---
type: "Article"
title: "Montreux Jazz Café in the Fairmont Le Montreux Palace"
description: "At the Montreux Jazz Café restaurant visitors enjoy a jazzy atmosphere outside of the actual Jazz Festival. We let ourselves get inspired..."
resource: "https://travelmemo.com/switzerland/montreux-jazz-cafe-fairmont-montreux-palace"
author: "Katja Birrer"
publisher: "Travelmemo"
photo_count: 6
tags: ["Restaurant", "Switzerland"]
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    title: "Original photography by Katja Birrer"
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timestamp: 2026-07-04T13:55:04+00:00
---

# Montreux Jazz Café in the Fairmont Le Montreux Palace

> The Montreux Jazz Café inside the Fairmont Le Montreux Palace on Lake Geneva offers a jazz-soaked dining and bar experience year-round, surrounded by memorabilia from the legendary Montreux Jazz Festival.

## Destination
Fairmont Le Montreux Palace, Swiss Riviera, Lake Geneva, Switzerland

## Why visit
For jazz lovers, the café is a pilgrimage site decorated with artefacts from Claude Nobs' estate — including Freddie Mercury's kimono — with live music at the adjoining Funky Claude's Bar and a refined restaurant menu.

## What to see
- **Jazz memorabilia walls** — Artefacts from Claude Nobs' estate and photos of renowned jazz musicians cover the walls.
- **Freddie Mercury's kimono** — Hung at the bar, it belonged to the Queen frontman who was closely tied to Montreux.
- **Freddie Mercury Suite** — The suite in the hotel where Mercury frequently stayed during his lifetime.
- **Belle Époque architecture** — The five-star hotel was constructed in 1906 and is a member of Leading Hotels of the World.

## What to do
- **Dine at the Montreux Jazz Café** — Restaurant serving dishes such as prawn avocado cocktail, cod with grey shrimp and kumbawa mashed potatoes, and crème brûlée.
- **Drinks and live music at Funky Claude's Bar** — Adjacent bar with live jazz performances; the article noted guitarist Luciano Del Gaudio and pianist Juan Carlos Gonzalez.
- **Stay at the Fairmont Le Montreux Palace** — 236 rooms and suites, most with panoramic views of Lake Geneva and the Alps, plus a spa and conference centre.

## Photos

```yaml
photos:
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Bar-Montreux-Jazz-Cafe.jpg"
    caption: "Bar at the Montreux Jazz Cafe"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Ray-Charles-Montreux-Jazz-Cafe.jpg"
    caption: "Ray Charles in his element"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Hummer-Cocktail-Montreux-Jazz-Cafe.jpg"
    caption: "Prawn cocktail with avocado"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Kabeljau-Crevetten-Montreux-Jazz-Cafe.jpg"
    caption: "Cod with grey shrimp and kumbawa mashed potatoesKartoffelstock"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Montreux-Jazz-Cafe-Restaurant.jpg"
    caption: "What the Montreux Jazz Café looks like during the day"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Luciano-Juan-Montreux-Jazz-Cafe.jpg"
    caption: "Luciano del Gaudio an der Gitarre und Juan Carlos Gonzales am Flügel"
```