La Cantine des Commerçants - Bistrot basque — Restaurant in Geneva

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 La Cantine des Commerçants in Jonction neighborhood in Geneva, Switzerland.

A wonderful spot for creative French cuisine with a modern twist. We were warmly welcomed even close to closing time, which is later than most restaurants in the area — very convenient. The decor, with its green and pop art inspiration, adds a cheerful touch to the dining experience.

We started with flavorful amuse-bouches, especially the crispy Gruyère bites, which were a highlight. As starters, we had the grilled eggplant with cheese — light, fresh, and perfect for spring — and a beautifully composed salad with edible flowers and seasonal fruits that tasted like summer on a plate.

For mains, the duck breast was melt-in-your-mouth tender, with just the right amount of crispiness in the fat and served with spätzle and a sauce that brought everything together. The Simmental beef fillet was also excellent — perfectly cooked and served with a delicious gratin dauphinois and grilled vegetables.

To finish, the raspberry shortbread dessert was rich and bursting with flavor. All in all, a place I can definitely recommend for anyone looking to enjoy refined yet creative French cuisine in a relaxed and...

I had one of the worst dining experiences here. I've visited this establishment many times over the last two years. However, the last visit was indeed my last. The customer service was extremely poor, and this was not by a random staff member but by the proprietor herself. Some key unforgivable acts: Glass: Red wine was served into a glass where I had rosé. I was not offered a new glass or even asked if I wanted to maintain the glass. Same person (proprietor) served it so there should be no mistake. Red wine: it was way above ideal room temperature. The year of the wine was different from what I had ordered from the wine list. I was not informed; it was assumed that I would be fine. Additionally, I ended up paying for a 2013 bottle that I didn't have. It was double the price from the store that the proprietor acquires the wine from. Water: when the carafe of water that was requested did not arrive, I had to try many times to catch the attention of the proprietor in a restaurant that was hardly busy. Finally, I caught the attention, asked again for the water. She slammed the carafe on the table with a displeased face, and walked away annoyed. She did not serve the water or even smile.

The above is simply quite...

I had my birthday dinner at this place, and overall, the experience was great. The food was absolutely amazing, and the service was excellent—our waiter was incredibly professional and attentive.

However, there was one unfortunate moment that really stood out. A manager or another staff member came over and started speaking very loudly with our waiter, who remained calm and professional throughout. The woman was shouting and discussing internal restaurant issues within earshot of all the guests, which felt very inappropriate and unprofessional.

Later, the same woman approached another table—presumably people she knew—and started a loud conversation while they were clearly trying to enjoy their dessert. It was quite distracting and disrupted the otherwise...