4 Best Restaurants in Geneva, Switzerland
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For years Geneva's restaurants dished up menus heavily reliant on French, German, and northern Italian fare. Increasingly, there's a more international spin to the city's dining scene with Japanese, Peruvian, Indian, and Nordic cuisine popping up with fanfare. Tapas-style grazing menus have become as common as those offering five-course meals, and signature restaurants run by well-known chefs as prevalent as casual burger joints.
Although dress-code days are gone, casual elegance is the rule of thumb. 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.
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.
Le Chat Botté
The elegant dining room of the Beau-Rivage is dressed in rich creams and browns with the occasional pop of apple green, but with majestic views of the Jet d'Eau and Mont Blanc the terrace steals the show. The menu evolves with the seasons: Michelin-starred chef Dominique Gauthier tweaks the details of his lineup every few months, and dishes may include such delights as frog legs from Vallorbe or langoustines in kadaïf, a crispy, thin Turkish noodle. The vast wine cellar features 40,000 handpicked bottles, including many rare vintages.
Il Lago
Decorated with rich brocades, glittering chandeliers, and bright frescoes, this robin's-egg-blue dining room has plenty of light streaming through a wall of windows. Diners enjoy classic dishes from northern Italy and a menu of Italian, French, and Swiss wines. If roasted scampi and sea asparagus were served at Versailles (instead of the Four Seasons, where Il Lago is located), this is what it might be like. In season, there's a gorgeous sidewalk terrace complete with olive trees and aromatic herbs.
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L'Aparté
Chef Armel Bedouet creates Michelin-starred fine dining with the freshest local ingredients at this bright, crisp restaurant in Hôtel Royal. Only 15 people can be seated at once, making the experience truly intimate and special.