Shopping – All our local tips

Ladies, if you love shoes, this place is a must! I am not exactly a shop-o-holic but if I feel like having some retail therapy and want to treat myself to a really funky pair of shoes, this is where I spend my cash.

The shop is not very big and if you intend going shopping on Saturday or in the evening beware: it will be crowded! They sell some great brands that you will hardly find in other shops here: Camper, Kickers, Rocket Dog… It is a young, trendy and colourful collection and you can find a pair of sexy stilettos as well as some comfy shoes to explore the city!

The boutique is conveniently located at Rue de la Corraterie, a few steps from Place de Neuve and Parc des Bastions (check the Parc des Bastions article) and the shopping spree can easily be part of your sightseeing tour.

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“Pompes Funèbres” | Shopping
Rue de la Corraterie 19 | Vieille-ville | +41223100490
Mon 12:00 – 18:00, Tue – Wed & Fri – Sat 10:00 – 18:00, Thu 10:00 – 19:00

Ever thought of having a piercing? If you feel like getting a very special “souvenir” from Geneva, go to Banana Bell body piercing. I have tested them by doing my nose piercing there and I could not think of a better place.

The shop has opened in 2001 and “safe piercing” is their motto. Informing customers about potential risks and answering any question is key. No dark or dingy “underground” piercing here: Hygiene is irreproachable and piercings are done by Lupe who has many years of experience. In order to see pictures of the shop, the piercing room or Lupe herself, have a look at their website.

The big, bright shop offers a huge choice of high quality body jewelry and you will certainly find something to your liking. Spontaneous people can have their piercing done without appointment on Monday afternoon and Thursday. And in case you don’t dare having one of your body parts pierced, try one of their temporary tattoos – they vanish after four to six days.

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Banana Bell | Shopping | Piercings from CHF 90.00
Rue de Carouge 17 | Plainpalais | +41223206511
Mon 15:00 – 18:00, Tue – Wed & Fri 12:00 – 14:00 & 15:00 – 18:00, Thu 12:00 – 14:00 & 15:30 – 18:00, Sat 12:00 – 17:00

Cap indigo is my favourite fair trade shop. It is the place where I buy my tea and coffee as well as the exotic spices for my cooking. I also like to drop by when I am looking for a gift. I love their stuff and always find something to my liking!

The shop has recently been revamped and you will find a variety of products from Africa, Asia and South America.

Many items are handcrafted and therefore unique. There is a bit of everything: jewellery, children’s toys, clothing, bags as well as a selection of fine food items.

The shop is mostly run by volunteers and opening hours can therefore vary, especially in summer.

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Cap Indigo | Shopping
Rue de Carouge 53 | Plainpalais | +41227080434
Mon – Sat 09:00 – 18:00

Want to get a Mediterranean feeling on your Geneva trip? There is only one place for this: The food market in Carouge on Wednesday and Saturday morning.

Especially on Saturdays, the market is a must for locals. Colourful, convivial and lively are only some adjectives to describe the atmosphere.

You will find a variety of fruit and vegetables, flowers, home made bread, an impressive assortment of cheese and you can also buy a good bottle of wine or some honey. Many products are organic and produced locally.

After shopping, the locals gather in one of the cafés surrounding the “Place du Marché” for a coffee or a glass of red wine.

This market is a real institution in Carouge and it has existed for over 300 years. If you want to experience some genuine and colourful everyday life, this is the place to be.

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Carouge Market | Shopping
Place du Marché | Carouge
Wed & Sat 07:30 – 14:00

To all chocoholics: If you are looking for the ultimate Swiss-chocolate experience, forget about “Toblerone” and indulge yourself at this chocolate café!

A leisurely tram ride will take you from town into Carouge, a quaint and small ”suburb” built in the 18th century by Turinese architects. The tiny chocolate shop, located at Place de l’Octroi, offers a fine selection of delicious, home made Pralinés. Spoil yourself to an assortment or treat your family and friends with one of the gift boxes (variety of sizes and packages available). Quality has its price (10 Fr. for a 100gr) but it is worth the spend!

The place is a little tea-room as well, so if you would like to have a break and a hot chocolate or enjoy your Pralinés with a cup of coffee you can sit down at one of the three tiny tables. In summer, the friendly staff will serve you on the terrace.

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Chocolaterie de l’Arve | Coffee & tea, Shopping | 100 gr CHF 10.00
Place de l’Octroi 13 | Carouge | +41223434500
Mon – Fri 08:30 – 12:30 & 14:00 – 18:30, Sat 09 :00 -13:00

Personally, I need to have at least one good book in my backpack when travelling. If you are looking for second hand books, check out “Les Recyclables” (see the Recyclables article) but in case you want something brand new or are looking for a travelguide, I can recommend a bookshop called “Payot”.

They have several shops in town but it is the one at Rue Chantepoulet, close to the railway station, where you will find books in French, English, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Russian! They also have a huge selection of travel guides and maps and in case you want to improve your French or need a translation, you will find a collection of excellent dictionaries!

It is a rather big shop with two levels and you can take your time and sit down to check out the books. The staff is multilingual and will assist you with your requests. Don’t hesitate to ask if you are looking for something specific. They can order near any book provided you can wait for a few days.

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International bookshop Payot | Shopping
Rue Chantepoulet 5 | Les Pâquis | +41227318950
Mon – Wed & Fri 09:30 – 19:00, Thu 09:30 – 20:00, Sat 09:30 – 18:00

L’Adresse is a nice restaurant, which became quite fashionable. It is divided into two parts: a shop where you can find nice clothes and a restaurant and is located in the Eaux-Vives, near the lake.

During the summer, there is a nice terrace outside, which is on the rooftop.

At lunch, you will be able to see the shop; at night it’s closed. The food is quite expensive but it is a great place to go especially at lunch, since the plat du jour is less than CHF 20.-.

They have very original meals and very good bottles of wine. The carpaccio is excellent and the pastas definitely have to be tasted!

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L’Adresse | Shopping, Restaurants (Frenc) | Dinner CHF 30.00
Rue du 31 décembre 32 | Eaux-Vives | +41227363232
Tue – Sat 11:00 – 14:00 & 18:00 – 00:00

Les halles de Rive are a great place to buy food. It is a little expensive, but the prices equal the quality.

It is located at the beginning of les rues basses at Rive where everyone goes for shopping. It is divided in several stands, where you can either buy meat, sushi (really cheap ones that you can take away), fish, Asian food, cheese, wine, vegetables, flowers, cake shop and a bar as well.

At lunch, people who work nearby go there to get a good meal and eat it by the lake (during summer) or in the English Garden.

People are always nice and helpful, and on Saturday morning, it is usually full of people, because the market takes place next to it. You will definitely be hungry while entering it!

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Les halles de Rive | Shopping, Snacks | Sushis CHF 15.00
Boulevard Hélvétique 29 | Eaux-Vives
Mon – Sat 10:00 – 18:00

The café/restaurant
I like “Les Recyclables” because it is entirely non-smoking (except the terrace of course) and, most importantly, the business is run according to the principles of sustainable development. Enjoy the convivial and laid-back atmosphere for breakfast and lunch or drop by for coffee/tea and a slice of their delicious homemade cakes.

For lunch, you can choose between two or three daily dishes (called “plat du jour”), one of which is vegetarian. The menus vary every day and ingredients are carefully chosen according to the season. Many products are organic, come from local producers and/or are “fair trade”. They also organize cultural events such as concerts, debates or lectures

The second-hand bookshop
This is a great second-hand bookshop with more than 10.000 titles in stock. Although most books are in French you will also find a selection of English fiction and non-fiction, travel guides, cartoons and some novels in other languages (German, Italian, Spanish). They sell quality literature and all books are in excellent condition. The majority of books are quite recent and sold for about half the retail price.

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Les Recyclables | Coffee & tea, Shopping, Restaurants
Rue de Carouge 53 | Plainpalais | +41223282373
Shop Mon – Fri 09:00 – 18:30, Sat 11:00 – 17:00 | Rest. Mon – Sat 07:30 – 20:30

Very chic! Whether you are looking for quality postcards or exclusive gifts, this well-established, stylish stationary shop has it all.

Brachard is a family-run business and was established in 1839. Geneva’s best “papeterie” (French for stationary shop) is located in a beautiful building at the Rue de la Corraterie where it has been for over 70 years.

On four different floors you will find a wide selection of luxury pens, high quality writing paper, leather-bound agendas and diaries, office material, calligraphy items and much more.

They are specialized in custom-made and personalized products and you can also have your business or invitation cards printed. If you have some cash to spend and want to be served by competent and friendly staff, this is the place to go.

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Papeterie Brachard | Shopping
Rue de la Corraterie 10 | Vieille-ville | +41228170555
Mon – Fri 09:00 – 18:30, Sat 09:30 – 18:00

You might ask yourself why there is this huge deserted place, in the heart of the city. Historically, it was the place sick people were brought to – strategically located outside the city to avoid any epidemic.

But thanks to modern medicine, it is nowadays used for episodic events, like when circuses are in town, or a Luna Park twice a year. Actually, there’s been some changes lately, as it has been decided to cover the ground with clay (don’t ask me exactly why and how they’re doing this, I don’t get it!), the circuses had to find a new spot this year.

I don’t really care, as I’m afraid of clowns and really not keen on ghost trains! The only times I stop on the plaine would be for its Flea Market. It’s not Rome’s Porta Portese, but on Wednesdays and Saturdays, rainy or windy, you’ll find a good number of stands, forming a walking tour around the plaine, selling almost anything, from old CDs or DVDs – and many old VHS to be honest… – to dubious 80s furniture.

The classic 1 CHF-a-thing boxes are always fun to search, as well as trying to find an interesting thing in those 2 CHF books you’ll find by dozens in every stand.

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Plaine de Plainpalais | Shopping
Plaine de Plainpalais | Plainpalais
Wed & Sat until early afternoon