The Mediterranean beneath the cathedral

The last posts were quite rural, let’s go to the City this time. Not the one in London but the one in Lausanne, near the Middle Age historical center, just beneath the cathedral. At the end of the Bessières Bridge, stop at L’AO, which located in a sad-looking concrete building. Nonetheless, its terrace is a must in Lausanne. The big brown sofas and round tables are at the back of the building. Just make yourself comfortable and take your time. On the right, you overlook Rue St. Martin. On your left, you can see the cathedral’s spire. On the table, a nice glass of wine, because l’AO is also a winebar and lounge. If you prefer, there’s a nice modern room inside. But you will face two problems: the tables are quite close to each other and smoking is permitted everywhere.

But what should we eat, you might ask? Good question. The answer is more difficult: it’s a sort of fusion food, somewhere in between Mediterranean and oriental cuisine. The sea bass comes with banana leaves, the prawns gets a South American accent in a ceviche, the tuna is served as a spiced tartare with ginger and soya. If some of the names sound strange, the end product is good and the chef’s technique is very good. And the prices, you ask? Fair, with starters around 20 Swiss francs and main dishes between 30 and 36 francs. The service is professionnal, sometimes busy but very kind. And the wine cellar, very international, has some good bottles at low prices.

L’AO,  Pont-Bessières 3, 1005 Lausanne. Phone: +41 21 323 73 14. Closed on Sunday.