Kiosque des Bastions — Restaurant in Geneva

My partner and I went to lunch here and were very well surprised because they offered us the place which seemed the best one to sit there: on a mezzanine with sort of a three-sided window area of the restaurant. Great start. Well sit we ordered two starters and two main dishes. My partner started with a 3 coloured carrot salad that we used to do at home when we didn't have anything but carrots for salad: a poor but rather healthy and nice choice. It was OK. I had a veluté of cauliflower with white chocolate that was more a kind of dessert than a starter to a meal, if you know what I mean, but it was not bad. Then we had a burger of the house and a boeuf steak tartar that were good although not tasty if you think of spices or even salt that they completely lacked of. But it was OK for CHF 125, if you think that we ate all this with just water. We stayed in the restaurant for more than two hours, and felt that they didn't keep the room temperature warm, because we were feeling a bit cold during all the time we were there. But it was OK too, we could wear some collars and hats, like some other clients were doing. The only thing that was NOT OK, was the smell of food we left the premises with. All over our clothes there was this stink of a person who has worked in a kitchen place. People who are friends to cooks and chefs will understand what I mean. If you don't have a nice working system to take the smell of the food being cooked outside your place this will be the result. So we do not recommend this restaurant at all if you are sensitive to bad smell on your clothes. To close this comment with a sample type of bad humour some women worked there, I must tell you this. When we were leaving the restaurant we asked the manager if she knew the schedule for the Escalade (a historical event going on in the city on that weekend we were there) to which I was answered by someone who might be the assistant of the manager or the director of the place: "you should ask the information point about this because we don't hold this type of information here". I leave this last comment for...

I have travelled the world extensively over 40 years. I ate at all restaurants ranging from pop & mom’s to Michelin three stars. This is my honest review of the restaurant Kiosque des Bastions in Geneva, Switzerland.

We visited this restaurant as part of a large group for a lunch this spring, and overall, it was a very pleasant experience.

We were welcomed with a variety of appetizers to share — all quite good, especially the fish ceviche, beef tartare, and a few other small bites that were well executed for starters. A good beginning.

The main course was a chicken breast served with vegetables and grains. It was good but nothing particularly memorable — the skin could have been a touch crispier, and the dish might have benefitted from a sauce or a contrasting element to add a bit more punch, perhaps some acidity or spice.

Dessert was quite nice: a layered creation with biscuit, sponge cake, and a fruit jelly topping — balanced and enjoyable.

The service team took good care of our group, and the venue itself is stunning — a beautiful historic building set in the middle of a park, which adds a lot to the experience. One thing to keep in mind: on very sunny days, especially in spring or autumn when the sun sits lower, the rooms with large glass walls (like the one we were in) can get quite warm quickly. So dress accordingly.

All in all, a restaurant I can recommend, especially if you’re nearby and looking for a good lunch spot in a...

What currently is known as Promenade des Bastions was originally the Geneva Botanical Gardens, founded by the botanist Augustin-Pyramus de Candolle (1778-1841). In 1904, the Botanical Gardens have been moved to its present location, the Console site (192 rue de Lausanne). The Promenade, though not the best of the parks in Geneva, is a popular site with students who flow out of the Geneva University building during breaks and lunch time, some strollers, tourists and hippie like 'visitors' who like to take a nap on the grass in summer. There is a restaurant in the park that serves food and drinks till late and is pleasant place to grab a drink or two on a hot summer evening. During winter, the area in front of the restaurant is turned into ice-skating rink (from late November till March, depending on weather). There is free wi-fi in the whole of the park area. In terms of plants there is an interesting surprise (opposite the Palais Eynard - Hotel Municipal) - a beautiful olive tree that was given by Greece to Geneva as a gift in 2004 to commemorate the Olympic Games. Overall, the promenade is worth visiting but if you love flowers and parks then the Botanical Gardens, the Park Eau-Vives and Park La Grange, as well as Park Bertrand are much...