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BARCHICK
It’s tough following the network’s hot bar trends, but someone’s got to do it.
Thismonth our secret drinks columnist gets wet inGeneva
Swiss time
The lake iswhere it’s at
and theAlps provide a
damn fine backdrop to
a libation or two
ITWAS ONLYWHEN
we stripped
off and jumped in the lake, while
more than a little worse for wear,
that the realisation truly dawned on
us. Geneva is mega.
Things hadn’t seemed so
promising at the start of the
evening. Arriving in town with few
expectations and even less sleep,
we were dreading the thought of
being overrun by bankers with
expensive watches supping retro
cocktails. Usually, we have no choice
but to head to a hotel bar to get
our bearings, but fortunately this
time we had a local on board. And
they let us in on the city’s best-kept
drinking secret: the lake.
All through the summer and well
into September, the banks of this
famous watery landmark are where
it’s at, the stunning views of the Alps
providing a damn fine backdrop to
a libation or two. No wonder Freddy
Mercury loved the place. Our first
watery foray was Bains Des Pâquis
(
aubp.ch
). Located on a jetty, it has
an awesome bar and even some
Turkish baths (massage, anyone?).
Better still, it’s subsidised by the
government, so it’s probably the
best value in town.
By the time we hit nearby La
Terrasse (
laterrasse.ch
), at the
entrance to Bains des Pâquis, we
were in merry mood. From early
evening towards the end of the
week, this bar is packed with after-
work drinkers and those too cool
for labour. It was here that one of us
decided a swimwas a good idea...
That’s the thing about Geneva – it’s
full of people looking to have fun.
Take Claude, a local squatter we
met on the banks of the Rhône near
a Gypsy caravan-cum-bar called La
Barje (
labarje.ch
). We bought the
beer and Claude – with the aid of
his guitar (called Eric, incidentally) –
provided the soundtrack. How often
are you able to have a good old
singsong by the water on your night
out? In Geneva you can.
Some time later, we set off, by
this time even merrier and
humming “Kumbaya”, to
Brasserie des Halles de l’Île
(
brasseriedeshallesdelile.ch
).
This place is big and it gets
busy, so we stocked up on
cocktails and took our leave. Our
last port of call was Tropical Corner
(
trop.ch
): windsurfing school by day,
wicked spot for a sundowner and
barbecued food at night. Here we
chanced upon one of their riotous
summer parties. The crowd was
wild and the DJs epic. It was
the best way to end the night
and taught us BarChicks a
valuable lesson: never judge a
city before you’ve drunk in its
bars… and swam in its lake.
barchick.com