French (and asian) influenced cuisine with high(est) quality ingredients. Cool and elegant space, attentive service, excellent food (nice Sea Bass served with “the” perfect mashed potatoes in a mini-Le Creuset dish! Gasp! ;-)

ulterior epicure’s flickr photo set

review at www.nyc.com

For the new form of casual haute cuisine today means substituting woven Chilewich placemats for white tablecloths; less formality, cream, and butter; and sourcing of ever-more exotic ingredients.

website
(4 Seasons Hotel)
57 East 57th Street
New York NY 10022
USA
map
phone: +1 212 350 6658
online reservation

Cool restaurant + Cabinet of curiosities! in an old physics instruments factory!...

www.curiositas.ch
Rue des Vieux-Grenadiers 8/10 (rez SIP)
1205 Geneva,
Switerland
map
phone: +41 22 321 30 37

Cool asian fusion noodle and soup (and more) bar (is the ground floor of the “Wooden Hut” – a nice but ~ bland thai restaurant – same entry).

Great “Japanese” shrimp salad…

www.kachon.ch

19 Bd. Georges-Favon
1204 Geneve
Switzerland
map
Phone: +41 22 310 5715

A hip bar and Italian-inspired restaurant on a breakwater (on the Aare river) beneath Old Bern. Partly outdoor (“summer lounge”) with a nice minimalist architecture.
(also has simple “snacks”, including a tasty burger).

Dalmaziquai 11
3000 Bern 13
Switzerland
phone: +41 31 350 5001
http://www.schwellenmaetteli.ch
map

Cool alternative “hip” coffee shop and DJ bar off Brick Lane. They serve fresh food and drink from dawn until dusk, 7 days a week.

1 Dray walk, 91 Brick Lane,
London.
Phone: +44 20 7247 9679
http://www.cafe1001.co.uk/
map

Note:
Bars I have to see in London:

Absolut IceBar London [31-33 Heddon Street, Mayfair] First permanent icebar in the UK. The walls, bar, tables, and even your own personal glass with a vodka cocktail are made out of the purest ice. Every six months the complete bar is reconstructed with a completely new design.

Korean restaurant, sober and trendy space! “nouveau-Korean trend” / downtown hip (owned & designed by Jenny Kwak… with Quentin Tarantino as co-owner / investor? ;-)

via flickr © Robin Goldstein FearlessCritic

at yelp.com

Korean Food: Just Waiting to Be Discovered

55 Carmine St.,
New York, NY 10014
phone: +1 212 414-1224
map

In the kiosque of parc des Bastions. Romantic and magic. Great terrace in summer, great veranda in winter (now open year-round). Very nice “plat du jour” at lunch.

1 Promenade des Bastions (Place Neuve)
1204 Genève,
Switzerland

phone: +41 22 310 8666
map

Trendy and minimalist Asian-fusion restaurant and bar sporting cool furniture, the occasional local DJ, swanky chicks, and great food with nice wines by the glass. Nice place for a date!

http://www.lecomptoirdesign.com

9 rue Richemont
1202 Genève,
Switzerland
phone: +41 22 731 32 37
map

Fall 2006: the same owner, opened a new cool ~sushi bar just next door:
Lola (9, rue Richemont)

2009: she took over la brasserie des halles de l’ile

Note: other Asian restaurants (either high or low end) in Geneva are all quite bland or kitch!

Entering the Kornhauskeller is like entering a cathedral, except that the stunning vaulted ceilings and frescoes are all underground. At various times a granary, a post office, and a beer hall, this historic building is now a classy gathering spot with an emphasis on Mediterranean cuisine (not that great). In the beautifull gallery overlooking the restaurant you’ll find a bar (65 varieties of whiskey), casual seating, and a humidor.
Great for rainy Sunday coffee sessions!

Kornhausplaze 18
3000 Bern,
Switzerland
Phone: +41 31 327 7272
map

website

A swanky cocktail bar above the old Alhambra Theater. Too many people in a beautiful high ceiling room, usually with a DJ. A small tapas menu early in the evening and a nice brunch on weekends until 2pm.

http://www.alhambar.com

rue de la Rôtisserie 10,
1204 Genève,
Switzerland
phone: +41 22 312 1313
map

Btw; other enjoyable bars in Geneva: le Calamar, Cirkus bar, Heaven, Ole Ole, Le Scandale + see Cool bars in Carouge note;
Nightclub: Javaclub
Cafe&IceCream: Remor (Since 1921! Good hot chocolates and home made ice creams. Old fashion but somehow “hip”. 3, place du Cirque)

sushi restaurant with Japanime on the walls and lots of cute girls bopping around.
A refreshing change from the boring “usual” Japanese restaurant!

© ZagatBuzz on flickr
(I know, it’s kitsch!)

http://www.blowfishsushi.com

2170 Bryant St
San Francisco, CA 94110
phone: +1 415 285 3848
map

Cool bar & restaurant. Semi alternative / hip style. Themed nights (DJs), nice terasse in summer (if you don’t mind breathing car exhaust!), nice burgers!

www.lecalamar.ch

92 Carl Vogt,
Geneve,
Switzerland

phone: +41 22 321 6277
map

Via Roma

Classic and excellent italian food (no giant pizza here!). Nice sober & clean space.

20 Place du Marche (Carouge)
phone: +41 22 301 94 51
map

www.viaroma-ristorante.ch

Nologo restaurant

Hip & swanky Italian restaurant in a nice industrial/sober space with an “open kitchen”. Food is quite nice (e.g. crawfish – home made pasta).

11, rue de Fribourg
1201 Geneve,
Switzerland

phone: +41 22 901 0333
http://www.nologo.ch
map

Senso

Modern space, good Italian food. Divided into a courtyard (bar) and a patio (18th century!). Dishes are supposedly inspired by ancient recipes from the 15th to the 18th centuries.
Expensive and pretencious, but represents a refreshing change from the common Geneva bland Italian “pizzeria”!

56 bis rue du Rhone, 1204 Geneve phone: +41 22 3103990 www.senso-living.ch map

New Fribourg’s trendy bar/restaurant (+ occasional live music). Set in a former chocolate factory (from outside looks like an old train station!) in an old industrial “district”; Large and beautiful volume. Minimalist, elegant but warm.

Fonderie 6
1700 Fribourg,
Switzerland
phone: +41 26 424 2223
http://www.lequai.ch
map

Cool bar and dance club in a beautifull industrial building (former scientific, optical and measurement instrument factory), next to the contemporary art museum. Several floors, bars (in the dance club the “discobar”, on 1st floor: le grand bar (opens at 10pm), le petit bar, on ground floor, terasse: le barlow).

© www.lasip.ch

www.lasip.ch

Rue des Vieux-Grenadiers 8-10
1205 Geneve,
Switzerland
map

Straicase view (in the SIP building not the club) © Evdokia

To me: best ‘classic’ burgers in the galaxy.
High end fast food (they only make burgers; btw ‘don’t like to have a burger in a “normal” restaurant). Tiny and simple “gourmet” hamburgers.
+ with your burger you can get a “decent” californian merlot or cabernet by the glass…

(caution: no default dressing = not soaked in mayo and ketchup = could appear dry to boorish people. “Dress it yourself” from the “stuffing bar”)

No: no Roadrunner Geococcyx californianus burgers nor Wile (The Coyote) and Road Runner (Beep Beep) cartoon decoration/theme!

My favorite: “Texan burger” (cheese and bacon) with extra peper.

http://www.roadrunner-restaurant.ch

Route de Chene 63
1208 Geneve,
Switzerland
phone: +41 22 735 64 20
map

other decent burgers in Geneva (not fast food):
at le Calamar and Faim?

interesting local burger site (although they didn’t worship Road Runner! ;-):
the burger blog

n.b. google: the other burger only place called “Road Runner”, is the “Arctic Road Runner” in Anchorage, Alaska! ;-) ‘have to see that.

“Qu’importe le flacon, pourvu qu’on ait l’ivresse”
Wine bar & snacks/tapas

1, rue Ancienne, Carouge
+41 22 342 15 25
map

Btw; other nice wine bars in Geneva: Soleil Rouge, boulevard du vin, Lavinia [ex la cite des vins]

“l’Imprévu”
37-39, rue Vautier, Carouge

For tourists, but fun! 3 places I used to like in Barcelona barrio Gotico & Gracia :

El Tropezon tapas bar
Carrer del Regomir 26

The place where I tasted Pulpo a la gallega for the first time.
map

El Aguelo tapas bar
Carrer d’Avinyo 37
Like a medieval tavern
map

Cafe del sol
Place del sol 16 (Gracia)

Nice and cool bar with terrace on Gracia’s Plaza del Sol.
map

Cafe du Soleil
Best (cheese) fondue in the galaxy.

place du Petit-Saconnex 6,
1209 Geneve, Switzerland
+41 22 733 34 17
map

Good fondue too :
“Au vieux Carouge”
Rue Jacques-Dalphin 27, Carouge
+41 22 342 64 98
map

Original place for a fondue (winter only) – “on” the lake:
Buvette des Bains des Paquis

Best Roesti :
Cafe du Bourg de Four
Nice mix: Roesti with their yugoslavian meatballs.
Old Town, 13 Place du Bourg de Four
+41 22 311 90 76
map

Like a wart on the nose, in Switzerland’s most touristic village – Gruyere – next to the HR Giger (designer of the monster in the Alien movie) museum, a bar decorated the “Alien” style! Great bad taste; ‘heavy’ but fun and ~unique!

Cutest, coziest, tiniest chinese tearoom / ~restaurant (Dim Sum and steamed bread) in Geneva. Nice place for a date (definitely need to reserve in advance + note: from the outside this place has no sign/name!).

65 rue des Bains,
1205 Genève,
Switzerland
phone: +41 79 436 7718
map

Good contemporary southwestern restaurant. Nice wines by the glass and 100 varieties of tequila…
Bland space but good food.
To me: their crusted ahi tuna is the best tuna preparation ever! (argh I don’t see it on the menu anymore!?)

www.zologrill.com

2525 Arapahoe Ave. Boulder, CO
phone: +1 303 449 0444
map

The mad scientist cuisine that’s taking the epicurean world by storm; ‘Contemporary’ ‘abstract’ cuisine.
A handful of kitchen counterculture chefs are playing with food in ways that probably make their mamas queasy.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4897584.stm
http://www.topix.net/food/molecular-gastronomy

Most famous “molecular chef”: Ferran Adrià with his El Bulli restaurant in Spain.
Has been voted world’s best restaurant! (by Restaurant magazine, 2006)

http://www.elbulli.com
Cala Montjoi, Ap. 30 17480, Girona, Spain
phone: +34 972 150 457
Synthesis of elBulli cuisine
Note: there you can drink a mythical Swiss “Pinot Noir” wine : Gantenbein.

In Switzerland: Denis Martin (18/20 Gault & Millau 2007)
... December 2006: tasted: great fun!

http://www.denismartin.ch
rue du Château 2, Vevey, Switzerland
phone: +41 21 921 1210

Nice article:

history-magazine link

highlights

In the 1790s the upper class was rising from bed around 10 am or noon, and then eating breakfast at an hour when their grandparents had eaten dinner.
They then went for “morning walks” in the afternoon and greeted each other with “Good morning” until they ate their dinner at perhaps 5 or 6 pm. Then it was “afternoon” until evening came with supper, sometime between 9 pm and 2 am! The rich, famous and fashionable did not go to bed until dawn.

In fact it was just ‘snobism’ for the rich to distinguish them from the poor and the peasant that were bound to follow sun natural light cycles…

Anyway I think it’s a fun/nice ‘tradition’ that should still be followed!

At first, only those able to afford candles could indulge in late final meals. The poorer classes ate while there was still daylight, and went to bed not long after dusk.

Now that we all have artificial lights, why go to bed early? ...

Thai-inspired French fusion cuisine!

Created by French (Alsatian) chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten

Jean George
ulteriorepicure review

1 Central Park W
phone: +1 212 299 3900

website
online reservation

gasp!
Red Snapper Crusted with Nuts and Seeds
Thai Pepper Creme Caramel
Rhubarb Soup

Thai pepper creme caramel, via flickr © ulterior epicure

ulterior epicure’s flickr photo set

n.b. also by Vongerichten; ~japanese!? : Matsugen, 241 Church St.

Dinner in bed!: Vertigo “extended dinning”. Like being in 2001: A Space Odyssey movie!
Chef: Daniel Fischer

http://www.vertigozurich.com

NiederdorfStrasse 10,
8001 Zurich,
Switzerland
map

email: dinner@vertigozurich.com
phone: +41 43 888 44 88

Top Slurp avec Estèbe

Ulterior Epicure