Le Relais De Venise L'Entrecote
French
120 Marylebone Lane, Marylebone, W1U 2QG
££
The first Le Relais establishment was opened by Paul Gineste de Saurs in 1959. 60 years and 6 establishments later, Le Relais is still serving the bold no-choice menu of salad, steak and French fries, that it has become both renowned and loved for.
I first dined at the Paris branch back in 2013 and thought it to be undoubtedly French: there were no translations to English and the staff refused to explain anything. Which was actually fine, given there was only one option on the menu anyway… The London Marylebone branch I visited this week was much more convivial and had such a mix of people there. From family diners with small children, to old chaps sitting alone, to large groups of ladies. It really does go to show that no matter what age, gender, or race, your old ‘Steak and Chips’ is a timeless and much-loved dish.
We chose the ‘Set Meal’ of Trimmed Entrecote Steak “Porte Maillot” with French fries and green salad with walnuts for £24.00. The price is good, considering the steak is cooked exceptionally well and you can tell it is good quality beef through its flavour. It is served by waitresses from large plates with a ‘secret sauce’ the namesake of this place - which has undertones of tarragon, vinegar and pepper… though no one knows the full recipe. The French fries are crispy and tasty, though lacking a little in salt (don’t you DARE ask for such a thing here). And, overall, the meal itself was a little on the cold side… You get a top up of both meat and chips, meaning that the value for money (£24) is there. However, I must admit the salad is pretty forgettable, being simply a few light green leaves and couple of walnuts, covered in a mustardy vinaigrette dressing.
We complemented our meal with a bottle of Red (the SECOND cheapest – a trick we learnt from a friendly waiter in Duck and Waffle a couple years back). It was tasty, and reasonably priced at around £25. To finish, you are given the choice you lack before – between numerous French classics such as Crème Brulee and profiteroles, or more British options, such as Sticky Toffee pudding and Ice Cream. We went for the Le Praline Liegeois (£4.75) and the Le Crème Brulee (£5.25). Both were delicious, indulgent, not too big, and a great end to the meal.
Le Relais De Venise Le Entrecote does seem to be stuck in a time-warp like state, with all the waitresses dressed in traditional uniform to match the Venetian décor. I guess these guys work off the mantra ‘if it ain’t broke, why fix it?’ To be able to open restaurants across the globe in New York Midtown, Paris, London Soho, London Marylebone, London The City, Mexico, you simply have to be doing something right. Whilst I do not deny that the steak here is good, it’s not GREAT and I feel, ultimately, the whole concept could have a modern rebuff with plenty of room for improvement.
OVERALL RATING: ****
http://www.relaisdevenise.com/
