Le Phenix

For some reason, finding decent Chinese food in Geneva, seems to be something of a challenge. There are a number of Chinese restaurants in the area, but their food often leaves something to be desired. You'd think an international city like Geneva would offer quality food from all over the world, but somehow, more often than not, it misses the mark when it comes to Chinese food.

Nevertheless, a number of establishments do seem to get positive reviews on a regular basis. Le Phenix, located in Eaux-Vives is one such restaurant. A recent visit was the perfect opportunity to see for ourselves if the food and service actually lived up to the hype. For the most part we were rather satisfied with the experience. The food was good and fresh and the service was excellent.

Pictured below: A selection of steamed dumplings followed by Peking duck served with pancakes.

Ponte Vecchio

Ponte Vecchio is an Italian restaurant located in Plainpalais. Their food is good, the staff is friendly and their menu boasts a number of pizzas, pasta dishes as well as many other house specialties. The pasta is pretty amazing, and while this is clearly no Luigia, even the pizza is quite good. Definitely worth a visit!

Pictured below: Penne Carbonara, Tortellini alla Pana, Pizza Margherita, Tagliatelle al Gorgonzola and Gnocchi al Gorgonzola.

Camilo's Place

Even though I never got a chance to sample their food myself, I've been hearing about Espresso Club and their pizza for quite a while. I would still like to pay them a visit but in the meantime, I was recently able to visit their other restaurant, Camilo's Place, located in Rue du Stand. They make an interesting pizza, though I wouldn't rank the crust as my favorite. Furthermore, at CHF 18.- the margherita is a little more expensive than it probably should be. On the other hand, the restaurant is rather conveniently located, the staff is nice, and the menu is absolutely huge! Definitely more pizzas to choose from than most other Geneva joints.

Pictured below: a margherita pizza

Happy New Year (and more dishes from Luigia)!

Is it already 2011? Yes it apparently is -- time certainly does fly when you're trying to review the city's best spots!

Anyway, to kick things off this year, I figured I'd pay a visit to a 2010 favorite, Luigia's. Nothing new to report, the restaurant was packed and the service was quick (though I was unfashionably late)...

Pictured below: calamari, margherita and vesuvio pizzas and Linguine alle vongole.

What are some of your favorite comfort foods?

Please add comfort foods not listed to the comments below. Why are these your favorite comfort foods? Are they generally available in the Geneva area (or wherever you happen to live)?

I look forward to reading your stories!

Another visit to Phuket's

The Thai restaurant located by the UNHCR continues to be a favorite among the expat community.

Pictured below: complimentary Thai chips, Tom Kha Kai soup, Pad Thai noodles, and a coconut sticky rice and mango dessert.

Tilleuls

In my experience in Geneva, the best restaurants are often simple, unpretentious and not necessarily located in the hippest parts of town. That is all true of Les Tilleuls, a pizzeria located in Charmilles. It is a rather large restaurant but it is simply decorated -- though it boasts a very nice terrace in the summer. The restaurant's staff is friendly and welcoming, and the food is quite tasty. Definitely worthy of a repeat visit.

Pictured below: Tilleul's penne vodka.

Incontro

Penne siciliana is undoubtedly Incontro's signature dish, and while I quite enjoy it, I've always been partial to their linguine agli scampi so I was rather disappointed when they switched to penne as their pasta of choice for that particular dish, I'm not entirely sure what prompted the decision, but it makes a huge difference both in taste and in texture, and the dish just doesn't work as well with penne as far as I'm concerned though to be fair it's still pretty good... I guess. They still make a decent pizza though.

Pictured below: penne agli scampi and a mushroom pizza

Take-out from Il Forno a Legna

Il Forno a Legna's delivery days may have been short-lived, but their pizza definitely makes the trip to Servette worthwhile -- it just never disappoints.

Pictured below: pizza fiestana and gnocchi alla sorrentina from Il Forno a Legna

Le 3 Rive Gauche

A recent trip to Geneva's Old Town was the perfect opportunity to enjoy lunch in one of its many restaurants. This was my third visit to Le 3 Rive Gauche, the French restaurant offers an extensive menu including various meat, fish and vegetarian dishes as well as an interesting selection of starters. The food was quite good even though I asked for a medium rare steak and what I was actually served can only be described as rare. However, in the establishment's defense, I should say it is highly unusual to get a piece of meat exactly the way you asked for it in Geneva -- at least in my experience!

Pictured below: a goat cheese salad starter, a rib-eye steak with sides of mashed potatoes and green beans and a chocolate fondant.







I would love to read what you think of the Old Town's restaurants, do you like them? Or do you maybe think they're a little overrated?