Café de la Navigation
Place de la Navigation (rue des Paquis)
Cuisines: European, Continental
About
This is an old-fashioned neighborhood cafe and restaurant in the working-class Paquis district which has thrived here, virtually without change, since it was established several decades ago. Even its laminated plastic tables don't seem to detract from its authentic but unpretentious Genevois flair, and its rough-around-the edges gruffness seems like a contrast to the rampant commercialism and hard-edged glossiness of more expensive sites on the lakefront a few blocks away. Food is flavorful and arrives, steaming, in generous portions. Consider ordering either a meat or cheese fondue at this place, especially if you've never had one before (and if you do, opt for a carafe of the house wine to go with it). Menu items to tempt your palate The locals here are fond of horsemeat steak, perhaps with garlic sauce, but if the idea of eating "My Friend Flicka" doesn't appeal to you, consider saltimbocca alla Romana, piccata of veal Milanese, pasta Bolognese, tortellini à la crème, or fried filets of perch from the nearby lake. And, as noted earlier, cheese fondue, when accented with bolet mushrooms, arrives as a bubbly tempting mass of cheesiness at your table.
