“Matière”: Serenity in Three Voices
Edouard Amoiel
11 septembre 2026
In Geneva, Marion and Lionel Schneider conceived Matière together with chef Freddy Garanjoud. Three years later, their restaurant has established itself among the city’s leading dining destinations, driven by a distinctive culinary style, a growing wine cellar, and—above all—a sense of serenity that has become their defining feature.
There is one word that will come up repeatedly during our conversation—without anyone having anticipated it: serenity. A word that perfectly captures the atmosphere of Matière. Three years after opening in Geneva, the restaurant run by Marion, Lionel Schneider, and Freddy Garanjoud has found its niche. In a neighborhood that, on paper, might not have had all the right ingredients to become a gourmet destination, the trio has established a restaurant that is now considered one of Geneva’s top culinary destinations.
Three professions, three regions
Although the restaurant is a success today, that wasn’t guaranteed at the start. We had to create a space with the resources at our disposal, make it our own, understand our customers, and refine the decor, the cuisine, the wine selection, and the service. “We started from scratch, but we built our identity bit by bit,” Marion explains. It took three years to fine-tune every detail, during which time everyone gradually found their rhythm.
That’s probably where one of Matière’s strengths lies. The roles are clear. Freddy cooks. Lionel builds the wine cellar and serves the wine. Marion oversees the dining room, the atmosphere, and the balance that allows the other two areas to shine. Being three partners also means accepting the input of others. Freddy’s dishes are tasted together. We discuss them and make adjustments. Everyone retains their freedom, but no one really works alone. “Today, we each have our own role; we’re all skilled at what we do, and we trust one another,” explains Freddy.
A Liberated Cuisine
That trust allowed the chef to focus on his cooking—with peace of mind. For him, those three years were a time of emancipation. When the restaurant opened, he had to break away from what he’d experienced before, particularly at Yeast. The first few months still bore some traces of that past, before he found his own voice. He had to listen to the guests, hear their initial feedback, and understand what they expected from Matière. Then, gradually, he had to “let loose.” Pickles, chili peppers, more depth of flavor. Influences that shift according to the chef’s curiosities: for a time, South America; then Japan. Nothing is set in stone.
Defining his cuisine always makes him a little uncomfortable. So let’s take a stab at doing it for him: it’s a deeply indulgent cuisine, driven by sauces and solid classical foundations, with a touch of bourgeois elegance in the noblest sense of the term, yet completely free of any stiffness. It’s an evolving cuisine, capable of reinterpreting the great classics as well as shifting toward more contemporary creations. “We’re refining and refining our approach even today, and we’ll continue to do so tomorrow.” All the better.
From 200 to nearly 700 items
In the dining room, another identity has taken shape: that of the wine cellar. When Matière opened in 2023, Lionel had about 200 wine selections. Three years later, he has between 600 and 700. This growth is above all a reflection of a choice: from the very beginning, a portion of their resources was dedicated to wine. All three had a simple vision of the kind of place they wanted to create: a restaurant they themselves would want to visit. Good food, of course. But also great wine.
No rules, no dogma. The cellar alternates between conventional and natural wines, between biodynamic wines and more classic or iconic selections. “We love natural wines, but we’re not here to lecture anyone,” says Lionel with a smile. Over time, they’ve built up their allocations, relationships with winemakers, and access to a few highly sought-after bottles. But the philosophy remains the same: wine complements the food and is an integral part of the dining experience.
And Marion, in the center
Certainly, cuisine and wine are Matière’s two obvious strengths, but its identity isn’t limited to that. A restaurant also thrives on the feeling you get when you walk in. And that’s probably where Marion’s role comes into play in all its subtlety. She herself describes it as more understated. I’m not sure that’s the right word. From the very beginning, she says she has always been serene. She had confidence in life and in the future.
Three years later, this approach seems to have taken root within the restaurant—in the dining room, in the welcome, and in the way guests are received. Matière has a large number of regulars: out of a dozen tables during a service, Marion estimates that seven or eight are occupied by regular customers. Listening to her, it becomes clear that she may be the one who maintains the balance. She is the one who moderates, observes, and allows everyone to hold their own ground without the whole losing its cohesion. She would likely reject this description out of modesty. I’ll stick with it anyway.
Finding Balance for the Long Haul
Our conversation eventually went beyond the subject of Matière. It touched on that old idea that the restaurant business demands that you sacrifice everything for it: your time, your weekends, your relationship, your family—sometimes even yourself. All three belong to a generation that has given so much to the profession—perhaps too much. Today, they are seeking balance—not to work less, but to work better and, above all, to have a lasting career.
As I leave Matière, I reflect on what we’ve talked about so much: that serenity, which is neither synonymous with stillness nor, even less so, with ease. Freddy’s cuisine is evolving. Lionel continues to build out his wine cellar. Marion brings this dining room—now familiar to so many guests—to life. But one thing now seems firmly established: trust. The trust they have in one another. Matière quickly won over the palates of Geneva’s food lovers. But its greatest achievement, after three years, may lie elsewhere: realizing that a restaurant’s success depends not only on the work of those who cook, serve, or select a bottle of wine, but also on the balance of a team. A team of three, in this case.
