Geneva Restaurants

Geneva Restaurant Reviews

Relatively few restaurants focus on a see-and-be-seen angle; 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 which puts emphasis on locally sourced ingredients, regional tastes, and authentic preparations).

Increasingly, there's a trendy "non-French" spin, and, as with hotels, there's a big push to freshen up 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 Le Sud) at the Mandarin Oriental, and Alain Senderens is a consultant for the RestO 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 2 pm and 7 to 9:30 or 10 pm; pubs, bars, and clubs satisfy hungry 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.

Geneva restaurants (and bars and clubs) are all nonsmoking. Some are now charging for the carafe d'eau (tap water). Since it is not local custom to take small children to better restaurants, amenities (and welcome) may be poor if you arrive with 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 exception, not the rule.