There are few places in Lausanne as effortlessly enchanting as Pyxis Café. Tucked just beside the cathedral, its two dining rooms offer a tale of two views: one gazing up at gothic spires and the cobbled charm of La Cité, the other stretching out toward rooftops, lake, and Alps beyond.
After a brief pause, the café has reopened under the leadership of Alter Start Food, a local initiative that’s equal parts culinary adventure and social enterprise. The space, lovingly redesigned a few years ago by Lausanne design maven (and dear friend of TLG) Julia Christ, remains untouched—and for good reason. With its mix of historic charm and contemporary elegance, Pyxis Café continues to be one of the most beautiful settings in town. And when the weather’s fine? You can take it all in from the terrace outside—one of Lausanne’s quietest, most scenic spots for a coffee or lunch in the sun.
Chef Étienne Loiseau, together with a dynamic team of chefs-in-training, brings a refreshingly modern take on global comfort food. The dishes are rooted in seasonality and simplicity—think colorful plates with generous portions, layered with warmth and subtle creativity. Whether it’s a Lebanese-inspired lentil salad, a local take on shakshuka, or the ever-changing weekly special drawn from the home country of one of the team members, each plate tells a story.
But the real beauty of this place goes beyond what’s on the plate. Alter Start Food offers a professional kitchen training program for individuals navigating career changes or new lives in Switzerland. Through their work at Pyxis Café (and in sister kitchens across the region), participants gain hands-on experience, build skills, and—perhaps most importantly—build confidence.
One of those stories belongs to Viktoriia, a trained pastry chef who relocated from Ukraine when staying was no longer possible. Now the sous chef at Pyxis Café, she credits Chef Étienne and the Alter Start program for giving her a solid foundation in Switzerland—from which she’s continuing to pursue her love of baking and her professional ambitions. When you stop by for lunch, be sure to give her a wave in the open kitchen.
It’s a café with a mission: inclusion, collaboration, and a seat at the table for all.
Whether you stop by for a morning espresso, a nourishing lunch, or one of the upcoming afterwork evenings (starting soon on Thursdays and Fridays), you’ll walk away with more than a good meal. You’ll leave with a sense of something bigger—of what it looks like when good food and good intentions meet.
Pyxis Café
Pl. de la Cathédrale 6
Open Monday to Friday, 8:00–14:00
(Coming soon: afterwork hours on Thursdays and Fridays from 17:00–22:00) More info here.
