We know that this week has felt more like autumn than summer, but we feel confident that Lausanne still has a few terrace-worthy evenings (or weeks? let’s think positively) up her sleeves.
And with those evenings being potentially limited and extremely precious, we don’t want you to waste them on a mediocre dining experience. Enter the (not-so-secret) gem: Restaurant Thai au Lac.
Situated right on the water near the Vidy harbour, the terrace stretches out underneath a canopy of trees and umbrellas. On this particular evening, the tables were filled with couples, friends, families–smiling sun-kissed cheeks drinking cocktails and sharing generous platters, the smell of curry and garlic wafting in the air.
We started with the papaya salad (only suitable for those who aren’t scared of heat) and fried ravioli. We then split the lightly crusted beef, the prawns sautéed in Thai basil, and the Massaman chicken curry.
We have to be honest. We were a bit skeptical coming in, as places like this with such a gorgeous location often use the view as a crutch for the lack of taste. But the flavours! They were all there: the depth, the level of spice, the freshness. We wanted to drink the Massaman broth, the prawns were perfectly cooked, the crispy beef felt light and crunchy without being over-fried.
The grey blues of the sky gave way to a cotton-candy sunset; the waters calm and quiet and dark. The canopy of trees overhead lit up with coloured bulbs reminding us of the playful nature of summer. We were content.
And isn’t that what you aim for in a dining experience?
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Thai Au Lac
Avenue Emile-Henri-Jaques-Dalcroze 9, 1007 Lausanne
Reserve online with La Fourchette
The food here was a disappointment. Does not taste like Thai food. And does not taste like good Asian food neither.
Sorry you had a poor experience! Everything we ordered was exceptional–and we have some high standards for Thai 😉
Same here. First time I came to this restaurant I would think with such a nice place with great view on the lake they would have little incentive to make great food. I was totally wrong. I’ve been many time since then and the food is really great and authentic Thai. I’ve been to many Thai places in the Lausanne area and the food is among the top ones. I particularly like they lunch buffet. The only thing that could be better is the service which is not top.