The story
Le Cigalon, at Route d'Ambilly 39 in Thônex on the edge of Geneva, is a French seafood restaurant that holds one Michelin star for 2026. Fish and shellfish drive the menu, and the restaurant has been known for them since the 1990s.
Jean-Marc Bessire bought the restaurant with his wife Corinne in 1995, and he is known in the region as a fish specialist working with both sea and lake produce. His son Robin joined the kitchen after training at the Hôtel de Ville in Crissier, the Maison Wenger in Le Noirmont and the Micheline in Geneva.
The raw tuna comes with crisp onions, kumquats and lemon, with sweetness, acidity and freshness in balance. Flamed mackerel arrives with an artichoke barigoule, and sea bass is paired with chanterelles and morels. Corinne Bessire leads the dining room and chooses the wines, with a focus on Geneva and Swiss vineyards.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
High quality cooking
For thirty years, the Bessire family has run the renowned Cigalon, featuring its cozy tavern and terrace along the French border. They have even given themselves the most beautiful gift. Proprietor Jean-Marc Bessire, known in the region as the king of fish from both sea and lake, has received support in the kitchen: his son Robin, who trained at the Hôtel de Ville in Crissier, the Maison Wenger in Le Noirmont, and the Micheline in Geneva, has joined the team. The results have already impressed us. The dessert Ode to the Sea, featuring seaweed salad jelly, seaweed chips, lemon crémeux, and shiso pesto, delivered a masterful finale to an impressive, wonderfully light menu. It opened with a chickpea rouille panisse, a wood sorrel tartelette, and a bite-sized piece of Stilton with wild garlic, followed by a creamy goat cheese, pepper, and spinach bûchette with bottarga shavings. Smoky notes characterized the attractively presented but very delicately seasoned amberjack. However, the raw tuna with crisp onions, kumquats, and lemon tasted outstanding—sweetness, acidity, and freshness united into a harmonious whole. The flamed mackerel was served with an artichoke variation in barigoule sauce; Le retour de pêche (return from fishing) featured a combination of five perfectly prepared fish; a sea bass was accompanied by chanterelles and morels. Proprietress Corinne Bessire expertly handles the wine pairings. We extend our congratulations and raise a glass to the next thirty years.
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