Where to eat BRAZIL 🇧🇷 Lausanne: Churrascaria Assador

Churrascaria Assador

Rue de Genève 17, Lausanne

What we ordered: For four persons, the full salad bar and churrascaria served rodizio, with rotating wait staff circling with meat on skewers which is sliced at the table as desired, ready to eat. To drink, we shared two bottles of Portuguese Soalheiro Alvarinho (2022) and a large bottle of sparkling water (50 cl).

Cost: 362 CHF / €383 / $413

Churrascaria Assador is everything a Brazilian meat emporium should be, from the fully loaded salad bar, to the proper serving amount and quality of sides including fried plantains, rice and feijoada, and of course, the main attraction, the carnival of meat. You never go to one of these on a full stomach – or leave hungry.

Of the meat, the chicken was beyond succulent as someone who normally shies away from the bird in such places in favor of pricier cuts, it was worth trying again and again. The garlic steak was popping with umami. And the sirloin cuts offered something for every taste bud. Even the sides were excellent, so excellent in fact that while the feijoada went unfinished as it often does when stacked against an awesome assortment of meats, the plantains required additional servings.

One thing I do not recall on the table or the buffet that is a staple of the Brazilian churrascaria is pão de queijo. As delicious as it is, and as much fun as it is to say, it was probably just as well given that there was so much already, too much in fact – and that is really the essence of a proper churrascaria.

While we came early and on empty stomachs to the restaurant, as the first guests in the restaurant, by the time we left the place was packed and bustling. Part of why Churrascaria Assador is everything you want in a churrascaria à rodizio is the turnover to give new cuts and freshness to the meats on rotation.

People watching as others feast while eating way too much only contributes to the fun and friendliness. It may look like others are getting served half a cow at times, but in short order, one’s turn arrives too. No judging but for the judgement of the delicious cuts!

We went on a Thursday night around the holidays and were not disappointed. Everything was extremely good, and at 53 CHF per person for dinner for the full rotation of meats and salad bar and considering all you get, it is no trouble to recommend this place with excellent commendations for fancy occasions and holidays. Given, it is all a bit a lot. That’s why Brazilian churrascaria is a special event meal, like going to a stadium concert or a holiday celebration, not an everyday affair.

How to get to Brazil from Switzerland:

Several airlines offer flights from Zürich to Rio de Janeiro, with the cheapest and fastest options being on Air France, KLM, Iberia, Ita Airways and Tap Air Portugal, with flight times just over 15 hours and layovers in either Paris, Amsterdam, Madrid, Rome and Lisbon.

From Geneva to Rio de Janeiro, the offerings are similar, though flight times are a bit shorter with a layover. There is also an additional route on British Airways through London’s Heathrow airport.

To São Paolo, additional routes open up with a direct flight on Swiss Air between São Paolo and Zürich, as well as offerings on Air Europe and Lufthansa, routed through Madrid and Frankfurt. From Geneva, the shortest and most cost-effective routes are on KLM, Ita Airways and Tap Portugal through Amsterdam, Roma and Portugal. To fly Swiss Air, a connecting flight to Zürich is in order.

How many Brazilians are in Switzerland: About 24,000

Distance between Bern and Brasília: 8,884 km

Learn how to make Brazil's national dish, feijoada, and about its origins.

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