Enjoying Lyon with a baby: our favourite spots

Eating with baby in Lyon

©

Little

As a worthy capital of haute cuisine, Lyon has a table set for every hungry visitor! The city is overflowing with fine dining spots to enjoy… even with baby.

• As cute as its name, Café Pimpon, in the 7th district, serves simple family fair surrounded by retro toys and vintage books.
• Up on the Croix-Rousse plateau you can enjoy the charm of Place Bertone while eating cupcakes and shortbreads at the Tonka tea room.
• Another top spot for gourmet toddlers (or babies) where pushchairs are no issue: Little Petits Gâteaux.
• If you fancy taking your toddlers to eat at an institution, head down to the Bouillon Baratte brasserie, ideally located in the 1st district, where children’s menus, booster seats and changing tables await them.
• If you don’t know what to pick, visit La Commune with its six varied and creative stalls to enjoy a culinary experience for all the family.

Cultural outings with baby

Who said that cultural venues were only for adults? Here are some other ideas for family outings in Lyon:

• At the Lyon Museum of Contemporary Art, on bichonne autant les bébés que les jeunes parents, avec des prêts de porte-bébés, des ascenseurs pour faciliter l’accès en poussette et des tables à langer à disposition.
• The same is true at Musée des Confluences where pushchairs can be borrowed from the changing rooms and baby-changing tables are accessible. The museum programme features regular fun, interactive story sessions for visitors aged 2 years old and over.
• Finally, movie lovers will be delighted to hear that the UGC Ciné-Cité Internationale organises “New parent” screenings every Monday at 2 p.m. Everything is set up just right for you to attend the screening with baby (free for babies under 10 months old).

Having fun with baby

Lyon is packed with places where parents and babies can enjoy activities together.

• We particularly love the programme at Ka’fête ô Mômes. This family-run café with several branches in Lyon puts on workshops all year round: baby massage, parent-baby dance, yoga for 2, etc. It’s also the perfect place for the baptism of fire of your first restaurant with baby!
• We also recommend the “introduction to music” sessions at the Auditorium de Lyon, for children from 3 months to 3 years old. A sensory introduction featuring nursery rhymes, music, and the chance to get their hands on some instruments.
• An alternative? Head to Le Laboratoire down on Quai Saint-Vincent in the 1st district, where Marie puts on painting sessions providing an introduction to art for babies from the age of 8 months.

©

Le Laboratoire

Walks with baby

©

Métropole de Lyon - Laurence Daniere

Lyon is overflowing with green spaces to delight small children (plus their parents who could often do with a little fresh air, too). The city’s leafy parks aren’t short on shade, toilets, fountains or playgrounds. These include Parc Popy, Parc Blandan, Parc de la Cerisaie, and Parc du Vallon. Obviously, the unmissable Tête d’Or has it all (including zoo visits, botanical garden, and merry-go-rounds, too).

Lyon’s gardens are also green spaces perfect for city walks with baby! Lyon has its fair share of great gardens: Jardin Rosa Mir, a poetic curiosity (though currently closed), or Jardin du Rosaire (but make sure to take a baby carrier as it’s a bit of a climb). This non-exhaustive list is fleshed out in our article focusing on Lyon's different playgrounds.

Swimming with baby

Babies have the ability to splash around in the water without a care in the world.

• So it’s the perfect period to dive headlong into L’Eau de Soie’s baby swimming activities. This unique venue located in the 9th district organises, from the age of 4 months, 40-minute introductory sessions in water heated to 34°C.
• Or there are sessions from 6 months old at Natespa, a sports centre for children and adults, in the 8th district.

Changing baby

As new parents there are addresses we slip each other with a nod and a wink because we know just how precious they are. What a relief to know that several of the city’s car parks now feature baby changing facilities!

• This is the case at the Cordeliers and Terreaux car parks.
• The Confluence’s baby facilities guarantee stress-free shopping. They are located on the shopping centre’s second floor, and feature a baby-changing table, microwave, and rest area.
• This is also true at the Part-Dieu centre, which has baby facilities on the basement, ground and second floors.
• The public toilets on Place Bellecour deserve a shout out, too.