In a city where food borders on art, there’s a restaurant that leaves no one with a choice. In Paris, Le Relais de l’Entrecôte has built its reputation on a single proposition – a dish so legendary it doesn’t even need a menu. There, the experience begins not with a “what will you have?” question, but with the promise of a perfection that has been repeated for decades.

The idea was born in 1959, when Paul Gineste de Saurs decided to make the absolute revolution in French cuisine: take the choice away from the customer and perfect a single dish – the entrecôte with its secret sauce and the crispy potatoes that accompany it.

The experience is specific, ritualistic and now… legendary. The customer sits down at the table and knows exactly what he or she is about to eat: juicy entrecôte, thinly sliced, drizzled with the restaurant’s famous secret sauce and accompanied by crispy French fries.

The story begins in 1959, when Paul Gineste de Saurs opened the first Le Relais de Venise – Son Entrecôte in the Porte Maillot district of Paris. His philosophy was revolutionary for the time: a single dish, executed to perfection, in a space that exudes the warmth and charm of a traditional French bistro, with mirrors, wooden details and waitresses in their signature aprons. The project proved a triumph – and remains unchanged to this day.

The success of the model led to the creation of new locations in Paris – Marbeuf, Montparnasse, Saint-Germain-des-Près – but also across the border, in Geneva and Zurich, making the Relais name synonymous with French tradition and consistent quality.

The bistro experience is not just about taste, but also about consistency: guests know what to expect and enjoy the same, flawless result every time.

Dinner begins with a fresh green salad with walnuts, which prepares the palate for the main course – the entrecôte, cooked exactly as the customer requests. The potatoes are thin, golden and always accompanied by the mysterious sauce, whose recipe has been kept as a family secret for decades.

The finale comes with a traditional dessert – from a crème brûlée to a chocolate gâteau – and of course, a glass of Château de Saurs wine, from the creator’s family winery.

The menu has remained unchanged: €26.50 for the salad, entrecôte with secret sauce and two generous portions of potatoes.
And perhaps it is precisely this dedication to simplicity that is the secret of its enduring success.