The Swiss Club

The Swiss are famous for mountains, watches and a certain tennis player, but their cuisine has not reached such Alpine levels of fame. Which made the trip to Swiss Club of Victoria all the more intriguing.

The Swiss Club was established in 1899 as a way to help Swiss migrants keep a connection with their country of origin. Nowadays everyone is welcome to dine at the restaurant and even join the club. Located on Flinders Lane, the club’s entrance is hidden away up a flight of stairs behind a large wooden door that reads Gaststube – German for ‘lounge.’

With its frosted windows blocking out the surrounding high risers, a 100 year-old wooden table next to a piano (which gets a work out at the monthly Club Nights), it was not hard to pretend, that on this cold winters day, we were dinning in the Swiss Alps.

Run by a Swiss father-daughter team, head chef Roger Moullet is the man in the kitchen while daughter Reneé runs the floor.

The menu provides a mix of the three types of Swiss cuisine: from Swiss-French dishes such as cheese fondue ($24 per person), to the Italian influenced mixed seafood risotto ($30) and a variety of schnitzels inspired by the country’s German influence.

For entrée, we shared the scallops in a lemon butter sauce ($17), served with just the right amount of rice to scoop up any left over bits. The Cordon Bleu ($26), a crumbed chicken breast filled with ham and cheese, ticked all the classic smoky ham/gooey cheese boxes. The rack of lamb ($26) crusted in herbs, was tender, generously seasoned and came with a side of fries.

Leaving with our bellies full and the satisfaction of meeting some lovely people, we recommended the Swiss Club to anybody after a hearty meal (and beer) this winter.

SWISS CLUB OF VICTORIA
89 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
1300 893 968
Mon-Tue 12pm – 3pm
Wed-Fri 12pm – 3pm and 6pm till late
swissclubvic.wordpress.com/restaurant