4 Best Restaurants in Fribourg and Neuchâtel, Switzerland

This is a very special restaurant, so if you're traveling by car and can book well ahead, definitely stop by to see why it gets such high praise from top critics. The atmosphere is laid-back, staff are on the ball and friendly, and views of the lake and mountains from the terrace are divine. The à la carte fare at the ground-floor bistro looks simple at first—tuna tartare, bouillabaisse, even Wiener schnitzel—but in the hands of owner-chef Werner Rätz the results amaze. For the full experience, opt for the bistro's five-course prix-fixe Menu du Marché, which has whatever is fresh and available, for SF130, or the Menu Gastronomique upstairs, with seven courses for SF160 (different from the bistro). The Auberge is in Lugnorre, 5 km (3 miles) northwest of Murten.

This simply furnished creperie-cum-tearoom opposite the Jardin Anglais is an ideal spot to grab a cheap but tasty meal. Its location close to the university ensures a young crowd, many of whom head here to enjoy a choice from more than 120 types of crepes: sweet or savory, meat or vegetarian. Gluten-free, wheat, and buckwheat varieties cater to many diets. A selection of more than 30 teas also can be enjoyed while playing video games or perusing the comic books on offer.

Despite its proximity to the lake, there's neither a terrace nor a view at Le Bocca, and charming owner-chef Claude Frôté wants it that way: customers should come to this spot for his innovative food. Just north of Neuchâtel, the restaurant has an array of menus in its brasserie and main dining room. If you're a fan of organ meats such as tripe—long popular in Neuchâtel—you can eat for a lot less: Le Bocca's contemporary takes on these traditional dishes run you only SF32 to SF47. Hand in hand with the fine food (past delights have included foie gras with passion fruit, and beef fillet with olives and pistachios) is a great wine list with 25,000 bottles in stock.