Best Cafe, Bistro, Restaurant in . .
 

We will be in Lucerne the end of Sept. 2006.

What would be the best Cafe, Bistro, Restaurant in the following towns that would not be overly expensive? I realize it's more expensive in Switzerland. We are looking for traditional foods, not mexican, italian, oriental, etc. Here are the towns I know that we'll be in. . .

Zurich - day of arrival for a few hours
Lucerne & Merschlisachen - our base
Sursee - day trip (did find a place called Cafe Koller online - do you know it?)
Bueron, Triengen & Knutwil - day trip with Sursee

Possibly -

Zug and area
Brienz
Any town around Lake Luzern
Any place around Rigi, Pilatus, Titlus, Stanserhorn

If there is an especially good place in any town in the Luzern area where I've not mentioned a town, please let me know about it too.

We're looking for good food, good price, good atmosphere and would love a wonderful view.

Oh what about boats? Are there just "snack bars" on the boats or full restaurants? Can you take a dinner cruise? If so, please give me info on that too. So far, I can't find much on www.lakelucerne.ch.

Thanks!

Put Lucerne in the title and you will get more responses.
I have been listening to Rex. :)

Luzern has a number of good restaurants, ranging from more modest cost:
--Hotel Des Alpes restaurant (on the Reuss, great fondue, gemischtersalat, at one time Raclette, not on menu last time),
--Cafe Hug near Spreuerbrucke(Excellent Raclette, Roesti, and bakery goods)
--Hotel Schiff (on the Reuss, down a block or so from Des Alpes; good fondue and veal Geschnetzeltes)
--Fritzi (just around the corner from the Manor Dept Store--I liked the schnitzel)

To mid-price range
--Stadtkeller (across platz from Fritzi, with hokey swiss music & entertainment at lunch and supper, very fun even if it is tourist-oriented)
--Rotes Galler (fish and continental cuisine on the Reuss just past the Schiff--does have high priced items, too)

To quite expensive:
--The Old Swiss House next to the Bourbaki Panorama, with outstanding service, great Geschnetzeltes, Roesti, deserts, fine continental dining and a wine list that is incredible, but at a hefty price--worth it for a splurge)

I'm hungry just thinking about these places.

jn - thanks! But what is Geschnetzeltes? and gemischtersalat (some kind of salad but what kind)?

Sorry--better I should define terms, hey?

Geschnetzeltes is like a strogonoff dish--with veal/pork/or beef, noodles, mushrooms and a cream gravy. Here is a website with info and recipes for it, along with other swiss dishes:
http://goeurope.about.com/gi/dynamic.../www.about.ch/
Click on the "Culture" link and it will take you to a table of contents. Then click on the "food and some recipes" link.

Gemischtersalat is a mixed salad with tomatoes, corn, onions and other veggies, sometimes the white asparagus, various lettuces and with a tangy dressing (at least at the Des Alpes)

Although it's been a few years since we ate there, I will never forget the delicious food and the gorgeous views at the Hotel Sternen restaurant. It's located in Fluelen, directly on Lake Lucerne. We were there in the summer and ate outdoors. I still remember the eglifilets. Yum! I know you can drive there. I'm not sure but probably you can get public transport there as well. Highly, highly recommended.

In Zurich you might want to have lunch at the Zeughauskeller. You can't get more typically Swiss than this. You'll be seated at a long table with other diners, you'll be charged for the rolls by the number you eat. It's fun, very Swiss and good food as well. Here is the writeup from Fodors. We were just there last year and it continues to be good. We went for lunch and mostly there were locals, not tourists.

"Built as an arsenal in 1487, this enormous stone-and-beam hall offers hearty meat platters and a variety of beers and wines in comfortable Germanic chaos. The waitstaff is harried and brisk, especially at lunchtime, when crowds are thick. Unlike the shabbier beer halls in Niederdorf, this one is clean and bourgeois, reflecting its Paradeplatz location. They're not unaccustomed to tourists -- menus are posted in English, Japanese, and at least 10 other languages -- but locals consider this their home away from home."

You'll have fun and eat well wherever you go in Switzerland. We'll be there in mid June for three weeks and I am watching my weight now so that I can enjoy it all once I'm there.

Recommend you get a copy of the Marling Menu Master for Germany which will describe many of the menu items for restaurants in the German speaking region of Switzerland.

Sorry I haven't replied in a while. We were out of town this weekend and I've been too busy to get online.

JN- thanks for the link. I'll check it out.

Lenore1 - thanks for the tip. Charge by the roll? Boy am I in trouble!! :>

je - Can I get that online or will Barnes & Noble have it?

Most good book stores will have the Marling Menu books in the travel section.