2 Best Restaurants in Vaud, Switzerland

As if turning its back on star sibling Anne-Sophie Pic and the aristocratic Beau-Rivage Palace, which shelters both, this young, lively brasserie-café faces the lake and the Ouchy waterfront scene. Its flashy brass-and-Biedermeier dining area and bar fill with smart Lausannois and internationals enjoying trendy cuisine du marché. In summer the pillared terrazzo terrace (protected from embarcadero traffic by rose gardens) is the place to go.

Since the tragic loss of world-renowned chef Benoit Violier, his determined widow, Brigitte, has continued to oversee the three-Michelin-star restaurant, propelling it to even higher accolades. Chef Franck Giovannini is winning hearts—and stomachs—with his fresh twist on haute cuisine. Giovannini draws on his decade of experience with the famed chef to uphold the restaurant's well-earned reputation as one of the best in Switzerland. It's a quick drive west from Lausanne to this understated manse. The service is spectacular, the staff is friendly, and the food is absolutely stellar. Giovannini creates imaginative combinations of flavors plus stunningly refined presentations. For these finely orchestrated prix-fixe menus the ingredients are key—lamb raised in the Pyrenees, cardoons (an artichokelike vegetable) grown in the village. Pace yourself, making sure to leave time and room for selections from the immense cheese cart or celestial desserts. Reserve as far ahead as possible—lunch may be your only option.