The best restaurants Geneva

Timetable

Geneva is an international city and each community lives at its own pace. However, restaurant hours are for the most part identical to France. Lunch is between 12 and 2 pm and dinner (or soup) between 7 and 9 pm. The local tendency is to have dinner rather early in the evening.

Lively and cosmopolitan neighborhoods such as Pâquis offer a range of restaurants with international influences that are open quite late.

Please note that many restaurants are closed on Sundays.

Budget & Tips

A veritable culinary scene: the range of tastes is vast, and there's something to suit every budget. There are over a thousand restaurants in Geneva, enough to satisfy all your tastes and desires. Some of the finest restaurants offer menus starting at CHF 80, while traditional restaurants are more affordable at between CHF 25 and 50. You can grab a bite to eat in a restaurant for CHF 15 for a dish of the day. Many also offer lunchtime menus.

In summer, ephemeral lakeside terraces and food trucks invite you to picnic in parks or on beaches.

Locally, the Fourchette verte website (www.fourchetteverte.ch) lists certified restaurants by category and price.

What costs extra

Prices always include service, but the Swiss easily leave 10% in restaurants.

Bread and water are not extra, but it is customary in restaurants to offer bottled water. Please specify if you want water in a carafe.

The local way

For the big eaters, they should know that the portions are often smaller than in France. The products are also more expensive and so is the labor. The Swiss are not big eaters, except for chocolate perhaps!

It is very local to go for a weekend brunch. You will find them from 20 to 90 CHF, it all depends on the standing and the food you are looking for. On Sundays, it is also very popular for families to meet in parks with barbecue and have a simple and relaxed family lunch.

Kids

Children are welcome and many establishments encourage them with appropriate menus.

Smokers

Smokers are not allowed in the establishments, but there are specific areas available.

Tourist traps

You will not find touts in front of restaurants. Even in tourist areas, this is not customary. You can make your choice without being influenced. As everywhere, there are restaurants that are more touristy than others, but it is rare to have very bad surprises.

Don't be fooled when you are offered "fillets of perch" from the lake, the specialty served especially in summer. Most of the fish comes from the Baltic lakes, not from Lake Geneva.