Geneva Restaurants

Geneva Restaurant Reviews

Relatively few restaurants focus on a see-and-be-seen angle for targeted age groups; what unites diners at the best ones, whether simple cafés or gastronomic havens, is an appreciation for good food (read "slow food"—the noted food movement born in Italy a few decades ago which puts emphasis on locally sourced ingredients, regional tastes, and authentic preparations). So, people-wise, you can expect to see a little of everything in Geneva restaurants, which still basically follow traditional lines: cafés, bistros, brasseries, and restaurants.

Increasingly, there's a trendy "non-French" spin, and, as with hotels, a big facelifting drive is on as regards decor. Also note the rise of tapas "grazing" menus; places that offer both light menus (club sandwiches) and five-course meals; and signature restaurants—Vineet Bhatia (Rasoi) and Paul Bocuse (Brasserie) at the Mandarin Oriental, the Pourcel brothers (EastWest and Tiffany), and Alain Senderens at Cité du Temps (run by chic Arthur's Rive Gauche) on Pont de la Machine. At the other end of the scale, fast food usually runs to salad creations, fresh sandwiches, and warm quiche to go; lunchtime plats du jour and bakeries with tearooms are delicious budget options.

While dress-code days are gone, casual elegant is rule of thumb, and hours for meals generally remain noon to two pm and seven to nine-thirty or ten pm; open-late pubs, bars, and clubs satisfy night owls. And yes, after the stores close on Saturday afternoon Geneva's city center is virtually dormant—and most but by no means all restaurants close. That's because the Genevois spend their weekends eating at country inns and village cafés, which are mostly open weekends.

These days, Geneva restaurants (and bars and clubs) are all no-smoking. Some are now charging for the carafe d'eau (tap water). Since it is not local custom to take small children to better restaurants, infrastructure (and welcome) may be poor if you arrive babies in tow. Tipping? Local diners may leave the change as a gesture when they leave, but tipping for exceptional service is up to the customer and is still the (great) exception, not the rule.

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