We drank a lot of specialty coffee when we lived like locals in Lyon and then returned to drink even more. Discover our favorite Lyon cafes serving cappuccinos and flat whites.
We appreciate the allure of lingering at traditional Lyon cafés during busy days of touring. However, this type of cafe isn’t our thing.
Instead, we seek out specialty coffee shops. These more modern cafes satisfy our insatiable thirst for great coffee while providing us with spaces to work and mingle.
Spending a month in Lyon gave us the motivation to find the city’s best specialty coffee shops. While living like Lyon locals, we were pleasantly surprised to find a few central Lyon cafes that met our caffeine needs between meals at the city’s best restaurants.
And guess what? We keep finding more great cafes every time we return to Lyon.
Our Favorite Lyon Cafes For Specialty Coffee
Lyon has embraced coffee’s third wave movement. The classic French city has a growing number of cafes dedicated to serving excellent flat whites, cappuccinos and pour overs.
These are our favorites:
1. MOKXA Boutique
MOKXA sources its arabica beans from organic farms and trusted importers. They then roast the beans in Lyon and Strasbourg roasteries.
An early player in France’s third wave movement, MOKXA has been a champion of specialty coffee since 2011. Today, the company sources its beans from a range of countries including Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia and Peru.
Our visit to MOKXA Boutique wasn’t our first time experiencing MOKXA’s beans. That honor goes to Lyon’s La Boîte à Café (see below) and Dijon’s Morning Glory Cafe.
However, there’s something special about drinking MOKXA coffee at the roastery’s Lyon cafe, which made our third time the charm.
We’d like to say that our coffees at MOKXA Boutique were special because they were well crafted but that’s just half of the story. The other half is the praline rose topped pastry that we shared. It was divine.
Pro Tip
Order the MOKXA trilogy option if you want to sample the cafe’s espresso, cappuccino and filtered coffee preparations in one fell swoop.
MOKXA Boutique is located at 5 Rue Bellecordière, 69002 Lyon, France.
2. Loutsa Torréfacteur
Loutsa Torréfacteur offers a feast for the senses that starts with an edgy logo, continues with a colorful decor and ends with flavorful coffee that’s crafted with beans roasted on-site. But not just any beans. Loutsa’s beans have mostly organic, high-altitude origins.
Limited in time, we opted to drink cappuccinos from the menu’s hot drinks section during our inaugural visit. We may share a ‘Le Trio’ of slow coffees crafted with techniques like Chemex, Kalita, French Press and V60 when we return. However, if it’s hot, we may opt for refreshingly cold Affogatos instead.
Pro Tip
You can continue your exploration of Loutsa’s coffee selection in Paris.
Loutsa Torréfacteur has multiple locations. We visited the Lyon cafe located at 9 Pl. Jules Guesde, 69007 Lyon, France.
3. Les Cafetiers
Les Cafetiers lives a double life.
A relatively chill coffee spot in the morning, Les Cafetiers cafe comes to life when the central Presqu’ile cafe morphs into a hectic lunch spot in the afternoon. The cafe features a reasonable lunch menu with a rotating selection of salads, sandwiches and soups.
Just a four-minute walk from our hotel, Les Cafetiers was a convenient morning choice that did not disappoint these two coffee connoisseurs. Daryl’s flat white was text book with its heart latte art; however, Mindi’s latte macchiato was almost too pretty to drink. Somehow she managed.
Pro Tip
Don’t hesitate to order a cookie or brookie, the cafe’s brownie-cookie hybrid, unless you’re in the mood for cake.
Les Cafetiers is located at 36 Rue Ferrandière, 69002 Lyon, France.
4. Slake
One of Lyon’s original specialty coffee shops dating back to 2014, Slake Coffee Shop continues its reign as a happy place for lovers of good coffee and tasty treats. The stylish cafe attracts a young crowd of digitally connected customers, many of whom convene in the back of the cafe with their laptops.
Crack baristas brew coffee with beans sourced from local roasters MOKXA and Kaffa, ensuring fresh beans and tasty drinks. Beyond coffee, Slake serves homemade pastries and savory cafe fare.
Pro Tip
Serious coffee drinkers can purchase beans to prepare later in their personal V60, Aeropress, Chemex or French Press coffee makers.
Slake Coffee House is located at 9 Rue de l’Ancienne Préfecture, 69002 Lyon, France.
5. Diploid
Not willing to rest on their coffee laurels, the team behind Slake Coffee House (see above) opened Diploid in 2017. Though its coffee program is similar to the concept at big brother Slake, the newer cafe attracts an eclectic clientele thanks to its airy atmosphere and funky design.
A popular Lyon brunch spot, Diploid serves classic dishes like Brioche French Toast and Salmon Pancakes. However, we’re most intrigued by Diploid’s Charcoal Latte made with organic vegetable charcoal, black sesame and foamy milk. We found the starkly black brew unique for both its black color and savory taste.
Pro Tip
Feel free to wander into Diploid during the week. However, you’ll want to make a reservation for the cafe’s all-inclusive Sunday brunch.
Diploid is located at 18 Rue de la Platière, 69001 Lyon, France.
6. La Boîte À Café
Tiny La Boîte a Café proves that good things often come in small packages, or, in this case, small coffee boxes. With a name that literally translates to coffee box, La Boîte à Café exclusively serves locally roasted Mokxa coffee along with breakfast, brunch, lunch and cakes.
Pro Tip
Don’t be misled by La Boîte a Café’s size. This small but mighty cafe serves a full range of specialty coffee drinks as well thoughtfully prepared brunch items.
La Boîte a Café is located at 3 Rue de l’Abbé Rozier, 69001 Lyon, France.
7. Placid Cafe
It would be entirely possible to visit Placid Cafe and and not drink specialty coffee considering that the cafe is also a restaurant that serves craft beer and natural wine.
However, that would be a shame. Placid Cafe sources its beans from around the world and roasts them onsite. Coffee options include standard espresso drinks as well as coffees crafted with modern methods like V60 and Chemex.
Visiting Placid Cafe in the morning, we paired our flat whites with a la carte breakfast items. Daryl went big by ordering a Croque Monsier while Mindi opted for a lighter tartine. By the end of the meal, we were both full and well-caffeinated.
Pro Tip
Order one of Placid Cafe’s formula breakfasts if you’re not in a rush. Formula options come in three sizes – petite, grande and fat.
Placid Cafe is located at 23 Rue René Leynaud, 69001 Lyon, France.
Additional Lyon Coffee Shops
Seven specialty coffee shops may be enough to satisfy your coffee cravings when you visit Lyon. If not, you can continue your Lyon coffee tour at the following worthy destinations:
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Coffee is popular all over France and Lyon is no exception.
Expect to pay 4€ for flat whites and cappuccinos at specialty coffee shops in Lyon and half that for coffee at traditional cafes.
Yes. Lyon has several specialty coffee shops in addition to its many traditional cafes.
Top Lyon specialty coffee shops include MOKXA Boutique, Loutsa Torréfacteur, Les Cafetiers and Slake. Try them all plus more to find your favorite.
Yes. France’s first Starbucks opened in 2004 and Lyon now has several Starbucks cafes.
Thirsty For More Coffee In Europe?
About the Authors
Daryl and Mindi Hirsch
Saveur Magazine’s BEST TRAVEL BLOG award winners Daryl and Mindi Hirsch share their culinary travel experiences and recipes on the 2foodtrippers website. Since launching the site in 2012, they’ve traveled to over 40 countries in their quest to bring readers a unique taste of the world.
Original Publication Date: August 16, 2020