Restaurant · Lucerne
Rathaus Brauerei
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- Price
- €€€€
- Where
- Lucerne
The terrace cannot be booked; the dining room can, by phone for up to four people.
Beer made under the town hall
The Rathaus Brauerei occupies the arcade floor of Lucerne's town hall, on the right bank of the Reuss, a step from Chapel Bridge. It was opened in 1998 by the brewing engineer Eckhard Schwöbel, under the watchful eye of the heritage authorities. All the beer is brewed here, in the copper kettles you can see from the tables; the wort then travels through a 70 m underground pipe beneath the old town to the fermentation cellar on the Eisengasse. Today it is run by Gambrinus Gastronomie AG, from the founder's family.
It is the easiest place to eat well in Lucerne without booking days ahead: it opens every day, Sundays too, and has tables under the arcades and right on the riverbank.
What to eat
Swiss brewery cooking, with Swiss meat only and cold cuts from Lucerne butchers. Some prices from the menu:
- Rathaus Bier Würstli, sausages made with their beer, with potato salad: CHF 24.
- Luzerner Käsekuchen, Lucerne's savoury cheese tart with Emmental, Gruyère and Sbrinz: CHF 15, or CHF 21 with salad.
- Älpler Magronä, the herdsmen's macaroni with fried onion and apple sauce: CHF 29.50.
- Fillets of trout from Lake Lucerne, Lucerne style: CHF 39.
- Half a grilled chicken, the Rathaus Güggeli: CHF 29.
- To nibble with your beer, filled pretzels from CHF 13.90 and the Graubünden barley soup, CHF 14.90.
Hours and reservations
From November to March it is open 10:00 to 24:00 (Tuesday and Saturday from 8:00) and on Sunday until 23:00; from April to October, an hour earlier. Hot food is served from 11:00 to 22:30, an hour less on Sundays and public holidays. Book by phone, +41 41 410 61 11, for up to four people; for more, by email. The terrace cannot be booked.
What to order: a house beer with the Rathaus Bier Würstli, CHF 24, or the Lucerne cheese tart, CHF 15, or the Graubünden barley soup.
Practical details
- Phone
- +41 41 410 61 11
- [email protected]
- Opening hours
- Mon10:00–23:59
- Tue08:00–23:59
- Wed–Fri10:00–23:59
- Sat08:00–23:59
- Sun10:00–23:00
- Cuisine
- Swiss, brewery
House specialities
- Rathaus Bier Würstli with potato salad
- Luzerner Käsekuchen
- Älpler Magronä
- Lake fillets of trout, Lucerne style
- Rathaus Güggeli
Tips
- Save it for Sunday Galliker and the Old Swiss House are closed that day; here there is hot food all afternoon.
- Sit outside if the weather is good Under the arcades or by the water, looking at the Reuss.
- Try the cheese tart It is a Lucerne dish and cheap for this city.
Frequently asked questions
Is it open on Sundays?
Yes, from 10:00 to 23:00 in winter, with the kitchen open until 21:30.
Can I book the terrace?
No. Only the dining room, by phone for up to four people.
Is the beer their own?
Yes, it is brewed in the restaurant itself.
Can children go?
Yes; they do not serve wine or beer to under-16s.
As a family
