Auberge du Vigneron

An inn in the middle of the route

The Auberge du Vigneron is in Epesses, on the Corniche road that crosses the vineyard halfway up the slope. It is the natural stop for lunch if you walk the terraces route from Lutry to Saint-Saphorin: you reach it halfway, with the lake below and the Alps opposite. It is run by Laurent and Estelle Frutig: he is in the kitchen and she looks after the house and the garden. The house says it is recognised by Gault&Millau.

It is open all seven days of the week, which is unusual in Lavaux, so it also works for a Sunday.

What to order

The cooking is rooted in the land and the seasons, with local produce and Lavaux wines. On the autumn 2026 menu:

• Starters: green salad, CHF 7; Lake Geneva crayfish bisque, CHF 16; breaded tomme vaudoise salad with hazelnuts, CHF 14.50; game terrine or venison tataki, CHF 18.50.
• Fish: Vaud trout fillet with leeks and Calamin sauce, CHF 34.50; perch fillets with steamed or roast potatoes and house butter, CHF 39, served with salad.
• Meat: saucisson vaudois with lentils, CHF 34, and beef entrecôte with red wine butter, CHF 46, both from the Nardi butcher's in Cully; calf's head, stuffed quail, wild boar parmentier and roe deer medallions in the game season.
• Desserts: selection of the day, CHF 11.

The house publishes the origin of what it serves: the perch comes from Estonia, not the lake, and the trout from Vaud. If you want something from Lake Geneva, order the crayfish bisque.

Hours and reservations

The inn opens from 10:00, but the kitchen serves from 12:00 to 13:30 and from 19:00 to 20:30, and outside those hours tables are not booked. They prefer bookings by phone; email is not read at weekends and on weekdays takes a day or two to be answered. In summer the terrace closes at 23:00 under a municipal rule.

Getting there

On foot, along the terraces route from Lutry or Cully. By train, Epesses station is on the lake line, below; from there you climb by the vineyard paths. After lunch you can walk on to Rivaz, where the Lavaux Vinorama is, and return by train.