I've tried many restaurants around here, I could suggest more if I know what kind of food you're into.
The Cote here has more restaurant choices that some of the largest cities of France, with great quality and alas priced accordingly. In St. Sulpice there are a couple, and so in many of the villages on the coast... but for finding ppl, you are better off heading to the center of Lausanne.
Assuming that you are not looking for THE gourmet experience, but rather for fun and some good company...
try: http://www.les-brasseurs.ch/f/lausanne/index.htm where one can see students and others getting busy around slabs of flammkuchen and large amounts of beer
http://www.lapinvert.ch/ one of the oldest hide-outs, full of good memories for those of us who studied in Lausanne in the yesteryears
http://www.bleu-lezard.ch/ , where on nice days one can eat outside; there is also a grotto with concerts.
http://www.lejava.ch/ is fun and relax
http://www.etoileblanche.ch/ is a friendly spot, go for drinks before dinner, after dinner. Dinner is also very nice, but a bit pricey.
http://www.lekarma.ch/ I also like this place, but haven't been back at night for a long time
Lausanne's got really good restaurants, some upper class, some classic.
I don't know your food habits, but I agree with Abdallah concerning places like Bel Air (Social Life, a kind of multiplex restaurant ). Riponne's also a nice (but ugly) place, with typical Vaud restaurant, pizzeria and a small but dammit good chinese
Forget about Flon, nothing really interesting and overpriced !
You can find interesting places on bonresto.ch, just take a look !
Regards
http://www.cafedegrancy.ch (Great for coffee/ brunch)
Kai Zen
Rue Pepinet 3, Lausanne 1003, Switzerland
0041213108484
Petit Boeuf (BBQ)
Avenue Vingt-Quatre-Janvier 4
1004 Lausanne, Switzerland
021 648 91 01
Au Canard Pékinois (Chinese)
Place Chauderon 16
1003 Lausanne, Switzerland
021 329 03 23
Ichi-Ban (Japanese)
Av. d'Ouchy 58, Lausanne 1006, Switzerland
021 601 31 68
L'Accademia - Place du port 11, 1006 Lausanne, +41 21 613 34 34 ()
It is near Ouchy (140 м) M2.
Give it a try.
If you like italian http://www.le-pinocchio.ch/ i guess the prices are reasonable
For a nice fondue http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...anne_Vaud.html it is by the cathedral
I guess only place serving 24h steak in lausanne http://www.restaurants-lausanne.ch/b.../bouchers.html and it is not too far from the Uni you can take the metro and walk 5 min....
Delicious... the food I mean
Les Brasseurs has already been mentioned; but, they've got one of the better food to price ratios in town especially with beer...
Restaurant des Bouchers has also been mentioned. They've probably got the best meat selection in town and it's closest to what you're probably used to back home.
Cafe Rose Rouge in Renens has decent pizza if they don't burn it.
The Great Escape has really good burgers. It's pretty packed inside now since it got cool out. If you're missing American bar food it's the place to go.
Down in Ouchy next to the Crepery there's a little cafe that has really nice, filling, "Swiss" food. Afterwards you pretty much have to go to the Crepery for desert.
The Manor cafeteria in St. Francois is oddly good. (It's way better than the cafeterias at UNIL or EPFL)
The other good option is to make friends with people who can cook and actually enjoy doing it. Especially when spring comes back and some of us start going through barbecue withdrawals...
Grab an interesting group of people. Add social lubricant. Combine with delicious food you concocted yourself (you can let others share the work if you don't feel up to making it all yourself) and you have a fabulous and boozy Sunday!
Nope. Not nearly enough room. Know of an available conference centre?