Chef Mathieu Croze celebrates world championship at Rivage Café

The mastery required to claim the world championship in Hare à la Royale, one of French cuisine’s most demanding and revered preparations, demands not merely technical precision but an understanding of tradition itself. Chef Mathieu Croze has earned that distinction, and at Rivage Café on November 26 and 27, he presents his personal interpretation of this iconic dish, the very work that elevated him to world champion status.

Hare à la Royale stands among haute cuisine’s supreme challenges: the entire animal is deboned, its meat minced and reformed with liver, blood and aromatics, then wrapped in the skin and braised slowly with red wine, cognac and stock until it reaches a state of haunting richness. It demands years of understanding, an intuitive grasp of how protein behaves under heat, how fat distributes flavour, how patience transforms raw ingredients into something transcendent. Croze’s approach to this classical monument reveals not a departure from tradition but a refinement of it, honouring the integrity of the dish while bringing his own sensibility to its execution.

Over these two consecutive evenings, diners at Rivage Café encounter Croze’s vision: the emerald hued mousse that crowns the presentation, the lustrous burgundy sauce pooled beneath, each element considered with the precision that separates excellence from mere competence. The kitchen at Beaurivage Geneva becomes a stage for this celebration of culinary craft, where the language of classical French gastronomy speaks with clarity and grace.

Reservations for November 26 and 27 are available through Beaurivage Geneva. This is cooking at the highest level, executed by a chef whose championship title reflects not an award but an acknowledgment of absolute mastery.

Imagery courtesy of Beaurivage Geneva (@beaurivagegeneve).