BG Cafe - Genève

This is my favorite restaurant on Rue du Marché shopping street. It is very convenient for a quick lunch in the city, and I have always received polite and fast service. The decor is also very relaxing. Would recommend tagliatelle.

Went there for a tea and a snack around the lunchtime and put through 30min just try to get the attention of one of the waiters that ignores us while flirting with random guys at the counter. Spend your time and elsewhere.

If there is department store far from the madding crowd in Geneva, it is Bon Génie, BG. After some arduous shopping one needs a collation, or should I say, one has deserved luncheon. Refreshingly expensive the BG café awaits the happy few. Thanks to my...Gucci leather jacket and my John Lobbs the Maître D’ pretends to recognize me and treats me as a welcome addition to the “fresh and modern” décor. My guest joins me shortly afterwards. As usual, the restaurant is full. You look around and deem appropriate not to pay attention. The ladies who lunch are happily munching. Waiters and waitresses perform diligently and know their trade. The wine list is short but perfectly adequate. When it comes to food. But really! Do you actually believe that it matters? Still, the Chef has his good days and you will be pleased. Simple recipes and great products are then handled very well indeed. I plead guilty. I come rather often. However, sometimes the Chef is depressed by the lack of interest of the guests in his Cuisine. One cannot blame him. That was the case yesterday. The soup (pumpkin and chanterelle mushrooms) was appropriate for Halloween. Not scary to look at, it proved charmingly horrid by being tasteless and tepid. My fish was fresh but a bit overcooked. My guest chose foie gras which had a nice pinkish glow but was surprisingly served in generous portions. Who cares? The ladies at the nearby tables were extremely elegant and well mannered. They had not forgotten their sesames: Gucci or Chanel? Both, obviously. Prices? Gee! How vulgar!

The elegant BG Café is located on the top floor of the Bongénie department store on Rue du Marché in Geneva. Turning up without a reservation is probably not a good idea but we were greeted by the slightly snooty maitre d' and seated straight...away. Perhaps the fact that we were there on the dot of twelve helped; who eats lunch at noon anyway? The Swiss do, really. The first thing you notice as you enter the main dining area are the expansive ceiling to floor windows which, I was told, were installed when they refurbished the place some time back. They give an almost panoramic view of the building across and, if you creak your neck, the lake too. Food is usually very good although I would stick with the European dishes as opposed to the Asian fusion their chef occasionally experiments with; the green Thai curry I tried on this occasion was simply horrible. Service can at first be a little stiff but usually eases up as the meal progresses. Regulars however, are treated like royalty. So if you’re in the area and want a simple, light lunch (or dinner), the BG Café is a good option.    Waste NOT. Want NOT.

The view is very great, the café is quite small but very cozy. The view on the street strongly contributes to its charm. I recommend the mixed juices and the tartelette à la banane which is original and very tasty.