Cafe Beau Rivage - Elegant Dining on Beautiful Lake Geneva

During a two day visit to Lausanne, Switzerland we stayed at the Hotel de la Paix Lausanne.  It was in a great location and our balcony overlooked Lake Geneva and the Swiss Alps which was an awesome view and we will be posting a review of this lovely hotel soon.  First we need to tell about a great restaurant we found called the Café Beau Rivage.

The immediate area surrounding the hotel offered an expansive choice of cafes, restaurants and pubs and we dropped in on a few; however we were up the hill (way up) from the lake front and we wanted to check out what the lakefront had to offer in the way of places to eat and drink.  

After a relatively quick check on our laptop we decided to go to the Café Beau Rivage which is part of the Beau Rivage Palace Hotel.  The café is located on the Place du Port in an area called Ouchy which was originally a small fishing village nestled next to a 12th century castle, south of central Lausanne.  Ouchy is now a busy marina and lakeside resort.

We took a taxi from the hotel to the café and before we had travelled even halfway we both acknowledged that the decision to take a taxi instead of walking, which we had foolishly considered, was one of the best ideas of the day; yes it was that far.

The restaurant seating area, both inside and outside, had a sophisticated yet comfortable feel and we opted to sit outside since it was such a pretty day.  We were seated at a very nice table in an area that provided ample shade from the sun in a cloudless sky.  We could not have asked for better service as this was one of those places that the staff seemed to anticipate your wants and desires and they were there when you wanted them but they were never intrusive.

It would have been very difficult for me to decide on what I wanted due to the excellent selection on the menu except for the fact that steak tartar was one of the offerings and that is one of my favorite dishes.  Susan ordered beautifully grilled Veal Escalope with a creamy Sicilian lemon risotto and greens. 

A short time later while enjoying the view and the exceptional company of my wife a staff member approached the table with a small dish containing a single spoon, holding steak tartar, propped on a very small stylish support making for an elegant presentation. 

Out of the countless restaurants that I have ordered steak tartar this is the first time that I have been offered a taste and asked if I desired any change prior to serving my meal.  This particular dish rates in my top five servings of steak tartar and as I alluded to previously I have eaten steak tartar in many restaurants in a number of countries so as you can see I was thoroughly impressed with the dish.

We finished the meal with our favorite desert.  Scoops of vanilla and chocolate ice-cream with liquor poured on top.  I ordered Baileys and Susan chose Frangelico.  Heaven!  In fact we enjoyed them so much we forgot to take a picture!

After eating we walked along the lake shore and the vistas were amazing.  People were everywhere enjoying the beautiful day and if you’re ever in this area don’t miss the opportunity to be one these people living life large.

Café Beau Rivage is not inexpensive, but it is entirely worth a splurge because this elegant hotel cafe is beautiful, the location is fantastic, the service is excellent, and most of all, the food is delicious!