Lugano Swiss Bistro

The food is reasonably priced and delicious. I felt like I walked into a Switzerland wonderland, the owner’s were friendly and welcoming. I had the best swiss onion soup I’ve ever tasted. The fondue was amazing. The schnitzel and rack of lamb were are main courses and the flavor were five star

The interior design is a full five stars. Service a solid five stars as the waiter was enthusiastic and attentive.
The food was closer to three stars. I want to be kind about the food but at 4:30 on the Thursday we visited three stars is truly generous.
My wife’s Chicken Schnitzel was cool to the touch on arrival to the table. The breading on her schnitzel separated from the chicken as soon as the plate arrived.
Our son’s dish was sausage with sauerkraut. Again the entrée was delivered more cold than hot.
I tried the «Swiss Original Cheese Fondue» that featured gruyère, emmenthaler and appenzeller cheeses. The 21.95 entrée included plenty of bread, enough for the table to share as well as broccoli, cauliflower and one half a sliced apple for dipping.
The fondue was good enough and there were no complaints from wife and son as they dipped in with me.
The veggies were cold. I don’t know if serving veggies cold is traditional or not. I have to assume it is.
The takeaway for us is we enjoyed the ambiance. It’s a trip to the Alps without having to leave town. The server did his part by making us believe we were valued. The food was not memorable. Maybe the cook was having an off day.

This place is great on a date. The Swiss onion soup, fondue sampler, and sausage platter is excellent. They have some great German beer as well.

All four stars are for the chocolate fondue at the end of the three course meal.
This can be classified as more of an ‘experience’. We had a very pleasant server who did a fantastic job explaining each course as well as instructing this fondue virgin.
The first course of cheese was tasty with a nice variety of items to dip including broccoli, cauliflower, apples and bread. I saved the extra apples for the chocolate.
Second course sort of three me for a loop as a pot of hot but not boiling broth came out. A wine based liquid with green onions that served as the cooking source for a plate of raw beef round circles and a thankfully separate plate of raw chicken. This was completely foreign to me and the idea of mixing these two in non-​boiling broth was off putting so I let my fondue expert dining companion do the cooking while she regaled me with stories of fondue experienced past.
Finally the chocolate fondue arrived with among other delightful dipping devices toasted marshmallows. They were delicious as were the various fruit choices and the left over apple slices.
Again, wonderful waitstaff who cleared our plates and paced the entire experience so it was truly enjoyable.
Great for the adventurous diner or for those who don’t mind cooking their own dinner.

Went here because I was craving chocolate fondue for my birthday weekend. Fast, kind, speedy service with delicious fondue. The perfect blend of chocolate.

We came here for our anniversary dinner and had such a nice experience. We got the fondue sampler for two and left absolutely stuffed! Started out with bread, broccoli, cauliflower, and green apple to dip in Swiss cheese. My only complaint about the whole meal was that the broccoli and cauliflower were cooked but cold. Not sure if they were supposed to be, we don’t do fondue much, but it would’ve been better if they were warm. Next came the chicken and beef and a variety of dipping sauces. And finally, my favorite, the fruit (strawberries, bananas, pineapple, and cantaloupe), toasted marshmallows, ladyfingers, and chocolate. So delicious!
We were having trouble finding a nicer restaurant that would allow children for dinner, and this place was very accommodating to our toddler. The server and manager were very friendly, especially to our son, and made us feel very welcome.
Also, they are now open Mondays.

Food and service is amazing! Ambiance is beautiful, a trip to a delightful foreign land every time!
Luganos is a special treat for tourists visiting Carmel and a regular, delightful experience for us locals.
Thank you Luganos! My 11 year old son chooses Luganos out of all the amazing restaurants on the Monterey peninsula for his special Birthday dinner every year! (:

We go here every time we’re in the area! Great food, super friendly staff (Gina!), and fun atmosphere.

We came here after the Big Sur Marathon with a big group and they treated us like family. Gina was wonderful and we didn’t want to leave! It was FUNdue!

Took us back to dinning in Europe! Fantastic food, drink, and atmosphere! Wish we lived closer! Very courteous staff.

Sat outdoors because we had our dogs with us. They brought us water for the dogs and even a dog menu although we had brought our own dog food so didn’t order anything (plus they ended up having some of the meat from the fondue). Service was very friendly. The music seemed bit stereo typical for a swiss restaurant although I am not that familiar with Swiss music.
We ordered the 4 course fondue for two. The salad was a standard house salad. The cheese fondue came with bread, cauliflower, broccoli, and an apple. This is a substandard selection of dipping options from other fondue places I’ve been. The cheese ended up overheating and oil separated out shortly after we began. Cheese fondue taste was ok but I’ve had better. The meat fondue was fine. I’m not much of a meat eater so its just not to my taste. My friend liked it as did the dogs. THe dessert fondue came with strawberries, bananas, marshmellow, pineapple and some wafer cookie. THe chocolate was very good.
All and all an ok fondue meal and for the price I was disappointed.

Ate here for a business lunch today. Very nice ambience and outdoor seating. The menu was authentic and prices seemed reasonable for lunch. I asked for the french onion soup and the seasoned and smarty waiter mentioned they don’t do French here. He paused until I spoke the magic words: Swiss Onion Soup.
We finished off with two amazing deserts: An apple strudel and The Matterhorn! Two scoops of ice-​cream stacked atop each other with chocolate and cream abound!
Pro’s:
–Great outdoor seating
–Fun décor and culturally appropriate
–Easy parking and fun shops around
–Very delicious swiss menu items
Con’s:
–I didn’t see fondu on the lunch menu
–Iced Tea not fresh brewed, boxed I think
If you are in Carmel and looking for a locals lunch spot or entertaining dinner venue, check this place out!
Enjoy!

Went with our Swiss friends who commented that the joint is «everything Swiss put into one room». It’s always fun going there and getting to chat with the owners, a lovely couple from Switzerland & Kenya/​India. The food is very delicious, and everyone there can give you great recommendations.
I’ve had quite a few different items there before (as we’ve always gone with a large party), and I have yet to find something that I didn’t like. The schnitzel is DELICIOUS and GINORMOUS! The fondue is wonderful (tip: ask for an egg to crack into the broth for a lovely soup). There are quite a few other dishes that I can’t pronounce, thus can’t remember the names to review. SORRY! Generally, a fun and relaxed place for some unique dining experience.

My second time visiting this lovely little restaurant in Carmel. Several hreat fondue option abound including a 4 course tasting menue and several ala carte options such as cheese, meat, seafood and chocolate. A special touch that you can ask for is to have an egg added to the broth after all the meat is eaten and suddenly you have a very nice soup.
The wine menu is large along with several nice beer options. A departure from the chain fondue restaurants, Lugano also offers non fondue options for those who aren’t interested in too much chess and bread.
Hang around for the ambiance, the number of authentic swiss décor items and a few comical additions are begging to be found.

I just love this place! Every time we have dined here it’s been a fun experience. On my recent visit I lunched with a friend and another friend came with us to order food to go. The three of us enjoyed a glass of wine before her food was ready to take back to the hotel. Now two of us relaxed and truly enjoyed the friendly service, good wine and great Swiss ambiance. It’s like being in the Alps! I haven’t yet ordered more than soup and salad which has been very good each time but our friend (who is majorly picky about food) back at the hotel in the afternoon made a point to mention that the chicken sandwiches which she got to go were out of this world!
There’s not much else happening in the Barnyard Shopping Center but if you want a charming laid back lunch spot, you’ve come to the right place.

Having been to Switzerland a few years ago and enjoyed the fondue there… visiting lagunos restaurant in Carmel was like stepping into a Swiss restaurant in the alps! Walking in the door we saw a panoramic photo of the jungfrau, one of the most beautiful places I’ve visited. All the little cute decorations from Switzerland just made the place so special. The four of us shared the fondue for 4. Started out with a nice salad, then the second course was the cheese fondue with vegetables and crusty bread, third course was the meat chicken and beef that you cooked in broth along with a side of Rosti a hash potato dish and 5 different sauces on each plate to add to your meat. Final course was the chocolate fondue with roasted marshmallows, assorted fruits and a dark chocolate fondue to dip your choices in. It was a wonderful experience and atmosphere. Would love to visit again.

Wow! What a cool looking Swiss restaurant. As soon as you enter you’ll feel like you’ve just been transported to Santa’s cottage. …ok, Christmas is coming up and there were a few Christmas decorations here and there… but mostly, every bit of wall space was decorated with something Swiss… interesting trinkets, mugs, dolls, bells, ceramics, etc… you name it, it’s probably there… somewhere.
We had a reservation for six at 6pm and when we showed up there was hardly anyone there… so we were immediately seated at a nice deep booth. Our server was very nice and friendly and took pretty good care of us… well, at least till the restaurant started to fill up and she got busy and had to attend to more tables. However, I won’t make an issue out of this as she was really nice and very helpful overall.
My brother and his family mostly wanted to try their signature Four Course Fondue Sampler which comprised of a salad with house dressing, Swiss cheese (blend of Gruyère, Emmanthaler, and Appenzeller) with cubes of bread and vegetables for dipping, Burgundy wine broth with thinly sliced sirloin beef and chicken meats, and Swiss Chocolate (milk and dark) fondues with a variety of cut fruit, marshmallows, and lady fingers. The fondue also came with a plate of delicious Roesti potatoes… pretty much just hash brown potatoes to me. It looked really good and my family mentioned that they really enjoyed their fondue dinner.
I’m not much of a fondue person so I ordered their Swiss specialty… Chicken Schnitzel Holstein… Holstein just meaning it was topped with a fried egg… which came with a side of Spatzle (German dumplings) and vegetables. This was a very good sized portion of chicken that’s sure to fill you up! The light crisp coating was perfectly fried, and with the fried egg, really made for a delicious combination. The spatzle and vegetables were very secondary to me… the vegetables perhaps a bit overcooked. However, the highlight was the chicken schnitzel and this was done very well. I really enjoyed it, but ended up so full that I fell a bit short of finishing everything.
Overall I thought the food was very good and the service friendly… loved the bistro’s interior. A definite must try experience. Oh right. …we were told by the server that the owner would go back to Switzerland every year and would always bring something back from his trips, and this was where all the Swiss décor items came from.

I was excitedly looking at a local food magazine my first night in Carmel trying to figure out the first restaurant we would visit on this trip. This led me to this little gem. What sold me you ask? The CHEESE!
A photo of a big pot of cheese fondue and the fact that most of their dishes had cheese in there somewhere were the selling points. I didn’t really pay too much attention that it was SWISS food!
So we walk in and it had a very warm feel to it. We were kindly greeted and seated. Our waiter was very nice and was got our drinks straight away: I ordered a California white, Estancia Pinot Grigio.
When I looked at the menu I immediately thought «German» food with dishes like spätzli and schnitzel, but my priority was ordering the Swiss Original Cheese Fondue!
Later on our waiter mentioned the «Swiss Way» and it was then that I realized I had no idea what Swiss food really was!
A band was setting up when we arrived and began to play a lot of Italian tunes. There were a lot of larger parties there that appeared to be regulars, a few of them got up and sang with the band. It was awesome! Go on Thursdays for music!
When the fondue came out I was floored! I have had fondue in other places but this takes the… cheese wheel!
Most places the salad that comes out prior to the dinner tastes like a bed of cheap lettuces, but the salad here was delicious! The veggies were fresh and crispy and it had the right amount of dressing (not swimming in the stuff).
I ended up ordering the sand dabs. It had a lemon caper sauce and reminded me a lot like my favorites Petrale Sole dish yummy!
The waiter was nice enough to get me a side of spatzli for my son. What I liked about the waiter is that he asked right away if I would like my son’s Food out before everyone else’s came out. I don’t think anyone has ever asked me that before and I was as very appreciative.
Someone else at the table ordered the schnitzel. It was a huge portion and we ended up taking home most of it, but my son really enjoyed the leftovers!
At the end of the meal my son started getting fussy so we took turns taking him up close to watch the live 3 piece band or outside to run around. The waiter once again asked if my son was ok. How thoughtful!!! This waiter should get waiter of the year award. I really wish I got his name.
We ordered the tiramisu for dessert and ate every morsel!!!
I loved this little place. The ambiance is nice but more importantly there is a wonderful energy/​vibe in the place. I high recommend it!

I must admit, I am not familiar with Swiss cuisine. Then again, that is one of the reasons why we decided to try Lugano located in romantic Carmel Valley. We hit Lugano up at lunch time. There was only one other set of customers at the table across the way. Everything on the menu sounded delish — hard choice. I finally decided to go with the Chicken Schnitzel Holstein — not having any idea what I would be getting. It turned out to be breaded chicken with a fried egg on top — I love just about anything with a fried egg.
So now I know, Schnitzel is basically the same as Chicken Tonkatsu — for those that are familiar with Japanese food. It was very good. I would say it matched well with the best of the Tonkatsus that I have had, though I am not a big Tonkatsu fan. The Schnitzel was lightly bread and deep fried to a perfect golden brown. The chicken was tender and flavorful and the egg gave the lunch a country flair.
The décor appear a bit dated to me but Lugano could very well be going for the traditional Swiss look.
Next time? I love sausages and they have a Farmer’s Mountain Sausage Platter that just sounded fabulous.

A group of coworkers and I decided to go down to Pebble Beach for the weekend and after a long day of exploring, we wanted to stop in Carmel for a nice dinner. We should’ve known this place wasn’t good when it could accommodate a party of 10 pretty last minute while all other places were booked.
I’m not exactly sure what Swiss food entails, but I sure hope it’s not what this restaurant had to offer. I got the bratwurst and «wurst» it was. I think I would’ve enjoyed a package of processed franks from Safeway more. A good number of the group got the schnitzel, my boyfriend included, and it was meh at best. All of these entrees had the same side dishes, mediocre red cabbage and these weird dough nuggets. A few others got the some sort of shrimp pasta and they weren’t particularly thrilled with their choice either.
We also had this weirdly off-​putting waiter. I think he was trying to be funny but just came off extremely rude, like saying no when someone at our table ask if we could have more water.
The complimentary bread was its only saving grace. Everyone LOVED the bread. I was actually quite upset when I forgot my leftover bread in our rented cabin. The bread was great, but it was all downhill after that.