Café du Soleil

Café du soleil is one of the better known restaurants in Geneva. Located in the heart of the Petit-Saconnex neighborhood, the restaurant is ALWAYS full, and if you're planning a meal there, I strongly recommend you make a reservation. According to Café du Soleil's Website, the establishment may well be Geneva's oldest restaurant and naturally -- as many of you know -- it specializes in Fondue. The menu offers various salads, omelets and steak dishes, but it is safe to say most people go there to enjoy a pot of melted cheese!

Pictured below: a garden salad and fondue.

La Gioconda

Gioconda is an Italian restaurant located in Meyrin not too far from the airport. It is a large and well-lit establishment, this probably makes it a good choice for large celebrations. Gioconda's menu boasts lots of pizzas and pasta dishes to choose from. Perhaps because we were a large party, the staff offered two delicious, fresh-baked foccacias on the house.

Pictured below: focaccia and rigatoni carbonara.

Lion d'Or

Fontina risotto at Lion d'Or

Pain Quotidien

Another Saturday morning at Pain Quotidien...

Pictured below: Croque-monsieur tartines, blue cheese, ham pear tartines and mediterranean verrines.

Le Calamar

OK boys and girls, I think we have a winner for the burger category. Located in the trendy neighborhood of Plainpalais right by the University of Geneva, Le Calamar is a favorite among Geneva's youth. Whether you want to meet some friends for drinks or just get something to eat, Le Calamar is definitely worth checking out! And yes, they also serve a mean burger, which comes in several varieties: hamburger, cheeseburger, bacon burger, bacon cheeseburger, veal burger (with mushrooms), tofu burger and the huge king kong burger!

All burgers are served with a salad starter and of course a side of fries... for all of this restaurant's merits, Le Calamar's staff hasn't (yet) decided to challenge the tradition of serving fries with burgers by introducing a delicious, innovative alternative but truth be told, their fries aren't half bad! I still hope someone will try something original and unexpected though.

Pictured below: a garden salad, a bacon cheeseburger and a king kong burger.

Afternoon Tea at Hotel d'Angleterre

Hotel d'Angleterre is one of the many five-star hotels located opposite Lake Geneva by the Mont-Blanc bridge. It is a prestigious establishment and it takes the time-honored tradition of afternoon tea quite seriously! There are a number of suggestions to pick from but the traditional tea comes with the tea of your choice as well as an assortment of finger sandwiches and cakes.

Pictured below: a very fragrant cup of jasmine tea a three-tiered platter of finger sandwiches, cakes, a fruit salad and a scone served with double cream.

La Réserve

Located in Bellevue opposite Lake Geneva, La Réserve is one of Geneva's finest hotels. In fact it is part of the prestigious Leading Hotels of the World. La Réserve, along with a number of other five-star establishments is an ideal venue for brunch on Sundays, however contrary to many other Genevan hotels, you're presented with a menu to pick from rather than a buffet. Nevertheless, their fresh pastry basket and eggs benedict are well worth trying.

Pictured below: La Réserve's salmon and cheese topped eggs benedict, a fresh pastry basket, accompanied by bread, and their signature organic jams and honey.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, boys and girls! GVA Foodie wishes you much health and happiness for 2010 and many wonderful foodie experiences!