Meshuga: A Taste for Boldness
Meshuga is, first and foremost, a story of youth—the story of two partners who wanted to bring to life their very own vision of a restaurant, where cultures intersect, spices blend, and creativity pushes the boundaries a little. There’s something pop about this place—even in the way it subverts our expectations.
As-built
Meshuga surprises! Not because of its boldness, but because of its originality, its unconventional choices, and its sometimes unexpected combinations. Its Mediterranean fusion seems to branch out in several directions at once. I’m convinced this is intentional (and that’s a good thing). You could call it a culinary cocktail shaker: influences come together, sometimes clash, and then find their place in a creation that’s unique to this restaurant.
Is Geneva ready to let itself be shaken up like this? The question crossed my mind when I first discovered the place. Its appearance is raw and stripped-down. Nothing here seeks to envelop the diner in a comforting atmosphere. But as you settle in, you realize that this simplicity is a deliberate choice: behind the impression of minimalism, nothing is left to chance.
Galaxy Meshuga
The service plays an essential role here. The attentive staff guides us through this world where, without them, we’d be a bit lost. They explain things to us, accompany us, and also give us the freedom to explore on our own. This way of taking care of guests adds a touch of warmth to a place that, at first glance, seems to exude a certain ruggedness.
First to arrive at the table is the Galaxy Meshuga. A palette of colors, sauces, and condiments to explore with pita bread and kaak, the Jerusalem bagel. We move from a homemade harissa to a Yemeni-inspired spread spiced with jalapeños, then to a lemon paste fermented for two months. There’s also tahini, beetroot and horseradish chrain, za’atar, and olive oil. Everyone can create their own bite, return to a favorite flavor, or try something new. The process is simple; what happens in your mouth is much less so. Personally, I would have preferred to taste these flavors separately rather than have them blend together so much. But that’s just my personal opinion.
Smoked Harissa
The next course consists of tuna crudo, served with horseradish and a small salad of mizuna and radishes. After the relaxed and playful freedom of Galaxy Meshuga, the dish takes a different turn: this time, the flavors are no longer left to our own interpretation, but are brought together in a composition conceived by the chef.
Off the menu, the roasted cauliflower—served with a yogurt sauce, candied lemon, and sage—really touched my heart. A true delight. We finished with a skewer of beef skirt steak, seasoned with tahini and fresh herbs, served with a smoky, fragrant harissa from Tunisia.
Curiosity and Appetite
Meshuga could have simply adopted a few familiar elements from Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine and then dressed them up with an alluring identity. But its ambition, it seems to me, lies elsewhere. The restaurant draws on several culinary traditions and weaves them together with a freedom all its own. It sparks both curiosity and appetite. Some dishes take a moment to grow on you, and that’s part of what makes the meal so interesting.
I’ll admit, I sometimes felt a little lost. This cuisine takes so many different paths that you don’t always know where it’s trying to take you. Yet I never felt that it was trying to provoke just for the sake of it. Instead, I found a sincere desire to introduce people to new flavors, to share tastes, and to champion a personal approach to hospitality. The service helps you find the thread, while the dishes ultimately speak for themselves.
Finding Your Balance
Preserving this freedom over time, maintaining precision without losing the momentum of the early days, and allowing guests to engage with an experience that doesn’t immediately reveal all its secrets: these are the challenges the creators of Meshuga will have to overcome. At this stage, the quality of the cuisine and the attentive service give us solid reasons to believe in its success.
I left Meshuga with more questions than when I walked in, and with the satisfaction of having discovered a place that forges its own path. That’s perhaps what struck me the most: these young people who dare to be bold, while still taking their work seriously. I can’t wait to go back in the evening, when the atmosphere changes and invites you to linger.
