Trendy spots in Geneva
The past few years has seen a growth in Switzerland of clubs, bars, and discos sporting attitude.
In Geneva it started with the SIP, at Plainpalais, in the abandoned complex where precision instruments were manufactured. A trendy discotheque with neither décor nor music to recommend it, the SIP was inaugurated by the same investors who cynically opened the Demi-Lune café-bar in the Old Town on rue Etienne Dumont, offering a pretentious after hours spot with mediocre food, uninspired décor and major attitude.
Geneva is a cosmopolitan village with numerous international organizations and corporate headquarters and tens of thousands of affluent professionals : the marketplace is not yet saturated with upscale venues sporting glitzy facades, red carpet entrances and burly bouncers at the door (preferably African).
The Bypass discotheque and club, which opened several years back, 
remains a trendy spot, striving for a maximum of attitude. Located in an industrial corner at the edge of town, at the bottom of the route des Acacias where it empties into the concrete expanse of the route de Jeunes, the Bypass tries to pass itself as a select address. Their doormen have been trained in all the contemporary tricks for developing a (masochistic?) clientele striving for distinction, such as making customers wait unnecessarily, or refusing access arbitrarily.
Recently, the Bypass appeared in the local press because of complaints from a party who had reserved a table for a birthday celebration. When the group showed up at the door, the bouncer refused to allow in one of them – a Somali. Despite their reservation (for a private table!) the group ended up going elsewhere to celebrate because the doormen wouldn’t let the African in.
The director of the establishment, Pierre Thomas, when interviewed by phone by the Geneva tabloids responded that, yes the group had a reservation, but bragged that the Bypass ‘refuses 200-300 people entry each weekend.’
When in Geneva over a weekend, why not wait in line outside the Bypass and see if you’re one of the 200-300 refused entry or whether you get to go inside the club and experience their arrogant hospitality and overpriced drinks ?
