In short
My Lake lists 34 cafés and restaurants on the shores of Lake Geneva, checked against tourist offices and the places’ own websites: from the Bains des Pâquis in Geneva to the Vevey waterfront, from the Guinguette de Vidy to Sciez beach. Many beach cafés only open in the warm season: the period is shown when known.
Where can you eat or drink by Lake Geneva?
Geneva
- Buvette des Bains des Pâquis, Genève: Open all year: fondue in winter, dish of the day in summer, feet almost in the water.
- Tropical Corner, Cologny (April to October): Lakeside watersports club since 1981: terrace under palm trees, burgers and tapas, wakeboard pontoon, windsurf and paddle.
- Restaurant de la Plage & Buvette, Genève: On stilts at the end of Eaux-Vives beach: perch, hot dogs and ice cream.
- La Barje des Lavandières, Genève (May to September): Summer bar on the Rhône with free concerts, a stone’s throw from the harbour.
- La Perle du Lac, Genève: Pavilion in Mon Repos park, big terrace facing the lake. Closed Mondays in winter.
- Hôtel du Parc des Eaux-Vives, Genève: Mansion at the top of the park, lake and Jura views. For a special occasion.
- Auberge d’Hermance, Hermance: Lakeside village 20 minutes from Geneva, local produce.
La Côte
- Hôtel du Lac, Coppet: Terrace with a lake view, between Geneva and Nyon.
- Le Casino, Rolle: Shaded terrace on the lakeside promenade and a bright veranda. Closed Sunday evening and Monday.
- O’Les Terrasses du Lac, Nyon: Rue de Rive, three spaces and a terrace facing the lake and the Alps, from morning coffee to the last drink.
- Restaurant de la Plage, Nyon: Lake fish and regional dishes by the water, Sunday brunch.
Morges & Lausanne
- Le Pavois, Morges: Restaurant of the Mont-Blanc au Lac hotel, terrace on the Morges quays.
- La Jetée de la Compagnie, Lausanne (May to September): Summer bar on the Ouchy jetty: deck, barbecue and sunsets.
- Hôtel-Restaurant de la Plage, Préverenges: At the end of Avenue de la Plage, sunny terrace a stone’s throw from the big sandy beach.
- La Guinguette de Vidy, Lausanne (April to September): In front of the Vidy Bowl by the water: where walkers and paddlers meet.
- Le Lacustre, Lausanne: Above the Ouchy pier: wood-fired pizza and weekend brunch.
- Bar du Beau-Rivage Palace, Lausanne: The fancy drink, terrace under the arches facing the lake and the Alps.
- La Générale, Pully (April to September): Pully harbour bar, stone steps down to the lake, beach volleyball next door.
- Restaurant du Port de Pully, Pully: On the harbour, facing the lake and the Alps.
- Le Rivage, Lutry: Terrace on the Lutry quays, lake fish, at the foot of Lavaux.
Riviera
- Hôtel des Trois Couronnes, Vevey: Belle Époque panoramic terrace on the Vevey quays.
- Kju, Vevey: Restaurant, bar and club in an 18th-century boathouse, one of the finest terraces in Vevey.
- La Véranda (Grand Hôtel du Lac), Vevey: Terrace over the harbour, the lake and the Alps, relaxed cooking.
- La Terrasse du Petit Palais, Montreux (May to September): The Montreux Palace terrace, facing the lake and the Alps, in fine weather.
- Le Phare, Le Bouveret: Lake terrace facing the sunset, open 9am to midnight.
- Café Helvetia « Au 17 17 », Saint-Gingolph: Big terrace above the lake, open all year round.
- Restaurant Bellevue, Saint-Gingolph: On the quay, terrace facing the lake and the mountains.
French shore
- Bar-Restaurant de la Plage municipale, Thonon-les-Bains (May to September): In the middle of the town beach on Quai de Ripaille: dish of the day and local specialities, feet in the water.
- Hôtel Restaurant de la Plage, Excenevex: Feet in the water all year round, lake and mountain views, seasonal home cooking.
- La Guinguette de la plage, Excenevex: The beach bar on Excenevex’s big sandy beach.
- Restaurant Plage Les Pêcheurs, Sciez: An institution since 1964: feet-in-the-water terrace under century-old plane trees.
- Yacht Restaurant, Évian-les-Bains: At the Hilton on Quai Paul-Léger, Mediterranean food facing the lake.
- Ô Lac, Neuvecelle: Hotel restaurant at Grande Rive, panoramic terrace facing the lake.
- Hôtel-Restaurant du Port, Yvoire (March to October): Medieval village, terrace on the harbour on the French side.
Are beach cafés open all year?
No: many only open from April or May to September, depending on the weather. The seasons above come from tourist offices or the places’ websites; hours and seasons change, so a phone call before you go avoids disappointment. The “Go out” tab in the app shows “Closed until…” out of season.
Is a place missing?
The app’s “Go out” tab has a short form to suggest a place, reviewed before it is added. To pick a nearby beach, see the beach list and, in Geneva, all the canton’s beaches.
Lake Geneva’s water right now
Each beach’s water temperature is in the My Lake app, updated every three hours.