OReilly

Hello all:

My sister and her partner are heading to Paris in June for the EUFA (from Ireland). We are all saying decades of the rosary and lighting lamps to St. Jude (Patron Saint of Lost Causes) for Ireland’s success. 

She has found a nice hotel in the 11th Arr., and we are now discussing restaurants. I’ve been to Paris over 50 times (we had an office there). Perhaps 12 years ago, I had a great ‘steak & chips’ experience, with lovely cheap red wine, which I know my sister and partner would love. I think this is the restaurant:

http://relaisennr.cluster011.ovh.net/

I remember simple soundings. They cooked one half of the steak with great frites, and then cooked the second half of the steak, with more frites. Wine was cheap, but lovely. Is this the one? Is it still the same?

Also, I would like to give them recommendations for ‘Indo-Chine’ cuisine, as I think they would love it (all our family cook Chinese & India food from scratch, but have little experience with food from that region).

Many thanks for your help … Ger

Christina

I go to Relais d'Entrecotes every visit. Your memory is a bit colored by your perception, it isn't how I would describe the place. They do have good frites. Their steak is a cheap cut but cooked in a good sauce so it gets tender and I really like their sauce (some kind of pepper sauce, I believe). I don't know what you mean about cooking half a steak, then another half, though. They have platters of steak and serve you from it (as well as other people), and if you want seconds, you can have it. A lot of people keep eating more and more as they will tend to do with presented with unlimited portions. They don't cook the steak just for a single person. They serve you a salad with walnuts as the entree.

Wine isn't that cheap there, they have various labels and it depends what you order. 37.5 cl is about 10-20 euro depending what you order. If you simple order a glass of wine, without any label/type selection, it's 4.5 euro for only 15 cl.

they have a website http://www.relaisentrecote.fr/

I wouldn't call the surroundings simple, exactly, it's about the same as any mid-level bistro but quite attractive, at least the one I go to in Montparnasse.

Judy

Your memory is correct! They do not take reservations so quite often there is a wait to get in.

If you have room for dessert, they have excellent profiteroles.

Sarastro

I think that your memory is accurate but the wines are not all that inexpensive. This is a chain restaurant with locations from London to New York. There are at least 3 in Paris, the closest to the 11th might be the location at 15 Rue Marbeuf in the 8th.

flygirl

Judy introduced me to the place! I think I've only been there, with them, too. LOTS of food - and it's so good.

Weekender

I had dinner at the Rue Saint-Benoit location a few weeks ago. Dinner for 2 was about $100 as I recall. The place is always packed and with locals, too.

TrendGirl2

The NYC LOCATION is: CORNER OF LEXINGTON & East 51 St.
They do a big tourist biz in NYC.
TrendGirl2

cynthia_booker

The New York Times article on the place said the house wine was quite acceptable, and while I am no wine expert, I agreed that it was very nice.
I always try to arrive close to the opening time. Although the line does move along as people, while not rushed at all by the staff, tend to have their meal and leave, rather than spending the evening at their table.

kerouac

There is also one in Geneva.

Frankly, I am not a big fan of <i>Le Relais de l'Entrecôte</i>. The food is good albeit not spectacular, and my main peeve is that a restaurant that serves one dish only should be able to reduce its prices. Instead, this place charges more than average for a meal so simple.

There is a chain just called <i>L'Entrecôte</i> that I used to prefer and which basically does the same meal for 19 euros instead of 26.50 euros at the other place. The wine is also cheaper. There were about a half dozen restaurants in Paris, but they pulled out of Paris when Pizza Hut made them an offer they couldn't refuse for their locations. So now they are just in Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nantes, Montpellier and Lyon.

Meanwhile, in terms of value for money, I far prefer to go to Hippopotamus if I am going to eat steak in Paris.

Whathello

The best steak in Paris is found at 'Sacrée fleur', rue clignancourt, 18e. Close to sacré coeur.

OReilly

Many thanks to you all – great advice, as always.

BTW, I should say that, as I am now living in both London and Dublin, wine in Paris always appears outrageously cheap to me

Anyway, they are staying in the 11th and there is one just 7 minutes’ walk from their hotel, so dinner on the first night is sorted.

Kerouac: I am now wondering now if that is the place I remember, as it was 'cheap & cheerful' with gingham tablecloths, and the wine really cheap.

Second day is all about the football, so they will probably hang out with other Irish fans after the match, up around the stadium. Anywhere I can recommend for a decent pint and an Indian/Chinese/Thai etc? They will be either drowning their sorrows or celebrating, more likely the former than the latter.

Third day, they will spend the time exploring Paris (they have been there at least twice before). I suggested a very LONG and punishing walk from the 11th, though the Marais, along the Seine to the Tuileries, up the Champs-Élysées, back across the river to the Eiffel tower, then east to the Latin Quarter. Achievable for me, and they are both great walkers, but they may not be able for this, if they have had too much celebration/commiserations the night before.

I am now looking for other restaurants for day three.
Realistically, I think we are looking restaurants around the Marais, the Isle, and the Latin Quarter.

They love duck. I am now trying to find a good place for Confit de Canard. About 16(?) years ago (maybe more) I brought my 3 sisters, 2 nephews and a niece (aged 12 to 16) to Paris for a long weekend – it was a great family trip. I brought them to one of my favourites at the time, Thoumieux, and we had a wonderful night: Great duck and cassoulet, and the staff were wonderful with the kids, insisting they spoke French and did all the ordering. I have not been there for years, and it now looks very chic and expensive, so I don’t want to recommend it for this trip, but would like an equivalent, that serves food from the South-West. I found this one – any thoughts?:

http://www.au-petit-sud-ouest.fr/moment.php

Is it too ‘posh’? They would prefer local bistro-type, good tasty food, without any pretentions.

Best regards … Ger

fuzzbucket

You should look for one of the Chez Papa restaurants - all the duck and cassoulet you can handle, and excellent value for the money with no pretentions.
Here's a sample menu:
http://www.chez-papa.com/cartes-et-m...-papa-paris-14

OReilly

Thanks Fizzbucket

kerouac

Chez Papa is indeed and excellent and economical address if you are looking for duck dishes. The restaurants are frankly the opposite of posh (a plus in my book). One Chez Papa location that I particularly like is at metro Louis Blanc, next to Gare du Nord. But frankly, all of their places are fine (at least the 5 or 6 that I have tested).

For Indian food, there is a choice of at least 80 or so Indian restaurants in "Little India" on the right hand side of Gare du Nord (the main street being rue du Faubourg Saint Denis, but all of the side streets heading north have at least a dozen restaurants in them). Amusingly enough, it is an area where the people, even though they are French citizens, often speak English better than French.

StCirq

Also check out Au Trou Gascon and La Petite Périgordine.

OReilly

Thank you all. My sister did visit the restaurant early evening, and was happy with the steak & chips. There was torrential rain that evening, and there were line-ups.

She was less than happy with the result if the Ireland-Sweden game

Best ... Ger

Pepper_von_snoot

There is some confusion here.

The restaurant at Lexington/ 51st Manhattan is Relais de Venise.

It has a sister restaurant in Paris near Porte Maillot in the 17th.

This is not the same restaurant as Relais de l'Entrecôte in the 6th.

Thin

bella9440

I went to Relais de l'Ecrecote my first night in Paris, I was jet lagged and didn't want to wait for the usual dining hour of 8ish I decided to try it since it opens at 7; I was there at 6:45 and was in the first seating- it is a bit rushed, very crowded and busy, but the frites were wonderful and the sauce good. I do not think it is worth a half hour-hour wait in line..but if you are in the area when it opens I would definitely give it a go..

Sarastro

Pepper_von_snoot makes a good point. I have been to the Relais de Venise l´Entrecôte in London and the Relais de l´Entrecôte in the 6th (both locations). The format is the same, the food identical, the waitress uniforms appear the same but the names are slightly different.

Possibly a story here. Perhaps management/ownership split, one taking the concept abroad, the other keeping the Paris/Geneva locations.

Sarastro

Apparently, there are three entities, each using the name <i>Entrecôte</i> as part of their name and each using the same format, including the same <i>secret sauce</i>.

1. The original at Porte Maillot founded by Paul Gineste de Saurs in 1959 and named <b>Le Relais de Venise – L'Entrecôte</b>. The locations in London and New York are operated under license from this group.

2. A second group founded by the son has restaurants in Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nantes, Montpellier, and Lyon. These are called uniquely <b>L'Entrecôte</b>.

3. A third group founded by the daughter operates the other 3 restaurants in Paris and a 4th in Geneva. This group uses the name <b>Le Relais de l'Entrecôte</b> and licenses two restaurants in Beirut and one each in Kuwait City, Doha, Dubai, Riyadh, and Hong Kong.

It appears Gineste de Saurs started an empire that is now shared by his children. A second daughter operates Le Relais de Venise – L'Entrecôte at Porte Maillot.