So you’re staying in Lucerne and trying to find a place to eat. Preferably somewhere where you don’t have to pay 30 CHF for pizza, or food you don’t even like. The good news is that I can help you find exactly what you’re looking for.
Lucerne has plenty of places where you can eat on a budget – dare I mention sandwiches and breakfast for less than 10 CHF? Or giant vegan wraps for under 15 CHF? And if you want to go out to a proper restaurant and pay a reasonable price for a delicious meal, I’ve got a few ideas. So, keep reading to find out about the best cheap eats in Lucerne!
Donner Kebab
- Average Price: 12-15 CHF
- Location: Hertensteinstrasse
Who doesn’t like a good Doner Kebab? I can always go for a Doner, which usually means that I can get a cheap lunch virtually anywhere. And because Kebabs combine roasted meat with fresh vegetables and very little bread, they’re reasonably healthy. If you can find a place with kebabs that aren’t dripping oil that is, and I’ve got a few tips for such spots in Lucerne.
XXL Kebab & Vegan is a nice little joint in Lucerne Old Town. Here you can get kebabs but also plenty of vegan wraps with falafel, and not just veggies. Vegan options are priced at around 10 CHF, while standard Kebabs are in the 12-15 CHF price range. The food is really tasty and the Kebabs are prepared in front of you, so you can see just how fresh the ingredients are.
Mega Pizza Kebab is another cheap spot for kebabs, falafel, and burgers. It offers wraps under 10 CHF and has a 4-star rating on Google Maps. I’d avoid Little Istanbul; the food is okay, but the reviews are not great. Plus, it’s pricier than all the other joints because of its central station location.
Twiny Station
- Average Price: 9-13 CHF
- Location: Rosligasse
Twiny Station is a hole-in-the-wall sandwich shop in Lucerne Old Town. The location is perfect if you’re exploring the historic city center because you can always stop by the shop in under five minutes. And you can get some surprisingly delicious sandwiches for very little money.
The sandwiches are priced 7-13 CHF, depending on the ingredients and size. Get the full-sized sandwich if you’re very hungry. You’ll pay less than 14 CHF for a full-sized meal that will keep you sated for hours. And if you’re just looking for a quick bite before your next proper meal, the smaller size of the sandwich works just fine.
Another great thing about the place is that they’ve also got vegan and vegetarian options. If you ever want a sandwich in Lucerne, Twiny Station is the place to be. Bäckerei Macchi is also a great stop if you want quick bites, especially if you’re in the mood for something sweet. It’s my favorite bakery chain in Lucerne, with shops in several locations.
Migros Takeaway
- Average Price: 10-20 CHF
- Location: Hertensteinstrasse
Good old Migros is my favorite option when you want a cooked meal but don’t want to pay restaurant prices. It’s a mixture of bakery, sandwich shop, and warm takeaway, with a varied menu.
It’s not the best meal you will eat in Lucerne, but it will probably be the best-value one. Also, I’ve noticed that the place is more popular with locals than tourists, which is usually a sign of a good deal. The food is good; it’s not super high quality, but it’s tasty enough for the price.
Migros Take Away restaurant is on the eastern edge of the old town, behind Hotel Schweizerhof Luzern.
Coop Restaurant
- Location: Rosligasse 18/20
- Average Price: 10-20 CHF
Coop Restaurant is another affordable eatery in Lucerne Old Town. It’s in the western part of the town, close to Spreuer Bridge.
The restaurant is buffet-style. They’ve got a mix of hot and cold food, and you can buy as many items as you like. Choose one main ingredient and pair it with as many sides as you want, plus they’ve got options for dessert.
One thing to note is that it’s not an all-you-can-eat buffet, so you can’t just pay one fee and eat as much as you like. Instead, the food is weighed and charged by the kilo. It’s not exactly a cheap restaurant, but it is significantly cheaper than most other places to eat in Lucerne, and the food is actually good.
Depending on what you get, you can expect to spend 15-20 CHF on average for a full meal here.
Manora Restaurant
- Location: Weggisgasse
- Average Price: 10-20 CHF
Manora Restaurant is a similar style to the Migros and Coop restaurants but with a wider selection and better food. Out of all the three buffet-style restaurants, Manora is my favorite. It’s not just because they have pizza, but it helps.
Another reason I like this restaurant is its rooftop terrace. It’s one of my favorite spots in the summer when you can sit outside and enjoy a wonderful view of Lucerne. It’s also one of the cheaper ways to experience a panoramic view in the city.
The restaurant is on the top floor of the Manor department store in Luzern’s old town. The store is hard to miss since it’s a massive building, and there are many signs inside to direct you to the restaurant.
Also, I’d disregard the Google reviews. There aren’t too many of them, and the restaurant has a solid 4-star rating on TripAdvisor. The average spend is about 15 CHF per plate, and it’s under 10 CHF for breakfast.
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Tandoori Take Away
- Average Price: 10-14 CHF
- Location: Löwengraben 4
Tandoori Take Away is another cheap place to eat in Lucerne. It’s a small bistro that serves basic Indian Thali plates for dining in and takeout. There aren’t too many options to choose from but they’re all in the 10-14 CHF price range, which is very cheap for Swiss standards.
Also, only the main course with lamb is priced higher, while all the other dishes are priced at 10 CHF. All the plates include rice and veggies, with the protein and the sauce serving as the two main differences.
This Indian restaurant is situated in the back of the old town, on Löwengraben Street. It has a 4-star rating on Google Maps and TripAdvisor, so you can expect solid service and good food.
Bahnhöfli
- Average Price: 20-25 CHF
- Location: Pilatusstrasse 2
Bahnhöfli is a modern cafe-restaurant opposite the main station in Lucerne. The location makes it popular with travelers in the city, as it’s one of the first places many people notice after a long journey into town.
The restaurant serves mostly modern food, so salads, burgers, wraps, quesadillas, and crispy chicken. The food is good and this restaurant is great if you’re looking for something more modern in Lucerne that doesn’t necessarily serve Swiss specialties.
And it’s affordable. It’s not as cheap as the buffet-style restaurants or hole-in-the-wall takeout joints, but it’s cheap enough to be on this list. You can get a proper meal for under 25 CHF, which has become a rarity in Switzerland. I also like how the restaurant is furnished and decorated; it’s a special vibe in Lucerne, and paired with the great food and service, makes you want to come back.
Pastarazzi
- Average Price: 20-25 CHF
- Location: Hirschengraben 13
Pastarazzi is an Italian restaurant in lower Lucerne. It’s on the street behind the Jesuit Church, so easy enough to find if it’s your first time in the city.
I like this restaurant because its menu is very simple, which is usually a sign of a proper chef. As the main course, you can have ravioli, fresh pasta, or gnocchi, as well as a side salad.
The catch is that all the pasta is homemade and absolutely delicious. You can choose from many different sauces and sides, and even add items to your dish if you like. The pasta dishes are all in the low 20s (CHF), with the exception of the large portion of ravioli that goes for 26 CHF. I love ravioli, but I don’t recommend it as a meal on a tight budget because it’s usually the least filling and the most expensive.
You can choose between smaller and bigger portions of all the dishes. Overall, this is an excellent restaurant that could easily charge much more for their meals, and I highly recommend it to anyone in Lucerne who wants to have the experience of dining out, but without spending a fortune.
Phanat Thai
- Average Price: 25-30 CHF
- Location: Schlossergasse 7
Thai food is usually reasonably priced in Switzerland and Phanat Thai in Lucerne is no exception. When you’re in the mood for an explosion of flavors that won’t break the budget, a trip to this restaurant will be exactly what you need.
Phanat Thai serves all sorts of Thai food but they’re best known for their delicious curry. Going for around 25 CHF, it’s the best (and probably the cheapest) curry you’ll find in central Lucerne. I don’t consider this one of the cheapest restaurants in Lucerne, but I do consider it one of the best Asian-cuisine restaurants in the old town with an affordable price.
Also, I must point out that Phanat Thai has a 4.4-star rating on Google Maps, which goes to show just how much people like it. That’s across 600+ reviews, and it’s something many high-end Swiss restaurants in the city can’t boast of.
Mill’Feuille
- Average Price:
- Location: Mühlenplatz 6
Mill’Feuille is a hip local restaurant opposite Spreur Bridge in the back end of Lucerne’s old town. We were actually tipped about this restaurant by a lovely local lady in Lucerne, and boy do we have to thank her! It was one of our favorite places to dine out in the city, and I’m heading straight there as soon as I’m back in Lucerne.
It’s a small eatery with warm wooden tables and gorgeous chairs. There are plenty of tables in the restaurant, but it never seems overly crowded, even when all the tables are taken. In terms of the food, Mill’Feuille has a weekly lunch menu with a few different options.
They usually serve two dishes on Monday and Tuesday and something else for the rest of the week. In my experience, they always have at least one vegetarian option on the menu.
The dishes are usually priced up to 25 CHF, and I normally pay even less for the main course. The food is very good, and you can spot many locals here, which just goes to show that there’s definitely a place for high-quality, affordable restaurants in Lucerne.
