Café du Soleil

Café du Soleil stands on the Place du Petit-Saconnex, the old village square of the Petit-Saconnex hillside in Geneva, Switzerland, a short distance from the Palais des Nations and the international organisations. It is regarded as one of the city's reference addresses for traditional cheese fondue, and its clientele mixes neighbourhood families, diplomats and visitors who make the trip up from the lake. The kitchen is built around fondue au fromage prepared with a cheese blend from La Roche in Fribourg canton, alongside the moitié-moitié variant that combines Gruyère and Vacherin. Filets de perche, the lake-perch fillets that define Genevan restaurant menus, are the main non-cheese order. The dining room is wood-panelled and warm, with a convivial and fairly loud atmosphere on busy evenings, while a shaded terrace in front of the building opens in fine weather. Dress is casual; the service style is brisk and traditional, in keeping with a house that works with fixed fondue sittings rather than long, flexible evenings. The wine list leans on Swiss whites, in particular Chasselas from Geneva and Vaud, the classic partner for melted cheese, with local reds and a selection of kirsch and herbal digestifs for the end of the meal. Fondue service typically starts in the evening, with a weekday lunch service also offered, though hours should be checked before travelling. Reservations are essential for dinner, particularly from autumn to early spring when fondue season is at its peak; booking several days ahead through the restaurant's own website is the usual advice, and weekends fill first. Prices sit in the mid-range for Geneva, which is generous by international standards but moderate against the city's gourmet restaurants. The square is reached by bus from the centre in around fifteen minutes, and the surrounding streets retain the feel of a village rather than a business district. Visitors combining a visit to the UN quarter or the Botanical Garden with dinner find the location convenient, and the restaurant is an easy way to sample the Genevan fondue tradition without tourist-menu compromises.