Sometimes all you need after 24 hours of sightseeing and indulging in the food and drink of city is a well-dressed salad, and that’s exactly what my friend and I got two of at Les Enfants Terribles on our second night in Lyon. We had woken up that morning in surprisingly good shape after painting the town red in matching leopard tops the night before, surprisingly good considering the dinner of butter-laden lyonnais specialties at Daniel & Denise, Chartreuse and Chartreuse cocktails made by our buddy Clément at our beloved l’Antiquaire, and rounds of piquant Dijon mustard martinis at Soda Bar. We kept it light that day with just some oysters and frog at Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse and walked it off during our hike up to the Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière and through Vieux Lyon to the Fresque des Lyonnais.

We came across Les Enfants Terribles on touristy Rue Mercière somewhat accidentally and stayed for the traditional brasserie vibe and décor. The menu brings together all the usual suspects of insitutional lyonnaise cuisine: the oeufs en meurette, the quenelle de brochet, the andouillette and the pied de porc. There was also a veal sweetbread and wild mushroom cassolette which would have been my choice on another day. But on this evening we were craving something light, so we opted for two of their salads.

My friend got the Salade Lyonnaise, which came with two poached eggs, crispy smoked bacon and crutons on a bed of mixed greens. It looked delish (she did not share.) Meanwhile, I ordered the Salade de Foies de Volaille, which featured a generous dose of pan-seared chicken liver on a bed of mixed greens tossed in a Xeres vinaigrette. The livers were delicious, minimally seasoned with some salt and pepper to let the earthy, slightly metallic flavor shine through. They were plump, creamy and smooth, with the heart-warming heat wilting the greens underneath just enough. Yum.