What is wrong with Geneva? Why can't this city do anything right?

Food halls are not a new concept: in my home town, Cape Town, they have been around for 15 or 20 years. They are hugely popular and very successful, and you can eat amazing food in a vibrant setting. Food halls are common in many cities around the world, and I have been to many.

So I was really happy to see that one had opened at Halles de l'ile, a beautiful, under utilised space close to where I live. But because this is Geneva, it's not a proper food hall at all.

I have been to Grand Central twice - firstly, on a Saturday afternoon, which in any normal city would be prime time. Only a few places were open, and when I tried to order, I was told "come back in an hour, we're not ready yet".

(The website says open 10am - midnight, so I think it's quite reasonable to expect to find food on a Saturday afternoon)

I can back later and got something decent to eat. Fair enough.

The second time I went was a Sunday night. Only one place was open, and it was so backed up with Uber eats orders that I felt like I was a real inconvenience as an actual physical customer.

It took 50 minutes to get cold food.

If you're going to run a dark kitchen, @blaqk burger, do it from a remote location, not a food hall.

So in all, great idea, great space, but a total failure in execution. I went there twice, hungry, hoping for a quick and tasty meal, and I was disappointed both times.