Black is black. You don’t even need hope. Because with Marcel, the darkness is full of promise. This address, inaugurated last fall in the Eaux-Vives district, sets a rather unexpected backdrop in Geneva. We find there the characteristics of a beautiful brasserie – parquet, high ceiling, moldings, two large windows that can be opened in summer, cast iron table legs – packed in a theater backstage type atmosphere.
All the walls and ceilings are painted in charcoal gray, which plunges the place into semi-darkness. Only the old-fashioned light bulbs that hang above the tables and the mismatched silver cutlery, found in the flea markets of the city, shine in the shadows. “When we see that customers take out their mobile to illuminate the map, we bring them reading glasses,” laughs Femke Delarive, at the head of Marcel.
The soundtrack plays out the best of the 1960s and 1970s. A retro touch that unites the mixed clientele of the place who parade throughout the day, seven days a week. From grandmothers to executives, including expatriates and families. “The kitchen remains open all afternoon, which is a plus for the people who work in the district”, specifies the founder, a graduate of the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne, who imported the concept of Marcel founded in Geneva. in Paris by his cousin. Same atmosphere. Same card. New York canteen type. With very hearty and healthy salads (superfood, kale, quinoa, meatballs, falafels, etc.) and great classics (burgers, beef strip loin, fish and chips, bagels, including the famous Reuben with pastrami, Gruyère and cabbage).
It’s a bit like the best bistronomy in the world is on the menu. From Italian burrata and nachos to crab cake, tuna fillet in satay sauce or pancakes with maple syrup. “Everything is homemade, except the bread,” assures Femke Delarive, which relies on brunch formulas on Saturdays and Sundays. The drinks, too, promise to be as artisanal as possible. And the champagne? Brut nature, of course.
Restaurant Marcel, rue des Eaux-Vives 3, Geneva, tel. 022 735 33 33, Mon-Fri 10 am-11pm, Sat-Sun 10 am-7pm.
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