In the Palace Hotel (one of the city's premier establishments), Jasper is one of Lucerne's culinary marvels, combining exquisite service, elegant contemporary interior design (cream leather seating, wooden floors, and conversation-starter light fittings), and perfectly prepared modern Mediterranean cuisine that makes the most of the city's market-fresh ingredients and complements the sterling wine list. The imagination of chef Markus Weiss is evident even in the soup selection, with out-of-the-ordinary suggestions like black salsify soup with truffle and rabbit filet in filo pastry, or a trilogy of clear venison soup, red cabbage soup, and a remarkable chestnut cappuccino. Amid such refined luxury, you'll do well to sample any of the local fish or meat dishes (all sourced in Switzerland) and to sample a dessert selection that's definitely out of the ordinary: Think warm grand cru chocolate soup with gingerbread croutons and tonka bean ice cream, in case the soups as starters weren't revelatory enough. Reservations necessary.