The Lacustre

At the end of the quay in Ouchy, just above the CGN ticket office, sits Lacustre. Like many of Lausanne's terrace spots, this restaurant/bar comes into its own during the summer months, when the sun is shining and the 360-degree wrap-around balcony serves as the perfect spot to soak up the sunshine against one of the best lake and mountain backdrops Lausanne has to offer.

The service (at the bar) is prompt and the team working there are always on point with fast and attentive service. Fresh cold beers on tap – Moretti – a fave of mine - and a host of cocktails whisked up to order before your place in the sunshine awaits (if you can get a table). The food is fast, comforting and great value – the holy trinity in any service-driven industry. If the kitchen is open there is always a selection dilemma, and be it the brunch/lunch or dinner menus, your choice will always leave you with a strong case of food envy with the arrival of whatever your friends have ordered.

A sign stating "Lausanne's best pizzas" graced the entrance. It's now gone, but the pizza oven lives on. Best pizza is a bold claim, made in what can, for many, be a highly partisan subject. But there is certainly merit to it. Neapolitan style, with their thicker doughy bases, have become more a la mode, Lacustre opt for a slightly thinner with the perfect balance of crispiness, chewiness, and sloppiness on top. My Italian friends talk of blasphemy when anyone veers far from a simple margarita – something that has grown on me more in recent years – but there's a time and place for that. The Spilinga and Bufalina (with a supplement of Parma Ham) are winners every time. Just make sure you have the tissues on standby. It's going to get messy.

On visiting I opted for the Extra Hungry Brunch Plate which came with a combo of salmon, bacon and fried goat's cheese together with the toasted brioche, two fried eggs, spinach and potato. Only a cold beer could have improved this in the warm sun. So I went for that too. There was, of course, a pizza for the table; as good as always.

A new addition is a meat board with a selection of Galician steaks sold by weight, which get crossed off with each order. It wasn't the day for that but it only made me want to return all the sooner for steak night. A sure treat in the summer weeks.

In winter the terrace is covered over and the wooden cover turns the outside from sun-decked alpina, to a chalet vibe, where the fondue option on the menu suddenly makes a lot more sense.

If your evening does extend into the night, the DJ's selection will be sure to have the dance floor busy until closing, taking the vibe from restaurant to bar – if it wasn't already that.

Never a disappointment. There is a reason it helps to book. But there are a few tables held back in case you're on a spontaneous one. I'll certainly be back soon.