Café de Ville

Café de Ville is a grand cafe-restaurant at Schwanenplatz 4 in Luzern, Switzerland, on the square beside the lake and the start of the old town. It serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and a daily brunch, so it works for almost any time of day. The cuisine combines Swiss cooking with cafe and brasserie classics. The best-known dish is the Entrecôte Café de Ville, the house steak that has become the emblematic order here. The menu also includes a club sandwich for lighter meals, and on weekdays the lunch offer features a daily changing plate, which is the practical choice for a mid-priced midday meal. The dining room has the open, busy feel of a grand cafe, with a steady flow of locals and visitors given the Schwanenplatz position near the lake boats and the Chapel Bridge. Noise levels are moderate to lively, dress is casual to smart casual, and the atmosphere is sociable rather than hushed. Prices are in the upper-middle bracket ($$$). The restaurant is open daily except Monday and public holidays; hours differ by meal, and visitors should confirm on +41 41 410 11 77, which is also the booking number. Reservation is advised for dinner, while breakfast and brunch generally work as walk-ins. Because the square is a major transit and tourist point, the busiest periods are midday and early evening in the summer season. Diners who want the house steak should plan dinner, whereas the weekday lunch plate gives a lighter and more economical introduction to the kitchen. The location also makes it an easy stop before or after a lake cruise.