Au Chat Noir

Should you book Au Chat Noir in Lausanne?

Yes, if you want a Michelin-recognised classic French meal at mid-range prices in a city where serious cooking usually costs considerably more. Au Chat Noir holds a Michelin Plate for both 2024 and 2025, which signals consistent technical competence without the three-figure-per-head commitment that Lausanne's leading tables demand. At the €€ price point, it sits in a small category of its own: recognised quality without the formality or cost of Le Berceau des Sens or La Table du Lausanne Palace.

The address — Rue Beau-Séjour 27, in the 1003 postal district — puts it on one of Lausanne's quieter residential streets, away from the lake-front tourist circuit. For a first-timer, that means you are booking this because you want good food, not because it appeared on a hotel concierge's shortlist. Google reviewers back that up: 4.6 stars across 343 reviews is a strong signal of consistent delivery at this price tier.

What to expect on your first visit

Au Chat Noir serves classic cuisine, which in a Swiss-French context means the cooking stays grounded in recognisable French technique rather than chasing modernist trends. Walk in expecting a room that reads as neighbourhood bistro rather than destination dining room: the visual register here is likely to be warm, unfussy, and built around the table rather than the décor. That is the right setting for this style of cooking.

Because no specific hours are confirmed in the available data, contact the restaurant directly before visiting to confirm service times , particularly if you are planning a late dinner. Lausanne's dining culture skews earlier than Paris or Lyon, and kitchens at mid-range venues in the city often stop taking orders by 9:30 or 10 PM. If you are arriving after a show, a work event, or a late train from Geneva, check ahead. Au Chat Noir's neighbourhood positioning suggests it operates as a genuine local restaurant rather than a late-night destination, so earlier bookings are the safer call.

For first-timers, the practical headline is this: booking is rated Easy, so you do not need to plan weeks in advance. That makes it a good option for spontaneous Lausanne visits where you want Michelin-recognised cooking without the advance logistics that Pic Beau-Rivage Palace or Hotel de Ville Crissier in Crissier require.

Value and positioning

The Michelin Plate is not a star, but it is a meaningful credential: it indicates the inspectors found cooking worth recommending, and for two consecutive years that signal has held. At €€ pricing, you are unlikely to find a better-credentialled classic French table in Lausanne at this cost. The comparison that matters most for your decision: if you want the higher-end French experience in the city, Jacques Restaurant at €€€ and Le Berceau des Sens at €€€ are both options, but you will pay noticeably more for the step up. Au Chat Noir makes sense if the Michelin endorsement matters to you but the full-spend tasting-menu format does not.

For broader context on how classic cuisine at this level plays across Switzerland, Colonnade in Lucerne and 7132 Silver in Vals represent the higher-budget end of the Swiss dining spectrum. Internationally, Maison Rostang in Paris and KOMU in Munich sit in a broadly comparable classic-cuisine register, though at different price points and in very different city contexts.

How it fits into your Lausanne trip

If this is your first time in Lausanne, Au Chat Noir works leading as a relaxed dinner early in the evening rather than a late-night finale. Pair it with the city's bar scene or the lake-front for the rest of the night. For a fuller picture of what Lausanne has to offer, see our full Lausanne restaurants guide, our full Lausanne bars guide, our full Lausanne hotels guide, our full Lausanne wineries guide, and our full Lausanne experiences guide.

Other Lausanne restaurants worth considering depending on your budget and format: 57° Grill for a different style, and Auberge de l'Abbaye de Montheron if you want a more scenic, out-of-centre setting. For Swiss fine dining at a higher tier, Schloss Schauenstein in Fürstenau, Cheval Blanc by Peter Knogl in Basel, and Memories in Bad Ragaz set the national benchmark.

The verdict

Book Au Chat Noir if you want Michelin-endorsed classic French cooking at an accessible price point without the planning overhead of Lausanne's top-tier tables. It is the right call for a mid-week dinner, a low-key special occasion, or any visit where you want quality without committing to a full fine-dining spend. Go early, confirm hours in advance, and keep expectations calibrated to the price tier: this is solid, recognised cooking in a neighbourhood setting, not a destination restaurant.