Day 4 – Geneva
Between our poor sleep on our flight from Portland, our late night in Amsterdam (and early flight to Geneva), we were pretty sleep deprived when we went to bed last night. 11 hours later we were rested and ready to go. The hotel had hosted a little Swiss wine and chocolate tasting the day before, and we learned that there are actually quite a few wineries in the Geneva area.
We grabbed a light lunch at the Living Room Restaurant, at the hotel and then took an Uber to one of the wineries the concierge had recommended: Domaine du la Perrieres. Located about 30 minutes out side of Geneva, along the French border, the Domaine features over 20 varietals and blends and sources most of their grapes from the local region, including their own vineyards. Our tasting guide was super-friendly and the son of the winery owner also came in to lend a hand and tell us a bit about the history. He is the 8thgeneration of the family to be in the wine business. They sell almost all of their wine in Switzerland, with a very small export to Japan (where his brother lives). We bought a half-case of various varietals and can’t wait to sip them on the beaches of Ibiza, later this week!
Pro tip: If you are Ubering/taxiing to more remote areas, outside of town, negotiate with your driver to wait for you or come pick you up later. It might cost you a few extra euros or dollars, but it’s worth it for the convenience and peace of mind that you have ride back to town.
Back in Geneva, we decided to engage in our new favorite European pastime – afternoon tea! And what better venue than the luxurious Four Seasons Hotel, overlooking Pont du Mont-Blanc. Tea was delicious (Earl Gray and Darjeeling), a couple of glasses of champagne, and a beautiful assortment of savory bites, scones, and sweets. The architecture of the Four Seasons is magnificent, and the Tea Room is exactly what you’d expect at such a hotel and a city full of international bankers and their clients. Very posh and very fun! From tea, we walked back to the main part of town and along the shoreline to a cocktail bar: Altierer Cocktail Club. The heat was pretty oppressive today and it wasn’t any cooler inside the bar than it was on their patio. The cocktails themselves were good, but we needed some time in the air conditioning to cool off, so we headed back to our hotel after only one drink.
It’s our last night in Geneva, so we saved the best for last in terms of dinning. Fiskebar, located inside of the Ritz-Carlton, is one of several sister restaurants, mostly in Nordic countries, serving Nordic cuisine. This includes a focus on locally sourced ingredients, vegetables and fish. Our dinner included a pair of amuse bouches (sea snail ceviche and chicken liver pate). The appetizer was a blend of diced haddock and baby green peas with a haddock ice cream, green pea gazpacho and bread crumbs. First main course was St. Michelle mussels with cherry tomato. Second main course was cod with spinach and a seafeed foam. Dessert was a beautiful cheese plate with all local varieties. The whole thing was accompanied by a bottle of French Sauvignon Blanc. Overall, a really great meal!
After dinner, we grabbed a nightcap at the bar portion of Fiskebar and then off to bed. Tomorrow we revisit our favorite place in the world: Ibiza!