Our Guide To Switzerland
The culture of Switzerland is heavily accented by its geography and cantons, with French, German and Italian influence around each of its borders. The cultural melting pot leaves it feeling in places almost at the epicentre of the European experience.
Wealth has also played its part in shaping present-day culture and that can be seen in its selection of bars.
What can be found in Strasbourg or Freiburg nearby is not so evident somewhere like Basel, with a more restrained atmosphere and selection overall. That said, the selection is adequate, although you will need to spend plenty of money.
Travelling around cities couldn't be easier with a system of trams and buses that are efficient and well-mapped, allowing you to explore different neighbourhoods - don't think a bar is out of reach just because it looks distant on a map!
Another tip - Don't assume Switzerland has migrated onto card payments like Scandinavia. The Swiss Franc, including the chunky 5 franc coin, is still very much in circulation, and you'll need to bear that in mind when visiting bars, some of which remain Cash Only.
Ratings Key:
A: Choice and/or quality of drinks
B: Style and décor
C: Atmosphere and feel
D: Amenities, Events & Community
E: Value for money
F: The Pub Going Factor
| Name | Location | A | B | C | D | E | F |
| Schluggstube | Basel | 7 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 8.6 |
| Flore | Basel | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 8.2 |
| BrauBudeBasel | Basel | 8 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 7.5 |
| La Galerie | Geneva | 6 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 8.7 |
| Café du Cinema | Geneva | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 7.8 |
| Tom Beers | Geneva | 10 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 7.7 |
| La Catalpa | Geneva | 10 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 7.7 |
| La Citadelle | Geneva | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 7.5 |
| Le Kraken | Geneva | 7 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 7.5 |
| La Plage | Geneva | 7 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 7.5 |
Basel
Nightlife Rating: ❤️❤️
Pop. 171,017
A sizeable and important feeling city, it is important to recognise the wider population not included in the above figure in what is a fairly sprawling city. Divided by the Rhine, already vast in diameter by this point, you'll spend time knocking around the attractive Altstadt and taking the tram over to the more Parisien feeling district of Klein-Basel enjoying the views. Locals even swim across the Rhine after work in summer, using handy watertight backpacks to put their clothes and towels in.
Nightlife revolves around a series of institution bars which are unfortunately not clustered together. This is where we come in. The very best involve wine, craft beer, unusual interiors and all of them help leave an imprint on Swiss life. You'll also find more typical Pub-Restaurants and Bierhallen alongside those, some of which are relaxed enough to serve drinks only, for that Germanic atmosphere.
Be sure to bring some hard cash too, as some venues remain cash only, counter-intuitively when considering it's such an otherwise advanced, efficient country.
Geneva
Nightlife Rating: ❤️❤️❤️
Pop. 232,049
Geneva may lack huge monuments or impressive ensembles of historic architecture, but it is not a spread of 1960s office blocks either (as some argue), and you'll find the central areas have a pleasant classical feel, likewise the boulevards around the lake area. If you're staying overnight, Geneva provides free public transport, an excellent excuse to explore the city. Nightlife is better than expected too, with some standout venues covering a range of styles. There are, as you'd expect, a high number of refined cocktail bars in Geneva (and bring money, as these are not cheap), but the surprise is a decent number of honest, down-to-earth venues too, from the likes of Tom Beers, to the bars in the low-rise and pleasant cultural district of Carouge, to the mini-alternative areas of Grottes around the back of the train station. All should be sampled to get a developed impression of a city with more dimensions than meets the eye.
Nightlife Rating: ❤️❤️
Pop. 171,017
A sizeable and important feeling city, it is important to recognise the wider population not included in the above figure in what is a fairly sprawling city. Divided by the Rhine, already vast in diameter by this point, you'll spend time knocking around the attractive Altstadt and taking the tram over to the more Parisien feeling district of Klein-Basel enjoying the views. Locals even swim across the Rhine after work in summer, using handy watertight backpacks to put their clothes and towels in.
Nightlife revolves around a series of institution bars which are unfortunately not clustered together. This is where we come in. The very best involve wine, craft beer, unusual interiors and all of them help leave an imprint on Swiss life. You'll also find more typical Pub-Restaurants and Bierhallen alongside those, some of which are relaxed enough to serve drinks only, for that Germanic atmosphere.
Be sure to bring some hard cash too, as some venues remain cash only, counter-intuitively when considering it's such an otherwise advanced, efficient country.
Geneva
Nightlife Rating: ❤️❤️❤️
Pop. 232,049
Geneva may lack huge monuments or impressive ensembles of historic architecture, but it is not a spread of 1960s office blocks either (as some argue), and you'll find the central areas have a pleasant classical feel, likewise the boulevards around the lake area. If you're staying overnight, Geneva provides free public transport, an excellent excuse to explore the city. Nightlife is better than expected too, with some standout venues covering a range of styles. There are, as you'd expect, a high number of refined cocktail bars in Geneva (and bring money, as these are not cheap), but the surprise is a decent number of honest, down-to-earth venues too, from the likes of Tom Beers, to the bars in the low-rise and pleasant cultural district of Carouge, to the mini-alternative areas of Grottes around the back of the train station. All should be sampled to get a developed impression of a city with more dimensions than meets the eye.