From Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or to the aisles of Part-Dieu, Monsieur Paul still watches over the gourmet heart of Lyon. A portrait of the legend who gave his name to our Halles.
Some names ring out like a promise of flavour. That of Paul Bocuse, born in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or in 1926, belongs to that rare family. Heir to a line of cooks reaching back to the eighteenth century, trained under Eugenie Brazier and then Fernand Point at La Pyramide, he learned there his two cardinal principles: simplicity and absolute mastery of cooking. From that apprenticeship emerged the chef who would carry French gastronomy to the summit of the world.
The distinctions punctuate an extraordinary career. His first Michelin star in 1958, the title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France in 1961, his third star in 1965: the Auberge du Pont de Collonges would hold this triple crown for fifty-five years, an absolute record. Nicknamed the pope of gastronomy and made a Knight of the Legion of Honour, Monsieur Paul founded the Bocuse d'Or in 1987 with Albert Romain, which became, in Lyon, the most prestigious culinary competition on the planet.
Yet before becoming a worldwide legend, Paul Bocuse was a loyal customer of our aisles. It was here, among the stalls, that he chose his cheeses at the Mere Richard, his charcuterie at Colette Sibilia, and his produce from the finest houses. The covered market was his larder, the ground in which his exacting standards took root.
In 2007, after a renovation, Les Halles de Lyon took his name. A fitting and natural tribute to the man who embodied the gourmet soul of the city. Even today, beneath the vaults of Part-Dieu, some sixty artisans and restaurateurs carry on the spirit of Monsieur Paul: a passion for fine produce, respect for craftsmanship, and that Lyonnais generosity that turns every visit into a celebration. The patron watches over us. Les Halles give thanks to him, every single day.