I’ve only been living here in Lausanne for six months, but as an enthusiastic eater, it’s been long enough for me to delve into the city’s restaurant scene and come out with a few favourites.
So here are my tips for a tasty experience in Lausanne, whatever your mood. I’m not including prices because let’s face it, in Switzerland everything is expensive. But you can assume that if I’ve tried it, it’s not at the upper end of the scale:
For steak: Café de Paris in Place St François nearly took the crown, thanks to its delicious buttery sauce, until I discovered Churrasco on Rue de Bourg. Their set menu includes a green salad followed by three cuts of tender cow (choose your weight depending on your capacity for guzzling) and either crispy fries or a baked spud. Plus you get corn bread with an addictive herby dipping sauce I ate so much of I nearly couldn’t manage my steak. The Argentinian merlot wasn’t bad either. It’s all served in a lively and inviting atmosphere (definitely a winter place), and if you play your cards right they’ll offer you free limoncello to finish. Bonus.
For pizza: This is a tricky one. I love the Brasserie Artisanale du Chateau for its appealingly dingy atmosphere and its home-brewed beers, but the pizzas, while pleasingly diverse in topping combinations, are a bit too salty for my liking. Then there’s Chez Mario, the first pizza restaurant in Lausanne and a bit of an institution. High quality pizzas, but the graffiti-strewn walls just make me feel like I’m in a public toilet. Round the corner is the characterful Da Carlo, run by the friendliest Italians in town… but the gong has to go to Gigio’s for delicious pizzas in a rather classy atmosphere. As something of a pizza aficionado, I’m open to trying others, so send your suggestions my way.
For a chilled out night with friends: Right now I’m loving Cafe des Artisans on Rue Centrale. It’s filled with students and young professionals, it has cheap wine (4CHF a glass!) and the menu, if rather slim on choice, is very satisfying, ranging from wraps and burgers (with amazing skin-on chips) to classy fish dishes with veg cooked to perfection.
For classic Swiss: I have to say, my choices in this area are rather limited, owing to the fact that I have a dairy allergy and Swiss food isn’t Swiss if it doesn’t come with lashings of cheese and butter (yes, this wasn’t the best place to move to I know). However, I did find myself at La Pinte Besson, the oldest pub in Lausanne (worth a visit just to check out the impossibly steep staircase to the loos), faced with a menu of Swiss specialities. Avoiding the fondue, I instead sampled a rather tasty papet vaudois, sausage with a concoction of mushed leeks and potatoes in what was probably a butter sauce (see, it’s hard to avoid). It doesn’t sound that great, but it was. And my friends assured me that the moitié-moitié fondue was up to scratch too.
For a burger: There’s something of a burger-off in Lausanne at the moment, but my favourite is Holy Cow, which comes close to the burger-as-special-treat type places I left behind in London: artisan bun, juicy homemade burger and a selection of sauces and toppings to choose from, my favourite being the barbecue sauce.
For a cuppa: Café de Grancy, behind the train station, is a wonderful place to while away an afternoon with a cup of tea and a book. Freelance types like myself can pretend to work, because there’s free wi-fi, while groups can take advantage of the cafe’s endearingly tatty board games. I haven’t eaten here yet, but I guess it’s tasty, because when I once turned up a little early for my mid-week afternoon tea I could hardly get a seat due to the lingering end of the lunch rush. The cheek!
For a glass of wine: Frankly, I’m not telling you, because it’s a small place and I’ve twice been turned away because they didn’t have room for me. So sorry, find your own favourite.
For a quick lunch: If there’s one thing Switzerland (or at least Lausanne, let’s not generalise) hasn’t got right, it’s the humble sandwich. Lacking in imagination, filled with limp lettuce and nearly always involving gherkins, the Swiss sarnie is best avoided (apart from at the small cafe attached to the Etoile Blanche pub, which does rather tasty filled baguettes without a gherkin in sight – but then it is run by an Englishwoman). Anyway, hurrah for an exciting alternative! The newly opened Mexican Amigo Taco on Rue Marterey is a great lunch stop offering a set menu comprising three tacos (you choose which, from a selection of nine meat, fish and veg taste sensations), plus tortilla chips and dips (guacamole or frijoles) and a drink for 15CHF. And it’s blooming tasty too. The problem is, it only has a few seats so functions best as a takeaway. So don’t all go there at once – and hands off the window seat.
For Thai food: Help! I am yet to find a decent Thai restaurant in Lausanne, and seeing as Thai food is one of my favourite things to eat, I am rather desolate. All suggestions welcome.
Agree? Disagree? Let me know what you think of my picks and add your own in the comments section below.
Swiss Picks 