We discovered Lugano Swiss Bistro while on vacation in Carmel last week. The food was outstanding and the interior design/decorative elements inside the restaurant were so wonderful...it reminded me of my childhood and the yearlong trip we took through this part of Europe We were well taken of by the staff...kind and generous We will definitely return for another fabulous meal! read more

I love Lugano and have been going for years through it's successive incarnations. The waiters are charming, the food is consistently good. My favorites are the French onion soup, the Gorgonzola mushroom fondu -- the original is great too -- with bread and broccoli and green apples -- delicious! Then we always have the bratwurst and refreshing beer too! read more

excellent schnitzel and sides! Very friendly staff. Reasonably priced. walking distance from mission inn hotel in barnyard shopping area

I love this restaurant so much! I try to get here every visit I make to Carmel by the sea! Everything is delicious and they are very accommodating to my big dog! Jaeger schnitzel is divine! The goulash soup tastes like I remember from my Austrian trips. The fondue is awesome for special occasions! I think I'm going to go there tonight in fact! Bravo read more

Delicious cheese fondue, a nice and spacious outdoor booth on a dog-friendly patio, excellent service, and a doggie menu for our pup! This place had it all. We were the only customers in the outdoor patio just after 6pm on a Tuesday. Our server was friendly and helpful, and was so kind to our dog. I started with the goulash soup (4/5) which was very savory and hearty. For my entree I got the Swiss cheese fondue (5/5) with a side of sausage - for dipping, it came with a big basket of bread and a plate with broccoli, cauliflower, and apples. This was definitely more than enough for one person, so my partner had some fondue as well. He also got the chicken schnitzel (5/5), which was excellent. Our dog got the chicken and carrots bowl off the doggie menu and loved every bite of it! They also gave him a fresh bowl of water. A wonderful dinner for all of us. We'll definitely be back when we're in Carmel again! read more

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Great food, great ambiance, friendly staffs, reasonable price. Can't ask for more! The ambiance brought me right back to Alps villages.

Hot fondue a cool winters day in Carmel backed up with an icy cold beer hard to beat it. The service is friendly, not especially speedy nor should it be as it's a nice place to visit. Old school charm don't forget the chocolate fondue for dessert you will absolutely love it. Cheers. read more

I've lived in this area for years and never knew this place existed! It's so charming inside, with beautiful European wood work and decorations. The food was all excellent. Seasoned very well and as good if not better schnitzel as I have had in Germany. Great service as well. Please please don't ever paint all the cozy charming woodwork WHITE! like they did to the rest of the barnyard:( read more

Lugano Swiss Bistro - So adorable! - Fondue Near Me - Carmel, California

Very romantic, very mindful, very cutesy, very demure. Walked in pretty close to the end of their dinner service hours, but were still able to be seated outside on the table with the fireplace--there were plenty of empty tables inside as well, but the weather was nice and so outside dining was the move. I ordered the fondue for 1, and my partner got the pork schnitzel with spatzli--we shared both so that we could enjoy more! I wasn't a fan of the cabbage that came with it, but we cleared out the rest of our food quite easily. Melty cheese is very delicious. read more

Lugano Swiss Bistro - fondue for 1 - Fondue Near Me - Carmel, California

Great spot I come when I am in the area. Great service and ambiance. Good food. Nice plaza and interior has amazing Swiss feeling. Feels like you are away in Swissland. I specially love their onion soup and sausages. Can't find this anywhere else. I truly love this place. Feels welcoming. This place took care of my new child and asked to come again. While I was there I can see the regulars and just mention my usual to the server. This is how ideal a restaurant should be with class. The rest rooms are clean as well.... Man I think the Swiss culture and its legend is preserved here. Come check it out and the prices are great as well with good portion size. The creator of this place Andre has passed but we can appreciate his careful crafting of this spot. May it last into the generations. Wish you well Andre L!!! You definitely made a hit of this Jem of a place...... make many patrons happy with you food my man... cheers to you for your hardworking. And glad to say I am enjoying it even after you have left the place. Very satisfied with this spot read more

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Wow! My friend and I had had epic classic German/Swiss lunch. We got the combo which included a salad, cheese, fondue with bread and vegetables, broth, fondue with meat, and chocolate fondue with fruit. Everything was as delicious as I had hoped. read more

While visiting Carmel we were staying close to The Barnyard which is where this restaurant is located. We love fondue and enjoy the experience, so we decided to come here for dinner. The restaurant wasn't very busy but we went kind of early as we had been traveling all day and were pretty exhausted. The restaurant is very cute, located on the lower level. The service was excellent. The food was very good too. Not the best fondue I've ever had (Mona Lisa Fondue in Manitou Springs, Colorado has been my favorite), but this was very good. We had fun and I would recommend read more

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the ambience the food, what is not to like?! everything was made very well, i wished my stomach was bigger! read more

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Another great lunch at Lugano Swiss Bistro. Their lunch menu is wonderful - reasonable prices on delicious dishes. We ordered the Sausage Platter, The Schnitzel plate, Grilled Salmon and Fish & Chips. Everything was delicious (and the bread they start the meal with is wonderful - I could have just eaten the whole basket of bread and a side salad...). Service is prompt and friendly. Portions were generous but we ate nearly every bite and only had a little of one dish of leftovers to take home. We go there about once every other month and need to go more often... read more

Absolutely wonderful atmosphere! I came with a large group and they were very accommodating and the other patrons joined in on the fun as well. Fondue and appetizers were delicious. I would definitely recommend this place read more

Great fondue sampler. Cheese, Broth, and chocolate fondue for the table. Friendly service in a setting that is a very traditional alpine lodge style. Family friendly with pasta for the little ones. read more

The interior gives European vibes. The cheese fondue is great. Never knew you can cheese this way. It is opening a whole new whole world to me. The schnitzel is good too. read more

Our 9yo was craving for fondue, we found this place and it instantly transported us to a swiss bistro. Goulash was a hearty starter soup, can be more balanced. The fondue was a hit with our daughter, who finished all the broccolis, so thats a win. Geschnetzeltes stole the show. Creamy, mushroomy veal with risotto and vegetable was brilliant. Worth stopping for. Pair that with a draft, you have got a winner. The atmosphere was homey and an escape to Switzerland. read more

Atmosphere...so adorable. You feel like you're in another country. All of the attention to detail with the murals, steins, and cuckoo clocks add to the charm. Accessible for handicapped as well. Haven't tried it yet, but another table got the fondue and it looked and smelled delicious. I got the pizokle, which was in a lasagna type flat bowl and baked. it contained ham, bacon, spatzel noodle, cheese and Swiss chard. All blended together perfectly. My mom was like enjoying hers so much, I felt like she was doing a reenactment of the restaurant scene from "When Harry Met Sally'...lol. My husband and dad ordered the schnitzel and subbed out the salad for more red cabbage. Plate licked clean. So yummy. Wait staff was great. Will return yet again....hope the Barnyard figures out what a gem they have there and keeps this staple of a restaurant. read more

Really enjoyed our first visit to this restaurant! Had their wurst plate at Oktoberfest at Asilomar and it was excellent! So our family decided to give the restaurant a try. Loved our table on the nice outdoor patio- it had a beautiful gas fire pit in the table. That set the tone for great conversation and a fun dinner! Each meal ordered was a big hit - especially loved the soups and the fondue! The food all came out piping hot!! Server was extremely attentive and friendly even though the inside was bustling . Cozy atmosphere inside but be sure to make a reservation for a booth (or the fire pit table outside) as there are only a few available. read more

I went on June 25, 2025. The server Luis was exceptional, excellent, knowledgeable and very helpful. I would go back there just to have him as my server again. The food presentation was wonderful and it was delicious. read more

Lugano Swiss Bistro - Swiss Bistro - Fondue Near Me - Carmel, California

It has actually been years since we've been to this restaurant, but I wanted to write a review because we just watched a movie on Netflix (based on a true story about a restaurant on Stanton Island) and it was so much fun, that at the end, my husband said "this reminds me of the restaurant where we went to eat that had the fondue and (our daughter) was asked to sing with them"... the warm atmosphere we encountered on our visit to Lugano Swiss Bistro, was an experience we will never forget. We visited long ago, when they were remembering chef Andre (pretty sure he had passed away not too long before our visit). The ability for a group of people, to welcome strangers and make them feel like home is unheard of these days. And I just wanted to let people know that this place is truly one of a kind! We haven't been back to Carmel in a decade, but we forever remember the kindness, service, and amazing food we had, one blessed night, in Carmel. read more

We still love coming to Lugano. It's a special gem you have to try. It's a very charming place read more

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My absolute favorite restaurant. I love the swiss sampler fondue. The authentic swiss vibes and decor are amazing. The service is always good. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

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Their chicken schnitzel is so good! I ordered to go. The restaurant is adorable. I had never been before but I want to go back and dine in. The noodles along with the chicken are also really really good!! read more

The food and the service was wonderful. We enjoyed the cheese fondue and the jager schnitzel and the sand dabs and the veal and mushroom dish, which I can't pronounce! All in all, I can't wait to go back. read more

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So cute! This business has been around for decades and still carries its original charms. Though the business has passed from original owner to a new (family friend) owner, it still seems to hold strong with great service and a family-oriented vibe. I got to sit out in the patio area and fortunately had the fire pit to myself. I got the Swiss cheese fondue and it is just a little more than enough for one person. Perhaps two. It comes with chunks of bread, cauliflower, broccoli, and green apples. Green apples pair nicely with the cheese fondue since it brings a sweet and sour twist. You can request meat as an extra (bratwurst) which is a nice addition. Food is hot and fresh. Loved my time here! And so did my (fur) boys :) read more

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Amazing place ..... everything is good . good service friendly staff . the fondue reminder me my holiday in Switzeland ! Thank you Julio read more

What a gem of a restaurant! We have been coming to Carmel for years and never ventured from the downtown area til today. Our server was very attentive and the food was beyond great! I had the pork schnitzel with spätzli, my husband had the sausage platter with spätzli, and the dog chose the chopped sirloin with carrot chunks from the doggie menu. We all thought our meal was great and filling. There is even a nice outdoor eating area. The bathrooms were clean as well. We got the apple streudel to go for an evening snack at the hotel. We definitely will be back!!! read more

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Excellent food and service! The place looks Bavarian inside, simple and sweet; like dinner in the Alps. There was a large party and several tables but the noise level was still comfortable and even our senior guests could hear fine. The veal ghoulish and different types of wienerschnitzel were delicious. We didn't try the cheese fondue but we did dive into the fun and yummy chocolate fondue for dessert. It was a great meal for our extended family gathering! I highly recommend it. The whole family of all ages will enjoy it! read more

Came here before spending an afternoon in Monterey on a random road trip with the SO and thoroughly enjoyed our meal! Located in the very back of the Barnyard Shopping Village, Lugano Swiss Bistro serves traditional Swiss eats. The inside is decorated in a traditionally Swiss style - lots of orange wood decoratively carved, a billion cow figures, Swiss cow bells, and alpine horns everywhere. We came on a weekend afternoon and it was empty except for a family dining outside. We were seated immediately and ordered: Tomato Ticino fondue - comes with veggies, apples, and bread for dipping. Chicken schnitzel - the SO enjoyed this dish a lot Schnitzel - super crispy and comes with lil anchovies for additional flavor Service was amazing! Our waiter was quick with refills, and even took some time to explain some of the decor surrounding us. Super nice man. In the end, would definitely return to try their other foods. Such a unique lunch option if you're ever in the area. read more

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Always a satisfying dinner at Luganos ! The flavor of the Onion soup was delicious. Fish n chips and pork schnitzel was amazing. Julio is very attentive as always. Save room for apple strudel and bread pudding. read more

Lugano Swiss Bistro - Fish n Chips - Fondue Near Me - Carmel, California

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The food was outstanding, we had the chicken schnitzel and my husband had the The beef wienerschnitzel

Very authentic & delicious food and wonderful service. It makes you feel like you are in Switzerland. Very family friendly too. Our family loves dining here. read more

It was our last day in Carmel and we had hit all of our usual suspects, restaurant-wise and were looking for some new territory. A friend recommended Lugano and even looked it up so we could see the menu ahead! We called to see if they were open and lunch service was about to close down at 4pm, so we scooted over to the Barnyard. After circling the Barnyard, we spotted the restaurant tucked away in a corner. There was lots of parking right across from the entrance, but the ramp down was a bit steep for my 94-year-old Mom. We admired the outdoor patio, but it was getting too cold to eat outside, so we went in a got a nice corner booth. The only issue here was that the benches are very narrow, so it was a bit difficult to maneuver. We were warmly welcomed and perused the menu, while we admired the gemutliche (warm, cozy) Swiss style. Cow bells, murals and carved climbers hung above red and white checkered table covers. Knotty pine tables and cuckoo clocks lined the walls. The menu focused on Swiss favorites, so it was easy to find a dish to make each person happy. I chose the cheese fondue, since I had made it many times, but never eaten it in a restaurant. My husband loves Schnitzel and chose the chicken version. Mom got the beef and potato goulash with a side salad. The food arrived promptly, with salad as a first course on chilled plates, accompanied by chewy bread and butter. As soon as we finished the salad course, entrees appeared. The fondue was bubbly and fragrant, with bits of bread, green apple and veggies to dip in. The goulash arrived in a small pot like onion soup, rich and savory. The chicken Schnitzel was the star of the show, pounded thin with a crispy crust almost like friend chicken! The meal portions were large, so we had leftovers to take home and enjoy the next day. The fondue reheated easily over a low gas flame and tasted just as rich and tasty the next day! I look forward to returning to enjoy the outdoor seating on a sunny day! read more

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I've lived in the area for almost a decade & FINALLY made the effort to eat here!! As a child, I grew up in German & Bavarian restaurants in different parts of the US because of my mother's German roots. The ambiance & decor felt familiar. The food was hearty and flavorful, but the service was even better. The server was attentive & guided my menu choices. Pricing is average, coffee is hot, and I will definitely return. The bathrooms are clean and diners can sit outside & stay warm under a heater. There is live , traditional music for those bold enough to attend events during a pandemic. One day, Lugano Swiss Bistro will once again be the fun & nostalgic place for small events. read more

Lugano Swiss Bistro - Creme Brulee - Fondue Near Me - Carmel, California

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Definitely get the Groupon if want to snag a discount on the Swiss fondue appetizer + alcoholic drinks. Otherwise, I think the cheese fondue is overpriced a la carte ($23 per person for a pot of cheese fondue + dipping bread and veggies). In retrospect, maybe ordering the four course fondue sampler (~$40 per person, I believe) would've been a better choice, since it comes with a salad plus cheese, meat, and chocolate fondues. Besides the cheese fondue, we also ordered chicken schnitzel and the sausage platter entree. Those prices were comparable to similar restaurants I've eaten at. Overall, the food was better than I thought! The entree portions were pretty generous and the cheese fondue was definitely filling. FYI, they have a dog friendly patio and a dog menu for your four legged friends. If you come here, I'd probably recommend ordering the four course fondue sampler to try everything. read more

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Truly excellent - one of the best German food restaurants I've been to in Northern California. The staff is also excellent as well. The food is piping hot, too; nothing worse than room temperature food that is common at a lot of restaurants, just be careful ;-) read more

Lugano Swiss Bistro - Jager Schnitzel Dinner - Fondue Near Me - Carmel, California

The food is so delicious. The ambiance is so cozy and welcoming. I love this restaurant!

Fun in an umpa loom pa kind of way. Kitch family fun extravaganza. Great for groups big families. Hearty portions of traditional Bavarian food. And of course featuring fondue. My pal who lived here, recommended it for sand dabs and schnitzel. Well the schnitzel was on point. But I really enjoyed the farmers sausage platter. Would definitely come back. It's so much fun! read more

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