Andiamo Pizza (Delivery)

Wanting to expand our delivery pizza horizons, we tried one of the places that stuff leaflets into our mailbox instead of our usual purveyors Pizza'Pentes.

Eschewing such gustatory confections as Nutella pizza, or Pizza la kebab, we ordered more mundane fare. I had a vegetarienne, and Marie a do-it-yourself of marguerita with mushrooms.

Marie spent ages on her not-too-reliable mobile placing the order. She had to spell her name so many times and so slooowly that even I could understand it. She explained that it was an interphone with our name on. Order complete, we sat back in anticipation.

Much time later, the phone rang.

"What is the code?"

"There is no code; it's an interphone. It has our name on it"

He couldn't find our name on the door. I looked out of the window: there was no-one outside the door.

Marie explained where the door was. He was adamant that he was outside the door. I looked again and he still wasn't there.

Eventually, he found the door, then off he went to get the pizzas. From somewhere.

He came back with the pizzas some time later, and called again for the door code.

"It's an interphone, with our name on it! We're on the xth floor on the left."

Marie buzzed him in, and we waited.

And waited some more.

Marie stood at the open door, and he eventually appeared. Marie paid by card without any problems, and brought the pizzas inside in eager anticipation of the pizzery delights which awaited us.

To be honest, my pizza was a bit cold by now, but not too bad. Marie's was bread, with cheese on it. And a few mushrooms. No tomato sauce, no oregano.

When I went outside later I found a piece of paper screwed up on the floor outside our door.

With Marie's name spelt wrongly on it.


Decor: N/A
Service: -1/5
Prices: 3/5
Toilets: N/A

Andiamo Pizza, 1 bis Rue du Chariot d'Or, 69004 Lyon

Paddy's Corner

This is the nicest pub I've been to in Lyon. It's always busy, with a warm atmosphere. The staff are cheerful and friendly. There is plenty of terrace space for smokers, but the bar itself is pretty small. You can order pizzas from the pizzeria next door and eat them in the pub or on the terrace. Happy 'hour' is every night from 18:00 to 21:00.

We went on quiz night, which is every second Tuesday at 21:00.

The quiz is pretty well organised, but the rounds are a little rushed. It costs 1€ per person, and I've no idea what the prize was. Questions are in English and French.

Prices aren't bad for Lyon: €5 a for pint of Guinness. €2 for glass of not bad wine.

The clientele that night was mostly 20-30-somethings.

The staff are mostly English or Irish.


Decor: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Prices: 3/5
Toilets: 3/5


Paddy's Corner, 4 Rue de la Terrasse, 69004 Lyon (Google map)

Le Balmoral

Le Balmoral is to be found a short stroll from Terraux, but has a homely atmosphere not often found in this area of the 1st arrondissement.

The exterior is quite ostentatious, with an incongruous but fantastic neon sign proclaiming 'Pizzas au feu du bois'.

Inside is all burgundy and low lighting, with closely packed circular tables along the sides, and a long mead-hall-style table down the centre. The room is dominated by a huge glowing wood-fired oven behind the bar. Two young pizzeristas alternately deposited and retrieved pizzas with aplomb.

It was a Saturday night and we had no reservation, but were seated immediately on the mead-hall table. We soon discovered that it wasn't one table, but many pushed together when the waiter lost Marie's couverts with a clang through a gap in the paper tablecloths covering the spaces between them.

The pizzas were around €10, were pretty big, and came amazingly quickly. The oven must have been even hotter than it looked. We also had a pot of Côtes du Rhône which I think was about €8. Cheap for Lyon, and not bad.

The pizza was great: good crispy base, fresh-tasting topping and not smothered in cheese. The service could have been better: the waiter didn't really seem to know what he was doing and we were unable to attract his attention to pay the bill, so had to pay at the counter.

The other clients were mainly older family groups.

On the whole, I heartily recommend this resto and will be going back soon.

Decor: 4/5
Service: 2.5/5
Prices: 4/5
Toilets: Don't know

Le Balmoral, 14 Rue Lanterne, 69001 Lyon (Google map)

Le mandarin

Cela pourrait être un des meilleurs restaurants chinois . Emplacement pratique (près de la place des Terraux ), Spacieux, un décor qui vous emmène en Asie, bref tout paraissait être le merveilleux cliché du dinner romantique, jusqu'à l'arrivée des plats ...

Ce n'est pas que ce soit horrible ou immangeable, pas du tout . Mais seulement ça ne Colle pas du tout avec le reste du décor . On se croit en Chine, puis soudainement on se retrouve en France avec des plats plutot fades, trés simples, Aucune épice !? Du coup l'exotisme disparait vite fait .

Donc amateurs de cuicine asiatique abstenez vous .

Point positif tout de même , nous n'avons pas perdu beaucoup d'argent. Les prix sont trés raisonnables .

En gros, restaurant pas trop mal pour les soirs où l'on veut manger rapidement, sans être obligé d'aller au fast food ou dans une pizzeria .

Décor : 4/5
Service : 3/5
Prices : 3,5/5
Toilettes : 4,5/5

Le Mandarin, 15 rue Lanterne, 69001, Lyon

The Smoking dog

Pub assez sympas en plein St Jean ,mais qui me laisse plutot indifférente.

On peut y passer une bonne soirée avec des amis ,mais sans plus .
Prix raisonnables si vous évitez la bouteille de vin inbuvable à €10 .

Soiree Quizz tout les Mardis soir .

Le quizz lui même n'est pas trop mal . Assez difficile, ça coûte €1.
Le seul problème c'est le manque de place, donc si vous désirez y participer et pouvoir entendre les questions, mon conseil est d'arriver bien à l'avance .

Il n'y a malheureusement pas de terrasse pour les fumeurs .

les toilettes laissent franchement à désirez ...surtout qu'il y en a qu'une pour tout le bar.

Voila en gros Pub ok pour un verre . Mais je ne m'y attarderais pas .

Decor : 3/5
Service : 3/5
Prices : 2,5/5
Toilettes : 1/5

The smoking dog , 16 rue Lainerie , 69005 ,Lyon (Google map)