9 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.

The Pichard family, keepers of this weathered centuries-old chalet, holds dear the inn's heritage of feeding and lodging stagecoach passengers and Alpine enthusiasts. In summer the front patio hugging the main street fills with boot-clad hikers reaching across platters of air-dried meats and mountain cheeses served with baskets of crusty, dark bread. The rustic structure has carved eaves with hand-painted designs, creaky floors, and old, rippled, handblown-glass windows. The change of seasons brings the crowd inside to sit on heavy wooden furniture eager to swirl ragged cubes of bread in fondue caquelons or scrape raclette and potatoes together on their plates. The menu also includes salads, meat dishes, and Rösti, but don't expect any fussy preparations.

The Auberge de Luins is beloved by locals and tourists alike—there is often a cluster of villagers gathered at the community table debating the quality of the latest vintage or regional politics.

A number of dishes are served at this narrow eatery, with entrances on the main street and the promenade, but the most-ordered is filets de perche. Served with a garden salad, frites, or pommes vapeur (steamed potatoes) and savory tartar sauce, it's a weekly routine for many families. Without a reservation in summer, you will have to wait for a table outside; two small dining rooms connected by an open kitchen have difficulty containing the faithful in any season.

All the customers seem to know each other at this traditional dining institution, where shared wooden tables and clattering china create the perfect ambience for fondue, mussels, sausage, or choucroûte (sauerkraut). Prominent members of Lausanne's arts community swarm here after rehearsals and concerts, as service continues until 11 pm—late by Swiss standards.

Once the main relais (stagecoach stop) between the Simplon Pass and Geneva, this vineyard spot is out of central casting, groaning with history and heady with atmosphere: Igor Stravinsky and Charlie Chaplin were among the artists loyal to its charms. The tiny wood-paneled pinte, where winemakers come to read the daily papers—with a pitcher of St-Saph, as they call it—and to devour the upscale plat du jour, is enticing, as are the adjacent, white-tablecloth salons and upstairs-attic-beamed grillroom. The staff hovers while day-tripping connoisseurs and repeat faithfuls sniff and roll perfumed wine over their tongues and savor exquisite dishes from the top-notch kitchen.

While driving the Route du Vignoble, you can sample the local wine and munch a few rich Malakoffs at L'Union.

After years of overseeing bubbling pots of fondue—the popular draw at this tiny eatery—the hand-painted murals and mirrors set in dark frames have a smoky patina. It's a casual neighborhood place where local wines are poured from pewter pitchers, and the people at the next table eavesdrop. Regulars favor the tender steak—entrecôte of beef or cheval (horse)—accompanied by an overflowing plate of fries or a half-moon of crispy Rösti.