Le Fraisier

Over the weekend, we finally took the time to visit one of our favorite little lunchtime holes in the wall in Lausanne armed with our cameras and notebooks. It has been months that we’ve wanted to tell you about Le Fraisier, but we kept saving it for a weekend when we could take the time to savor the food and each other’s company in a season of life where time has become our most rare and precious asset.

We’re so glad that we waited because being with a dear friend over a delicious lunch on a summer day in a city that we love…frankly, it doesn’t get much better than that.

We spent the better part of the salad course daydreaming about The Lausanne Guide and our hopes for this site. When the main dish arrived, we set to planning for the fall and couldn’t help but think back over the summer with nostalgia. By dessert we were giddy with ideas…

It’s not often that we have the luxury of a slow lunch together to be creative, and Le Fraisier was the perfect spot to seize the opportunity. The unassuming and yet eclectic ambiance was the perfect backdrop to inspire our imagination, and the simple, innovative dishes were themselves a reminder that thinking outside of the box can lead to beautiful discoveries…

Salty lentil salad paired with a cool melon soup; buffalo mozzarella served over watermelon, tomatoes and mushrooms; cooked apricot topped with a goat cheese mousse accompanied by the most perfectly roasted garden vegetables – the meal was a delight of fresh, local produce prepared in surprising ways.

The space feels like an art studio turned open kitchen with a few tables nestled into the remaining available room. The décor has an almost Alice-in-Wonderland-like quality bringing together garden-inspired whimsy, dainty teacups and doilies with a touch of retro. The result is a restaurant that is entirely its own.

Although our recent visits have been at lunch time, years ago we also attended a team building work event at Le Fraisier for a cooking lesson with colleagues. The memory of shrimp and passion fruit are vivid to this day. We were also delighted to learn that the restaurant is now open on Friday nights for dinner, which sounds like the perfect excuse to come and try one of their heartier meat dishes.

Located almost inconspicuously on steep Ruelle Grand St Jean, this little hidden gem is worth your time. We are rather confident that it will surprise you!

Le Fraisier
Ruelle Grand St. Jean 9
www.lefraisier.ch
021 625 31 92 (reservations highly recommended!)

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