One place was prohibitively pricey, another too formal, and one – in an attempt to look Ibiza-like – had thrown dirty-looking towels all over their sofas. So we settled for the mellow lighting and faux-wicker furniture of Enoteca.
Having chosen a Chilean wine, we ordered mixed antipasti of artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes and a couple of tapenades. Moreish they may have been, but eating them proved a challenge as we only had one knife between us and the meagre bread basket contained just four sad-looking slices of stale baguette. Crusty, rustic loaves with olives or walnuts may have better suited the Mediterranean mood. The bread wasn’t the only thing that seemed out of place; the middle-aged, oriental waitress was a sight to behold in a buckled leather jacket, floaty skirt and electric blue eye shadow, shuffling around in the kind of outdoorsy sandals you go rafting in and cackling maniacally when we asked for anything.
By the time our bread supply had been replenished, I had already started my main course. The chicken brochette seemed a bit genetically modified and nugget-like in texture, while the supposed massala sauce tasted too generic. Our friend’s chicken wings weren’t much better, but Monsieur Gourmand’s burger proved to be the highlight of an otherwise mediocre meal: a delicious and juicy feast of flavoursome beef, melted cheese, egg and bacon, served with chunky chips.
Notwithstanding this last tasty triumph, Enoteca should probably just stick to being a wine bar.
Enoteca, 19 rue du Rhône, 1204 Geneva
+41 (0)22 789 0189; winebargeneva.com 
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