Twice now in the past week I've had dinner at Café Select, the newish Swiss bistro in Soho. It's a great little place. I've enjoyed spätzli, veal sausages, braised cabbage, incredible pork belly, and a good cauliflower and apple salad. Everything has been hearty and satisfying, and I've already placed the restaurant on my local restaurant short list. The menu is mostly Swiss German, with a few notable Ticinese exceptions. Bargain hunters, note that you can get in and out at dinner for just about $30 (drink, appetizer, and main). Breakfast and lunch can be had for much less.
As delightful as the grub is, it's not the entire story. Café Select looks and feels like a little flash of Swiss cool. The hip posters and savvy playlist do battle with the austere restroom and retro unisex bathroom door plates. This juxtaposition works really well. Switzerland today is interesting for its aesthetic conjoining of the frumpy and the chic, and the restaurant's interior honors both impulses.
The restaurant also sells a range of Swiss mass-produced items, mostly off the menu: chocolates, condiments, and Swiss sodas like Rivella. The net effect of the interior design and the micro-shop is downright ambassadorial. It's a small and enticing window into Swiss commercial culture. Café Select succeeds along three meaningful axes—those of menu, concept, and execution.
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