For Valentine’s Day, Sweetheart took me to
the very famous Le Patio, located at Boulevard Helvétique 19 near Rive.
For this occasion, I put on the blue lace
dress I bought at Sandro boutique and I hid the gift I got for Sweetheart, the
book “A Gentleman in Moscow” by Amor Towles, in my big bag.
That night, it was cold and the restaurant
was almost empty. I arrived a little before Sweetheart. After being
installed at our table, I went around the premises to admire the colourful
canvases that adorn and enhance the walls of the restaurant.
For those who do not know, Le Patio has
been open for almost 40 years. I would say that it is a restaurant where
Genevan gourmets like to meet to taste the specialities of the restaurant. As
soon as the warm weather arrives, locals flock to the charming little terrace.
The restaurant is composed of a small bar
at the entrance which also serves as a lounge. There is a raised platform and,
behind it, another larger room. We stayed at the front by the large windows.
The small bar of Le Patio
Panorama of the room
Canvas by the Cuban and Genevan painter Carlos Boix
As soon as Sweetheart arrived, our waiter
advised us and explained the menu with warmth and professionalism. As lobster
and beef are the stars of the menu here, we chose both.
My first drink was Champagne Guy
Charlemagne Brut Réserve, the perfect way to kick off a meal - actually, I
opted for bubbles throughout.
To accompany our aperitifs we were served a small appetiser: “Tartare
de Saint-Jacques et Loup”. A real delight! The evening was shaping up
to be a gourmet one!
My starter “Marbled foie gras and guinea fowl comfit, compote of apple and celery, flambéd
with Calvados” - was successful.
Sweetheart’s starter was one of the best I’ve tasted in a long time. He had
“Lobster
cannelloni stuffed with chanterelles and baby spinach, served with a shellfish
emulsion”
I chose the restaurant’s signature lobster dish, a really succulent “Grilled
lobster with coral butter, courgettes, candied tomatoes and green olives,
shellfish sauce”. Instead of potato purée I asked for a portion of
French fries – this was a fantastic dish and perfectly portioned.
The food here is French and each of the wines has been chosen to pair with
the dishes.
Sweetheart’s beef was pretty as a picture and cooked just the way he likes
it. “Molard
Beef
Tenderloin Fillet grilled with crushed pepper, Béarnaise sauce, served with
spinach”.
Being the sweet tooth that I am, I wanted to finish our meal with a lovely
dessert. I had a delicious “Vanilla crème brûlée with caramel tuile
biscuits” – a real treat!
Sweetheart went for “Rum baba, whipped cream and orange flavoured
syrup” - he loved his dessert - and so did I!
Our menu may seem quite simple, even
unpretentious, but the end result was stunning and we finished our meal with a huge
smile on our faces, just happy to have enjoyed fine food in a warm atmosphere.
Once I heard a French chef say “simple
cuisine is actually the most difficult to prepare” At Le Patio, they succeeded hands down.
Le
Patio
Boulevard Helvétique 19
1207 Genève
Tél.: +41 22 736 66 75