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For a small city of only 125,000 people, Lausanne is a pretty hip place. There are two main reasons for this: One, by being a big promoter of culture and the arts, Lausanne stands out from decidedly non-artsy cities like Geneva or Zurich; and the second reason for the hip factor is that there are a lot of students in town who tend to liven things up regardless of where they hang out.
There are three or four absolute must-visit places in Lausanne. The most famous is probably Cave du Bleu Lezard where you will find the best live music, the coolest crowd, and fairly good food and drink with it. Don't be intimidated by the hordes of people wearing black. This is where both regulars and tourists soak up the atmosphere so jump right in. Two other famous places are Nyffenegger, also called Nyff and Le Cafe Romand , located side-by-side on Place St-François. Nyff is where to go for a super salad and a good people-watching seat; Romand is where people first frequent as teenagers and continue to frequent well into retirement. You must try their cheese fondue.
On a completely different price and prestige level is La Grappe d'Or , generally considered the best restaurant in town. You will spend at least CHF 100 (EUR 65) for dinner, most likely around CHF 150 (EUR 97), and that is just for one person. Well, if you are going to splurge, do so on the set dinner, and if you want the name but not the hefty price tag, visit this restaurant's little sister La Petite Grappe, which is cheaper. The Restaurant de l'Hôtel de Ville (Crissier) is world-renowned and obligatory for anyone who truly loves food. Also called Restaurant Girardet, it specialises in fine French cuisine for the most part, but other dishes are available, depending on what is in season.
For a late-night drink, head into L'Arlov Jazz but keep on walking because it is VO in the same locale that you want. Open until 4a, almost unheard of in Lausanne, order a single malt or a cocktail, sit back and hear the smooth sounds of jazz on jam night Wednesdays or DJs on the weekends. Free entry, cheap drinks, and good jazz. Hard to beat, for sure. But if you wanted to try, head to MAD or to the Loft Electroclub for long nights of dancing and drinking to very loud live music.
For calm evenings, other highly recommended places include: Ma Jong for expensive but excellent Chinese food, La Voile d'Or for good food with a great view of Lake Geneva, Le Cafe Theâtre for meat or fish dinner with the locals (plus live music at night), enjoy an omelette at The Fox Cafe and pre-movie fries and a cocktail at Art Zoo.
As a general rule, cafes, bars and restaurants located around Place St-François are trendy, fun, but overpriced; those situated in the Flon district or around rue Enning will be cheaper and funkier; establishments around Place de la Palud tend to attract the locals and are lower key. Finding a good meal in Lausanne is not a problem as most places take pride in serving fresh food. You are not likely to be disappointed regardless of where you head, expect perhaps by the cost, as food and drink are not cheap in this rather expensive city.
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