Image by Luc Berthoud

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

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Image by Luc Berthoud

When visiting a city, some people like visiting churches… I personally prefer visit football stadiums and hanging out in the universities! It plunges me back into a great time I had at the University of Geneva, especially in Unimail!

First of all, if you want to look like more “Genevois” do not pronounce UniMail like “mailbox” but like the french word “maille”!!! You are now ready!

The modern UniMail is located in the heart of the lively Plainpalais at one block of the Plaine de Plainpalais. The construction of this university is one of the main reasons of the flourishing bars in the neighbourhood : Calamar, Café du Lys (check the Cafe du Lys article) Ferblanterie etc.

You can always join the students in one of the two cafeterias in the day time.

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Unimail | Art & culture, Coffee & tea, Relaxing, Snacks, Restaurants (cafetaria)
Boulevard du Pont d’Arve 40 | Plainpalais | +41223201704
All year around (sometimes a badge is required to open the door)

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Image by Sylvie Meynier

I am a big fan of Carouge, a lovely neighborhood a bit outside Geneva, where you can find a a lot of interesting little craft shops. Carouge also has an interesting architecture, beautiful buildings with arcades, fountains, and many cozy cafés.

One of my favorite place is Ô Calme, its name says it all. It’s a very nice place to have a calm and quiet moment. And the initials stand for Comme A LA Maison, meaning ‘like at home’. It’s ideal to relax. In warm days it’s even better as they have a great terrace behind, in a courtyard under the trees.

I try to go there regularly for their brunch (on Saturday or Sunday) but you can’t make a reservation and it gets crowded very quickly, so you have to get there early. It’s a first comes first served policy basically! They also make quiches and soups, and you should definitely try their homemade cakes!

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ô Calme | Coffee & tea, Restaurants | Bunch CHF 30
Rue Ancienne 36 | Carouge | +41223012220
Tue 10:00 – 16:00, Wed – Sun 10:00 – 18:00

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Image by Delphine Rieder

Don’t miss this incredible spot if you have the opportunity to spend a few days in the city!

There are only a few tables but you’ll have the opportunity to see everything that is on the menu right in front of you, since every cake, quiche, etc, are on a large buffet. There are so many different choices that you will obviously find something that will fit your taste.

Despite being absolutely tasteful, it is at the same time cheap for what it is. Everything is home-made, from the fruit cake to the lorraine quiche and the apple crumble (so delicious!). There are also several different cheeses, so you can totally mix the sugar and the salt.

It is a great place to enjoy an artisanal café (the one with nuts is particularly original) and read a book or newspaper with a a sweet music at the back of your head.

The place is very colorful, the waitress is very nice and you will definitely spend a great time in this spot where you will feel yourself like in your grandmother’s kitchen. When you leave, you can buy an home-made jam pot or a bottle of olive oil, so you can have a taste of this place back with you.

During the week-end, it is an amazing place to spend some time to eat a brunch there with your friends. And why not have a walk in the lovely neighborhood of Les Grottes right after?

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Fleurs de Marie | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Coffee CHF 3.00
8 rue de la Faucille | Les Pâquis | +41227334730
Mon 16:00 – 20:00, Tue 11:00 – 15:00, Wed 11:00 – 17:00, Thu – Fri 11:00 – 15:00 & 18:30 – 20:30, Sat – Sun 10:00 – 19:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Geneva

Image by Delphine Rieder

This tea room is located right in the middle of les Eaux-Vives, one of the most popular neighborhoods of Geneva. You can either have breakfast when you wake up, with delicious slice of bread or home-made cakes and tea selected among plenty, a big salad at lunch or some amazing tapas at night, with a good red wine.

If you go there in winter, you need to taste their home made hot chocolate, a real delight! I love their home made pies, especially their “apple upside-down”, as the slice is warmed and is served with some sugar cane syrup…

In the summer, a little terrace will welcome you, but you should definitely have a look inside, as the decor worth it. Indeed, couches, lamps, magazines, old radio, a big giraffe in one corner, make this spot a very intimate place where you will definitely feel like you’re in your grandparents’ living-room.

The staff is really great and the beautiful owner is always smiling! The music is always nice and from time to time, a singer comes when the night falls.

Enjoy!

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Le Coup de Girafe | Bars, Coffee & tea | Home-made cake CHF 7.00
18 rue Maunoir | Eaux-Vives | +41227009632
Tue – Thu 07:45 – 00:00, Fri 07:45 – 01:00, Sat 10:00 – 01:00, Sun 10:00 – 17:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Geneva

Image by sylvie meynier

This is my local tearoom. They recently renovated their place to make it a little bit bigger but it’s still a small place so I usually take something to go for lunch. They make the best salads and sandwiches.

I think they have about 20 small sandwiches to choose from and they are all at the same price. They even have one with foie gras and fig. My favorite is the goat cheese one. They also have a different kind of fresh soup everyday.

The prices are the lowest I have seen in Geneva and since they renovated the place does not empty! For instance, a menu with a small salad, a sandwich and a drink or a dessert is less than 10 CHF.

It is originally a pastry shop, so try their little cakes. I think the strawberry pie is my favorite. They also have good chocolate and still make their own creations for special events like Easter, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, etc.

The owners and the team are super friendly and always have a smile on their faces, even when they are super busy, which adds to the charm of this little place.

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Celine et Sebastien | Coffee & tea, Restaurants (Salad/Sandwich) | Soup of the day CHF 5
rue des Eaux-Vives 7 | Eaux-Vives
Mon – Fri 04:30 – 18:30, Sat 04:30 – 14:00

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Image by Sylvie Meynier

I often go there for lunch. The food is simply delicious. They cook with fresh products of the season. I love having fish when it’s on the menu but any of their dish of the day is yummy. They do breakfast, lunch and dinner. They also have tapas and if you don’t feel like eating, you can just have a drink.

Chez La Voisine means “At the neighbor’s” and the name fits this place perfectly: simple, pretty, and warm. I really feel at home there. I also love the way they have decorated the place, with colorful Chinese lanterns on the terrace.

The location of the bistrot is also wonderful. It is located on the street that I like to call the Champs-Elysées of Geneva as if you take it from the top and go down, you have the best view on the big fountain (Jet d’Eau). Even though it is so close to one of Geneva’s main attractions, you won’t see a lot of tourists there. I also often stop by after I have been on a walk along the lake. It’s nice to just have a coffee there after being in the cold wind.

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Chez La Voisine | Coffee & tea, Restaurants (Intern.) | Dishes from CHF 18.00
rue du 31 Décembre 8, 1207 | Eaux-Vives | +41227351498
Mon – Thu 07:30 – 23:00, Fri 07:30 – 02:00, Sat 09:00 – 02:00, Sun 09:00 – 23:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Geneva

Image by Lorcan Meyfarth

This place, located at the bottom of the Parc des Bastions, is associated with winter in my mind. It’s the nice shelter after a freezing walk to University, the coffee-stop before going studying.

The atmosphere is quite old-fashioned, with the high roof, the old counter, the waiters in waistcoat and white shirt and the jazz music. You’ll be surrounded by the chess players trying to regain sensation in their fingertips before going back to try and beat their opponent (there’s a whole community of regulars you can’t even think about playing with, they’re way too strong…).

The Kiosque is also a restaurant for lunch and dinner, though too expensive for me. It’s supposed to be a very good kitchen, so if something on the menu has a ring to it, you should try it. Reservation is advised.

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Le Kiosque des Bastions | Coffee & tea, Restaurants (French cuisine) | Coffee CHF 3.50
Parc des Bastions | Plainpalais | +41223108666
Mon – Sat 09:00 – 00:00, Sun 09:00 – 17:00

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Image by Lorcan Meyfarth

We’ve been told to write about places we go to often. Well, this café is probably the place you’ll see me most of the time when the classes have begun.

It is located right between two university buildings, les Bastions – the old, historical one – and Uni Dufour – the new, ugly modern one, not to be mistaken with Uni Mail, which is the prison-like one… It’s also really near to the banks so the clients are either bank employees, even if most of them prefer the fancy expensive café-restaurant right beside, or university students (professors usually go to the fancy one).

The best thing about this place is the calm but family-like atmosphere: the bartender, Mehmet, knows everyone by name, you’ll see students working on some history book, or discussing literature, it is definitely a good place to have a coffee to during the day. And if you’re hungry there are croissants, homemade sandwiches and paninis.

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Du Théâtre | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Coffee CHF 3.20
Rue du Conseil-général | Plainpalais
Mon – Fri 07:00 – 19:30

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Geneva

Image by Lorcan Meyfarth

Switzerland is a special country in many ways. One of them is the archaic general trust you can feel by observing some objects.

Take the newspaper boxes for example. Until recently none of them had a lock. You could just take the daily paper without paying anything. The owner was just convinced it wasn’t necessary, and there wasn’t many thieves, people paid before taking a newspaper. Now you’ll see some new boxes on which you have to pay before being able to take the paper, but still, the huge majority of boxes is unlocked.

Well, Chez Quartier has quite the same trust policy. For breakfast, just enter and suit yourself, take croissants, chocolate filled croissants and whatever you want, order a fresh fruit juice, a coffee. When you are done with your breakfast, when the time has come to pay, just tell the waiter what you’ve taken; no bill, just trust.

One could say trust might not be enough to enjoy a breakfast; no need to worry, the food is good!

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Chez Quartier | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Croissant CHF 1.40
Rue Voltaire 24 | Les Pâquis
Tue – Sun 07:00 – 19:00

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