People in Geneva take their food seriously; there are more than 1,000 restaurants which serve a variety of food styles and traditions. Geneva is perhaps the food capital of Switzerland and there are restaurants that serve both traditional Swiss dishes and exotic ethnic cuisine. Being multi-cultural the city offers a bit of everything but restaurant prices are usually high. You can find well located restaurants overlooking the lake. In Paquis you'll find exotic and ethnic eateries; the Old Town is the place to head for traditional Swiss restaurants; Eaux Vives is known for its Italian restaurants; Plain Palais is where you'll find low price eateries aimed at the student community and the International District is for ”doing lunch" among businessmen. Carouge, a few minutes from Geneva, has trendy unique restaurants.

Patara is one of the lake side restauants; they serve Thai food in a contemporary Asian environment. Tse Fung is a hotel restaurant which serves Chinese food and classical Asian dishes. Hung Wan is a high-end Chinese restaurant which serves traditional classic Chinese dishes. Bayview is Trip Advisor's choice for best Geneva restaurant; they serve classic French food in a dining room overlooking the Alps and the lake. The restaurant has an excellent wine cellar and the interior decoration is clean cut and opulent. Le Chat-Botte won a certificate of excellence in 2013, the restaurant was established in 1865 and serves contemporary, innovative French food in a classy, elegant environment. Il Lago is a restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel, it also won a Certificate of Excellence in 2013 and they serve contemporary Italian dishes in a romantic environment. The dishes are expensive but the quality excellent. Bistrot du Boeuf Rouge is a quaint French restaurant with a casual atmosphere and excellent food. Les Curiades is the place to go for French cuisine and good seafood in a gastropub. It is romantic and has outdoor seating.

The most typical Swiss dish is fondue, both melted cheese and fondue bourguignonne, a beef fondue. Fondue Chinoise is a type of fondue served at Christmas time in the German-speaking areas of Switzerland.  Raclette (cheese is melted then scraped onto the diner's plate) is served with ham and potatoes. Rosti, which is popular in many parts of the world, is a grated potato pancake dish, and popular in Geneva.