The story
Arakel is a modern, seasonal restaurant at Rue Henri Blanvalet 17 in Geneva, and it holds one Michelin star in 2026 for what the guide calls high quality cooking. The dining room sits in the Eaux-Vives district, with an open kitchen at its center.
Paul Cabayé grew up in Reims, in Champagne, and was named Cuisinier d'Or in 2021. He worked at the Hôtel de Ville in Crissier under Franck Giovannini, then as executive chef in Grindelwald. In Geneva his cooking leans on vegetables, citrus, marine notes and regional produce. The dishes change every three weeks.
Gault&Millau scores Arakel 15/20 for 2026 and named it Discovery of the Year in Western Switzerland for 2025. Its review described a single menu of four or six courses. Spider crab came under grapefruit with saffron and pomelo, and an onion soup carried Drôme truffle and Gruyère. Pigeon arrived with shiso, and honey ice cream sat over buckwheat espuma. That review predates Cabayé's arrival as head chef, so the current menu will read differently.
Guests can sit at the chef's table, directly at the counter where Paul, Jordan and Davide work, and watch each service unfold. In warmer months the terrace stays open. Gault&Millau also praised the wine list as encyclopedic and fairly priced.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
High quality cooking
The Arakel, our Discovery of the Year in Western Switzerland 2025, is usually fully booked in the evenings. But if you get lucky, there is no sense of stress among Chef Quentin Philippe and his small brigade, even during peak service. In the open kitchen, they work in a relaxed and precise manner, and what the competent service brings to the tables convinces from A to Z – only one menu is offered, with four or six courses. The refreshing and slightly sweet start features strips of spider crab under a cloud of grapefruit with saffron, candied lemon, and pomelo. Subtle sweetness also serves as a kind of guide through the menu – for example, in the wonderful onion soup with truffle from the Drôme and Gruyère. The chef skillfully serves the sea bass in mussel sauce and beurre blanc with clementines, and the tender pigeon with land cress, aromatic shiso leaf, and a rich reduction. The formidable finale consists of honey ice cream over buckwheat espuma and an equally excellent sudachi lemon pastry. An encyclopedic wine list at fair prices. P.S.: New head chef; Paul Cabayé
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