A colleague had heard about Soup Up and suggested we meet there for lunch. Excited at the prospect of a new lunch place that was more reminiscent of London than the often dated and soulless places you find in Geneva, I turned up on a very blustery day in February and found a light, airy cafe-type restaurant with a simple yet appealing concept - a range of soups to choose from the blackboard, alongside a few nutritious and interesting-sounding salads, the option of a number of desserts and rather oddly, Onigiri - Japanese rice balls. Three soups are regular soups, whereas another two are specials that change each day. I chose the menu (they have a number of different combinations) at about CHF 21 of spicy broccoli and lardon soup, apple crumble and a green tea (soupe + boisson + dessert). Despite being relatively pricey given it is 'just soup', the soup bowl was very generous, piping hot and packed full of flavour. Soup was accompanied by both a small chunk of bread and a generous pile of homemade croutons. The apple crumble was delicious. All in all, the meal was very tasty and justified the slightly high price tag. It was a pleasure to see a lunch venue in Geneva that was refreshingly quirky, urban and innovative and I hope to see it go from strength to strength. What will be interesting is seeing how the place gets on during summer, when soup is not exactly high on people's menus...

OK, so technically this burger joint is not in Switzerland, but it is so good that it can't be ignored. Furthermore, it's in Ferney-Voltaire, which these days is practically metropolitan Geneva, so well worth the inclusion and what's more you can get the bus there too. We first heard of Mr Tutu through a very well-informed foodie friend who invited us to a dinner party at Mr Tutu. 15 of us arrived at a reserved table (note the capacity is practically no more than 30) and were greeted with welcoming and super-personal service from one of the founders (I think). Although it took a while to get burgers to 15 people, they were well worth the wait. I selected the 'chilly willy' (full marks for inventive names), which at €14, was actually one of the more expensive burger menus. It comes with jalapenos and onion rings and was just delicious. Great patty, delicious fillings. For me though, the fries were the highlight. Seasoned with chipotle and other spices - according to the server - they added a whole other element to the meal. The salad came separately prior to the burger meal, in a fashion similar to THF, and was generously covered in dressing, French-style. All in all, a seriously delicious burger meal. Other small but important details - artisanal beers alongside other beers such as Asahi were available, which always makes dinner more interesting. Things to note - definitely reserve and only plan on Friday night or Saturday night if you want burgers as that is the only night they serve them; in the lunchtimes, they do hot-dogs - which sound pretty amazing too (although be prepared to contend with hordes of the local international school kids on weekdays). Definitely heading back for another visit soon - €20 well spent and well worth the 'trek' into the dark French side!

Les Twins is the place for those like me whose idea of a salad is not a piddly, leafy salad that contains mainly leaves and not much else, but who likes salad with some serious substance. Tucked in the corner by the church at the beginning of Blvd Carl-Vogt, which is a veritable mecca of eateries for Geneva, Les Twins is a charming little restaurant and bar with a classy, cool and student-y feel. The menu is impressive. You can literally choose from about 30 different salads (you need about 10 minutes just to digest the menu), and have the pleasurable option of effectively creating your own salads by adding or removing certain ingredients from any choice you make. My two girlfriends and I, there on a Monday night, ordered the Terre et Mer (smoked salmon on toast), Perles du Blini (smoked salmon on pancakes) and the Les Twins (served with grapefruit and a pastry cage, as well as a cute little glass bottle of fresh grapefruit juice). The presentation and sheer size of the salads is astounding. Saying the portions are massive is an understatement, but what is impressive is that the flavour and the delicate and aesthetically pleasing presentation is not compromised one bit. Here are salads that actually fill you up. Alongside a good selection of fresh juices and frappés (the fresh mint tea one is pretty good), meals here make you feel healthy, nutritious and fully satisfied all at the same time. The only criticisms I have are that my additional artichoke hearts never did come with my salad, and they only had enough smoked salmon for one salad, so had to substitute with prawns (we were happy with that but they might want to stock better!) All in all, a great café that is one of a kind in Geneva and highly recommended as a cool place to have a delicious salad with friends. Oh, and at an average of CHF 20-25 they are pretty good value too.

Gambas a gogo seems to be quite a Geneva speciality, although on average it costs CHF 40 per head, so isn't the cheapest thing to eat for dinner. We came across Bar La Plage on a Groupon offer and decided to try it out, having already had gambas previously at two establishments close to Cornavin - La Espagnola (Paquis) and Le Corail Rose (Montbrillant). The bar looks a little dated from the outside and on a slightly unassuming part of Blvd Carl-Vogt (which is teeming with restaurants) next to a laundrette, so I have to admit I didn't set my expectations very high as we entered. However, once we were sat down at the table, I realised judging a book by its cover was a little harsh. The service (by the bartender) was very friendly and attentive - a rarity in this part of the world - and we were served some tasty jambon with bread as a starter, followed by a generous salad - a very pleasant surprise given none of it was part of the Groupon deal. We ordered a mojito and caipirinha and again, were shocked to find the cocktails were tangy, were far from stingy and were CHF 10 each only! The gambas came on a platter served on a hot plate (plate warmer) - a nice feature to keep the prawns warm - and some nicely-done french fries. What impressed me about the bar - other than the very good service- was the gambas. The sauce was covered in herbs and not too oily, in comparison to what we have seen before. And unlike the other gambas we have had, these prawns were very fresh, juicy and served with wedges of lime - a brilliant addition to the prawns for that extra bit of flavour! The atmosphere is incredibly informal and it would appear the bar does focus mainly on gambas (given the standard giant paper bibs, hand wipes and prawn shell buckets all laid out on the tables). Having said that, they also have other dishes on offer - steak and burger amongst them - so non-prawn fans can be satisfied here too. Definitely the best gambas we have had to date and well worth a visit if you fancy a fun night out with friends and decent cocktails that won't bankrupt you, in what is definitely the more interesting part of town.

When driving home from Geneva the "long way" through Gex up the long and windy road that passes through Col de la Faucille, we came across this charming restaurant that is about five minutes drive up from the main centre of Gex. On dark winter nights, the lights of the restaurant glow with a warm buzz that makes you want to stop by for a piping hot and hearty meal. And that is precisely what you get. The interior is welcoming and comfortable and on the two occasions we have been there, the place was packed to the rafters - a very good sign given how easy it is to forget about a restaurant in an isolated occasion such as this.

The menu is an impressive array of mountain food that ranges from fondue and raclette to tartiflette to interesting dishes such as the 'pierrade' - a hot stone upon which you can cook different meats, which is served with a generous helping of jacket potatoes covered in sour cream and a radish salad. I have personally had the joue de boeuf (braised beef cheeks) on the two occasions I have been - and I am not usually one for repeating my orders, but the depth of flavour and tender texture of the dish was too good to pass over. The dishes are plentiful, full of flavour and well presented - the cheeseburger maison, for example, being served up on a trendy-looking slate. The decor is very comfy and reminds you of many a restaurant you find on the ski slopes, but it is so relaxed inside that is makes it easy to pass a long evening dining in. Service is prompt and pretty friendly, although desserts are pretty standard. All in all, highly recommended especially if you fancy a nice, long lunch or dinner a short drive away from Geneva - oh, and the view on a clear day over Geneva is pretty damn good too.