale Saint-Jean metro station.
How do you get to the restaurant in Saint-Jean?
Metro line D serves the Vieux-Lyon – Cathédrale Saint-Jean station, under three minutes' walk away. As the quarter is pedestrian, leave the car in a nearby covered car park (Saint-Jean, Saint-Georges), then walk to rue des Trois-Maries.
What are the opening hours?
Tuesday to Friday, 12–2pm and 7–10pm; on Saturday and Sunday for both lunch and dinner services. The restaurant is closed on Mondays.
Do I need to book a table?
Booking is strongly recommended, especially at weekends and in peak tourist season: the Saint-Jean quarter is one of the busiest in Lyon. You can reserve online or by phone.
Do you offer vegetarian or gluten-free options?
Yes. The menu includes vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options alongside the traditional Lyonnaise specialities.
Can you come as a group in the Saint-Jean quarter?
Yes, two modular rooms seat up to sixty-five guests, for a family meal, a christening or a corporate event, steps from the cathedral.
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Book online, or call us directly: we welcome you on rue des Trois-Maries, at the heart of Vieux-Lyon.