Switzerland Information
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 Posted: Wed Nov 01, 2006 4:23 am Post subject: FOOD & DINING IN SWITZERLAND |
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FOOD & DINING IN SWITZERLAND
GENERAL
Cheese
Cheese making is an integral part of the Swiss heritage. Cattle breeding and dairy farming, concentrated in the alpine areas of the country, have been associated with the region for 2,000 years, since the Romans ate caseus Helveticus (Helvetian cheese). Today more than 100 different varieties of cheese are produced in Switzerland. The cheeses, however, are not mass produced -- they're made in hundreds of small, strictly controlled dairies, each under the direction of a master cheese maker with a federal degree.
The cheese with the holes, known as Switzerland Swiss or Emmenthal, has been widely copied, since nobody ever thought to protect the name for use only on cheeses produced in the Emme Valley until it was too late. Other cheeses of Switzerland, many of which have also had their names plagiarized, are Gruyère, Appenzeller, raclette, royalp, and sapsago. The names of several mountain cheeses have also been copied, including sbrinz and spalen, closely related to the caseus Helveticus of Roman times.
Fondue -- Cheese fondue, which consists of cheese (Emmenthal and natural Gruyère used separately, together, or with special local cheeses) melted in white wine flavored with a soupçon of garlic and lemon juice, is the national dish of Switzerland. Freshly ground pepper, nutmeg, paprika, and Swiss kirsch are among the traditional seasonings. Guests surround a bubbling caquelon (an earthenware pipkin or small pot) and use long forks to dunk cubes of bread into the hot mixture. Other dunkables are apples, pears, grapes, cocktail wieners, cubes of boiled ham, shrimp, pitted olives, and tiny boiled potatoes. Other fondues include fondue bourguignon made with chunks of beef and red wine, usually from Burgundy, and fondue chinois, with a base of vegetable, herb, and meat-flavoured bouillon, into which is dipped chunks of meat on long forks.
Raclette -- This cheese specialty is almost as famous as fondue. Popular for many centuries, its origin is lost in antiquity, but the word raclette comes from the French word racler, meaning "to scrape off." Although raclette originally was the name of the dish made from the special mountain cheese of the Valais, today it describes not only the dish itself but also the cheese varieties suitable for melting at an open fire or in an oven.
A piece of cheese -- traditionally half to a quarter of a wheel of raclette -- is held in front of an open fire. As it starts to soften, it is scraped off onto one's plate with a special knife. The unique flavour of the cheese is most delicious when the cheese is hottest. The classic accompaniment is fresh, crusty, homemade dark bread, but the cheese may also be eaten with potatoes boiled in their skins, pickled onions, cucumbers, or small corncobs. You usually eat raclette with a fork, but sometimes you may need a knife as well.
Bread
Switzerland claims it has more varieties of bread than any other country - between 200 and 300 kinds, rivalling the number of its cheeses.
Every canton has its own traditional loaf, and then there are all kinds of special breads baked for different occasions: for christenings, weddings and funerals, for religious holidays and carnival time. Not surprisingly, there are all sorts of stories and traditions linked with these breads.
If the Swiss are so inventive about what they put into their loaves and the shapes they bake them in, perhaps it isn't surprising, since they've had time to accumulate plenty of experience: their ancestors were baking bread here nearly 6,000 years ago.
Heads, noses and spring snails: all features of Swiss bread
Bread is traditionally a very local affair in Switzerland. The shapes and styles depend partly on taste, partly on tradition and partly on local conditions dictating the type of cereal than can be grown. Swiss Germans tend to prefer their bread darker and saltier than their French and Italian speaking neighbours, for example. But many local breads have now spilled far beyond their original regions and can be found anywhere in the country.
Since the middle of the 19th century, when Switzerland became the federal state it is today, each canton has been associated with a particular style of loaf. The best known is the Zurich loaf, which is oval with a golden-brown crust, and a series of slashes across the top. This one is so widely sold that it is regarded as standard. But other cantons have adopted very different styles. Here are just a few:
Graubünden
A ring-shaped bread, known locally as Brascidela or Bracciadella, made of a mixture of rye and wheat flour. There's a good reason for the shape: it made them easier to hang up. Traditionally the loaves were left under the eaves to dry for days or even weeks, and were then edible for months to come.
Jura
A flat, round loaf of a type popular throughout the French-speaking cantons, this one is decorated with the symbols of the flag of Switzerland's youngest canton: a bishop's crozier in one half and stripes in the other.
Ticino
A loaf made up of a number of small loaves put together, each one of which can be easily broken off. This is because it is regarded as an insult to bread and to baker to use a knife. The dough is made of white flour and also contains vegetable oil.
Valais
A flattish, round rye loaf, with a cracked crust and dense texture and a pronounced flavour. Rye is the only cereal suited to the cold, dry valleys of the canton.
Vaud
A roundish bread, divided into four by a cross decoration on the crust. The loaf could be broken easily into four pieces and handed out to the poor.
Zug
A long loaf, with one end turned up on itself to form what its bakers call a "head." It is very similar to the cantonal bread of neighbouring Schwyz. The "head" must not be confused with the "nose" of the typical loaves of St Gall, Appenzell and Thurgovia, where the dough is slashed before baking, producing a hump where it has been cut.
The cantonal breads are by no means the end of the story. Within the cantons there are many varieties, and there are also numerous breads baked for special occasions.
One typical Swiss product is the so-called "sculpted bread", which bears an elaborate decoration, the meaning of which has often been lost in the depths of time. In the eastern canton of Appenzell, for example, they make a round bread, called a File loaf, whose decoration consists of a tress with whorls around it, which some people think represent snails emerging in the springtime. In the Lötschental in the southern canton of Valais, godparents have a christening loaf made, called Mitscha, decorated with a cross and the Christian monogram IHS. The baby is given half the loaf, and the godparents divide the rest between them.
Some breads are baked to commemorate particular saints. St Nicholas is a popular example. The bread effigies sold on his day have different names according to the region they come from: Hanselmanne, Grittibänz, Bonhomme are just a few. Some experts think these are a hangover from pre-Christian days, when Celtic tribes made effigies of their gods. In Schwyz another saint has the bakers' favours: St Agatha, who protects against fire, has bread rings made in her honour, which are blessed in church and then either eaten or hung up in houses to stop them burning down.
Many areas know the custom of blessing bread and handing it out, often to children, probably in memory of past famines - at one time not a rare event, hard though it may be to believe in today's Switzerland. For example, at carnival time in Schwyz a clown figure known as the "Blätz" goes around with loaves spiked on a broom handle, and gives bits of them out to the crowd. In Wil, in canton St Gall, any child who has made a lantern for the New Year procession is rewarded with a bread figure known as the Old Years Man.
Other National Specialties
•Viande sèchée (dried beef or pork) from Valais and the Grisons where it is called Bündnerfleisch, served with spring or pickled onions.
• Papet vaudoir (leeks and potatoes).
• Pieds de porc (pigs' feet).
• Rösti (shredded fried potatoes).
• Leckerli (spiced honey cakes topped with icing sugar, decorated in Bern with a white sugar bear).
• Fasnachtküchli (sugar-dusted pastries eaten during Carnival).
• Gugelhopf (a type of sponge cake with a hollow centre).
• Schaffhausen (cream-filled cakes).
Pork sausages or salami come in a variety of local recipes including Beinwurst, Engadinerwurst, Kalbsleberwurst (calf’s liver pâté), Knackerli, Landjäger and Leberwurst (pâté).
INTERESTING PLACES TO DINE IN ZURICH
Blaue Ente
One of Zurich’s best restaurants, the Blaue Ente (Blue Goose) was named after an inn established in 1675 by an ancestor of one of the owners. The restaurant is about 1km (0.6 miles) south of the city centre, forming part of a trendy shopping centre based on a converted mill on the east shore of Lake Zurich. With its whitewashed bricks, glass and bits of machinery from the original mill, the Blaue Ente draws a cosmopolitan crowd from advertising, the media and the arts. Duck in many forms is the specialty of the house. One can also enjoy a menu that changes every five weeks, reflecting both seasonal changes and the chef’s experimentation. Reservations are recommended.
Seefeldstrasse 223
Tel: (01) 388 6840.
Website: www.blaue-ente.ch
Kronenhalle
Many of the 20th century’s great artists, like Stavinsky, Brecht, Joyce, Nureyev, Devenue and Saint Laurent, have enjoyed the wonderful food at the Kronenhalle. The fin de siècle decor and ambience is perfect for displaying the wonderful collection of 20th-century art originally formed by Hulda Zunsteg, and now owned by her son, Gustav, including works by Giacometti, Picasso, Miro, Chagall and Matisse. This is a restaurant whose quality attracts many regular diners. There is nothing new or startling on the menu, just a mix of excellently prepared local and international favourites. Although the service is first rate, the ambience is laid-back rather than formal, so clientele preferring sausages and beer rather than delicacies are treated with the same respect. The banquet room, holding 50-60 people, carries on the same ambience as the restaurant. The restaurant bar with its Art Deco overtones is an excellent place to unwind; the brass lamps were designed and built by the Giacometti brothers.
Rämistrasse 4
Tel: (01) 251 6669.
Website: www.kronenhalle.com
Petermann’s Kunststuben
Horst Petermann, born in Hamburg, is one of Switzerland’s greatest living chefs, especially amongst devotees of French cuisine. The restaurant, 6km (4 miles) south of the city center on Lake Zurich’s eastern shore (the ‘Gold Coast’), is in a house constructed in 1873. This was an art gallery when Petermann purchased it and his own fine collection of pictures are set off both in the restaurant with its dark grey walls and in a gallery alongside. As with the other great Zurich restaurants, the Kunststuben has played host to many heads of state, major artists and businesspeople. Petermann believes in a hands-on approach and leads his small team rather than just supervising. His wife takes care of clients, decoration and service; there are always fine floral arrangements and the placing of tables allows for privacy. Three-, five- and seven-course menus are offered. Specialising in cuisine du marché (dishes prepared daily by the chef using whatever food he finds fresh in the market), the daily changing menu can include rabbit terrine with black truffles or lobster with artichokes and almond oil. Entrées, desserts and cheeses are of the same high quality. The wine cellar is exceptional and every effort is made to match wines to the dishes; many wines can also be purchased by the glass. During the summer, guests can dine outside in the intimate garden. Reservations essential.
Seestrasse 160, Küsnacht
Tel: (01) 910 0715.
Haus zum Rüden
Located in a building first mentioned in records in 1295, the Haus zum Rüden (House of the Hound) is closely related to the Constaffel Society, the noblemen and knights who elected the mayor in the Middle Ages. The restaurant, which has three rooms (two of which are solely used for private functions), is today one of the best venues for business meetings, cocktail parties and other events. The main dining room, the Restaurant Gothic Room, which can cater for up to 70 people, is located on the first floor and boasts 11-meter long (36ft) beams. The Constaffelsaal on the second floor, which can be hired by 10-40 people, has early Baroque stucco decorations and the adjacent Rüdenstübli, with room for 30-150 people, has stucco work and Rococo frieze dating from 1773. Dishes are traditional and definitely cuisine de marché (using fresh produce bought locally in the market). Full modern audiovisual equipment is available for hire; Powerpoint presentations can even be e-mailed to the restaurant to be put onto a laptop. Closed Saturday and Sunday (although the restaurant can be hired for events). Reservations are required.
Limmatquai 42
Tel: (01) 261 9566.
Website: www.hauszumrueden.ch
Hummerbar
The St Gotthard Hotel has been in the Manz family since 1899 and its Hummerbar (Lobster Bar) has long been one of the city’s top dining places. The setting, like the hotel, is fin de siècle with rich scarlet decor, candles and much polished wood. All shellfish is flown in fresh every day and alongside the simple methods of preparation, one can enjoy more elaborate fare. In August, the city’s Swedes go there for crayfish. Besides an excellent grill, the St Gotthard Hotel also offers diners the Bouillabaisse restaurant, where superb fish dishes are served in an Art Nouveau atmosphere complete with pianist. Champagne is the drink of choice.
Hotel St Gotthard, Bahnhofstrasse 87
Tel: (01) 227 7700.
Website: www.hotelstgotthard.ch
Veltliner Keller
Incredibly, the Veltliner Keller has been a restaurant since 1551. Housed in a building next to St Peter’s church and used as a wine cellar since 1325, the site has always been used to store the Italian-Swiss Valtellina wines that were carried over the Alps to Zurich. The ancient carved wood interior is based on Graubündner Alpine culture (the most south-eastern part of the country whose canton capital is St Moritz), with wooden panelling made from arve mountain pine, which only grows in Switzerland. The menu is seasonal and includes both Swiss and Italian classic dishes.
Schlüsselgasse 8
Tel: (01) 225 4040.
Website: www.veltlinerkeller.ch
Blindekuh
This is a truly unique restaurant, conceived and run by blind and visually impaired staff, where diners eat in pitch-blackness to simulate the experience of being blind. The blind waiters and waitresses guide customers to their seats and no one ever sees the interior of the restaurant or even their own food. Although it serves as a way to bring the problems of visually impaired people to the public’s attention, the restaurant could not have become such a resounding success (with waiting lists several months long), without providing its guests with a high quality menu.
Muhlebachstrasse 148
Tel: (01) 421 5050.
Website: www.blindekuh.ch
Blu
Housed in a former 19th century industrial laundry building, with a completely modernized, minimalist interior where sparkling chrome and stark concrete contrast with the warm colours of the timber flooring, this restaurant attracts a young, achingly cool crowd. It is optimally located on the banks of the Zurichsee, so guests can look out through the glass walls at a breathtaking view of the marina and the mountains beyond. From a culinary perspective, Blu serves a menu of delicious Italian favorites, and places heavy emphasis on the use of healthy, fresh, seasonal ingredients.
Seestrasse 457
Tel: (01) 488 6565.
Website: www.blu-restaurant.com
Restaurant LaSalle
LaSalle is at the centre of the up-and-coming West Zurich area of urban regeneration. The restaurant, which was originally a shipbuilding warehouse, has been innovatively converted: the building was gutted and then an enormous glass box, which houses the dining area, was suspended inside the external redbrick structure. There are two theatres and a jazz bar located in the same complex, and the surrounding area boasts dozens of trendy new bars and clubs. The menu is predominantly French and Italian, with a seafood focus, and is produced with commendable ecological consciousness.
Schiffbaustrasse 4
Tel: (01) 258 7071.
Website: www.lasalle-restaurant.ch
Café Bar Odéon
Now an ultra-trendy café and bar, this is the famed coffeehouse from 1912 where the pre-revolutionary Lenin and other intellectuals met when they could not afford to heat their own rooms. Joyce and Einstein were also regular visitors, and Thornton Wilder, Mata Hari and Mussolini also visited. Now the crowd is counter-culture chic and in the evening, the Odéon attracts both singles and gays. The café section remains intimate and is decorated in Art Nouveau style with many banquettes and small private areas; there is also outdoor seating in the summer. It is still possible to enjoy fine pasta dishes and a daily lunch menu and desserts. There are also unusual dishes like ostrich stroganoff with spinach noodles and game dishes in the Autumn. There is an ongoing campaign to regain the building next door, which is now a pharmacy. The Odéon is open late into the night.
Limmatquai 2
Tel: (01) 251 1650.
Website: www.odeon-zuerich.ch
Restaurant Hiltl
The Bavarian Ambrosius Hiltl purchased the Vegetarierheim und Abstinez-Café (Vegetarians’ Home and Teetotalers’ Café) in 1907 and, with the aide of his wife, turned it into the Restaurant Hiltl. Today, the restaurant is run by Ambrosius’ great-grandson, Rolf. The ground floor offers very relaxed dining around a circular central serving area, with a bar area beside it, while the first floor is more traditionally furnished, reflecting the early 20th-century beginnings. At lunch, the menu always includes 50 salads, and in the evening, besides salads, rösti and pasta dishes, the restaurant serves an Indian and Thai menu of 30 dishes, which are priced by weight. Desserts and cheeses are also excellent, and national and international newspapers are available.
Sihlstrasse 28
Tel: (01) 227 7000.
Website: www.hiltl.ch
Rheinfelder Bierhaus
One of Zurich’s best beer halls, the Rheinfelder is located on the pedestrianized Marktplatz on the Niederdorf side of the River Limmat. The atmosphere is inviting, cheerfully encompassing all classes of society. Nevertheless, this is not a restaurant for people with lung problems or those trying to give up smoking. Standard beer hall food like sausages and liver are available. However, the specialties are recommended and include rindsfeffer (preserved beef stew with spätzli pasta) and ‘Schweins Cordon Bleu’, a large pork fillet filled with ham and cheese, breaded and fried, and served with excellent French-fried potatoes. Occasionally, the Spanish/Romansch owners serve a special home-made paella, an unusual but excellent menu option.
Marktgasse 19
Tel: (01) 251 2991.
Adler’s Swiss Chuchi
The wooden-panelled dining room of the Adler Hotel is located directly on Hirschenplatz, the Niederdorf’s main square, on the east bank of the River Limmat. The restaurant offers a varied menu including veal escalope with ham and cheese, salmon basil-style with vegetable rice, catfish with tartar sauce or Tessin-style osso buco. However, the real reason for dining here is the many different and, possibly Zurich’s best, versions of fondue and raclette (melted cheese usually served with ham and potatoes), with prices varying according to the number of ingredients and alcoholic additions.
Hirschenplatz
Tel: (01) 266 9696.
Website: www.hotel-adler.ch
El Parador
Probably the best Spanish/Portuguese restaurant in the city, located just off the Limmatplatz, El Parador is known for its light and cosy atmosphere and attention to detail. First courses can include garlic soup and Spanish salads like salt cod with white beans. The paella and chicken with garlic and onions are wonderful but the real specialty is parrillada, an amazing mixed seafood grill. The staff offer a warm Spanish welcome and service to their guests. Closed Sunday (late August-late September) and Monday (mid-winter).
Luisenstrasse 43
Tel: (043) 366 8885.
Website: www.elparador.ch
Zueghauskeller
Built on the remains of an old armory (zeughaus), originally constructed in 1487, the Zueghauskeller restaurant opened in 1927, when a new owner converted the building into the city’s top restaurant and beer hall. Large stone pillars hold up the ornamental wooden-beamed ceiling, which holds weapons from the Middle Ages to the present day. The decor is traditional, with large portraits of noblemen from the time of the medieval mercenaries and well-separated large tables that are shared, often leading to new friendships as discussions become all-inclusive. Besides classic dishes like Zurich-style kalbsgeschnetzeltes (sliced veal and mushrooms in a white wine sauce) and burgermeister hans waldmann sword (small beef steaks wrapped round a sword blade), the restaurant serves at least 12 varieties of sausage, including kanonenputzer (French-speaking region), vaudois (pork, bacon, white wine and spices slowly smoked), bratwurst, Hungarian and St Gallen schüblig. The restaurant also serves around 36 tons (35 tons) per year of its house potato salad with its sausages. Desserts include Swiss favorites like vacherin cheese or Charlotte kirsch and house specialties like ice cream pie, frozen strawberry cream or walnut parfait.
Bahnhofstrasse 28a, Paradeplatz
Tel: (01) 211 2690.
Website: www.zeughauskeller.ch
INTERESTING PLACES TO DINE IN GENEVA
Auberge du Lion d’Or
Located in the Cologny district – the Beverly Hills of Geneva – the Auberge du Lion d’Or (Golden Lion) Michelin-starred fish restaurant, offers panoramic views of the city and Lake Geneva. The restaurant is decorated in a smart, classical style and guests can enjoy alfresco dining on the terrace in summer. Two chefs, French Gilles Dupont and Thomas Byrne from Ireland, create delicacies such as langoustine with lemon grass and vinaigrette, which are enhanced by an excellent choice of fine, international wines. Auberge du Lion d’Or is closed Saturday and Sunday.
Place Pierre-Gautier 5, 1223 Cologny
Tel: (022) 736 4432. Fax: (022) 786 7462.
E-mail: liondor@maxess.ch
Website: www.liondor.ch
Le Béarn
Jean-Paul Goddard’s Michelin-starred Le Béarn, located in the heart of Geneva's business and financial district, attracts international financiers and their clients for classic cuisine with a twist. The restaurant is decorated in a grand, Italianate style with decorative columns. Delicacies include Provence-style roast lamb, truffle soufflé, rabbit with roast sage and tarragon ice cream. Closed Saturday (in winter) and Sunday.
Quai de la Poste 4
Tel: (022) 321 0028. Fax: (022) 781 3115.
Website: www.resto.ch/ge/bearn
Le Cygne
Located on floor ‘E’ of the luxurious Hôtel Noga Hilton, Le Cygne (The Swan) offers wonderful views over Lake Geneva. The restaurant itself is decorated in a classical style with warm tones. Chef Olivier Villette serves light but traditional French cuisine accompanied by an excellent wine list, sprinkled with a good mix of local wines. Specialties include Carpaccio de langoustines à l’huile de Maussane (Lobster carpaccio) and fillet mignon stuffed with foie gras and Sichaun pepper. Unlike many of Geneva’s restaurants, which are only open during the working week, Le Cygne is open daily.
Hôtel Noga Hilton, Quai du Mont-Blanc 19
Tel: (022) 908 9085. Fax: (022) 908 9090.
E-mail: geneve_sales@hilton.com
Website: www.hiltongeneve.ch
Le Neptune
The god of the sea rules at this Michelin-starred restaurant, situated in the Hôtel Mandarin Oriental du Rhône. Le Neptune is a modern-style restaurant, where white colours dominate, softened by paintings hanging on the wall. Chef Frédéric Charrière, from the Haute Savoie region of France, creates fish and seafood specialties, including lobster cannelloni steamed with lobster bisque and sweet pepper or seabass fillet with breadcrumbs and almonds on a bed of mashed potato and olive oil. The foie gras is also renowned. Desserts are not to be missed – the warm praline tart with banana and passion fruit sherbet is highly recommended. Closed Saturday and Sunday for three weeks in August.
Hôtel Mandarin Oriental du Rhône, Quai Turrettini 1
Tel: (022) 909 0006. Fax: (022) 909 0010.
E-mail: reservation@hoteldurhone.com
Website: www.hoteldurhone.com
Les Continents
Chef Didier Quesnel, from Brittany, oversees his Michelin-starred French restaurant located in the Hôtel Intercontinental Genève. Les Continents is decked out with wooden panelling in a classical style. Specialties at this fashionable address include salmon trout with fennel or langoustine with lemon grass and olive oil. The restaurant is closed on Saturday and Sunday.
Hôtel Intercontinental Genève, Chemin du Petit Saconnex 9
Tel: (022) 919 3350. Fax: (022) 919 3838.
E-mail: geneva@interconti.com
Website: www.interconti.com
Brasserie Lipp
Brasserie Lipp is a firm favourite with the local business community. Named after the renowned Parisian brasserie, this restaurant, located on the second floor of a chic shopping mall, transports diners to the heart of Paris with its black-jacketed waiters and typical brasserie ambience. Specialties include fresh oysters and southwestern French favourites, such as charcuterie and cassoulet.
Rue de la Confédération 8
Tel: (022) 311 1011. Fax: (022) 312 0104.
E-mail: lipp@swissonline.ch
Chez Roberto
In spite of increasing competition, Roberto remains the top Italian restaurant in town, popular with the business community and habitués that have been dining here for a quarter of a century. The legendary Signor Roberto Carugati, with years of experience behind him, continues to produce superb dishes from all parts of Italy, including a spectacular fish risotto, served in a relaxing environment (closed Saturday evening and all day Sunday).
Rue Pierre-Fatio 10
Tel: (022) 311 8033. Fax: (022) 311 8466.
La Perle du Lac
Situated in the Mon-Repos Park, overlooking Lake Geneva, La Perle du Lac has been serving French cuisine, fish and seafood specialties, such as lake perch fillets and osso bucco des lotillons (Angler fish), as well as excellent Swiss wines, to world diplomats and the local business community since 1930. Perhaps best enjoyed in summer, the restaurant (closed Monday) boasts a charming open-air terrace and lush garden. It has modern but unobtrusive decor, with green walls and dark carpets, and banquet rooms are also available.
Rue de Lausanne 128
Tel: (022) 909 1020. Fax: (022) 909 1030.
E-mail: info@laperledulac.ch
Website: www.laperledulac.ch
Le Chat Botté
Situated in the Hôtel Beau-Rivage, Chef Richard Cressac serves French cuisine with a contemporary note at this gourmet restaurant, popular for both pleasurable business lunches and romantic treats. It is of a classical, even nostalgic style, with gentle tones of pale yellow and pictures on the wall. Specialties include fresh red mullet in vinaigrette sauce or cutlets of fresh salmon fried with spices. Prior reservation is strongly recommended.
Hôtel Beau-Rivage, Quai du Mont-Blanc 13
Tel: (022) 716 6920. Fax: (022) 716 6060.
E-mail: info@beau-rivage.ch
Website: www.beau-rivage.ch
Café Nikolaj
This chic but welcoming Russian restaurant serves afternoon tea with scones and cream or blinis and caviar. In the evening, it is worth splashing out on the grandiose five-course ‘Menu des Tsars’ and sampling Caviar House products, as well as the wide variety of vodkas on offer. Specialties include foie gras with apricots or fromage frais with herbs and smoked salmon. The recently opened Bar à Cigar is a relaxing place to unwind over an aperitif. A banquet room for 16 persons and reception room for 30 is available for group booking. Closed Saturday evening and all day Sunday.
Place de la Fusterie, Rue du Rhône 30
Tel: (022) 781 3447. Fax: (022) 781 0924..
La Demi-Lune
This trendy, friendly bar-restaurant, located in the picturesque Old Town, serves tapas and homemade hamburgers daily until 2330 and then serves refreshing cocktails until around 0100. La Demi-Lune is popular with a young crowd (a mix of students and young professionals), who enjoy the candlelit intimacy of this venue, enhanced by relaxing jazz. Open daily (until 0100 weekdays, until 0200 Friday and Saturday night).
Rue Etienne-Dumont 3
Tel. (022) 312 1290.
E-mail: info@demilune.ch
Website: www.demilune.ch
Le Café du Soleil
This trendy bistro, located in the International Organizations quarter, and decorated with a theatrical touch, is said to serve the best fondue in town. Their secret fondue recipe and excellent raclette (melted cheese usually served with ham and potatoes) attract a young, gourmet crowd.
Place du Petit-Saconnex 6
Tel: (022) 733 3417. Fax: (022) 312 5150.
E-mail: info@cafedusoleil.ch
Website: www.cafedusoleil.ch
Le Comptoir
This trendy, minimalist bar-restaurant attracts a young, chic crowd with its friendly atmosphere and decent, although reasonably priced, eastern-influenced cuisine, offering Chinese, Malaysian and Vietnamese flavours. Dishes include chicken curry or glazed duck, as well as vegetarian options, such as tofu. Although it is closed Monday, Le Comptoir is open until 0100 weekdays (until 0200 Friday and Saturday night).
Rue Richemont 9
Tel: (022) 731 3237.
Spice's
Spice’s replaced old favourite, Le Cirque, at the Hotel Président Wilson, in September 2001. Following on from Le Cirque, Chef Ulrich Behringer has now turned his hand to world cuisine, inspired by Indian, Thai, Chinese and Japanese dishes, as well as the runaway success of the Parisian The Buddha Bar. The new restaurant is comfortably modern with wonderful views over Lake Geneva. The menu is seasonal and may include Peking Roast Duck with pancakes, chicken teryiaki or grilled lamb biryani. For the short term, Spice’s is bound to be one of the most fashionable restaurants on the Geneva set, at least until the novelty has been replaced by a good reputation.
Quai Wilson 47
Tel: (022) 906 6666. Fax: (022) 906 6667.
E-mail: sales@hotelpwilson.com
Website: www.hotelpwilson.com
Bleunuit
Bleunuit, close to Place du Cirque, attracts an arty young crowd, with its lively atmosphere and good value food. French cuisine is served from Monday to Friday in this rustic restaurant, while at the weekends, Mexican food, such as guacamole and chile con carne, is on the menu. Bleunuit is open until 0100 during the week and until 0200 at weekends.
Rue du Vieux-Billard 4
Tel: (022) 328 3444. Fax: (022) 781 0471.
Café Cuba
This Cuban bar-restaurant, decked out in Latino style with wooden tables and rich, warm tones, extends over three floors. On the menu are tapas snacks, a wide choice of specialties from Havana and cocktails (fiercely alcoholic and soft). For those that know how, a small dance floor allows diners to work off the calories, dancing to salsa rhythms. Popular dishes include tortilla, chile con carne or guacamole. Extremely popular with young and old alike, Café Cuba opens daily until 0100 (until 0200 Friday and Saturday). Open evenings only on Sunday.
Place du Cirque 1
Tel: (022) 328 4260. Fax: (022) 328 4452.
Price: SFr45. Wine: SFr30. Cocktails: From SFr15.
Chez Ma Cousine
There are now three Chez Ma Cousine restaurants in Geneva – this one, at Place du Bourg de Four, was the first one to open. Chez Ma Cousine is a fresh and trendy French bar-restaurant, with a bright, cheery yellow interior, offering excellent value for money and popular with students on a budget. It is also popular with lawyers on their lunchbreak as the lawcourts are nearby. Service is speedy, the atmosphere friendly and the single menu of grilled chicken, sauté potatoes and salad is reliably good. There is a choice of desserts, including chocolate mousse and tarte tatin. Wines may be sampled by the glass or by the bottle.
Place du Bourg de Four 6
Tel: (022) 310 9696.
Price: SFr20. Wine: SFr15.
Le Mortimer
Always busy with a young, trendy crowd, Le Mortimer serves traditional French food and strong, aromatic coffees. Located in the heart of Geneva, the restaurant is set in a building dating from 1580 with a vaulted cellar. The interior is decorated with a wooden bar and tables, and there is also an attractive terrace, perfect for alfresco dining during the summer months. Specialties include baked lamb with potatoes, fresh fish, mixed salads and chocolate gateau. Closed Sunday.
Place du Bourg-de-Forg 2
Tel: (022) 310 1398.
Les Brasseurs
Les Brasseurs, located just opposite Cornavin station, is a convivial restaurant and the only place in Geneva to brew its own beer. Hugely popular with a young crowd, keen to try out the wide variety of blanche, blonde and ambrée beers on offer (by the three- or five-litre ‘column’), Les Brasseurs also serves German and Alsatian specialties, such as sausage and onion flamenküche (Alsacian tart often topped with onions, mushrooms, ham and cream). The service is friendly, although it is best to arrive before 2130, at which time the venue starts to get crowded. Les Brasseurs is open daily until 0100 (until 0200 weekends, evenings only).
Place de Cornavin 20
Tel: (022) 731 0206. Fax: (022) 731 0210.
A L’Olivier de Provence
Located in neighbouring Carouge, which has a village feel to it in spite of its proximity to Geneva, this charming, rustic Provençal restaurant has been going strong for some 60 years and is still on top form. The bistro section of the restaurant is a good budget option, with a cheaper and simpler menu. It also has a shaded terrace for alfresco dining in summer. Chef Bernard Beaud serves specialties, such as sea bass, fresh salmon with sorrel, and in autumn, game dishes, such as pheasant, rabbit and pigeon. The restaurant is closed Saturday lunchtime and all day Sunday.
Rue Jacques-Dalphin 13, Carouge
Tel: (022) 342 0450. Fax: (022) 342 8880.
Buffet de la Gare
It is worth taking a 20-minute detour from central Geneva to the Buffet de la Gare in Céligny, where chef Monsieur Choucq serves fine French cuisine in a 1920s bistro décor (closed Sunday and Monday). Dishes include fish from Lake Geneva or roasted lamb with herbs.
Route de Founex 25, Céligny
Tel: (022) 776 2770. Fax: (022) 776 7054.
E-mail: buffet.celigny@swissonline.ch
Hotel les Armures
This rustic 15th-century stone building with beamed interior, in the heart of the historic Old Town, serves Genevois specialties. Guests can choose from a mouthwatering raclette (melted cheese usually served with ham and potatoes), rosti (potatoes traditionally cooked – first boiled, then peeled, grated and fried in butter until golden) or a variety of fondues – fondu bourguignonne (with beef), mushroom or tomato. At lunchtime, a menu d’affaires is served, which is popular with the local business community. Prior booking is strongly recommended.
Rue du Puits-Saint-Pierre 1
Tel: (022) 310 3442. Fax: (022) 818 7113.
E-mail: armures@span.ch
Website: www.hotel-les-armures.ch/c-resto.htm
La Favola
This intimate little Italian restaurant in the heart of the Old Town excels in fresh pasta and a friendly service. It has exposed beams, with parquet floor and traditional decor. Specialties include Carpaccio Sicilian, Gnocchi Alrleccio and Risotto Ticinese. The restaurant is closed Saturday lunchtime and all day Monday.
Rue Calvin 15
Tel: (022) 311 7437. Fax: (022) 349 1568.
Le Patio
Situated on the left bank, Le Patio is a firm favourite with the business community and is closed on the weekends. The dishes, although ample, are light enough for the ‘working lunch’ not to send diners to sleep in the afternoon. Decorated in classic, rich burgundy tones, the restaurant has a good wine list and also offers wine by the glass. Specialties include fish couscous with steamed vegetables or lamb with rosemary.
Boulevard Helvétique 19
Tel: (022) 736 6675. Fax: (022) 786 4074. |
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