Where to eat BANGLADESH 🇧🇩 Genève: Sajna Restaurant

Sajna Restaurant

Rue de Neuchâtel 18, Genève

What we ordered: For two persons, we ordered halim Bengali (lentils prepared with lamb bones and spices), bhuna kichuri (Basmati rice with red lentils and cumin), kanchi biryani (lamb on the bone, prepared with basmati rice and spices), salmon fish curry, lamb vindaloo, and for dessert, rasmalai (small ball of homemade cheese in sweetened milk). To drink, we ordered four Indian beers and finished our meal with two espressos.

Cost: 141 CHF / €151 / $167

Located near the main train station, Cornavin, in Geneva, Sajna is a tidy and unassuming spot on a block with several other South Asian restaurants that include Indian and Singaporean offerings. While not a traditional family restaurant per se, we sat near a young family who brought their infant and spent much of the meal alternating between mama and papa’s shoulder and its crib sleeping. This was possible because while the restaurant is brimming with authentic Bengali atmosphere, there is no music so the hushed tones of the patrons fill the vacuum, making it a quiet spot to slip out to on a Saturday night. Sajna also appears to do a robust take-out business.

The service was courteous. When our waitress realized we wanted the most Bengal dishes on the menu, it was even more so. On the way to the bathroom, behind a screen was a makeshift internet café of sorts of family members it seemed entertaining themselves while the family worked at serving up delicious. In this way, it is the most family restaurant of all.

Few who venture to Sajna are likely focused exclusively on the Bengali offerings as so much of the menu is taken up by pure Indian classics, but just about every section of the menu has something authentically Bangladeshi. We started with the halim Bengali, splitting one small bowl between the two of us. It was an amazing world of flavor, part lamb, some hints of fish that may have just been the spices. Next time we would be wise to each order our own, as this is a spot to gladly return to in Geneva.

Of our two rice dishes, the kanchi biryani, which was served with a soft boiled egg, vanished the fastest. The lentils in the bhuna kichuri made it a bit heavier and reduced the flavor somehow that the rice in the kanchi biryani absorbed.

For the entrees, we had hoped to try the national dish of Bangladesh, hilsa (or ilish) fish curry but unfortunately the night we went to Sajna it was not on offer. Hilsa or ilish fish is a small fish common during the rainy seasons twice a year in Bangladesh that is a cousin of herring. Instead, our waitress offered salmon curry, which while also flavorful was not the same. We also packed in a lamb vindaloo as it is my partner’s favorite Indian dish, albeit not strictly Bengali.

Finally, when we asked for the most Bangladeshi dessert on offer with our espressos, our server procured a serving of rasmalai for us to share. The consistency of the cheese with the sweetened milk was reminiscent of arroz con leche, albeit a heavier, yogurt-like consistency. My partner described it perfectly as “like a fire department after a spicy meal.” If your mouth is on fire, milk is the best cure.

For the price, location, service and atmosphere, Sajna gets near perfect marks. We will return because it is a truly delicious find in a most convenient part of town near the rail station.

How to get to Bangladesh from Switzerland:

From Zürich, Swiss Air has a codeshare flight with Cathay Pacific through Hong Kong and Emirates via Dubai to Dhaka. Emirates, Qantas, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines operate the most direct flights with the least amount of layover time and therefore the shortest routes.

From Geneva, there is also the additional option of Saudia via Jeddah to Dhaka and no options available with Swiss Air. 

How many Bangaldeshis are in Switzerland: Over 1,500

Distance between Bern and Dhaka: 7,579 kilometers

Distance from Sajna Restaurant to Dhaka: 7,694 kilometers

Learn how to make Bangladesh's national dish, hilsa (or ilish) fish curry, and about its origins.

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