If you are looking for a place to relax after a day of work or shopping, I can definitely recommend this place. It’s also great for a quick lunch.

I love this terrace mainly because of its perfect location: it’s right on the Rhône. It’s a bit hidden but when you are crossing the lake on your way to or from Bel-Air make sure to take a small detour and stop by. It’s really worth it. It’s in front of Mandarin hotel, just opposite from Brasserie des Halles de l’Ile.

The name is the right fit: it’s paradise on earth. If you need a break, you can chill out on their deck chairs. Be careful as you will quickly get a suntan!

I usually have the ‘orangeade’, the best in town, it’s really refreshing. Otherwise they make very good mint tea. And if you are hungry they have some decent sandwiches and paninis.

It’s open everyday, but only when the weather is good, as they don’t have an indoor room. 

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La Terrasse du Paradis | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks | Sandwich CHF 10
Quai Turrettini | City center
09:00 – 21:00 daily

Summer is here! The ‘Geneva boat’ has just re-opened after some renovation. This is the best place to relax on the lake in a very laid-back atmosphere. The boat is located just off the Jardin Anglais (English Garden park), it is definitely one of my favorite hangouts. You can see the Jet d’Eau from it. You really feel like you are on holiday when you are there.

They offer main dishes at lunch time and tapas in the evening. Chilling out with just a drink is also an option.

They often organize some special events and parties. Dancing on there or listening to some live music is simply great. 

The ‘boat’ is an association that helps people in need by providing breakfast to them and assisting them in building some projects of their own. So going there you would be doing a good deed as well

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Bateau Genève | Bars, Snacks, Restaurants | Main dish CHF 15.00
Quai Gustave-Ador | Eaux-Vives | +41227864345
Tue – Fri 11:30 – 14:30 & 17:00 – 21:00

I usually go to L’Auberge du Cheval for their Sunday brunch, which consists of a buffet with a wide variety of yummy things. And it’s all you can eat. It’s better to make a reservation, as it’s quite popular. They now have it on Saturday as well! 

I also go there from time to time for a drink and some tapas. They have good quality wine and there is a wide range of tapas. They always serve fresh food and products from the season.

L’Auberge du Cheval Blanc means the Inn of the White Horse. It’s a real tavern full of treasures. The place is a bit hidden in Carouge. It’s not only a cozy place to have a drink or a meal, but they also organize concerts in their downstairs room (Le Box) on Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays.

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L’Auberge du Cheval Blanc | Bars, Music, Restaurants | Brunch CHF 30
Place de l’octroi 15 | Carouge | +41223436161
Tue – Wed 11:30 – 01:00, Thu – Fri 11:30 – 02:00, Sat 12:00 – 02:00, Sun 11:00 – 01:00

I first visited this bar for a quick drink with friends between work and the airport, and it has since become my venue of choice when time is of the essence: situated as it is directly behind the station, it is certainly one of the best options if you are changing trains in Geneva or want to relax just before you set off for your next destination, and by far outstrips some of the more visible but decidedly less enticing establishments which the station area has to offer.

When the weather allows, early-evening visitors enjoy the outdoor terrace, often spreading out along the path which leads to the bar itself-testament to the favor which this seemingly makeshift watering hole has curried among Geneva’s more adventurous after-work crowd. The empanadas, available with a number of different fillings, meaty and otherwise, will transport you to the Southern Cone and keep you chatting happily until dinnertime, while the interesting range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic thirst-quenchers is a welcome boon at the end of long week.

Keep an eye on your watch, but fear not: in two and a half minutes (suitcase time not included), you’ll be on the platform.

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La Petite Reine | Bars, Snacks
Place de Montbrillant | City center
Mon – Thu 07:00 – 11:00 & 17:00 – 01:00, Fri 07:00 – 11:00 & 17:00 – 02:00, Sat 17:00 – 02:00

Two things keep me coming back to this wine bar in the heart of Geneva’s shopping district. The first is the wine: Swiss wine isn’t often found abroad, with most of it being drunk before it makes it to the border, so it’s well worth taking the opportunity to fill your glass with something local. Every wine served at the Tour du Molard is from within the canton of Geneva, and I find that they go down pretty nicely. The helpful and cheery staff seems pleased to make gentle recommendations and tell you more about what you’re drinking if you’re so inclined. The kitchen also has a range of pricey but delicious treats on offer-more snack than meal, but copious and mouth-watering all the same.

The second pull is the setting: the tower which houses the bar has stood on the Place du Molard since 1591, by some accounts, and the interior oozes charm: I love the two bar rooms if I’m in the mood for a lively evening drink, but for more intimate chats the staircase-bear with me!-offers a series of small landings, each with two or three chairs and enchanting views of the sea of pavement lights on the square below. Magical.

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La Tour du Molard | Bars, Snacks
Place du Molard 2 | City center | +41223100202
Mon – Sat 12:00 – 00:00

A friend brought me here one winter’s day, when the Bise, the bitter wind that sometimes blows through Geneva from the Alps taking many a buoyant mood with it, was making its presence keenly felt. On that day, this safe haven of warmth was hiding behind an unassuming doorway and a very thick draught-excluding curtain.

La Sixième Heure refers to the sixth hour of Roman daylight, when naps were apparently taken-hence the siestas which remain in vogue (though with not-so-slight variations in schedule) across much of the Spanish-speaking world and beyond. In spite of that, this place offers limited sleeping facilities, but there is a healthy selection of black and green teas, and some of the more exotic-sounding ones are worth a try: if you like black tea with a twist, try a rose- and cornflower-infused pot of Une nuit à Katmandou and you won’t be disappointed.

La Sixième Heure also serves food: the usual breakfast fare in the morning, a full menu at lunchtime, and then homemade pastries and cakes, including a lemon tart which will easily keep you going until dinner.

I went back in summer, and there were tables spilling across the pavement outside in a sunny little corner of the Place des Philosophes; a great place for an aperitif if you’re heading to Plainpalais for dinner. But for me, what this place does best is a pot of tea and a quiet natter somewhere where the Bise would never think to look.

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La Sixième Heure | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks | Tea for one CHF 4.00
Place des Philosophes 6 | Plainpalais | +41223207369
Mon – Fri 08:30 – 23:30, Sat 09:30 – 18:30

Among the good terraces Geneva has to offer, this one is probably the less known (of which I know, at least, for obviously I wouldn’t be able to tell you about the ones I don’t know!).

You access “la Barje” (it means “crazy woman/girl” in french slang, and plays with the phonetic proximity to “berge” which means “(river)bank”) either by the stairs of the Coulouvrenière bridge, or by crossing a little bridge found right before the old powerhouse.

You’ll arrive on a place surrounded by the Rhone. It’s very calm, with an old caravan in the middle. That’s the bar. You can get many different local drinks – a Calvinus (a Genevan beer), natural apple juice, or whatever you want – and can even eat homemade pie.

The concept of the terrace is to promote the associative life in Geneva: to offer summer jobs for young people, to promote the cultural scene in Geneva by organizing events, and to show it is possible to run a place with solidarity principles. The project also has ecological ambitions, using for instance compostable dishes.

Aside from its great ambitions, the bar is a nice place to go to. The people are very sympathetic, and the place is refreshing when the temperatures are too high. You can even wet your feet in the Rhone!

Check out the website for special events!

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La Barje | Bars, Music, Relaxing | Calvinus Beer CHF 4.00
Promenade des Lavandières | Plainpalais
May – Oct 11:00 – 23:00 daily

This is where you will meet real local people. This casual bar is very simple and it’s why I love it. Its front door is an old garage door that’s been renovated, it’s really cool. The inside is pretty casual. If you are a lady, check out the bathroom…(I’m not saying anything else, and sorry if you are a guy, I haven’t been there so I don’t know what it’s like.)

It is the perfect spot for an after-work drink and some tapas. Whether you like wine or cocktails, you’ll be happy there. It seems to be very popular amongst Geneva people and it’s always full. In summer they have a big terrace with lots of shade. 

Like everything good in Geneva, it’s a bit of a hidden place. Rue Henri-Blanvalet is a small street in the Eaux-Vives neighborhood, which has changed quite a bit over the past few years, and has seen more and more terraces growing.

The downside is that service is not very good, even pretty slow and lacking a smile… and it can get really loud, so if you are looking for a quiet place to have a proper chat, I would go somewhere else…

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Yvette de Marseille | Bars | tapas +/- CHF 10
rue Henri-Blanvalet 13 | Eaux-Vives | +4141227351555
Tue – Wed 17:00 – 01:00, Thu – Sat 17:00 – 02:00

You like singing but you never dare to do it in public (unless you are drunk) as you have a poor voice… You want to escape from the Geneva atmosphere and spend a night in the heart of Asia?… You like underground bars and new adventure… Go to Philippine Assia!!!

This is place is unknown from most people in Geneva. You will plunge yourself into a really kitsch atmosphere, last time I went there were tens of little hearts sticked on the walls…

If you come during the week and early enough, you’ll have the place and the microphone for yourself. I have noticed that the place was becoming a bit more busy recently though. On the week-ends, a DJ plays from around midnight and the place turns to a disco. We go there a couple of times a year with different friends and always have a lot of fun!

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Philippine Assia | Bars, Music
Square Pradier | Les Pâquis
Tue – Sat 20:00 – 02:00

I go to this bar several mornings a week as it is only one block from my apartment. As they know me, I do not need to order, right away they bring me my coffee, a glass of water and some bread and jam while I read the newspaper… better than home!!

Most of the customers are over 50 years old (a lot of Spanish) but you’ll find a lot of students from the IES (social work school) if you come during their break (at about 9:30). The atmosphere can be quite loud when the bar is packed.

This bar is famous for its paella, that is served every Friday at lunch time. You won’t be hungry after it as the plate is quite big! It’s better to reserve before coming because the place can be quite packed.

At night, you can watch football games like the liga española or the Champions league..

See you there!

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Le Vieux Martin | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks, Restaurants (Spanish) | Coffee & bread CHF 4.50
31, rue Prévost-Martin | Plainpalais | +41223299102
Mon – Sun 07:00 – 23:00