Category: Geneva / Genève (Page 1 of 2)

You should definitely visit the separate chapel, very beautiful. In the cathedral you can see the chair of Calvin which is very small. I enjoyed the view from the towers of the cathedral. It is a climb, but worth the effort.

Information
Saint-Pierre Cathedral
Place du Bourg-de-Four 24
CH-1204 Genève
Switzerland
http://www.saintpierre-geneve.ch/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Pierre_Cathedral

Visited November 2012. You can find my review about Cathedrale de St-Pierre also on TripAdvisor.

I have to say, this is definitely the best meal I’ve had in Geneva so far. Looking for a nice restaurant to spend the evening, we were very lucky to find a table for two, since we failed to make reservations. The restaurant can only accommodate 25 people, so reservations are normally needed.

The food really was outstanding. Sort of a Japanese fusion style. We opted for the menu and were not disappointed. The yellowtail sashimi with chilipepper and seabass sashimi were just incredible. Also loved the lobster and baby spinach. And a restaurant that serves ice mochi as dessert, can do no wrong (just a small tip for the staff: the mochi were served too cold).

Be warned though, drinks are very expensive. We were kind of shocked when we saw the prices of the champagne we choose as aperitif on the bill. Skip the aperitif and go straight for the sake, which is very good. Still pricy, but not as expensive as the champagne.

Really loved the atmosphere in the restaurant, very cosy. Service was also excellent! Staff was very helpful in explaining the courses and very attentive. Never in my life have I been asked so many times if I enjoyed my mail. (I did, very much, so thank you.)

Next time we visit Geneva, we’ll certainly be back! With reservations!

Information
Restaurant Izumi
Rooftop of Four Seasons hotel
Quai des Bergues 33
1201 Geneva
Switzerland
+41 22 908 7522
izumi.gen@fourseasons.com
https://www.fourseasons.com/geneva/dining/restaurants/izumi/
https://twitter.com/FSGeneva
FourSeasonsHotelGeneva

Visited November 2014. You can find my review about Izumi also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 4/5, atmosphere 5/5, service 5/5, food 5/5.

It is always surprising to me that in Asia you can have excellent fast food at airports, whereas in Europe they try selling Asian foods, but hardly succeed in making them taste like the original. Granted TUK is a street food style restaurants with ready-made wok dishes. But I’ve had lots of street food which I enjoyed very much. I ordered the pad thai, which sadly turned out to be a mistake. Should have gone for the curry. The pad thai only vaguely resembled this popular Asian dish. The noodles were overcooked and not warm enough. A very sad dish and way too expensive for this disappointment.

Tuk Thai Urban Kitchen, route de l’ Aeroport 21 Airport Geneva, Le Grand Saconnex, Geneva 1215, Switzerland
http://www.gva.ch/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-159/

Visited May 2017. You can find my review about Tuk Thai Urban Kitchen also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 3/5, service 3/5, food 2/5.

I enjoyed a drink on this beautiful terrace on a lovely spring day with temperatures well above 25 degrees. This terrace is very aptly named: the colorful beach chairs and umbrellas at the bank of the river Rhône instantaneously bring you into the holiday mood. Since I didn’t order food, I can’t commend on that. I did try the house specialty though: a refreshing glass of citronnade. I found my visit very relaxing and enjoyed watching the water and the people nearby from my beach chair.

Terrasse le Paradis, Quai Turrettini, Geneva 1201, Switzerland
http://terrasse-paradis.ch/
+41 76 715 83 70

Visited May 2017. You can find my review about Terrasse le Paradis also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 3/5, service 3/5, food 4/5.

Other reviews said Gelato Mania offers the best ice cream in Geneva, but since this was the only ice cream shop I tried during my stay in Geneva, I can’t compare. The ice cream was nice enough though, decent quality and lots of different flavors to choose from. I went for cinnamon and dark chocolate, both flavors were very good. I paid 5 francs for my ice cream, which I consider value for money, because the ice cream is clearly home made.

Gelato Mania, rue des Paquis 25, Geneva 1201, Switzerland
http://www.gelato-mania.ch/
+41 22 741 41 44

Visited May 2017. You can find my review about Gelato Mania also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 4/5, service 3/5, food 4/5.

Vapiano Geneva is part of a chain of restaurants. Normally, I’m not a big fan of those type of restaurants, but I have to be honest: Vapiano was a pleasant surprise. The restaurant is located in the heart of Geneva and has a pleasant and very light interior. The wooden furniture is absolutely gorgeous.

The concept is simple: you order at the counter and your food is prepared right in front of you. My risotto was very good and the pizza of my friends also looked great with fresh ingredients and an abundance of toppings. Everything you order is registered on a key card and you pay when you leave the restaurant.

My only minor concern are the paper bags that Vapiano uses for each serving of fresh pasta. Are those really necessary? Seems to me like a lot of unnecessary waste production.

Vapiano, Place Saint Gervais 3. 1021 Geneva, Geneva 1021, Switzerland
http://chfr.vapiano.com/en/home/
+41 22 301 32 32

Visited May 2016. You can find my review about Vapiano also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 4/5, service 3/5, food 4/5.

Having lunch outdoor in November is quite exceptionally, autumn is not wat it used to be, but you don’t hear me complaining. La Buvette du Bain de Paquis is a lovely place to have a quick basic lunch sitting outside enjoying the beautiful surroundings. Concept is self service, but you are served very quick and the food is decent. the Plat du Jour was nice enough. Location is key though, with a gorgeous view on Geneva Lake. They don’t accept credit cards, but you can pay with euros.

La buvette des Bains des Paquis, quai du Mont-Blanc 30, Geneva 1201, Switzerland
http://www.buvettedesbains.ch/
+41 22 738 16 16

Visited November 2014. You can find my review about La buvette des Bains des Paquis also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 5/5, atmosphere 5/5, service 3/5, food 3/5.

It can be a little chilly (and wet) in Geneva in November, so when we were looking for a place to warm up, we found this charming Salon de Thé in the old town center. So many different flavours of tea that I couldn’t choose, so I ended up with the Chocola Chaud Maison Rohr, with wipped cream, of course. The hot chocolate was excellent, as was my apple cake. Although I was a little bit jealous of the chocolate cake my boyfriend chose.

Service was very friendly. The interior of Vivel Patisserie was bright and inviting and our drinks and food were beautifully presented. Would love to come back when the weather is better to sit outsite on the little terras.

Tea lovers, don’t miss out on this one!

VIVEL Patisserie, rue d’ Enfer 1 Rue d’Enfer, Geneva 1204, Switzerland
http://www.vivel.ch/
+41 22 312 23 33

Visited November 2014. You can find my review about VIVEL Patisserie also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 4/5, atmosphere 4/5, service 5/5, food 5/5.

When you are looking for a simple, no frills place to stay in Genève, this is good value for money. We stayed for three nights. Breakfast was decent, although I missed some eggs. Only the first day we found some hard boiled eggs at the buffet. The buffet offered a limited choice, but everything was nice and fresh.

The room was ok. The bathroom was basic but the shower was very good, nice hot water and the water pressure was very good! The last day of our stay room keeping forgot to give us clean towels, but we quickly got new ones.

It was a bit too hot in our room. We couldn’t switch off the radiator because the control was broken. We mentioned this the first evening at the reception, but they couldn’t get the problem fixed, which was too bad. We had to sleep with the windows open to get the room cooler. Because of the open windows we had some noise from the bell tower of the church nearby.

Location was very good, close to the lake and on the edge of the old town. Very nice to go for a walk in the evening.

Information
Bel’Esperance
Rue La Vallee 1
1204 Genève
Switzerland
+41 22 818 37 37
contact@hotel-bel-esperance.ch
https://www.hotel-bel-esperance.ch/?lang=en
https://www.facebook.com/hotelbelesperance/

Stayed November 2012. You can find my review about Bel’Esperance also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 4/5, location 4/5, sleep quality 3/5, rooms 3/5, cleanliness 3/5, service 4/5.