Working in The City came as a bit of a shock. I’m a countryside girl born and bred and the pace is a lot slower out among the cows and sheep. My office is in Bank, inhabited by a swarm of stressed businessmen and women on strict time limits. This means that any luxuries, such as eating (gulp), must be easy, convenient and incredibly quick. As a committed foodie, I cherish a menu and will ponder upon each dish with precise analytic consideration so my ultimate decision is worth my taste buds’ time and effort. This did not go down well here- sauntering into
Itsu in my first week, the man behind the till almost broke into a cold sweat waiting for me to decide whilst I became increasingly panicked by the crush of suits edging ever closer behind me. The plus side of this need for food on the run means there are a million and one incredibly efficient restaurants and cafes of all different formalities and price ranges literally within a 30 second stroll from the office door, meaning you can treat yourself to a delicious meal without having to invest 2 hours of your day in it.
Seeing as my dad also works here and can be held accountable for my love of food, he conveniently knows all the best restaurants within a mile radius of the office and, also knowing my love of steak, very kindly took me to
Le Relais de Venice “l’Entrecote” for slap up
steak frites on the fly.
Located in the buzzing heart of Bank, by the time we arrived
L’Etrecote was packed full of suited and booted men and women catching up and talking business over plates piled high with steak and salty, yellow mountains of
frites. The restaurant has stayed true to its roots and ensured the décor has a quintessentially French brasserie style, echoing its original counterpart in Paris, with painted scenes of Venetian markets on the walls, long lines of closely packed tables adorned with colourful tablecloths and a lot of mirrors and light.
L’Entrecote are so dedicated to consistency between their branches that their
frites are hand chipped (no pun intended) to the exact same dimensions as those in Paris. The phrase ‘life’s too short’ comes to mind a little over this extravagance (I couldn’t give two hoots whether my chips are identical or not), however it does add a certain specialness to the experience, as if every chip has been painstakingly measured just for your enjoyment. Everyone likes a bit of theatre, after all. They have a strict no booking policy and luckily dad and I chose a time when the queue was very short. The smiling waitresses (all French- another authentic touch) decked out in traditional French waitress uniforms led us promptly to our table, before taking the one order of the meal- How do you like your steak?
As proper meat lovers, dad and I like our steak good and rare. The waitress jotted two little ‘R’s on the paper tablecloth cover and before we knew it the only starter available- a walnut salad with mustard vinaigrette- arrived. This was delicious: fresh, crisp leaves and crunchy walnuts, offset by a deliciously creamy and sharp dressing.
This is promptly followed by the signature dish. The steak (all from a rump cut) was succulent and just about as rare as I like it (haven’t quite ventured to blue yet- next on the list) and you are given a pot of perfect Dijon mustard to smother over your steak. The secret recipe sauce is scrumptious and the chips were the perfect combination of fluffy and crispy without being saturated in that dreaded greasy oil. You are initially presented with half of your steak, while the other half is kept back to keep warm so that you can enjoy it at its best temperature the whole way through. This is the kind of detail I like- it shows a true passion for food, ensuring the customer experiences the full potential of the meat.
After mopping up the sauce, the waitress was at the ready to deliver the second half of our meal in a flourish of silver platters and another mountain of
frites and the fun continued. The small plates mean that you feel as if you are being treated to two portions and you don’t suffer that sinking feeling of finishing a delicious plate of food- never fear, another is on its way!
Dad and I were in and out within half an hour and ready to face an afternoon of work.
L’Entrecote have branches in Marlybone, The City, Canary Wharf, New York and, of course, Paris. Ever classy,
L'Entrecote achieve an elegant French simplicity with no unnecessary pomp, frills or questions- only the one: How do you like your steak?
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