The morning before my soirée at Brasserie Lausanne-Moudon, a local friend told me to start fasting, “You will eat heavy, and you will eat well.” Moudon is known for hearty French brasserie fare like tender beef medallions sautéed in foie gras and all-day roasted veal knuckle. It’s the cuisine of red wine lovers and carne connoisseurs, the kind of people who like their meat falling off the bone and don’t care if their vegetables are cut à la julienne. While equally chic as other trendy restaurants around town, we found Moudon’s down-to-earth vibe and delicious but not-so-delicate food to be a refreshing change.
It’s no surprise that Moudon knows what its doing. Situated in the heart of the old city, in the Place du Tunnel, the brasserie has been around since 1896 and was an obligatory stop for travelers from the north of the canton. As the city has modernized, so has the restaurant, but its menu has stayed true to the authentic tastes of the Suisse Romande.
My date and I found it hard to decide what we wanted. La blanquette de veau, le sauté de veau, le jarret de veau? Or perhaps le tartare de boeuf, les minutes de boeuf, le filet de coeur boeuf? Oh là là, comment choisir ? With large plates paired with country-style vegetables and frites, it’s not the type of place where you can nibble on a little bit of everything. You commit to your plate (and to its price tag) and savor every bite. For those who prefer something smaller, the menu also offers “petite faim” options for several of its classic dishes. We ordered the petite version of the salade de chevre chaud to share and found it to be enough of an appetizer for both of us. The hot goat cheese glazed in fig preserves is to die for!
In my opinion, the elegance of the Moudon interior merits something chic n’ easy from your closet—comme ça, you will fit right in at the swanky bar. It’s a great spot to try a few Swiss wines: the house selections are straightforward and glasses are reasonably priced. Happy Hour is from 17:30-18:30 and dinner guests start showing up around 19:00. If you prefer table chat, we suggest going a little earlier. If you wait until 21:00, you will have to shout to be heard.
Without even trying too hard, Moudon is just downright classy–the perfect place to take a sophisticated guest with a taste for the heartier side of local cuisine.
By Kristen Gehrman
Lausanne Moudon
Restaurant Brasserie
Rue du Tunnel 20
CH-1005 Lausanne
+41 21 329 04 71
Wow, it really looks polished now there. I had only been there once, in December 2006, and it was still with its old deco. But I remember that the food was good.
Please review Chez Xu, too! I have been hearing about it many times, but never made it there. xx
The Lausanne-Moudon has also beautiful plateaux de fruit de mer in season – I only found out last winter!
Meta : Chez Xu is my favorite Chinese restaurant not only in Lausanne, but in the whole of Suisse romande.
Meta, it's on our list! We cannot wait to try it out! Will let you know how it is xx
Wow!! Now we really cannot wait to try it out! Any recommendations for plates to try at Chez Xu?
Sorry, missed your reply, I only see it now! I love the "Boeuf très piquant" (and it is indeed very spicy), a sort of beef stew with a spicy sauce and vegetables (sometimes a kind of cabbage, sometimes celery), and the "Agneau au cumin" (even though I usually dislike cumin) is totally addictive, strips of lamb sauteed with green onions, fresh chili slices and a kind of cumin I can't put a name on.