Our applied-training environments : learning by experience
Faire défiler la pageAt Institut Lyfe, professional experience is at the heart of our “learning by doing” educational approach, which places real-life scenarios at the center of your education. Thanks to a unique ecosystem of application-based learning environments, you are guided by expert chefs and trainers and benefit from progressive, hands-on immersion in the professions within hospitality management, catering, culinary arts and pastry.
From your first year, depending on your chosen course, you will train in our restaurants, hotels, bars and shops – all in real operational conditions, serving real customers. This gradual exposure prepares you to take on management roles from your second year.
From Michelin-starred cuisine to street food, and from luxury to budget hotels, our application environments reflect the full diversity of the hotel, restaurant and gastronomy sectors, providing a comprehensive vision of their professions. By putting your skills to work, you’ll gain a genuine understanding of the realities on the ground, developing autonomy, agility, adaptability and professionalism. You’ll also get a deeper insight into the roles of the people you will manage during your career.
These real-world experiences act as stepping stones towards your end-of-year placements and promote rapid and long-term employment prospects (98% of graduates find employment within 6 months).
Joining Institut Lyfe means exploring every segment of the restaurant industry, covering a variety of cuisines and service formats. Every service, every project, every event is a unique opportunity to learn, to dare and to explore.
Our applied-learning restaurants
Saisons: star-studded excellence
France’s one and only Michelin-starred training restaurant, Saisons offers our students a unique opportunity to learn the intricacies of haute cuisine within a Michelin-starred restaurant that is also a Relais & Châteaux member. During your Bachelor’s studies, you will learn in an elegant and prestigious setting, alongside renowned chefs, including Executive Chef Florian Pansin, Meilleur Ouvrier de France Chef Christian Née and Pastry Chef Arnaud Montrobert.
More than just a restaurant, Saisons is a true springboard to outstanding careers in fine dining.
Pavyllon Lyon by Yannick Alléno and Institut Lyfe
From 2026, students will have the chance to gain experience in both the dining room and kitchen of the first restaurant-school under the Pavyllon brand by Chef Yannick Alléno (award-winning chef, two-time recipient of three Michelin stars). Adjoining our 5-star Le Royal training hotel, you will have the opportunity to master the most advanced techniques in cooking and pastry, modern sauces, extractions, fermentations, sugar-free innovations and the art of service and management as envisioned by Chef Alléno.
Expérience: innovation on the menu
Conceived as a true laboratory of culinary experimentation, the Expérience restaurant works closely with our Research Center, where innovation and customer experience are at the heart of each project. Within this incubator of ideas you will be able to test creative concepts, explore innovative culinary techniques and anticipate the trends of the future. Open to the public, this training restaurant enables you to design, manage and execute a complete restaurant service – combining audacity, creativity and professionalism.
La Table
Set at the heart of the emlyon business school campus, in Lyon’s 7th arrondissement, this Mediterranean brasserie offers generous, local cuisine with southern flair. In this 80-seat restaurant with terrace, you will develop your skills in real conditions, in the kitchen as well as the dining room, serving a varied clientele.
L'Atelier: a boutique experience
L’Atelier is the training bakery at Institut Lyfe, located on the emlyon campus and open to the public. This boutique outlet allows you to put into practice your know-how in bakery, viennoiserie, patisserie and delicatessen service in a real-world setting. You will learn how to produce, promote, sell and manage a quality sweet and savory snack offer, balancing production constraints and customer expectations.
F&B
The beating heart of our school, this training restaurant serves more than 500 students and faculty members each day. It provides experience in a high-volume restaurant environment, similar to mass or event catering, dealing with flow management, compliance with hygiene and safety standards, logistical forecasting, cost optimization and reduction of food waste. Here you’ll develop your sense of organization, operational rigor and ability to maintain high quality standards under pressure.
Square Flaveur
Contemporary and casual, this in-house restaurant is open to staff and students. Students and professionals collaborate to offer modern and creative cuisine along with friendly and welcoming service, in an atmosphere that celebrates sharing and good vibes. Depending on your chosen course and year of study, you’ll hold various operational positions in the kitchen and dining room, before moving on to management.
Rose Kitchen: street food restaurant
Rose Kitchen is our street food outlet. Conceived as an agile, lively and creative space, it allows our students to explore an essential segment of today’s food-service world, directly linked to consumer expectations of speed, accessibility, flavor and sustainability. During your work experience here, you will be introduced to the specific challenges of quality fast food: optimized production, product showcasing, fast-paced service and flow management.
Pop UP/Student projects
The Pop UP experiential space hosts the graduation projects of our third-year students in Culinary Arts. This is where the Capstone project unfolds, where students shape a pop-up restaurant from A to Z: creating the concept, developing the business and communication plans, deciding on the type of restaurant and decor, setting up partnerships, opening the restaurant to the public and more. You will dive into the world of entrepreneurship and restaurant management while working in a team with your classmates.
Our hotel schools
Le Royal 5-star: immersion in the luxury hotel industry
Hotel Le Royal, MGallery, located on Place Bellecour in the heart of Lyon, is Europe’s only 5-star training hotel. It embodies the Lyonnaise tradition and the French art of hospitality. Guided by experienced professionals, students on the Bachelor’s in International Hospitality and Restaurant Management gain hands-on experience from the very first year in key roles within the luxury hotel industry such as reception, housekeeping, room management and high-end customer service. In the second year, they will also be able to choose the hotel for managerial work experience.
Le Clipper student hotel-residence
Located on campus, Le Clipper is both a residence and an authentic training ground for our students on the Bachelor’s in International Hospitality and Restaurant Management. As a training hotel-residence, it offers immersive experience in the budget hotel sector. You will discover the workings of hotel operations and, from your second year, take on managerial responsibilities as you supervise first-year students (based on 2nd year choices).
Maison d’Anthouard (partner)
Maison d’Anthouard, a 4-star boutique hotel near campus, is a partner of Institut Lyfe. In this elegant and intimate setting, our students can develop skills in an environment where attention to detail is paramount. From reception management to the hotel restaurant and hosting corporate events and conventions, you will gain insight into the world of independent, character-driven hotels and the specific approaches they require.
Mercure Beaux-Arts (partner)
The Mercure Lyon Centre Beaux-Arts, a 4-star hotel belonging to the Accor group, is a partner of our school. In this bustling establishment, you will be required to work on reception, guest relations, logistics and brand standards in the context of a large international group. Rigor, responsiveness and a strong sense of service will be required to prepare you for the realities of the contemporary hospitality sector.
Our training bars
Rose Garden: bar and cocktail lounge
Located at the Château de la Roseraie on campus, the Rose Garden is a high-end cocktail bar open to the public. In this refined setting, you will immerse yourself in the world of premium wines and drinks, with a menu prepared by our trainer Alain Dauvergne, French Cocktail Champion 2023. You will learn the art of mixology, customer interactions and management of the complete bar offering.
Rose Bar
The Rose Bar, a café-bar within the school, is a friendly meeting point where students enjoy coffee, tea or pastries between classes. This lively place is a training space that allows you to learn in-service, supervised by experienced tutors. You will develop skills in order management, speed of execution and customer relations.
Mélibar: the art of the Barista
The Mélibar, our internal cafeteria, is the nerve center of the Paul Bocuse campus. Here you’ll learn the fundamental techniques for a barista and the art of bartending, while building managerial skills, as well as stress management during peak service times.
Additional applied-learning centers
Sommelier’s Cellar: training in oenology and wine service
The Sommelier’s Cellar – attached to our Michelin-starred Saisons restaurant – is a unique training space, dedicated to the art of wine, beverages and spirits. Supervised by leading industry professionals, including our MOF Sommelier Gaetan Bouvier, you will learn tasting techniques, wine service, establishment and management of a cellar, as well as the principles of food and wine pairing. A true laboratory of excellence, the Cellar prepares you to meet the highest standards of the profession.