Le Restaurant de la Plage: A Taste of Vacation
The feeling of being on vacation isn’t always about traveling to a faraway destination. Sometimes, just a few steps are all it takes to feel like you’re in a whole new world. Head to Eaux-Vives Beach. As you get closer to this spot, the feeling comes back almost naturally. You picture yourself in a swimsuit, a towel under your arm, sunglasses on your nose, and a cocktail somewhere on the horizon.
Facing Lake Geneva
Yet nothing in the building’s architecture seeks to flatter this image. Metal, straight lines, bold volumes: the whole structure exudes a cold, rigid, and decidedly industrial aesthetic. But once seated facing Lake Geneva, the setting gently fades into the background. Your gaze drifts toward the water, the wind accompanies the conversation, and the Jet d’Eau provides a backdrop that only Geneva knows how to create.
When it comes to places like this, our city actually has very few—if any at all. A few ice cream shops, a few beach huts, and then almost nothing. That’s exactly what makes this place so special. A break for lunch. A deep breath. A taste of vacation during your lunch break.
Fun first and foremost
And behind this success—at least on the culinary front—lies a man whom many know by name without always fully appreciating the extent of his talent. Jean-Briac Monboussin isn’t the type to overdo things or put himself in the spotlight. He prefers to let his dishes do the talking. Experience, character, solid technical skills, and, above all, the intelligence to understand where he was cooking. Here, there are no complicated concepts or long explanations. The ingredients, the region, and the pleasure come first.
The showcase begins right from the first courses, with a vegetable carpaccio from the Moniaty farm—radishes and beets—served with a wild garlic marinade. The tarama made with pike roe from Lake Geneva, served with tempura-fried broccoli, dill, and a lemon condiment, is a hit with everyone. It’s the kind of dish where everyone discreetly tries to snag the last bite. The kind of dish that always comes back to the kitchen empty.
Fennel Tartlet
More understated in appearance but just as compelling, the fennel and caramelized onion tartlet showcases a variety of textures built around a reduced sauce and a particularly well-executed fennel sorbet. Elegant without being ostentatious. Generous without being heavy. Exactly the kind of balance one seeks. The menu could have led us to the Lake Geneva perch meunière, with its crispy potatoes and crunchy sucrine lettuce. The cannelloni stuffed with cashews, spinach cream, and local herbs also had strong merits.
But some dishes are simply irresistible. The Lake Geneva tench biscuit, served with a remarkable yuzu beurre blanc and crisp vegetables, is one of them. A dish that inevitably brings to mind the famous pike cake from La Mère Brazier in Lyon, while asserting its own distinct character. Quite simply, a memorable dish.
A sincere place
The rhubarb and the kiwi pavlova would have gladly prolonged the pleasure. This time, reason prevailed. For once. Because beyond the food, there is something deeply endearing about this place. A sincerity. A kind of humanity, too. The kind found in restaurants that charm and disarm us with their honesty, that continue to evolve, to surprise, and to remind us that a fine dining experience doesn’t always need to go overboard to leave a lasting impression.
