From pairing French fine wine and cigars in Burgundy to savouring cigars in the global wine capital, France is no stranger to cigars. But Lyon – home to the best chefs in France – tells a slightly different story. One where foodies fraternise with cigar connoisseurs.
Paul Bocuse revolutionised the kitchens of the world from Lyon with his Nouvelle Cuisine. So, it’s not surprising that he was a passionate cigar aficionado. In France, fine food culture is traditionally combined with a passion for exclusive tobacco enjoyment, after all.
Lyon is littered with cigar clubs. Here, the culture around fine smoke continues to be cultivated as a highly valued ritual – despite all the current trends. France is now in the league of countries that have introduced particularly strict smoking bans. Anyone who disregards the non-smoking protection rules in the former tobacco lovers' oases of the parks or beaches can expect severe fines.
A Habanos Specialist with rare cigars
Claude Gabet, head of the family-run tobacco shop CigareStore for over 35 years, takes a relaxed view. ‘In my listed district of Les Cordeliers, known for Lyon's cosy bouchon restaurants, aficionados continue to find their personal El Dorado. Fortunately, smoking can continue on the terraces of restaurants and bars.’
With a mischievous smile, he looks at his bulldog. It rests completely out of place in the leather armchair in front of the walk-in humidor and confidently demonstrates the legendary laissez-faire of the French.
‘Before the Covid crisis, the left side of the shelf of my climate room was full of Cuban cigars,’ says the Habanos Specialist. There are only ten shops with this title in the whole of France, so Gabet's shop is a sought-after address. In view of faltering deliveries of Habanos’ top range throughout Europe, he is satisfied to be able to offer his customers the rare Cohiba Espléndidos Gran Reserva – plus Puros from the Partagás Maestra (132mm) and Montecristo Dumas (130mm) lines. ‘With their imposing length, they embody the highest art of cigar rolling; and last week I got boxes with Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Especial (141mm).’
Famous French bistro cuisine
Gabet's son, Florian, recommends enjoying your cigar on Le Bistro de Lyon’s terrace. With the turn-of-the-century brasserie, star chef Jean-Paul Lacombe set completely new standards for French bistro cuisine from 1974 onwards: exquisite regional dishes served in a nostalgic ambience.
Florian speaks of the Franco-Honduran cigar producer Maya Selva with admiration: ‘Her triple-fermented tobaccos, characteristic of the Villa Zamorano Danlí series, are doing very well with us. It offers excellent quality at good prices.’ For collectors, he has rarities such as Davidoff Escurio Gran Perfecto 2015: ‘Thanks to its Brazilian leaf inserts, it has seductively sweet and spicy notes.’
Those who fancy themselves chefs should stop by the specialist shop Les Garçons en Cuisine next door – it offers the best creations from famous French knifesmiths.
The most beautiful cigar lounge
Just a few steps away, near Place des Terreaux, the cigar lounge of legendary restaurant Le Passage beckons – the entrance somewhat hidden on Rue Du Plâtre. You’ll be welcomed by the charming 29-year-old Mathilde Ettoumi-Rosenfeld, who is a passionate cigar smoker herself. ‘Preferably Partágas,’ she confesses frankly, as she leads us through the restaurant, which was once used as a cabaret, where imposing mirrors hang from the ceiling.
‘The cocktail bar was once frequented by illustrious artists and personalities,’ says Mathilde, guiding us to the magnificent cigar lounge at the very top that you reach via a nostalgic wooden staircase. ‘We have a lot of younger cigar smokers here,’ says Mathilde, pleased with the interest of a new generation of aficionados. Claude Gabet equipped the humidor with Habanos by Quai D'Orsay, which were introduced exclusively in France in 1973.
An under-the-radar smoking spot
Dining at Michelin-starred restaurant Les Loges transports you to the Italian Renaissance. Found in the historic Vieux Lyon, it has taken up residence in the courtyard of the newly renovated Radisson Collection Hotel, where the ambience is unforgettable.
Chef Anthony Bonnet conjures up a tasting menu in which delicacies from regional suppliers always have priority. And with every delicious bite, you catch a new facet of bella Italia-inspired architecture.
Food & Beverage Manager Jean-Philippe Dolley is a cigar lover. He recommends an après-dinner smoke on the small, atmospheric smoking terrace of the lounge bar. Anyone who enjoys their favourite cigar here feels like a VIP – trust us.
Cigars from a noble boutique
Another highlight is a visit to 30-year-old tobacco shop Le Diplomate. Above the counter sits a nostalgic timepiece in Cohiba design from the exclusive watch boutique next door. The excellently stocked walk-in humidor has been run by Pierre Verneil and his wife Cassiopé since 2025.
‘We are privileged because we do our best business with Cuban cigars,’ Verneil says happily. The computer scientist has known the world of tobacco since childhood, as his father ran a civette (French tobacco shop). That's why it’s open to all types of aficionados. As an oasis of enjoyment, he recommends the Polynesian tiki-style cocktail bar Pineapple Room, where a large smoking terrace beckons.
Vive la France
If you visit the 6th arrondissement, you won't have far to go to another unusual tobacco shop. At La Civette Du Pharaon, the young Gianni de Guisa advises customers with a lot of passion when his father Valéry is employed in the family's own cigar factory – known for the hand-rolled French brand Cigares Edito (also sold in stores).
If you want to enjoy one of these cigars in a beautiful atmosphere, you’ll be warmly welcomed on bistro Buvette Des Cygnes’ terrace. On the shores of the lake in the Parc de la Tête d'Or, cigar enthusiasts can sit back and enjoy a glass of wine and puff their swaths into the air in a cheerful and carefree manner. With this, they have played a charming trick on the smoking bans in French parks and like to toast with the toast: Vive la France.
Travel guide
Tobacco shops
CigareStore
23 Rue Mercière, 69002 Lyon
Le Diplomate
99 Rue du Président Edouard Herriot, 69002 Lyon
La Civette du Pharaon
70 Quai Charles de Gaulle, 69006 Lyon
Cigar lounges
Le Passage
8 rue du Plâtre, 60001 Lyon
Terraces
Cour des Loges Lyon, A Radisson Collection Hotel
6 Rue du Bœuf, 69005 Lyon
Pineapple Room
21 Rue Juliette Récamier, 69006 Lyon
Hotels
Cour des Loges Lyon, A Radisson Collection Hotel
6 Rue du Bœuf, 69005 Lyon
