Alexandre Campa; Roberto en musique
How time flies! I remember as if it were yesterday when I first sat down for an interview with Alexandre Campa. It was for an article in Le Temps’ T magazine. A well-spoken and impeccably educated man, he recounted his family’s history with as much passion as nostalgia. Maintaining transalpine gastronomic traditions while keeping pace with a fast-moving world (probably too fast for him, in fact). It’s a discreet feat in the heart of Geneva.
Alongside his mother, sister and uncle, Alexandre Campa is the guarantor of an establishment that is far more than just an Italian-Genevan institution. For many, the restaurant Chez Roberto is a gourmet landmark where families gather from generation to generation. While business meals are the order of the day at lunchtime, dinners are more intimate and can be enjoyed in peace and quiet after dark. White tablecloths, period chandeliers, white tuxedos for the wait staff, pedestal table service… the hallmarks of a restaurant world that’s lost its way.
“My grandfather always passed on his passion to me, without ever imposing it on me. I’m extremely grateful to him for that,” he told me when we first met. A subtle, gentle handover that took place some twenty years ago. The story of this extraordinary restaurant continues to fascinate and shape the history of catering in our beautiful City of Calvin. Just for you, Alexandre Campa has opened his musical library to us for a rhythmic and varied interlude. From Jimmy Hendrix and Björk to The Cure and Tatarka, let yourself be seduced by a varied selection from a reserved chef.
