Caféline

Villefranche Sur Saone, Auvergne Rhone Alpes · 55 mi / 89 km

Déli'Cat is a tea room and adoption cat cafe on Rue Pierre Morin in the centre of Villefranche-sur-Saône, the capital of the Beaujolais, about 30 minutes north of Lyon. The cafe acts as a foster home for cats from the association Nos Chouchous, based in Vénissieux, and the cats, chosen for their gentle and sociable nature, are all up for adoption. There is no entry fee, but everyone orders at least one item, including visitors who come only to meet the cats, and guests staying more than an hour to work or relax take a sweet or savoury set menu. The menu has organic teas, specialty coffees, cold-pressed juices, savoury dishes at lunch, pastries and ice cream. Reservations are not taken, groups are limited to six, and children under 10 are not admitted.

• Adoptable cats
• Walk-ins welcome

Besancon, Bourgogne Franche Comte · 63 mi / 102 km

Café des Félins is a cat cafe on Grande Rue in the historic centre of Besançon, inside the loop of the Doubs and a few doors from Victor Hugo's birthplace. Opened in April 2015, it was one of the first cat cafes in eastern France. Seven resident cats, named after characters from Les Misérables such as Gavroche, Fantine and Marius, live in the cafe; they are the cafe's own cats and are not up for adoption. They have a private room and an inner courtyard to retreat to, and the room is fitted out with climbing routes. Visitors read the house rules before entering: no waking, carrying, feeding or chasing the cats, quiet voices and no flash. Children under 12 are not admitted. The menu includes homemade cookies, tartines, milkshakes and teas, and there are board games. Booking online is recommended for groups, weekends and school holidays.

• Booking recommended

Lyon, Auvergne Rhone Alpes · 71 mi / 115 km

Le GentleCat is a cat cafe, tea room and restaurant on Rue Auguste Comte in Lyon's 2nd arrondissement, in the Ainay quarter a few minutes' walk from Perrache station and the Ampère–Victor Hugo metro stop. About ten resident cats and a rabbit live in the cafe and move freely between its rooms, sofas and mezzanines, so each has its own corner; the owners trained in feline behaviour and keep clear house rules such as not waking, carrying or feeding the cats. There is no entry fee, but every visitor orders something from the menu of teas, coffees, homemade pastries and savoury dishes, with brunch on Sundays. A coworking area is available during the day. Children under 12 are not admitted. The same team runs a boarding hotel for cats nearby on Place Gailleton.

• Booking recommended

Craponne, Auvergne Rhone Alpes · 72 mi / 116 km

T'ChaThé is a tea room and cat cafe on Avenue Pierre Dumond, the main street of Craponne in the western suburbs of Lyon, reachable by bus. It describes itself as the first bar à chats in the ouest lyonnais. The cats come from a partner association and most are up for adoption, while a couple have been adopted by the owner and stay on as residents. The 85-square-metre space has a quiet area and a games area, and visitors go through an entrance airlock where the house rules are posted. The menu centres on organic loose-leaf teas, also sold to take home, along with coffee, milkshakes and homemade snacks, and there are board games. Children of any age are welcome as long as they stay calm, which is rare among cat cafes in the area. The cafe is accessible to wheelchair users and runs regular activities.

• Adoptable cats

Annemasse, Auvergne Rhone Alpes · 77 mi / 124 km

Féline Idée is a restaurant and cat cafe on Rue Paul Bert in central Annemasse, close to the Swiss border and Geneva, and the only one of its kind in Haute-Savoie. Opened in June 2021, it hosts cats from the Refuge de l'Espoir in Arthaz, and the cats are available for adoption under the refuge's own conditions. Guests disinfect their hands on arrival and are seated in a dining room where the cats roam, nap and sometimes show interest in the plates. The kitchen serves homemade lunches and dinners with nothing frozen, plus desserts and an afternoon menu, and drinks come from local and organic suppliers. Children under 12 are not admitted, a rule set by the departmental authorities.

• Adoptable cats

Vienne, Auvergne Rhone Alpes · 87 mi / 140 km

Le Chat'Puccino is an independent cat cafe and tea room on Rue de la Table Ronde in the centre of Vienne, in the Isère south of Lyon, with a small wooden terrace out front. Its cats include permanent residents and foster cats from a local association that are waiting for adoption, and recently kittens have joined the group of about six. The menu has specialty coffee, selected teas, mocktails and homemade pastries such as cookies and chocolate fondant, with a homemade savoury lunch. On Friday and Saturday evenings the cafe serves aperitif boards, and it hosts game nights, talks and other events; board games are available at any time. Booking ahead is recommended. The cafe works with local producers and is accessible to wheelchair users. It is open five days a week and closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

• Adoptable cats
• Booking recommended