Lai Thai
Lai Thai is in an elegant setting. The owner went to Swiss hotel school, so you are always greeted like a king or queen and the service is impeccable. A wide range of Northern Thai dishes you don’t ordinarily find in hole-in-the-wall type Thai restaurants, such as the special Thai rice and fish fritters with a delicious dipping sauce, as well as great massamans. Set menus go for CHF 55, 65 and 78 and the servings are generous. Located in what was formerly a Geneva institution, the Café Gothard.
Rue du Gothard 11 1225 Chêne-Bourg Tel. +41 (0)22 348 48 17Les 3s
Traditional Italian cuisine in a chic contemporary decor, located in Plainpalais near the Musée Patek Philippe. The bar serves tapas with the cocktails and is a hangout for young people.
Avenue du Mail 15bis 1205 Geneva Tel. +41 (0)22 328 07 01 Site.Le Lotus
A husband and wife team produce a homestyle food in an extremely elegant, non-kitsch dining room. The only place in Switzerland I’ve found where you can get an authentic caramelized pork, as well as numerous other authentic Vietnamese dishes. Nhat Thanh Tran Ho went to hotel school, where she learned French cuisine, so you see some evidence of it in some of the dishes. Set menus at CHF 52 and 62. Terrace.
34, avenue Théodore-Weber 1206 Geneva Tel. +41(0)22 700 35 70Gandhi Café
The Gandhi Café, located in Pâquis, is upscale Indian kitsch with a touch of fusion in the decor, with Bollywood dancers entertaining you on screen. The service is in the same style. The cuisine is Northern Indian, but some traditional European dishes are available. They specialize in Tandoori and do home delivery. Just call one hour ahead.
Rue de Neuchâtel 37 1201 Geneva Tel. +41 (0)22 731 41 12Café du Grütli
A contemporary cuisine and atmosphere located in the Geneva cinematheque of the same name. The food is creative, with interesting mixes of spices and ingredients as well as different, chiefly Mediterranean, influences.
Rue du Général-Dufour 16 1204 Geneva Tel. 0+41 (0)22 321 51 58Da Paolo
Da Paolo is the one pizza restaurant in Geneva where you go to be seen. It’s open every night, 7 days a week, until 23H30. They of course serve other dishes as well, and I admit their veal Milanese is almost like one you’d eat in a trattoria in Milan. The pizzas have a nice crispy, crust cooked in a wood oven. They don’t take reservations, so it’s best to either arrive early or late, though admittedly they manage the queues quite efficiently.
Rue du Lac 4 1207 Geneva Tel. +41 (0)22 736 30 49Restaurant de l’Hôtel de la Cigogne
This is perfect for an elegant Sunday evening dining experience. The Cigogne restaurant is located in the centrally located, Relais & Chateaux hotel of the same name. It is rather like eating in a chateau dining room. The menu is seasonal, with classic, but often updated, dishes, such as cream of pea soup with bacon foam, or smoked chicken and green asparagus tartare. CHF 65 market menu. Good wine list.
Place Longemalle 17 1204 Geneva Tel. +41 (0)22 818 40 40Nirvana
Nirvana is an upscale, gastronomic Indian restaurant decked out in deep red velvet and glitter, with a few Buddhas and Ganeshes thrown in, and located on the most exclusive shopping street in Geneva. They offer a CHF 59 discovery menu, and during the week, quite reasonably priced lunch menus. It’s more fusion than true traditional Indian, but still steeped in the spirit. Open 7 days and week, terrace. The posh bar serves kebabs and nans with the cocktails
Rue du Rhône 21 1204 Geneva Tel. +41 (0)22 310 13 00La Pignata
La Pignata‘s menu consists mainly of pizza and pasta, with about 10 specialty pizzas you won’t find elsewhere. Wide selection of Italian wines (for a pizzeria) and takeaway as well.
Avenue du Mail 3 1205 Geneva Tel. +41 (0)22 310 22 08Le Réservoir
Le Reservoir serves traditional Lyonnais-style bistro cuisine in an ultra-contemporary setting, once an industrial building. The Café de la Presse wine bar “annex” serves tapas with the drinks. Closed Sunday mornings.
Boulevard Saint-Georges 62-64 1205 Geneva Tel. +41 (0)22 310 62 99
I have been looking for years for this kind of list. It’s VERY helpful. Do you add to it periodically? And do you have a list for Mondays as well?
Thank you and thank you again for posting this.
– Barbara
We’re looking into the possibility of donig more…Thanks, good to have your feedback.