Right in the middle of the small village of Bursins, near Rolle, Le Soleil (The Sun) offers a good choice. Head to the right hand side of the building, you will enter a nice café, where small statues of cooks decorate the walls in between newspaper banner posters where the chef noticed a joke. The atmosphere is cordial, with nice tablecloths and two young women to help you choose your dishes. At midday, the menu will cost 23 Swiss francs, which is nothing if you look at what you’ll find in your plate. In the evening, some pasta, fish and meat dishes are perfectly done, with that special taste of grande cuisine. This is quite normal: Jean-Michel Colin, the chef, once seconded Frédy Girardet, the first three stars of Switzerland. For more then 20 years, Colin forged his own path, with pleasure and talent.
In Bursins, choose your side
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.
Smell the lake
Let’s assume that the summer will be short in Switzerland this year. I know, it happens too often. 
Every day of summer we get should be used as best we can! A good way to use one of them would be to book a table on the huge terrace of “La Clé d’Or” in Bursinel, near Rolle, and taste Fabrice Joyet’s Mediterranean cuisine. First reason: the terrace is just breathtaking, facing the French Alps and dominating the vineyards and the lake. Another is that no noise will disturb you here, as there are no cars in the neighborhood, nor a train whistling while you’re eating. Perhaps just one or two kids playing in the garden, if you can stand that!
Keep it simple
I don’t know if I should give you this address. It seems that a lot of expats know it already, if you listen to the conversations in the restaurant: English is quite often heard… But Le Pointu has kept its soul as a meeting place in that small village, where winemakers and commuters live together. On my right, a long drinking room (where you can eat as well). On my left, a small dining room. And, on the sidewalk, next to the entrance, the smoking section… Everything is natural, even the smiles of the waitresses.
Luxury at its best
Let’s begin with an exception, I mean an exceptional restaurant near Neuchâtel. Built for the Swiss National Exhibition in 2002, the Palafitte Hotel was just dropped onto the lake, with rooms and suites on stilts, private jacuzzis and a private staircase to go swimming directly from your terrace. Is it expensive? Yes, indeed. But the modern design and the rare location could explain the rates (680 Swiss Francs per night, without breakfast). Maybe you would like to savour a taste of luxury while saving some money? Just go and eat in Le Colvert, the Palafitte’s restaurant. A big dining room facing the lake with huge bay windows. An extraordinary terrace built like a boat deck. All that’s needed is nice weather to appreciate it . We heard that summer will arrive on July 16th in Switzerland… and end the next day…
One day in Cully
When I grow up, I want to live in Cully. Cully is a big village (or a small town) between Lausanne and Vevey. Everybody knows everybody and you have to drink a glass of wine with the other residents at least once a week. And, finally, Cully has a lot of very good restaurants. How could I live anywhere else?
