A traveler named Vignesh is planning a trip to Lucerne from October 23 to 25 and is looking for affordable food options. He's particularly interested in trying cheese fondue and needs recommendations on where to find it and eat on a budget.
Key takeaways:
Shop at Migros or Coop grocery stores for budget-friendly meals like salads and sandwiches.
Consider the cafeteria at Manor department store, which offers a great variety of affordable hot meals.
Look for buffet-style restaurants in larger centers, as they provide good value.
The Swiss Travel Pass is useful for exploring, but food in tourist areas is generally pricier.
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i will be travelling to lucerne from 23- 25 october…the food there seems to abit pricey…..where can i get so affordable food…. plus i would like try some cheese fondue, any recommendations?
thanks
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Your best bet for cheaper food is to shop at Migros or Coop grocery stores. They have salads, sandwiches and some hot foods as well. Manor department stores also offer excellent value in their cafeteria style restaurants.
I don’t have any specific restaurants for fondue in Luzern – perhaps check with your hotel (it won’t be hard to find) 🙂
Hi, just to follow up on Lucas, in larger centres, you may even find Migros and Coop buffet restaurants which are very reasonable. I haven’t been in Lucerne for ages but I was in Neuchâtel last week and plenty of such places are around. You won’t find a cheese fondue at one of them, so after you have saved on your other meals, you can go out and splurge at a place recommended by your hotel people.
I just checked and there is a Coop restaurant in the Lucerne train station (Bahnhof) and open until 10 PM. Also keep in mind that the Migros and Coop grocery stores are closed on Sundays, like most other stores.
<<” Also keep in mind that the Migros and Coop grocery stores are closed on Sundays, like most other stores.”>>
The exception to the closed on Sunday rules is, to varying degrees, stores catering to travelers needs in main train stations.
The best example (and the first one) is Shopville in Zürich Hauptbahnhof. ( main station). Wide open.
Other stations have tried to follow that example with varying success, because Sunday closings are a strong tradition and mandated by law in Switzerland generally. I am not sure to what degree the station in Luzern has succeeded in allowing stores to be open, but free standing restaurants and the pharmacy (die Apotheke) are open.
<<“The shopping centre at Lucerne station is open 365 days a year from early morning to late evening, offering a wide range of services and shops in a central location. Here you will find a pharmacy, takeaway outlets and various shops and services”>>
And, if Vignesh decides to splurge at a good restaurant, some are closed on Sundays and many are closed on Mondays.
The cafeteria in the Manor store in Luzern (level 5) is incredible. Great variety of food options, from full hot meals (we went twice, they advertised a duck special..it is cooked for you, as is the steak, you pick your vegetables and salads) …to baguettes, pasta, pastries…not only is it great value, it is central, has a lovely rooftop eating area should you have nice weather, and it is open all day, so no ‘restaurant hours’ restrictions ( we needed food after 2 pm and not much caters for the unprepared tourist 😀)
And, yes, the food in train stations is excellent, we often bought baguettes and pastries for our lunch. No soggy bread or plastic cheese…quality rolls, and fillings, and good value. Or we made a picnic from Coop items ( bread, cheese, berries, apple).
Thanks for that recommendation. I had have not yet tried the restaurant in the Manor department store in Luzern, so I looked it up with a Google search. I found lots of positive reviews for their “Manora” restaurant.
Looks like a really good option.
I frequently eat at the Rathaus Braürei beside the river. It is on the quai across the river from the Jesuit Church and under the old town hall. By the way, das Rathaus is the German word for the town hall, from “der Rat” which means “the council” or “the advice.”
It has really nice views and outdoor seating in good weather, and nice atmosphere inside. It has a few inexpensive items on its menu, although generally it is not a “cheap food” kind of place. Here is an example:
It is the custom in Switzerland for most restaurants to offer each day a “menu” (plat du jour) that is inexpensive by Swiss standards. So, be careful to ask for the card (die Karte) in the German-speaking regions, if you want the list of food. If you ask for the “menu” you might get the daily special meal. 😉
Reply 8 of 9 •
11 October 2017 at 21:32:46
#870719
You’re welcome, slowpoke.
It was an accidental discovery, having wandered through the Manor store in Solothurn looking for something else, we discovered their cafeteria. So figured they all had them. Arriving in Luzern after 2 pm with a hungry / grumpy 60 year old …seriously it was like travelling with a toddler, Manora to the rescue!
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