Lugano Swiss Bistro

This was a special and unique eatery experience. We totally loved this place. We love exploring and this place did not disappoint!! Come by and give them some love 💗

+3

One of our Favorite places- in the Barnyard- very cozy, decorated with Swiss clocks, artwork, hand- carved wood. Great goulash, baked onion soup, schnitzel with spaetzle, as well as fondues. Family run, great service, fair prices

We needed a quick stop for lunch and called a few minutes in advance. They were waiting for us and served us quickly and the food was fantastic! Decoration was really nice. One of the hosts had some really great jokes too! Looks like it would be cozy and a bit more formal for dinner. Everyone was so nice. Highly recommended!

Wonderful restaurant. Live music on Tuesdays. Nice people. Good food. The fondue sampler is great value.

+5

Absolutely delicious. I sat outside in beautiful weather and had the best onion soup I've ever eaten. Fantastic service, great food (even the butter is amazing), and very reasonable prices.

The place was cozy and with a lot of Swiss accents. Food was really delicious. There was a wall with celebrity signatures

Called in on Friday evening. Had the fish and chips as they were recommended by a friend Absolutely lovely, the fish was cooked in a light crispy batter. All washed down with two glasses of Warsteiner Dunkel beer.

Three of us stopped by this charming restaurant and our server was attentive and able to tell us the history of the restaurant when we asked. It was a pleasure to be waited on by someone who enjoys working there! I see why. The service from the kitchen was timed perfectly. After our appetizers we were served our piping hot, delicious meals we're presented. I had Geschnetzeltes, and the others ordered Schnitzel and Jager Schnitzel. All three were plum full of flavor. We were served enough to take home to enioy the next day. Such a yummy treat. I highly recommend this restaurant if you're in the mood to visit Switzerland! It was a fun evening!

With the closing of Matterhorn in San Francisco, it became much harder to get our fondu fix. Then we discovered Lugano. There are 'fondu restaurants' but the real stuff is not particularly common. Not only do they feature a pleasant selection of the gooey goodness, they offer a great menu for the cheese refusenik. The schnitzel is nice and the onion soup gratinee is generous and well prepared. Good wine list, good value for money. Bring Fido - Lugano is super dog-friendly. Gratifying service.

We love Luganos bistro! Very sad to hear it will be closing down soon.

Congenial surroundings and delicious tastes from the Swiss alps. For our dinner we ordered risotto with mushrooms and Jaeger schnitzel. Generous portions and very filling.

This place is really cute! We ate at an outdoor table with our dog and it had such a cozy feel, like a little cabin! The fire at the table kept us warm and we decided to do the fondue sample menu. We loved the cheese fondue, nothing was left in the pot. The meat was really good too. My husband is French and we’re used to meat fondue cooked in oil, but this was a nice change. We actually preferred the broth it was served with over oil. It was much tastier! Of course we enjoyed the chocolate also. Overall, a great meal that we truly enjoyed! Super cute ambiance and we will definitely come back when we come back to Carmel!

Whenever my husband and I go on vacation in Carmel we absolutely have to eat here!! We’ve been eating here for several years now and the food has always been consistently delicious. The service is great also.for an appetizer I highly recommend the Original Swiss Raclette Cheese. My mouth is watering just thinking about it YUM! It’s served melted over boiled potato slices. For a small charge you can add sausage. I don’t particularly care for the sausage with it but my husband loves it on there. Such a simple dish but packed with so much flavor. We can’t pass that up as an appetizer every single time we go there! The Swiss Onion Soup is wonderful as well, with a slightly different flavor as a French Onion Soup. The bread they serve is so fresh but watch out that you don’t get too full from it that you can’t eat your entree! My husband loves all the variety of Schnitzels they have. Their Spätzli is one of my favorites. We love sampling several dishes whenever we go there so we usually get about 2 appetizers and just one entrees to split. Sometimes we have room for dessert but sometimes we don’t ha ha. I guess we could always get one to go, right??!! This is not a fancy place so you can definitely dress casual but it’s not an inexpensive one either, so plan on paying an average of $100+ per couple. But trust me, it’s so worth it!

Very nice and cozy place for a relaxed dinner. The outdoor seating area is not huge but we managed to fit our two big dogs. Waiter is very friendly to our dogs. They even had a doggie menu and we ordered steak and carrots for our puppers!

The Jäger Schnitzel was perfect! The mushroom gravy was just right, reminiscent of Bavaria, and the cutlet was tender and juicy. Great price for a .5 liter of good Köning Pilsner. Service was outstanding. I’d say this place is a must-visit if you want a fantastic meal! Everything was served at the perfect temperature, so extra points.

Julio is an amazing server. He was so attentive and helped with my daughter's birthday cake I brought in. Please go patron this place while you can, they will unfortunately be closing at the end of the year.

This is a really great place for a fun night with family and friends. The staff are very friendly and the food is fantastic. We had a groupon for a swiss fondue appetizer for 4 with 4 wines or beers. The fondue came with bread, broccoli, cauliflower and green apples. We were pretty full after that but got entrees as well. It is a little pricey but the portions are huge and the food is fresh and delicious. The place has charm with its Swiss theme and decorations. There is indoor and outdoor seating. Parking is free.

I had dinner here for the first time last May. I love schnitzel; and the schnitzel tasted incredible at this place! The Swiss Matterhorn dessert was heavenly! I hope to bring my dad here soon. I will definitely try the cheese fondue next time.

Good German food. Seated outdoors so our sweet dog could dine with us, even had a dog menu. I would recommend this place especially to people with dogs.

Wonderful little restaurant that we've wanted to try for a while. We shared the cheese fondue as a starter. My wife had the shrimp scampi and scallops on risotto and I had the sausage platter with spatzli (it's a lightly browned pasta) and vegetables. There were three sausages: veal bockwurst, German bratwurst, and Garlic. All were delicious. We enjoyed a very nice Cabernet (Brassfield) and finished off the meal with a shared creme brulee. Needless to say, we were stuffed. The atmosphere was very nice with lots of decorations (like huge cowbells!), and other fun things to look at. We will definitely go again and try some of their other fare. Highly recommended!

My first fondue experience. I had the sampler and was not disappointed. They also serve some imported beers in "das boot" for all you fans of Oktoberfest. The apple strudel dessert was also delicious.

Best Swiss gourmet on the Monterey Peninsula!

Exceptional experience. The food is authentic and delicious. We had the Swiss onion soup and schnitzel. Unbeatable flavor and outstanding service. Would come again!

A bit out of your way if you are visiting Carmel-by-the-Sea, but the place is sure delightful. Interior is definitely distinct from causal dining in California - wooden wall and lots of cute Swiss-themed decoration all over the place. My Swiss husband and mother in law approved the food :) My bratwurst was tasty and the portion was great.

We come here every time we visit Carmel by-the-sea. Great food and Julio provides great service 👍Tried the Swiss Pastetli and it's awesome. Their Jager schnitzel, Swiss cheese fondue and goulash are awesome.

We had a fantastic lunch at Lugano. Enjoyed both the cheese fondue and chocolate fondue. There are also kids' options, so it was perfect for our family. The food was delicious and the service was impeccable. The server was very friendly and professional. The decor is really cute and very Swiss! We went on July 4, close to opening time, and it was mostly empty since a lot of people were at the local holiday festivities. A lot of customers came in as we were finishing up lunch. Not sure how busy this restaurant is on a normal day, since it was a holiday. Well worth the visit if you're in the area.

Earl Fuller

The Jäger Schnitzel was perfect! The mushroom gravy was just right, reminiscent of Bavaria, and the cutlet was tender and juicy. Great price for a .5 liter of good Köning Pilsner. Service was outstanding. I’d say this place is a must-visit if you want a fantastic meal! Everything was served at the perfect temperature, so extra points.

Casey McIntosh

Julio is an amazing server. He was so attentive and helped with my daughter's birthday cake I brought in. Please go patron this place while you can, they will unfortunately be closing at the end of the year.

Sam Robinson

This is a really great place for a fun night with family and friends. The staff are very friendly and the food is fantastic. We had a groupon for a swiss fondue appetizer for 4 with 4 wines or beers. The fondue came with bread, broccoli, cauliflower and green apples. We were pretty full after that but got entrees as well. It is a little pricey but the portions are huge and the food is fresh and delicious. The place has charm with its Swiss theme and decorations. There is indoor and outdoor seating. Parking is free.

Andra Erdei

I had dinner here for the first time last May. I love schnitzel; and the schnitzel tasted incredible at this place! The Swiss Matterhorn dessert was heavenly! I hope to bring my dad here soon. I will definitely try the cheese fondue next time.

Sopa Gyurme

Good German food. Seated outdoors so our sweet dog could dine with us, even had a dog menu. I would recommend this place especially to people with dogs.

Rory Benedict

Wonderful little restaurant that we've wanted to try for a while. We shared the cheese fondue as a starter. My wife had the shrimp scampi and scallops on risotto and I had the sausage platter with spatzli (it's a lightly browned pasta) and vegetables. There were three sausages: veal bockwurst, German bratwurst, and Garlic. All were delicious. We enjoyed a very nice Cabernet (Brassfield) and finished off the meal with a shared creme brulee. Needless to say, we were stuffed. The atmosphere was very nice with lots of decorations (like huge cowbells!), and other fun things to look at. We will definitely go again and try some of their other fare. Highly recommended!

Stephanie Nam

A bit out of your way if you are visiting Carmel-by-the-Sea, but the place is sure delightful. Interior is definitely distinct from causal dining in California - wooden wall and lots of cute Swiss-themed decoration all over the place. My Swiss husband and mother in law approved the food :) My bratwurst was tasty and the portion was great.

Ron Clonts

My first fondue experience. I had the sampler and was not disappointed. They also serve some imported beers in "das boot" for all you fans of Oktoberfest. The apple strudel dessert was also delicious.

Lynn Stockman

Best Swiss gourmet on the Monterey Peninsula!

K B

Exceptional experience. The food is authentic and delicious. We had the Swiss onion soup and schnitzel. Unbeatable flavor and outstanding service. Would come again!

LoRi TeS

We come here every time we visit Carmel by-the-sea. Great food and Julio provides great service 👍Tried the Swiss Pastetli and it's awesome. Their Jager schnitzel, Swiss cheese fondue and goulash are awesome.

Jen K

We had a fantastic lunch at Lugano. Enjoyed both the cheese fondue and chocolate fondue. There are also kids' options, so it was perfect for our family. The food was delicious and the service was impeccable. The server was very friendly and professional. The decor is really cute and very Swiss! We went on July 4, close to opening time, and it was mostly empty since a lot of people were at the local holiday festivities. A lot of customers came in as we were finishing up lunch. Not sure how busy this restaurant is on a normal day, since it was a holiday. Well worth the visit if you're in the area.

Julie DiMaio

Amazing schnitzel. The roesti potatoes are like really good hash browns with some bacon. The side salad is light and fresh. My only complaint is that I didn't have room for the Matterhorn for dessert.

Grace Marquez

I'm glad this cute lil place is still in Carmel. I came here when I was younger and just came here on a date night. Service always seems so warm and at a leisurely pace. The aesthetic is so cute and very..Swiss! I feel like I'm at a little restaurant in Switzerland haha. A lot of cool pics and chingaderas too. Nice selection of entrees and also a few options for the fondues. It's awesome to do the 4 course for 2 people, there was so much food and great memories. Inside seating is spread out enough to still feel intimate but we sat outdoors with the little fire pit and heaters and it's awesome

What a most amazing experience! The food was top notch and the ambiance was great! I would recommend this place to everyone. The Fondue Sampler is the move.

Never been to a fondue place before, decided to take a shot at it here at Lugano's and my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience! We don't come to the area often but next time we do, lugano's forsure will be a place we return to. The restaurant has an atmosphere unlike any other with a wonderful staff that made sure we understood how things worked.

The best swiss restaurant I went to since a long time. 100% real swiss feeling. I am from Bienne Switzerland and can say it brought me back 30 years ago. You should definitely put it on your schedule if you in the neighborhood.

S A Kelly-Smith

One of our Favorite places- in the Barnyard- very cozy, decorated with Swiss clocks, artwork, hand- carved wood. Great goulash, baked onion soup, schnitzel with spaetzle, as well as fondues. Family run, great service, fair prices

Betty L

This is a unique restaurant that make you think you are in Switzerland. The decoration was very Swiss. The food was great. We ordered onion soup, raclette, ham & cheese sandwiches, a Swiss noodle (forgot the name) and chocolate fondue with fruits. Very delicious. The service was great and the ambience was impressive and serene. The price was also reasonable. An excellent dining experience.

Get the Swiss onion soup! It's salty but I loved it. So good. The cheese fondue was yummy and fun too. You can share one portion, which was plenty with another entree to share

+2

Tucked under what looks like a water tower, we followed the signs to the front entrance. We passed a few outdoor dining tables before entering restaurant. I felt a lite lost at first as we were right in the dinning room and didn't see a host station. A waiter greeted us and showed us to a table. The dinning room was small but found the decor to be very fitting for the restaurants name, "Swiss BistroI". I decided on ordering the Jager Schnitzel with a large Bavarian Pilsner. Five minutes after my beer was served, my dinner was served. The Schnitzel was served with a mushroom sauce that was very good. The Red cabbage had a hint of sweetness and I found the spatzli good but tad a little bland. Our service was good and the wait staff friendly. This is a place I will return for my German food fix.

Went for dessert, some ppl weren’t sure where to wait at as you walk in, it is the the outdoor patio so I walked in the door and I guess that’s where the waiter will see you. Ordered the chocolate fondue, came with bananas, strawberries, cantaloupe, pineapple, marshmallows and lady fingers. 14.95, feeds two. It was good. Wish they added more of fruit. Service was ok.

+1

Fun interior and food is not your normal dine out. Service was good and our order was tasty. Worth a try if you are in the area.

The Swiss theme is strong here. My family enjoyed the friendly service and decent food on a quiet Saturday afternoon.

I came here with my wife for some dessert. We tried their chocolate fondue and it was good. It wasn't busy so we were seated right away. We didnt order any food, but I think we would come back for dessert again if we are in the area.

Located in Carmel's Barnyard Shopping Center, a Locals hangout for decades. The restaurant serves a variety of Swiss Cuisine as well as mainstream dishes which satisfy the most picky Carmelian Diners. Shown is Jager Schnitzel, pork tenderloin flattened and coated and pan fried golden topped with a demi glaze mushroom sauce, delicious and satisfying. Also noteworthy is the Swiss Onion Soup. Broth is rich and full flavored.

Followed the server's recommendations for onion soup and chicken schnitzel. Both were very nice, the soup was loaded with onions and a slice of bread, under a cap of melted cheese. The schnitzel was good, but served with French fries and ketchup, which I found surprising. The glass of wine felt stale. The service was friendly and attentive. Planning to return to check out the fondue and desserts.

Lunch on 6/19/24. From the lunch menu we chose the Pastetli and Jaegerschnitzel with mushroom sauce and Spaetzle. As someone who grew up in Southern Germany, I'd say both dishes were excellent. The mushroom sauce with the Pastete was excellent. The Spaetzle were just how I remember from home, really great. The Schnitzel was juicy and tender just as it should be. No sauce left behind. We'll definitely come back for dinner. Portions for a lunch menu were on the large side. Decor is very authentic and detailed from cuckoo clocks to beer steins. Beautiful decoration and very clean.

What a fun place to go and share a fondue. On this trip, we tried the tomato fondue, which was amazing. Sampler plate so we could try a variety of sausages and pork chop. It was fun to be able to enjoy the outdoor patio.

Nice outdoor dining area with a firepit. Sbitzel good, sausage was too fine of a ground like hot dog by dissecto flavor qr good, too bad they are due to close in a few weeks because of ice raids

Gergana

Followed the server's recommendations for onion soup and chicken schnitzel. Both were very nice, the soup was loaded with onions and a slice of bread, under a cap of melted cheese. The schnitzel was good, but served with French fries and ketchup, which I found surprising. The glass of wine felt stale. The service was friendly and attentive. Planning to return to check out the fondue and desserts.

C Insight

Lunch on 6/19/24. From the lunch menu we chose the Pastetli and Jaegerschnitzel with mushroom sauce and Spaetzle. As someone who grew up in Southern Germany, I'd say both dishes were excellent. The mushroom sauce with the Pastete was excellent. The Spaetzle were just how I remember from home, really great. The Schnitzel was juicy and tender just as it should be. No sauce left behind. We'll definitely come back for dinner. Portions for a lunch menu were on the large side. Decor is very authentic and detailed from cuckoo clocks to beer steins. Beautiful decoration and very clean.

Gina Hinds, Realtor

What a fun place to go and share a fondue. On this trip, we tried the tomato fondue, which was amazing. Sampler plate so we could try a variety of sausages and pork chop. It was fun to be able to enjoy the outdoor patio.

Campo Wong

Nice outdoor dining area with a firepit. Sbitzel good, sausage was too fine of a ground like hot dog by dissecto flavor qr good, too bad they are due to close in a few weeks because of ice raids