The Best Restaurants in Lucerne

In the Colonnade at the Mandarin Oriental, Art Nouveau splendour meets French fine dining. Artfully prepared classics or a tasting menu are served under high marble ceilings. The world-class wine list leaves nothing to be desired.

Since May, guests at the KKL restaurant "Lucide" have been welcomed by a new team. After six years, Michèle Meier has handed over the management of the kitchen to Maximilian Huber. His focus is on products from the Alpine region and an appreciation of their producers. A glance at the menu shows that guests can still order à la carte as well as from the menu. The menu starts with the amuse-bouche: a creamy shrimp tartare is hidden under a cream cheese foam, accompanied by tomatoes and crispy kale. Next up is the "Beet tartare", a dehydrated beetroot tartare with caper mayonnaise, crispy brioche potato chips, wafer-thin horseradish and Belper tuber. The name of the meatless tartare makes people smile. Huber explains that his aim is not to lecture with a meatless tartare, but to inspire guests and surprise them with new flavors. In the second course, Huber once again demonstrates his skill with vegetables. Carrots take center stage: once braised, once pickled, served with kimchi, puffed buckwheat and a nut butter hollandaise. This is followed by Swiss salmon trout on hay beurre-blanc with Alpine caviar and pickled fennel. In the main course, beef entrecôte from Haus Luma is served, accompanied by a hearty potato espuma, crispy fried onions and potato skins. To finish, the aromas of raspberry, goat's milk, thyme and white chocolate merge and allow us to feel the intense flavors of summer once again.

Right on the lake, Olivo serves Mediterranean cuisine with an Italian accent. Fish, pasta and antipasti become little holiday moments with a view of the water and mountains. An extensive wine list rounds off the experience - Lucerne can feel very southern here.

Lunch or dinner here is an experience for fans of art and cuisine. Not only was part of the interior designed using a 3D printer, but the menus are also conceptualised. The dishes look beautiful and taste wonderful at the same time.

Shooting star Robert Steuri brings a breath of fresh air to the historic Maihöfli: his menus combine precise craftsmanship with a fine sense of flavours, whether classic or vegan. In the stylish old building, the cuisine is so innovative that the city of lights is taking notice in gastronomic terms.

Omakase culture gives the chef the power to decide on the composition of the menu. The exquisite multi-course meal is prepared in front of the guests using traditional techniques and takes you on a gastronomic journey to the Far East. The sake selection is superb!

Klingler's in Lucerne is a classic upscale Italian restaurant that places great value on quality. At the weekend, sushi is added to the menu - a bold second signature that brings variety without contradicting the philosophy of the establishment.

Nadine Baumgartner and Oscar de Matos are back in Lucerne and more curious than ever. Word has got around that Japanese and Spanish accents influence the food. The café serves speciality cakes in the afternoon and mutates into a wine bar in the evening.

Everything is just right here: the view of the water and mountains as well as the Mediterranean cuisine with international accents, whether à la carte or as a three- to six-course menu. The creative creations are convincing in their entirety. The ambience is stylish and the service warm. Pure relaxation.

The new outlet is strategically located in the "Hotel Schweizer-hof". Anyone strolling through Lucerne, on foot or by car, will almost always pass one of the city's classiest hotels. The "Vico" is advertised on the website as a lifestyle brasserie, which is not to be taken too seriously. The atmosphere is elegant, the comfortably upholstered benches and stucco on the high ceiling are enticing, there are different table arrangements, the seating is wonderful and often with a view. If that's what is meant by lifestyle - here you go! Perhaps the way the restaurant's website highlights the names and visuals of the senior staff should also be understood as lifestyle: Claudia Alves Ribeiro, is hostess, Stefan Ritter is head chef. What is also advertised are the Bordeaux wines on the wine list. And indeed, there are quite a few on the wine list, as well as an unusual depth of vintage. Château Batailley from 2020 and 2015, Lafite-Rothschild many times over up to the mythical 1982 and many, many more. As far as prices are concerned, you can pick up a few bargains, especially with older bottles. And while we're on the subject of "cheap": The lunch menu is anything but expensive, and the à la carte offerings are also fairly priced. Especially as our lobster bisque contained succulent pieces of crustacean and the veal tartare was pleasantly seasoned with tête de moine, caramelized nuts and Pommery mustard; the crispy pieces of bread made us happy. The fact that the tiramisu then seemed a little harmless: no problem. Next time we'll have "Millefeuille de la Maison" and a glass of mature Sauternes to go with it.

The Barbatti is as much a part of Lucerne as the Löwengraben and the Chapel Bridge. It serves delicious, nostalgic Italian cuisine. Thanks to dishes such as carpaccio di manzo, spaghetti alle vongole and scaloppine al limone, you can dream yourself away on holiday here.

The Old Swiss House is an institution in the heart of Lucerne. The historic building is a living history and a place of fine cuisine, where traditional dishes are skilfully combined with modern elements. The wine cellar stores 30,000 bottles.

At Restaurant Reussbad in Lucerne, French style and precision craftsmanship dance on the same plate. From lobster highlights to truffle season and game in the autumn; seasonal ideas, neatly presented. Plus service that creates closeness without being intrusive.

The cuisine at Sauvage im Wilden Mann is in no way inferior to the ambience. Within historic walls, Swiss classics such as Lucerne Chügeli pasties are skilfully and refreshingly paired with flavours from all over the world. Excellent gourmet cuisine.

The Jazzkantine is Lucerne's stage for uncomplicated cuisine and concerts. International influences meet local ideas, served in an open, lively space. Those who come here want to eat, drink and listen - and experience the city from its relaxed side.

Here you eat with a view that is hard to beat: Lucerne's old town, the lake and the Alps lie before you like a painting. Seasonal specialities alternate on the plates, sometimes from the region, sometimes from the Mediterranean, always finely balanced and carefully presented.

At Drei Könige, cosy Bruchquartier charm meets honest cuisine. Seasonal ingredients land fresh on the plate, accompanied by crusty bread and delicious desserts. If you like, you can round off the evening with a glass of wine from the small but fine menu.

In Lucerne's picturesque old town, the Brasserie Bodu serves up savoir vivre. Bistro classics, oysters and a wine list that bears the signature of a true connoisseur make this address a constant in Lucerne's gastronomic landscape.

Casa Tolone serves up Italian specialities: homemade agnolotti, freshly caught fish from Lake Lucerne and over 500 wines from the restaurant's own vinoteca are on the menu. On the pergola terrace, Lucerne tastes a little like Liguria.

Located directly on the River Reuss, this restaurant combines historical architecture and modern cuisine. The French-Mediterranean menu attracts locals and hotel guests alike. Wonderful grilled specialities and even a tasting menu are on offer.