Le Relais de Venise L'Entrecôte

I’ve been countless times to Le Relais de Venise in Marylebone. I think I’ll always have a fondness for it since it was the first restaurant I visited after moving to London. My amazing cousin M. from New York, a man of many talents, took me there when he came down to visit.

The restaurant is also known by the steak it serves: Entrecôte. Given that’s the only thing it serves, it’s natural you will meet people who either absolutely love it or people who don’t get what the fuss is about. I’ve noticed if you’re not a fan of mustard, you’re probably not going to be too thrilled with food or if you’re vegetarian. Actually, don’t go if you’re vegetarian. 

There is something refreshing about not have the option to choose your main course from the menu. You sit down and you know what you’re going to get. All you have to say is one word: Rare or medium. I would not recommend saying ‘well done’. You will get a disdainful glance from your waitress, sometimes even an outright glare of disapproval.

A glass of the house wine and you’re ready to start on the salad served with walnuts and a mustard dressing. And then your Entrecôte steak comes – thinly sliced and drowned in their secret sauce with a heap of thinly cut, crispy pommes frites. The greatness of the meal doesn’t really lie in the steak. Sure it’s good but I think you could get better quality steaks elsewhere. What makes you feel like queuing for ages for your meal is the sauce. Which is why some people are not fans of Relaise de Venise – if they don’t like the sauce, that’s pretty much the last time they visit. Fans of butter will be pleased. It’s definitely made with lots of butter, maybe some mustard and I can't figure the herbs in it....thyme?

Once you finish the steak and the mountain of fries served, you feel content and satisfied but you think to yourself, “That was good, but I could have done with a little more”.......and guess what, just that minute, a second serving of steak and fries appear. This is my favourite bit and I never tell people I bring here just so that I can see that look of surprise on their face.

 Le Vacherin 

The desserts are lovely and perfect for sharing because you do feel a bit stuffed by the end of the meal. My favourite is a tie between the Profiteroles and Le Vacherin (a decadant tower of meringue, chocolate, whipped cream and icecream). The bill usually comes to around 25£ - 30£

A word of warning though – the queues are ridiculous since they are very popular and don’t take reservations. You could end up waiting for 20 to 30 mins on a Saturday night for dinner. It is much better to go for lunch or on a week night. Strangely, the rush always dies down at around 10pm – so you could try your luck then.

Le Relais de Venise

120 Marylebone Lane London W1U 2QG

Tel: 020 7486 0787

Tube: Baker Street/Bond Street