Auberge du Dully

I had been meaning to write a review about Auberge de Dully for a while now. And by the way, I apologize for the poor quality photos -- bad lighting and whatnot. Anyway, the establishment is located outside Geneva in the nearby Vaud area and I had been hearing about it for years before I became something of a regular myself sometime last winter.

The restaurant offers the kind of chalet style charm that tends to be so typical of Switzerland. In that sense, it's more of a wintery place, but I could completely see myself going in the summer too. Since it is located in Vaud right after Nyon, if you're in Geneva, it's something of a drive, but to me that's definitely part of the fun.

The restaurant's signature dish is rotisserie chicken -- and to a lesser extent, thin slices of lamb roast -- but my favorite parts of the meal tend to be the starter salad (I just love the dressing), the sides of rösti and french fries which come in several servings, and the delectable cream tart which we'll get to in a minute.

The rotisserie chicken, as is all too often the case, is something of a disappointment. Depending on where you're sitting in the restaurant, you sometimes actually get to see chicken roasting on a spit. This might mislead you into thinking you're about to eat tender, juicy, freshly-cooked chicken right off the spit, but more often than not, you'd be wrong, somehow, it always ends up feeling a little dry to me, and if you know how to make a decently tender roast chicken at home, chances are Dully's will pale in comparison.

To be fair, I've had friends tell me they were treated to incredibly tender rotisserie at Dully's, but I personally haven't had that experience. As for the lamb, there is not a whole lot to say about it, it's just plain blah.

Now let's get to dessert, the cream tart is probably one of my all-time favorite restaurant desserts. It's so simple yet such a treat for the taste buds. I think I love everything about it, its thin crispy texture, its delicious, sweet taste, and even the fact that you have to order it right at the start of your meal!

So as much as I definitely enjoy going to Auberge de Dully, I would say their signatures dishes are not the main draw as far as I'm concerned.

Pictured below: a basket of bread followed by a huge salad, rotisserie chicken, roast lamb, french fries and one of my favourite desserts ever: Auberge de Dully's cream tart.

Chez Arsène

Chez Arsène is a new bistro located between Rive and the Eaux-Vives area. It specializes in French cuisine, boasts an art nouveau décor, and a recent visit there left me pleasantly surprised. The food is tasty and the service friendly.

Pictured below: a mixed green salad with an excellent balsamic vinaigrette, lamb stuffed with vegetables (the daily special), filet mignon, a side of fries and raspberry and white chocolate pie.

Capocaccia Acacias

In addition to its Confédération Centre restaurant/bar, Capocaccia recently opened a new location in Acacias. The restaurant boasts an extensive menu of daily specials, salads, sandwiches and numerous snacks.

Pictured below: a slice of pizza in teglia (a thick crust pizza, sort of like a Sicilian slice), a bresaola salad and a pesto pasta dish.

A burger at Kempinski

An impromptu dinner at Kempinski, a decent Caesar salad followed by a cheeseburger. The burger was good, the bun was excellent.

La Broche

La Broche is a French restaurant located in Plainpalais. When the restaurant first opened, a number of years ago, a meal there essentially consisted of either lamb or chicken, but over the years, the menu has grown to include beef, various salads and vegetarian dishes in addition to its original choices. Overall the food is very good (the lamb with a side of pommes charlottes is definitely worth trying) and the atmosphere is quite pleasant.

Pictured below: an excellent pine nut and parmesan salad followed by grilled lamb and mashed potatoes.

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?

Sagano

Sagano is a Japanese restaurant located by the UNHCR, its owners also run Phuket and a number of other restaurants around the city. I hadn't been to Sagano in quite a long time, and thought a recent Friday night was the perfect opportunity to go back.

Pictured below: miso soup and a susi platter.

Sampling the pasta at Forno a Legna

Located in Servette, Forno a Legna is another one of those nice, small neighborhood restaurants I enjoy visiting from time to time. It is no Point du Jour or Chez Nina's but the food is consistently good and the staff quite friendly. They make very good pizzas but on a recent visit, I decided to try one of their pasta dishes, penne del vesuvio, a house specialty consisting of pasta topped with mushrooms, shrimp, crabmeat and bisque, baked in the oven and covered with a pizza crust! The result is interesting and tasty, though very rich as one might imagine.

Pictured below: a garden salad followed by penne del vesuvio.

Bon Génie's restaurant

Want to grab a quick bite while you're doing your Saturday afternoon shopping in town? Bon Génie's fourth floor restaurant might be the ideal spot for a quick lunch break or an afternoon snack, the menu includes a variety of salads, pasta dishes and even burgers. The club sandwich certainly seems to be a crowd favorite and it is rather good indeed. If you order the burger, you'll be served two mini hamburgers -- no cheese. Also fairly good, not to mention kind of cute!

Pictured below: a Caesar salad, two mini hamburgers and their famed club sandwich.

Burgers - Le Richemond

The GVA foodie's quest for the perfect Genevan burger continues with a visit to the Richemond hotel conveniently located by the lake. Overall, the burger is quite good and so is the service. Note: The burger and its toppings are served separately, so if you want some lettuce, pickles, a couple of slices of tomatoes and onions on your burger, be sure to look around your plate before starting your meal!

Pompei

For the most part, Champel is a quiet, residential neighborhood. But it is also home to a number of restaurants, including Pompei, a busy pizzeria. The restaurant's staff are known for their friendly, warm welcome and their signature pizza.

Pictured below: a fresh Nicoise Salad followed by a margherita pizza.

Point du Jour

I never tire of going to Point du Jour, the food is wonderful, the staff is friendly and there is a lot to choose from.

Pictured below: a squid salad starter followed by a plate of spinach and ricotta tortelloni. At point du jour, most pasta dishes are served in pots, and you can then serve as much -- or as little -- as you want into your dish.

Café du Soleil

Café du soleil is one of the better known restaurants in Geneva. Located in the heart of the Petit-Saconnex neighborhood, the restaurant is ALWAYS full, and if you're planning a meal there, I strongly recommend you make a reservation. According to Café du Soleil's Website, the establishment may well be Geneva's oldest restaurant and naturally -- as many of you know -- it specializes in Fondue. The menu offers various salads, omelets and steak dishes, but it is safe to say most people go there to enjoy a pot of melted cheese!

Pictured below: a garden salad and fondue.

Le Calamar

OK boys and girls, I think we have a winner for the burger category. Located in the trendy neighborhood of Plainpalais right by the University of Geneva, Le Calamar is a favorite among Geneva's youth. Whether you want to meet some friends for drinks or just get something to eat, Le Calamar is definitely worth checking out! And yes, they also serve a mean burger, which comes in several varieties: hamburger, cheeseburger, bacon burger, bacon cheeseburger, veal burger (with mushrooms), tofu burger and the huge king kong burger!

All burgers are served with a salad starter and of course a side of fries... for all of this restaurant's merits, Le Calamar's staff hasn't (yet) decided to challenge the tradition of serving fries with burgers by introducing a delicious, innovative alternative but truth be told, their fries aren't half bad! I still hope someone will try something original and unexpected though.

Pictured below: a garden salad, a bacon cheeseburger and a king kong burger.

Point du Jour

Like I've said before, Point du Jour is one of my favorite restaurants in Geneva. Definitely in my top three, and probably the restaurant I've visited the most over the years. They are probably best known for the delectable fresh pastas but they also make several other equally delicious dishes.

Pictured below, a fresh green salad, piccata with vegetables (even a simple side of sauteed vegetables is a delight for the palate at Point du Jour's) and mushroom risotto.

Chez Nina

Chez Nina is currently one of my favorite restaurants. Located right between Petit-Saconnex and Grand-Saconnex, the food is simply delicious, the service is beyond reproach and the staff very friendly. Whether you want to enjoy some fresh pasta or a pizza, Chez Nina is definitely a place I wholeheartedly recommend!

Pictured below: a wonderful thin-crust margherita pizza, a fresh garden salad, followed by some scrumptious pasta with tomato and vodka sauce.











I have yet to be disappointed by any of the dishes on the menu, but I would especially recommend the vodka pasta -- an absolute delight for the palate!

Clearly, Alain Giroud from the Tribune de Genève thoroughly enjoyed his meal there too (article in French).