Geneva/Lausanne Pub Guide
Bars - Beerhalls - Beer gardens

Introduction
The Swiss microbrewery explosion hasn't passed the French-speaking cantons by. They just call their holy trinity "Rousse, Blonde, Blanche" instead of "Helles, Dunkles, Weizen".

The city of Geneva has 4 brewpubs, Lausanne 2. Here's where to find them.

Public transport
Geneva's extensive network is operated partly by TPG. They've got trams. trolleybuses and ordinary buses. UNIRESO has a system of trains, trams and buses for the greater Geneva area.

In Lausanne, things are run by the fashionably lower-cased tl who operate trolleybuses, buses, trams and a funicular railway.

Acknowledgement corner
Many thanks to Gazza Prescott for providing most of this information. You should read his amusing account of hunting beer, wine, trams and cows in Geneva and Lausanne. It's far more entertaining than this page.
 Index
Swiss brewing industry
Swiss beer satistics
Swiss beer styles
Swiss Breweries
Swiss Beer Law

Swiss Pub Guides
Geneva Pubs
Lausanne Pubs
Zürich Pubs

Geneva Pub Guide
Pub Listings


Birrifico Il Forno
Lancy Centre,
Rue de Chancy 71,
1213 Petit-Lancy,
Geneva.
Tel: 022 - 793 60 30
Opening hours:
Number of draught beers: 3
Number of bottled beers:
Regular draught beers:
Food: Snacks, meals.
Gazza says:

"The brewpub is inside the Lancy shopping centre opposite the Morgines stop and fairly obvious. This “brewpub” is an Italian restaurant which serves good-looking food and the strange, extracty beers made on the small copper plant in the corner of the bar. Drinking without eating seems to be no problem at all."

Descriptions of their beers span the whole spectrum of "ordinary" to "awful". But who knows, a new brewer could change everything. Just think, what sort of beer are you likely to get in any other pizzeria?

Photo courtesy of Gazza Prescott.
Rating: Public transport: Trolleybus 2 or 19 to Morgines or
Bus 20/14/18 to Les Esserts


Qu’Importe
Rue Ancienne 1,
1227 Carouge,
Geneva.
Tel. +41 (0)22 342 15 25
Fax +41 (0)22 342 15 29
Email: contact@quimporte.ch		  
Opening hours: Tue-Sat
Number of draught beers:
Number of bottled beers:
Regular draught beers:
Food:
Gazza says:
" Follow tramlines away from the centre and the bar is on the left just where the tram does a sharp turn into Rue Ancienne. Very modern bar which would have nothing really to recommend it were it not to stock the rare Murailles beers on draught and in bottle at slightly exclusive prices – CHF9 a bottle!"

This place styles itself as a wine bar, so I guess the beer selection isn't huge. The Murailles beers are very well regarded.
Rating: Public transport: Tram 12 or 13 to Marché.


Nelson Pub (Brasserie du Molard)
Place Molard 9,
1204 Geneva.
Tel: 22 311 1100
Fax: 22 312 0414
http://www.lordnelsonpub.ch/
Opening hours: Mon-Thu 06:30 - 01:00,
Fri 06:30 - 02:00,
Sat 11:00 - 02:00 Dimanche 15:00 - 00:00
Number of draught beers: 4
Number of bottled beers:
Regular draught beers:
Food: Beer 7-9 SFR per 0.5l, snacks 10-20 SFR, meals 19-30 SFR
Gazza says:
"A brewpub situated on this small square right in the “action” of the lower town. The copper brewplant is prominently situated in the front windows and the food is decent for a snack. "

Photo courtesy of Gazza Prescott.
Rating: Public transport: Tram 12 or 16, Trolleybus 2/7/20, Bus 36 or Mouette M1 to Molard.


Brasserie des Grottes
Rue Servette 6,
1201 Genève.
Tel: 022 734 9200
Fax: 022 734 9201
Email: info@brasseurs.ch
http://www.brasseurs.ch/
Opening hours:
Number of draught beers: 4
Number of bottled beers:
Regular draught beers:
Food: Snacks, meals.
Gazza says:
" Strange nightclub-like dive with a dead feel to it and no real attractions except for the scoops!"

Reading their website, it appears the owners are indeed attempting to transform it into a club at the weekend. Grot does, indeed, sound like an accurate description.

Photo courtesy of Gazza Prescott.
Rating: Public transport: Trolleybus 3/9/10/29 to Lyon.


Les Brasseurs
Place de Cornavin 20,
1201 Genève.
Tel : 022 731 02 06
Fax : 022 731 02 10
Email: geneve@les-brasseurs.ch
www.les-brasseurs.ch/
Opening hours: Mon-Wed 11:00 - 01:00,
Thu-Sat 11:00 - 02:00,
Sun 15:00 - 1:00
Number of draught beers: 4
Number of bottled beers:
Regular draught beers:
Food: Beer 7-9 SFR per 0.5l, snacks 10-20 SFR, meals 18-32 SFR SBB
Gazza says:
"Situated opposite the station on the large square outside this is similar to the Lausanne pub; all bare wood blackboards and copper brewing kit. The beers seemed less interesting too. "

Photo courtesy of Gazza Prescott.
Rating: Public transport: Train, tram 13/15/16 and numerous buses/trolleybuses to Gare Cornavin.


Au Coin du Bar
17, rue Fr.-Versonnex,
1207 Genève.
Tel: 022 786 38 19
Email: info@aucoindubar.ch
http://www.aucoindubar.ch/		  
Opening hours: Mon - Fri11:30 - 02:00,
Sat 18:00 - 01:00
Number of draught beers:
Number of bottled beers:
Regular draught beers:
Food:
Wine bar.
Rating: Public transport:

Lausanne Pub Guide
Pub Listings

Brasserie au Château
Place du Tunnel 1,
1005 Lausanne.
Tel: 021 - 312 6011
Fax: 021 - 312 6012
Email: laurent@biereduchateau.ch
http://www.biereduchateau.ch
Opening hours: Tue-Thur 17:00-03:00,
Fri-Sat 17:00-04:00,
Sun-Mon 17:00-02:00
Number of draught beers: 6
Number of bottled beers:
Regular draught beers:
Food: Snacks, meals.
Gazza says:
" Excellent English-inspired brewpub which brews 6 beers and seems to be trumping the safe, restrictive beers made by most Swiss brewers. Recommended food and beer; the pizzas are superb and the other stuff looks pretty good too. The only cask beer in the country?"
Rating: Public transport: Bus 5 or 8 to Tunnel.


Les Brasseurs
Rue Central 4,
1003 Lausanne.
Tel: 021 - 351 1424
Fax: 021 - 351 1425
Email: lausanne@les-brasseurs.ch
www.les-brasseurs.ch/
Opening hours: Mon-Thu 11:00 - 01:00,
Fri-Sat 11:00 - 02:00,
Sun 16:00 - 24:00
Number of draught beers: 4
Number of bottled beers:
Regular draught beers:
Food: Beer 7-9 SFR per 0.5l, snacks 10-20 SFR, meals 18-32 SFR
Gazza says:
"Identikit Firkin-like brewpub with large plant at the front – so that’s where all those blackboards went when the Firkins were trashed! The beer was better than the sister pub in Geneva."

Photo courtesy of Gazza Prescott.
Rating: Public transport: Metro M2 to Flon then a 5-minute walk under the viaduct.

Questions? Suggestions? Click to email me.



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© Ron Pattinson 2005