Specialty Coffee Shops in Geneva
Written by 
Updated on Aug 19, 2025
I strive to keep all content fresh, but details may change
Birdie opened its doors to coffee lovers in November 2014 and it was a much needed addition to Geneva’s then relatively scarce specialty coffee scene. The cafe is owned by Bastien and Florent from France, who put a lot of time and effort into creating Birdie. From the interior to the products served, here everything is carefully crafted and homemade. The wooden ceiling above the bar, the cupboards with raw tubes on the wall and the beautiful logo on the glass door are just a few of the artful decors of this place.
The owners are experimenting with different coffee roasters. When I visited, they had three single origin coffees on offer from Ethiopia, El Salvador and Colombia, roasted by Belleville, a Paris based roastery. I tried a latte with coffee from El Salvador and really enjoyed the chocolately flavour. Before Belleville, the coffee was supplied by Berlin based The Barn Coffee Roasters and Drop Coffee Roasters. In the future the owners would like to start roasting themselves in Geneva.
Fabien Decroux’s coffee journey started halfway across the world. What started as an IT job in Australia turned into a deep dive into the local specialty coffee culture. Back in Switzerland he founded Boreal Coffee in 2009, which became one of Geneva’s first serious specialty roasters. Back in 2012, Boreal was revolutionary simply for printing roast dates on their bags – now standard practice. Their roast profiles have shifted lighter over the years, though Fabien admits he’d push even further toward brightness if customers would follow. Through Roasters United, a collective Fabien co-founded in 2013, they work directly with small farming cooperatives.
Several Geneva cafes later, Fabien remains optimistic about local palate development and keeps pushing the boundaries of local palate preferences. The Rue du Stand location anchors Geneva’s banking quarter with something more compelling than financial transactions – a combination of good coffee, good food, good prices and a comfortable environment. A good selection of coffee making equipment allows curious customers to explore brewing methods beyond their usual espresso routine.
The Lucas brothers turned a Belgian success story into Geneva’s most talked-about coffee window. Bertrand launched the concept 2014 in Brussels, but it was Marc who imported it to Switzerland in 2021 with a first location in Geneva’s Quartier International. The Eaux-Vives location opened in October 2022 after Marc spotted his dream spot, conveniently located near the lake. The setup is deliberately minimal – a small service window where daily queues form for what many consider some of the best take-away coffee in Geneva.
While UK-based Colonna Coffee provides their espresso foundation, rotating specialty roasters supply filter beans. Bertrand’s own roast profiles occasionally make appearances after years of curve refinement.