Friends Café

With its bright blue sign and pleasingly idiosyncratic appearance amid the concrete spaghetti junction of Place de L’Europe, it’s not hard to find LHotel. It may be a hotel (how’d you guess?), however its trendy lounge bar isn’t just for the clientele, but has created a reputation as a popular night spot in its own right. Making the most of its position on the edge of Flon, Lausanne’s nightlife district, Friends Café is the bar of choice for many of Lausanne’s cool young things, attracted by its cocktail list, upbeat vibe and special events including DJ nights and after-work promotions. However the bar’s real coup is its funky rooftop terrace, which it throws open in summer. Accessed from the downstairs bar via the hotel lift, it looks out over the urban jungle of Flon, making for a good inner-city spot for people-watching and lapping up the sunshine on a hot summer evening, mojito in hand.