A restaurant on Place Kléber in Lyon

Madame Orsi’s Epilog

"Place Kléber is a setting impregnated with history: a culinary century of legend, of which we’re the proud standard bearer. In the heart of the 6th arrondissement, the Pierre Orsi restaurant can be found at the north-east corner of the square."
Geneviève Orsi

The pink stone façade gives the restaurant a unique charm, which through the seasons is infused with a surprising life of its own. The structure was the first in the 6th arrondissement, constructed by the 18th century Lyonnaise architect Jean-Antoine Morand.

An historic square in the heart of the 6th

The architect and urban planner Jean-Antoine Morand drew up the plans for the new neighborhood of Brotteaux, which in the 19th century began to be developed.

The Place Montgolfier, given its name in 1789, was renamed to Place Kléber in 1842. It was linked to its large neighbor on the banks of the Rhône river, Place Louis XVI, by the Grande Allée, which became the Cours Morand, extended by the Cours du Trocadéro, a name that disappeared in 1848.

During the first half of the 19th century, urbanization had slowly begun but already entertainments and events of various kinds were appearing. On and around the Cours Morand appeared cafés, guingettes, the playing of boules and outdoor performances.

While much has changed, a culinary tradition has been maintained over the last century, with 3 Place Kléber being home to many well-known names: Bonnarel, Vinet (1920), Schrebelen (1922), Villard (1925), Terrasse (1927/28). In 1926 the restaurant became “Au Chateaubriand,” remaining that until September 26, 1975, when it was transformed into what was to become its most illustrious incarnation.