Geneva has more than its fair share of boring bankers, NGOs and horologists. But it also has cheese and chocolate in abundance and an array of restaurants serving up tasty treats from all over the world. Alpine eater Laura discovers the culinary heart of Geneva and the surrounding Savoie region.
A grey and grim Sunday morning in Versoix. Nobody is around, other than the local fire service, called to the scene to clear up the shattered glass of a vandalised bus stop. Around the corner come the possible perpetrators of this night-time naughtiness, some pasty pre-teens roaming zombie-like around the estate, sipping panaché and sporting menacing masks and creepy costumes. It's all a bit Shaun of the Dead.
But nestled amid this gloomy Halloween scene is an unexpected ray of light. Happy Days Coffee is an American-style diner, where the walls are covered in bumper stickers, the front end of a Cadillac pokes out from the wall and customers sit on sparkly blue banquettes. Children, meanwhile, are kept busy with a selection of puzzles and crayons, appropriately presented in a Dr Pepper can.
Monsieur Gourmand and I both went for a classic American breakfast of fluffy pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon, served with all-important maple syrup and that white butter they like in the States. Even the coffee is served the American way, although the waitresses aren't quite as reliant on tips as their Denny's counterparts, so don't expect constant refills.
In the event of a zombie invasion, this wouldn't be a bad place to be stranded, although on this occasion I would have been far too stuffed to fight off an army of the undead.
Happy Days Coffee, Chemin du Pont-Céard 12, 1290 Versoix +41 (0)22 779 0000
If Jay-Z is to be believed, a trip to New York will make me feel brand new, so inspired I will be by the big lights. Empire State of Mind, the rapper's much-played ode to his hometown, typifies the Big Apple adoration that has been on the rise in recent years. From SJP stalking the sidewalks in her Manolos, to Machiavellian Manhattan teens plotting against their Gossip Girl cohorts, New York is the undisputed capital of cool.
Luckily I don’t need to jet across the Atlantic for a big city-style pizza, now that Luigia has opened up right here in little old Geneva. ‘Ooh, it’s all lofty and trendy, you really feel like you’re in New York’, people had told me before my recent visit. I only hoped the pizzas wouldn't be deep pan and stuffed full of rubbery cheese and thick pepperoni sausage.
Of course, my fears were unfounded; pizzas in Geneva tend to be very good and Luigia was no different.
At 8pm on a Saturday evening, we expected to wait a while (they don’t take bookings) before being forced to squeeze ourselves around a tiny table to be served by snooty staff. Instead, we found ourselves in a brightly-lit warehouse with no shortage of tables, many of them occupied by families.
In true American style, the service was lightning quick... quick enough to stifle both the social element of dining out and the anticipation of eating. We had barely tasted the wine when the food arrived, leaving us little time to appreciate the spectacle of the pizzaioli plying their trade by the cavernous woodfire oven, illuminated by some glitzy showbiz-style lights.
Like the snappy service, the presentation was a bit too efficient for my liking. Personally, I like my pizza a little rough around the edges like the Neapolitan street food it's supposed to be, rather than a model of rounded perfection. That said, the crusty, blackened base was perfect in flavour and texture, topped with deliciously fresh ingredients, and I devoured the whole thing in a matter of minutes, leaving little room for dessert.
While Luigia's slick operation is a novelty compared to some of Geneva's lazy and outdated eateries, it was so rushed that I can't remember the finer details of the wine, conversation or indeed the pizza (although I do recall that the chilli oil was pointedly un-piquante).
This isn't the place for a long, leisurely meal, but if it's fresh flavours and big city surroundings you're after, prepare for life in the fast lane.
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