Even in France, a restaurant couldn't look more French. A bistro, off the beaten track in Geneva, with a tradition dating back to 1903, reopened under different management - and with more commitment than ever before. We had a favorable first impression during our lunch visit thanks to the view of the wonderful-looking pâté in the middle of the room. We had to restrain ourselves from ordering a whole slice on the spot, but we wanted to concentrate on the classics listed on the menu. The new management doesn't want to throw everything old overboard, but our impression is that they do want to spice things up. Vintage sardines with seaweed butter are on the menu, as is artichoke tart with mature Gruyère. Our ravioli with snails and wild garlic was very convincing, the queneelle de brochet with Nantua sauce turned out to be a large, fluffy, very tasty pike dumpling. The drinks menu proved that the "Brasserie Odéon" is also a wine restaurant of the best kind. Champagne is served up and down, not only from classics such as Jacquesson, but also from insider tips such as Chavost, Frédéric Savart and Benoît Déhu. While the Swiss wine scene is well represented, the nearby Savoy region is a little thin on the ground. But hey, in view of the many, many Burgundies and the generally good prices, criticism would be completely inappropriate. We started with a white Mâcon-Igé Les Vernayes from Bret Brothers and ended with a digestif with legendary status: there's probably no better way to round off a meal than with a glass of Chartreuse Liqueur du 9e Centenaire.
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