Le Relais de l’Entrecote is so admirably single-minded about its dedication to steak frites that there’s literally no menu. The only questions from the waitress are what you want to drink, and how you want your steak cooked. That’s it. If you want to eat something other than steak frites? Get the hell out.
The meal starts with a salad dressed with a very simple (but very delicious) vinaigrette. Again, this isn’t a choice: you just get it, whether you want it or not.
Given that there’s only one thing on the menu, the rest of the food comes pretty quickly. I requested my steak rare, and it came cooked to an absolutely perfect rare. It’s topped with a herby, mustardy sauce, and served with a generous pile of perfectly golden fries.
I’m not normally a sauce on steak kind of guy — I feel like steak tastes pretty great on its own, plus if you’re not getting it well done (and please don’t get it well done), the added moisture is completely unnecessary. But rules are meant to be broken, and when the sauce is this good? Yeah man, pour it on. More, please.
The sauce works perfectly with the fries, too, and then when you’re done, you can mop up what’s left with a piece of French bread. It’s so good.
When you finish all that food, they come around and give you a few more slices of steak, another pile of fries, and more of that delicious sauce. I was pretty full at this point, so I kinda wanted to say no, but do I have the willpower to say no to delicious steak and fries, no matter how full I am?
No; the answer is a resounding no.
At 26 Euros (about 40 bucks Canadian), even with the second helping, it’s hard to call this place a bargain. But sometimes you’ve just gotta say “screw it” and spend the money, especially when it’s this good.