Le Lexique

Le Lexique is a bistronomic restaurant at 14 rue de la Faucille in Geneva, in the Grottes quarter, which also runs a gastronomic catering service for weddings and events. Its footer describes it as "Restaurant bistronomique au cœur de Genève proche de la gare" with "une cuisine d'exception depuis 2008" (a bistronomic restaurant in the heart of Geneva near the station, cooking since 2008). The chef is Cyrille Montanier, whose name appears in the catering FAQ and in the contact email.

The wedding offer

The catering page is headed "Traiteur gastronomique, Mariages & Événements à Genève". Its FAQ answers the key question directly: yes, the restaurant offers "un service traiteur gastronomique complet pour les mariages à Genève et dans le canton" (a complete gastronomic catering service for weddings in Geneva and the canton), and it can organize the reception "dans le lieu de votre choix" (at the venue of your choice).

The page lists the formats it caters: weddings, birthdays, company meals, banquets and cocktails dînatoires (standing dinner-style receptions). It says every offer is made to measure and adapted to the client's needs. Couples are asked to describe their project, and the restaurant will return an offer tailored to their wishes and budget. The site's service links also mention "Domaine de Choully" alongside weddings and events under the catering heading, without further explanation; a couple interested in that estate should ask how the restaurant works with it.

The restaurant itself can be privatized. The catering page says so in general terms, and its FAQ gives birthdays, company meals and cocktails dînatoires as examples. For a couple, that could mean a rehearsal dinner or a small wedding meal in the restaurant itself; the site does not say how many guests the dining room seats.

What the kitchen cooks

The restaurant's menus give a clear idea of the cooking, even though they are restaurant menus rather than wedding menus. The "Menu du Chef" costs CHF 91, and the FAQ says it includes an amuse-bouche, two starters, fish or meat, and dessert. The current version on the menus page offers, for example, tuna ceviche with mango and passion fruit or beef carpaccio with truffle oil and Parmesan, crispy prawn tails with a coconut mousseline and Thai emulsion, Arctic char meunière with candied lemon and capers or chicken supreme with chanterelles, and cheese or a dessert.

The themed evenings follow the seasons:

• game evenings from October to December, with a furred-game menu at CHF 139 (hare croquette with truffle, roast venison fillet with ginger, hare pie with sauce royale) and a feathered-game menu at CHF 136 (wild duck galantine, woodcock soufflé, pheasant breast Albuféra)
• truffle evenings in January and February, built around black Périgord truffle
• a Saint-Valentin dinner on 14 February
• bouillabaisse evenings in March and September, with a bouillabaisse menu at CHF 81: Mediterranean rock-fish soup, then shellfish and crustaceans, then the fish with croutons and rouille, and a red-fruit vacherin
• morel evenings in April and May
• a food and wine pairing evening in June
• company evenings and a Christmas menu to take away in December

The menus page notes that these menus are also available to take away. The daily bistronomic lunch menu starts at CHF 26.

For a wedding, the practical point is the style: classic French technique, game and seasonal produce, rather than generic banquet food. The site does not say how the wedding menus differ from the restaurant's, or whether a menu is composed around the season of the wedding; that is a question for the first conversation.

Takeaway and the shop

The catering page offers the restaurant's signature dishes and homemade desserts to take away, ordered in advance: homemade foie gras, artisanal terrines, slow-cooked dishes and, in season, game dishes. The FAQ adds that these specialties can be ordered ahead for receptions. The Boutique section sells foie gras, terrines and gift boxes. For a couple hosting a smaller gathering, such as a welcome evening at a rented house, this is an alternative to full catering.

Cooking classes and team events

The FAQ says Cyrille Montanier can give gastronomic cooking classes at home for adults and children, and that the restaurant organizes culinary team-building events for companies on request. A cooking class for a wedding party the day before is one way a couple could use that offer, though the site presents it in general terms only.

Location and access

The contact page says the restaurant is in the Grottes quarter, "à quelques minutes à pied de la Gare de Genève Cornavin" (a few minutes' walk from Geneva Cornavin station). There is no private parking, but the page points to street parking nearby and public car parks near the station. The restaurant is accessible to people with reduced mobility, and the page invites guests to get in touch with any specific request. For guests arriving by train, a rehearsal dinner in the restaurant itself is easy to reach.

Booking and contact

Restaurant hours are Tuesday to Friday 12:00 to 14:00 and 19:00 to 22:00, Saturday 19:00 to 22:00, closed Sunday and Monday. Reservations are by phone on +41 22 733 31 31 or through the contact form, and the site advises booking, especially in the evening and at weekends. Group, catering and press requests go to c.montanier@lelexique.ch.

What the site leaves open

The catering page publishes no wedding prices, no per-person rates and no sample wedding menu. It gives no minimum or maximum guest numbers for off-site catering, and no capacity for privatizing the restaurant. It does not say whether service staff, tableware or drinks are included in a catering quote, or how far outside the city the team travels beyond "à Genève et dans le canton". The site states no deposit or cancellation terms. The site is in French only and does not say whether planning can be done in English, so couples who do not read French should say so in their first email.

Who it suits

Le Lexique suits couples marrying in Geneva who want restaurant-level French cooking at their own venue, or a small, food-focused celebration in a privatized restaurant close to the main station. The published restaurant menus and prices give a clear idea of the kitchen before any meeting. The caveats are that nothing about wedding pricing or capacity is published, the site is French-only, and the restaurant is closed on Sundays and Mondays, which may matter for a weekend event in the restaurant itself.