Mathias Fréré, the youth of Bleu Nuit
Mathias Fréré chose to become a chef at the age of fourteen. After training at the Ferme de l’Hospital in Collonges sous Salève, he went on to work in some of Geneva’s top hotels, armed with his CAP Cuisine diploma: the Beau-Rivage, the Richemont, the Bristol and the Royal Hôtel. He also spent a year working alongside Joël Robuchon in Paris, before returning to his native land, unused to the Parisian routine. He returned to Jan Bertiaux’s restaurant l’Artichaut.
A key encounter
Mathias meets Florian Le Bouhec, owner and chef of Le Bologne. After four years at Rue Necker, where Mathias was in charge of the stoves, the time came for him to realize his goal and open his own establishment. Always keen on new gastronomic adventures, Florian Le Bouhec saw the potential in Mathias and decided to join forces with him to take over the Bleu Nuit. A new adventure begins.
Initially, Mathias hesitated over the choice of concept: Bistrot? Wine bar? Traditional restaurant? Maybe all three? As he himself says: “I get much more pleasure out of a bistro, where the cuisine is geared towards sharing dishes, although from time to time I wouldn’t say no to a gourmet restaurant!
Le Bleu Nuit, a space for sharing
Confident, Florian Le Bouhec gave Mathias Fréré carte blanche. And so, on the way to the wine bar, Bleu Nuit is reborn as a festive place, full of discussion and the clatter of forks. After all, the place lends itself to it, with its minimalist look, its bar running alongside the room and its speakeasy Le Frigo.
In recent weeks, Bleu Nuit has extended its opening hours to include lunchtime. This is an opportunity for Mathias to hand over the reins to Justine Montessuit, the current chef. Now, on a sun-drenched terrace, the restaurant boasts a new menu adapted to daytime customers. The menu offers three choices per course and changes regularly, as does the evening menu. However, if there’s one dish that won’t change, it’s the cod tarama: a solid base according to Mathias, with a varied garnish. An addictive dish that knows how to surprise, accompanied by a good glass of white wine!
