Le Cochon Wine Bar and Bistro opens in Geneva

Geneva’s renowned culinary scene just got a delectable French twist.

Le Cochon Wine Bar and Bistro opened in the Third Street space formerly occupied by The Mandrake in mid-February, bringing authentic French cuisine to the western suburbs.

Le Cochon is owned and operated by Bernard Laskowski and his father, Bernie Laskowski, a chef with 30 years of experience running a kitchen. The team also owns the Craft Urban restaurants in Geneva and Aurora.

Both men have been trained in classic French cooking techniques, which are used to make the food from recipes that are over 100 years old.

“The way we prepare our food is indicative of how we like to eat things, and we’re showing love when we prepare food for others. We’re all about being as welcoming and warm as we can,“ Bernard said.

With no French restaurants near Geneva, Bernard said he and his father wanted to bring the cuisine to the suburbs.

“This is a niche we wanted to fill,” he said. “When you think of a French bistro, this is what you think of; a welcoming bar, lots of wine and rustic, comfortable food. Our background is in French cooking and the influences it has on cuisines around the world.”

Diners will enjoy “contemporary classic French bistro food,” with starters like tuna Nicoise, escargot, charcuterie, raw oysters and of course, French onion soup. Salads include LCB Caesar, pear & beet salad and salad Lyonnaise. Entrees include pork Cassoulet, which is a slow-cooked pork belly with white beans in a pistachio cilantro pesto; beef Bourguignon, which is red wine-braised short ribs with roasted onions, carrots and potato garlic puree; Parisian gnocchi, with butternut squash puree, roasted apple and squash; as well as roasted chicken, Miso honey-glazed salmon, burgers and more.

Desserts include profiterole, which Bernard described as a “cream puff but bigger” with ice cream and chocolate sauce, as well as their “signature staple” of creme brulee.

Of course, the meal wouldn’t be complete without a glass of wine, which Le Cochon has plenty of. There are 10 wines available by the glass and 20 reserves available by the bottle at any given time. The wine selection will rotate, depending on the season, Bernard said.

“There are pairings for everything and wines for every occasion,” he said. “There’s no right or wrong answer to picking a wine. It depends on the day, the time of day, your mood, the meal – there are a lot of factors that go into wine, even the craftsmanship to make the wine."

Bernard said he’s looking forward to the warmer weather when he can open the bistro’s expansive patio, which may include live music in the future.

“We have a beautiful patio on a beautiful street that seats a good amount of people. It will be ready by May, and the opening will be weather-dependent,” he said. “We love live music, but that’s still up in the air. We could add that down the line.”

A kids menu is available and Bernard said he is looking forward to welcoming families.

“Our customers have said they’re happy there’s a French bistro near them, and they come back,” he said. “We’re a neighborhood bistro and not fine dining with the white tablecloths.”

Le Cochon Wine Bar is open Wednesday through Sunday from 4-10 p.m. Lunch and brunch, as well as seven-days-a-week service, will be added at a later date.

Le Cochon is located at 201 S. 3rd St., Geneva.

For more information and updates on the restaurant, visit Le Cochon’s Facebook page.