Geneva Nightlife
Despite its cosmopolitan inhabitants, Genevan restaurants tend to be of the traditional Swiss and French variety. The majority of establishments serve up tasty local dishes but few restaurants could be classified in the budget category, making a good slap up meal an expensive experience.
Popular local specialities to look out for include fondue and a large variety of freshwater fish. Longeole, which is unsmoked sausage with fennel and cumin, is also a big favourite. The white Chasselas wine and the red Gamay are two to try for the wine lovers in your party.
Those looking for a good feed without going over budget do not have many options, although Chez Ma Cousine On y Mange du Poulet has three locations around town and is popular with locals for its tasty, yet inexpensive meals.
Steak lovers must visit Café de Paris in the St Germain district. Entrecote steak, which comes with it?s a wonderful herb and butter sauce and is reasonably priced, is the only dish on the menu, but it has made this place justifiably famous. Book ahead and be prepared for some surly waiters.
The western-oriental fusion that is Café des Bains is a good, yet expensive, choice. Very popular with the city's most glamorous visitors, there are a wide range of exotic concoctions to try, with the king prawn dishes especially recommended.
Café du Soleil is another tasty option for those who have money to burn. This 400-year-old establishment does a particularly good fondue.
After a good meal, it's on to the bars and clubs of the city and the Old Town has a whole host of bars to try and a few discos to dance around in as well. There are plenty of Irish-style pubs to go in if you fancy hearing some English-speaking tongues, but there is a good array of pleasant local bars to try if you do not.
L'Usine is a unique establishment. Based in La Coulouvrenière, this place is ostensibly a bohemian nightclub but it often puts on a variety of arts projects, from cabaret to concerts and theatre. The beer is cheap and there are many other venues nearby where one can go and be alternative.
One of the top places in the city's good gay scene is Back Side on Quai du Seujet. The dance floor is always heaving with a friendly clientele.
For live music, Au Chat Noir in Carouge is the place to go. This popular haunt has been entertaining a knowledgeable crowd for ages and plays host to some of the region's top jazz and blues musicians. A number of 'World Music' acts have also been known to play here and the club is not averse to throwing in a Latin quartet or rock group for good measure.
For a more refined atmosphere, head down to city's former pumping station, the Bâtiment des Forces Motrices. Call ahead to see what is going down while you're in town; there will often be an opera or ballet production on, while rock concerts also sometimes are held here.
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Nightlife and Eating & Drinking
