Budget
Manora
Cafeteria like serving area with everything and anything including but not inclusive: chicken, pasta, pizza, desserts, entree of the day, salads, and coffee. Great view of the Geneva skyline from the balcony eating area.
Crêperie des Pâquis
This is a lovely little creperie with savory and sweet crepes, and very friendly service. A complete meal of one savory crepe, ome sweet, and a small salad for 21 CHF. Drinks vary in price from 3 CHF for hot milk, to somewhat more for wine and beer. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are available.
Espresso Club
A tiny bar and three tables means this little local spot is usually packed with a very international crowd of people who know where to get the best pizza, salads, and pasta dishes in town, with many vegetarian selections. Espresso club keeps the ovens going late for late working customers and it's a nice spot for a cafe and newspaper afternoon as well. Unfortunately the quality of its customer service does not mirror that of its pizzas.
L'Entrecôte Couronnée
sic it really is spelled that way, we know it's wrong, take it up with the owners of the café
Café Art's
Café Art's sic has a limited menu of salads and pasta dishes, but all around or under 15 CHF and service is non-stop all day.
Buvette des Bains (Bains des Paquis)
Wonderful place in the middle of the lake. Beach in Summer, fondue restaurant in Winter. Good "plat du jour" all day for CHF 12
Piment Vert
Indian and Sri-Lankan fast food in a charmingly appointed space. There's also a terrace during warm weather.
Ãté comme hiver
Soup and/or salad is the specialty at this lunch place just across from a lovely terrace on the Rhône. If you're really hungry you should probably order both.
Ali Haydar
Serves kebabs of lamb, chicken, or both, dolma. Baklava too.
Boky
Large selection of chinese and japanese dishes. Fast, but impolite service. Quality Chinese food it's always full of Chinese customers but no fancy atmosphere.
Cafe Istanbul
Turkish kebab house.
There are many budget spots located around the train station and in the nearby Paquis district, or near rue de l'Ecole de Médecine off of Plaine de Plainpalais.
Midrange
Café de Paris
Vegetarians beware, this Genevois favorite serves one dish only: steak, chips, and salad. But apparently they do it very well.
Café du Soleil
This ancient Petit Saconnex roadhouse claims to be possibly the oldest restaurant in Geneva and to have probably the best fondue in Switzerland. They have a nice large patio in front that is overlooked by a 2nd floor balcony with a few small tables.
Café Gourmand
Great friendly atmosphere specializing in East-West fusion dishes. Open weekdays.
Le Comptoir
Easy-Listener-chic Asian/fusion restaurant and bar sporting white leather sofas and the occasional local DJ. Not a cheap choice, but the food is unusually interesting and the crowd friendly.
L'Europa
A little hard to find, but worth it for the fresh, hand made pasta dishes and generous portions. A favorite for lunch among the UN crowd.
Hashimoto
Hashimoto Sushi is a favourite spot for Japanese diplomats and international civil servants in Geneva, which should tell you enough.
L'Adresse
Self-consciously hip but decent food. Ocasionally snooty service.
L'Entrecôte Couronnée
Excellent steak restaurant with fast and efficient staff. The wine card is limited but has good Swiss wines. Just 40 seats so better reserve a table
La Table du 9
Relaxed, modern and justifiably busy.
Splurges
Café des Négociants
Wonderful hip restaurant with wonderful hip food and a wonderful hip wine cellar where you can wander around and choose from all the wonderful hip wine on the racks. You can guess what the desserts are like. Everyone wants a piece of this place, so plan to reserve up to a week or so in advance.
Perle du Lac
The only restaurant located adjacent to the Lake Geneva footpath. Food and service are excellent. The view of the Lake is excellent and the ambiance is outstanding.
Le Triporteur
This little place fills a nice niche at the low end of the high end, where it is likely to impress the heck out of a date without overly denting the bank account. The room is cozy and romantic. The service is attentive, but not at all pushy or snobbish. The Triporteur has the feel of a lot of the better restaurants in say, San Francisco. Expect to spend around 50 Chf per person if you're drinking the house wine.
Edelweiss Manotel
This is a must if you want to taste the Swiss culture. You will get the cheese fondue, of course, but also some other local delicacies. But you get there for the show: you can hear and see folklore music and yodeler singers, as well as many other instruments. It is however a very touristic restaurant and you are not likely to see many Swiss people eating there.
Geneva has a huge number of restaurants for a city its size, and the international community means there's more variety than you'll find in most Swiss cities. On the downside, Geneva is possibly the most expensive city in an expensive country. Additionally, it can be quite difficult to find food on Sunday night, so it might be worth planning ahead or just visiting the more touristy region near the train station. If you have the possibility to cook your own food, self catering is a good idea to save money. If you are staying for a longer period, it's a good idea to make shopping trips to supermarkets in France where many foods cost less than half of what they do in Geneva.