Njørden | Restaurant - Café - Brunch : Pl. du Marché 15, 1170 Aubonne

This review is for the restaurant, we haven’t tried the cafe - yet. Absolutely fantastic menu and meal. This is quality dining at a very high level. The food was perfect (best lobster I’ve had in Europe and no complaints about any dishes - masterfully handled the one in our group with a shellfish allergy), the wines suggested by Simon (our main server - I didn’t catch the name of our other server, but she was also professional and pleasant) matched perfectly. Chef Philippe Deslarzes should be rightly proud of his kitchen and his staff. Only issue was one of the doors (perhaps kitchen) made a loud bass sound occasionally after 21:00, not sure why, and if it was the position of our table, but it was an occasional distraction. Every thing else met or exceeded expectations. Additionally, all communications with the restaurant beforehand (special requests, questions, allergy) were prompt, clear, and informative.

I have travelled the world extensively over 40 years. I ate at all restaurants ranging from pop & mom’s to Michelin three stars. This is my honest review of the Njorden Cafe (the one with Michelin Bib award, not the main Michelin star restaurant) in Aubonne, canton of Vaud, Switzerland. We had a wonderful brunch here and were genuinely impressed by both the quality and the concept. The brunch included a generous buffet of mostly cold dishes, with a focus on fish preparations — smoked salmon, marinated salmon, roulades, and herring — all of which were excellent. There were also fresh salads (including a lovely carrot salad), a selection of breads, cheeses, a few sweets, and some meat options like bacon. The fish selection slightly outweighed the meat and cheese options, so a bit more variety in those areas could bring better balance — but everything was delicious. In addition to the buffet, we were served three warm dishes directly at the table from the kitchen: their signature cinnamon roll (as delicious as it is famous), a comforting mushroom and egg soup, and a flavorful fish dish made with pollack. The portions were intentionally small, which allowed us to sample everything without feeling overly full — a thoughtful and elegant approach. Drinks included coffee, a lovely verveine tea, infused water, and apple juice. Everything was included, and there was no limit — just a relaxed atmosphere where you could enjoy at your own pace. Service was excellent — warm, informative, and attentive. The only (minor) downside was a bit of a wait when it came to checking out, but that doesn’t take away from the otherwise outstanding experience. The ambiance inside is great: cozy, with light-colored decor, soft background music, and enough space between tables to enjoy conversations without being overheard. One small suggestion would be to consider slightly softer chairs or cushions to enhance comfort, especially for older guests. The current chairs look good but might feel a bit hard over a longer meal. All in all, a truly lovely brunch spot I’d absolutely recommend — both for the food and the welcoming, well-thought-out atmosphere.

The Njorden has a very relaxed, calm and clear atmosphere. The staff behaved accordingly: friendly, competent and in a positive way laidback. The courses were, quelle surprise, very much focused around fish. What I really enjoyed was the combination of Scandinavian influenced receipes and (mostly)local products. I would describe them more in detail, but as I am just practicing my French I might not have gotten all the details. What I still got is: I had an excellent evening with a lot of surprising flavours. Full Recommendation!