BISTRO, BOUILLON, BOUCHON: RETRO FLAVORS ARE BACK ON THE MENU | Capital | M6

Comfort-food dishes just like grandma used to make, checkered tablecloths, Art Deco interiors — and above all, low prices: bouillons tick every box of today’s restaurant craze.
On the plates, yesterday’s classics have become today’s stars. Beef bourguignon, sausage-and-mash, and mayonnaise eggs have never been so trendy.
Across the country, bouillons are spreading fast, offering a formidable deal: a three-course starter–main–dessert menu for €20.
Behind the retro charm lies a very modern equation: cooking with the cheaper cuts from the butcher, high volume, strong margins, and plenty of add-on sales.
Who are these young, ambitious entrepreneurs plunging headfirst into the retro revival?
Have they discovered the most profitable formula ever imagined?
And which supply chains are benefiting from their success?
In Lyon, the famous bouchons — icons of authentic, working-class cuisine — have never struggled to fill their dining rooms.
Quenelles and brioche-wrapped sausages draw in locals and tourists by the thousands.
But a new breed of restaurateurs is beginning to cast a shadow by slashing prices.
Giant buffets, regional comfort recipes, unbeatable deals: in France’s gastronomic capital, the deck is being reshuffled — and tensions are rising.