Vieux-Lyon · Mâchon tradition
Lyonnaise saladiers, the table made to be shared
A round of composed salads set in the middle of the table, where everyone helps themselves at will: the saladier lyonnais is the convivial starter par excellence, inherited from the weavers' mâchon. Aux Trois Maries keeps its spirit alive on rue des Trois-Maries in the heart of Vieux-Lyon.
The definition
What is the saladier lyonnais?
The saladier lyonnais isn't a single dish, but a way of opening the meal. Several bowls of composed salads arrive together and are set in the middle of the table: you help yourself, pass the bowls around, taste a bit of everything. It's the bouchon's starter in its most generous form, born to be shared.
Each bowl has its own character: beef museau in vinaigrette, warm lentils, herring with oiled potatoes, groin d'âne — that dandelion salad —, clapotons, saucisson, poultry livers, cervelle de canut. Nothing sophisticated, but honest produce and honest seasoning, in a room with a chequered floor.
The origin
The legacy of the weavers' mâchon
The saladier lyonnais descends directly from the mâchon, the robust snack the Croix-Rousse silk weavers took early in the morning, between two spells at the loom. Cold salads, charcuterie and a glass of beaujolais were laid out to share on the go, before returning to work.
From that workers' table, the saladier kept the essentials: generosity, service in the centre of the table, and a refusal of staging. The mères lyonnaises — cooks turned restaurateurs — then fixed it in the bouchon repertoire, where it remains one of the starters most faithful to the original spirit.
Still today, the saladier says everything a bouchon is: a cuisine of memory, made to bring people together, eaten elbow to elbow without fuss. That is the continuity we uphold on rue des Trois-Maries, as one of the oldest bouchons in Lyon.
At the table
The round of saladiers, service included
The saladier lyonnais is lived as much as it is tasted. Here is how it takes its place in the room, from the first bowl set down to the last pass around the table.
The bouchon spirit
Sharing, at the heart of the bouchon
A saladier lyonnais isn't ordered for one: it's set in the centre and shared. The white linen, the burgundy napkin and the hum of conversation aren't there for the photo — they extend the workers' table of the mâchon, where people ate together, quickly and well. That conviviality is found, intact, in our Vieux-Lyon dining room.
Here
The saladiers at Aux Trois Maries
Born in the middle of the last century, Aux Trois Maries is one of the oldest bouchons in Lyon. The house kept from its roots a taste for honest starters and sharing: our composed salads are prepared in the kitchen, from seasonal produce and carefully chosen affineur charcuterie, in the continuity of our predecessors' work.
Around the saladiers, the menu follows the seasons and also opens to vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free diets — the cervelle de canut, naturally vegetarian, is the best example. We tell the whole story, from the café des primeurs to the 2012 takeover, in our concept.
Explore the house
Also worth reading and visiting
Frequently asked
Lyonnaise saladiers: your questions
What is a saladier lyonnais?
It's an assortment of composed salads served as a starter in several bowls set in the middle of the table, to share. You help yourself and pass the bowls around: it's the bouchon's convivial starter par excellence, inherited from the weavers' mâchon.
What do you find in the Lyonnaise saladiers?
The classics are beef museau in vinaigrette, warm lentils, herring with oiled potatoes, groin d'âne (dandelion salad), clapotons, saucisson, poultry livers and cervelle de canut. Cold, honest, generous salads.
Where does the saladier lyonnais tradition come from?
It descends from the mâchon, the robust snack silk-weaving canuts took early in the morning. Cold salads and charcuterie were shared on the go; the mères lyonnaises then fixed this tradition in the bouchon repertoire.
Is the saladier lyonnais a starter to share?
Yes, that's its whole spirit. The bowls are set in the middle of the table and everyone builds their plate as they pass by. It's a convivial way to open the meal, in the elbow-to-elbow tradition of the bouchon.
Are there vegetarian saladiers?
Yes. Several composed salads are naturally vegetarian, starting with the cervelle de canut — a fresh cheese whipped with herbs. The menu also includes vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options; just flag it when booking.
Where can you taste the Lyonnaise saladiers of Aux Trois Maries?
At 1 rue des Trois-Maries, in the heart of Vieux-Lyon (Lyon 5th), a few steps from Saint-Jean cathedral and the Vieux-Lyon metro station. Booking is recommended, especially at weekends.
Come and share the Lyonnaise saladiers
Book your table on rue des Trois-Maries, or call us directly.