For those into vegetarian diets, Geneva's 1st vegetarian-only restaurant just opened:

Vert Attitude
rue du Nant 2 
1207 Genève 

Please may I say that many, many moons ago – and I’m not saying exactly when – there were at least three, if not four, fully veggie restaurants in Geneva, all managed, if I’m not mistaken, by German-speaking Swiss.  One was behind Cornavin station near the present-day cycle place.

They were all very good value for money but strictly “alcoool frei” so some customers ate “healthily” and then repaired to the Pâquis for the rest of the evening.

R.

Interesting responses. 

The guide lists 8 restaurants where veggies are well catered for, 2 of which are entirely vegan. Nir, your friends' restaurant must have just missed the listing. 

Ritchie, are you a vegetarian or a teetotaller? Or both? You seem to think that veggies who drink alcohol are showing double standards or something? Out of all the vegetarians I know, very few chose not to drink alcohol. Most people I know are more concerned about animal rights than their own bodies, and it's their choice to keep drinking alcohol. As we know, one of the main supermarkets has the opposite priority, selling meat but not alcohol. The two don't always go hand in hand.

Myself, I follow more of a yogic diet, which means that not only do I avoid meat and alcohol, but also caffeine, tobacco, onions, garlic and foods that are considered negative pranic. It does make life a little complicated in public, but I am really thriving on my lifestyle!

@Michelle:

I am neither vegan nor teetotal.

All I was trying to convey was the ambiance of an epoch when the vegan restaurants in Geneva were mostly managed by “Frauenverein” ladies   who were often from the German.-speaking cantons.  These restaurants were simply furnished, spotlessly clean (including the loos), and the menus were well-balanced, well-cooked, and fair-priced.  Moreover, smoking was strictly forbidden and this at a time when the fog of pipes, cigars and cigarettes (especially the notorious “Gauloises bleus”) was the norm everywhere else.

So while the ambiance of the veggie restaurants did tend to be somewhat “holy”, they were often patronized by folk on a night out, lining their stomachs with a healthy nosh before hitting the bars and caffs of the right bank.

Since my comments are based on having “been there and done that” more than once, I certainly don’t want to sound censorious but only to muse on the fact that before the MacDo et al. invasion, it was possible to eat vegan at more than one dedicated address.

Moreover, and again just for the record, there was only one Chinese restaurant in Geneva at that time and if you didn’t book in advance you stood little chance of getting a chair let alone a table.

Bon ap. !

R.

Ah, I see where you're coming from :) You have certainly seen some changes in Geneva!

All the best,

Michelle

Well not a resto, but store for vegans,

http://www.glocals.com/guides/biz/Urban-Bio-Market-Plainpalais/

they can give you more detials at the Urban market for resto's

and also their is a vegan/vegitarian group in glocals.

Ask in that forum

http://www.glocals.com/groups/geneva/geneva-vegetarian-and-vegan-group.htm

Hi there,

As a Geneva native, my favorite's are:

http://www.vertattitude.ch/

Nice affordable (4.80/100gr) buffet (asian, oriental  & occidental) with cold and hot food, to stay or to go, in a beautiful renovated place in Eaux-Vives.

http://www.auxdeuxportes.ch/

Creative daily plate, pastries without dairy or gluten (yesssssss), little boutique as well, the cook is also a great source of information. Small place so come early for lunch or make a reservation. In the Servette area.

http://www.mu-food.ch/

Creative daily plate with local and bio products. Laid back space. Very affordable prices. Free hot tea. In the Pâquis area.

Bon appétit

Ritchie is correct: there are other vegetarian-only restaurants in Geneva. 

I remember dining at Helveg one year ago.  It's a small gastronomic restaurant, quite expensive but food is delicious and very different from your everyday meals.  Worth trying.  They also have a boutique, unfortunately - yet prevedibly - rich in pseudoscience products ("superfoods", "detox", "bio", "feng shui" and other baloney). 

or go on-line to:

http://www.happycow.net/europe/switzerland/geneva/

Dear Dave G, thank you for linking the Glocals veg group here. Just a little grammatical correction: the Glocals veg group has nothing to do with Urban Bio :). Furthermore, Urban bio changed their name to urban market,  closed down 2 stores, and the 2 stores that remain are no longer selling the previous line of organic stuff, but they changed to stocking from Carefour. :(. if you are looking for a health store, check out happycow.net for up to date info.

There is also a Vegan in Switzerland group on FB, and for French speakers a Vegan in Geneva group.

And I really don't understand why Nir's friends think that their resto is the first Vegetarian resto in Gva: Helveg is fully vegan, and the menu at Aux deux portes is also vegan.