The best bouchon in Lyon: Comptoir Chabert

Inside Comptoir Chabert

Or is it only the second best bouchon in Lyon?

Ed's family friend, Catherine, had tried to get us a reservation at her favourite bouchon in the city but they didn't have any tables left, so she booked us in at Comptoir Chabert instead.

It was, quite simply, a fantastic evening.

A selection of the starters

The 27 EUR menu has a single starter and not long after we sat down a plate containing two types of pâté and a salami hit the table. The bouchon was immediately living up to its reputation of being about all things pork.

Shortly long after the pâté arrived at our table a selection of big salad bowls were bought across. The most 'exciting' salad was the veal feet (top right), surprisingly mild and tender cubes of veal. The tastiest salads were the vegetarian potato and beetroot options, covered in sharp and tasty dressing. We also had mackerel and two types of pork. One that looked like thinly shaved bacon and the other a baloney. If I'm honest I wasn't that keen on either.

So generous were the salads that we had to be careful not to fill up on them as they were only the first course!

Bavette

The main courses were the only choice of the evening. There was a lot of offal of the menu. Head, trotters, sweatbreads and andouillette were all on offer. I whimped out and went for the safest option on the menu, the bavette steak topped with crispy shallots.

Accompany the bavette was a creamy and garlicky gratin dauphinoise. It was heaven.

Gratin Dauphinoise

Once we'd scraped the gratin dish clean, the cheese course was bought out. We had three cheeses to share, a boursin style soft cheese with garlic and herbs, a fresh cheese and half of a Saint-Marcellin (I think).

The fresh and Saint-Marcellin cheeses were my favourites and both appeared to be Lyon specialities as we saw the same cheeses in all of the markets we visited.

Cheese selection

The meal hit its peak with dessert as the big communal bowls arrived back at our table. We had a creme caramel, poached pears, rice pudding, stewed plums and a bucket of îles flottantes.

I enjoyed the poached pears and stewed plums. The rice pudding was sweet and creamy, but my favourite by a long was was the îles flottantes. I love crème anglais and the îles flottantes didn't disappoint and I helped myself to lashings from the huge share bowl.

A selection of the dessert

Everything about the evening was excellent, from the lively atmosphere in the small restaurant to the food which was on point. There wasn't a foot put wrong in anything we ate.

Comptoir Chabert is easily my favourite meal of 2015 so far. If this was the second best bouchon in Lyon I'd love to visit the best!

Comptoir Chabert
13 Quai Romain Rolland

69005

Lyon

France

There is a Comptoir Chabert at No 13 and No 14 Quai Romain Rolland. We visited No 13 which is on the left.