Recently I met a new Geneva arrival, pining away for their local Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s. “Where can I find kale? My neighborhood Coop/Migros is not up to the job!” If you appreciate the huge selection of healthy products, delicious food, and skilled visual merchandising of Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s or other big-box organic/healthy lifestyle stores there are options in nearby France that can tick most boxes:
1. Grand Frais & Bio Frais. These two stores are adjacent to each other and are my current go-to’s. Located in St-Julien-en-Genevois, France, the stores (with a N.American-style surface parking lot, naturally), are about a 20-minute drive from the Rive Gauche and just across the border from Troinex. Together, they are the closest approximation to a Whole Foods you’ll find, in my opinion. Big stores, lots of choice, good prices, bulk options, and hard-to-find ingredients.
2. La Vie Saine. This is another option within a short drive of Geneva. This French chain has a small outlet in Annemasse and has a nice selection of natural products and organic food/produce.
3. Onavie. This large store used to be a La Vie Saine, but is located next to Vitam Parc in Neydens, France. It’s a bit further than the previous two options, but if you find yourself in the area, it’s worth popping into. They also have an on-site restaurant. I haven’t been there personally, but it’s well-reviewed online.
If driving to France isn’t a good option, then you might try two neighborhood stores in Eaux-Vives: Bic c’ Bon and Marché de Vie.
If nothing less than a Whole Foods will suffice, then jump on a flight to London with an empty suitcase(s) and shop to your heart’s content at the closest Whole Foods stores (there are seven in London) to Geneva. You can also order healthy/natural items from Amazon.fr.
Last, for the newcomers, make sure you are shopping at a big Coop or Migros. The small neighborhood Coops/Migros don’t have much choice in terms of organic products, so it’s worth making the trip to the La Praille Coop, the Coop City near Bel-Air, or the Coop at the Thonex Centre Commercial. The Eaux-Vives 2000 Coop is another good one, but is currently being renovated so isn’t in peak form.
What is your favorite store to buy bio/organic/natural products? Tell us in the comments below!
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Thank you for this! I have lived here 7 years and didn’t know about Grand Frais!
Sure thing! If you make it out to Grand Frais, tell us how it goes!
Personally, I don’t think we have anything here that even comes close to Trader Joe’s (sigh). In France you do have Satoriz at Centre Commercial Val Thoiry (large bio shop with a very good selection and also a restaurant that serves excellent food at lunch), there’s another Satoriz in Ornex on the rue de Gex (both are accessible by bus from Geneva). There is also a smaller La Vie Claire in Ferney, Espace Candide, just across the street from Grand Frais. There’s a Bio Mania in downtown Ferney-Voltaire that’s quite nice, too. it’s worth noting, that although we haven’t a Trader Joe’s, we do have the company that owns them…Aldi! I have found Aldi to have a very good selection of fruits and veggies, locally grown (although not organic) at very good prices for Switzerland, comparable to France. I prefer the Aldi in Meyrin (in the building next to Media Markt).
Thank you so much for this wonderful comment and information! Really appreciate your insight on bio/organic grocers on the Rive Droite side of town (Meyrin, Ferney, Val Thoiry). There is also a Satoriz in Gaillard, next to Annemasse, as well as a Botanic (a gardening store in Gaillard that has a large organic/natural products grocery section). Bonus point for Botanic, it’s open on Sunday morning and afternoon. Happy shopping!