L'Entrecôte
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Restaurant |
| Founded | 1959 in Paris, France |
| Founder | Paul Gineste de Saurs |
| Headquarters | Paris , France |
Area served | France, United Kingdom, United States, Bahrain, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, China, Turkey, Jordan |
Key people | Hélène Godillot, Henri Gineste de Saurs, Marie-Paule Burrus |
| Products | Steak-frites with butter sauce |
Worldwide, numerous dining establishments specializing in steak dishes incorporate entrecôte in their branding. Prominently, L'Entrecôte refers to three distinct restaurant groups owned by the Gineste de Saurs siblings, each focusing on the contre-filet sirloin cut and offering traditional French bistro steak-frites fare:
- The well-known L'Entrecôte is the trade name for Le Relais de Venise – L'Entrecôte, originally founded by Paul Gineste de Saurs in Paris’s 17th arrondissement near Porte Maillot. Currently overseen by one of his daughters, it operates as L'Entrecôte Porte-Maillot with eight franchised locations: two in London, one in Bahrain, two in New York City, and one in Mexico.
- Another restaurant group named L'Entrecôte, legally registered under that name, was created by Paul’s son and runs venues in Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nantes, Montpellier, Lyon, and Barcelona.
- A third entity, also branded as L'Entrecôte or Le Relais de l'Entrecôte, is managed by another daughter and includes three Parisian sites plus one in Geneva. Its flagship establishment located in Paris’s 6th arrondissement is known as L'Entrecôte Saint-Germain. This group holds thirteen franchised outlets across Kuwait (4), Beirut (2), Doha, Dubai, Riyadh, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Istanbul, and Jordan; with two additional locations planned for Cairo.
History
In 1959, Paul Gineste de Saurs purchased Le Relais de Venise, a restaurant situated near Porte Maillot within Paris’s 17th arrondissement. Intending to promote the family’s own Château de Saurs wines from Lisle-sur-Tarn, he transformed the menu from Italian cuisine to a streamlined French bistro format featuring only steak-frites as the main dish. Unlike conventional preparations that use herbed butter, the steak was accompanied by a unique and intricate butter-based sauce. Starters consisted of a straightforward lettuce salad dressed with walnuts and mustard vinaigrette; dessert options included a selection of pastries and sweet treats incorporating ice cream and chocolate.
To highlight the signature offering, the phrase "Son entrecôte" was displayed beneath the restaurant’s name on its neon signage. The wine list remained concise and predominantly showcased Château de Saurs vintages.
This concept drew inspiration from Geneva’s Café de Paris, which had been serving steak-frites with this particular butter sauce since the early 1940s. Despite its limited menu and wine choices, Le Relais de Venise – L'Entrecôte flourished and became a Parisian landmark commonly referred to simply as "L'Entrecôte" or "L'Entrecôte Porte-Maillot."
Successors
Today, three separate restaurant groups operated by Paul Gineste de Saurs’s children carry forward his original vision.
Le Relais de Venise – L'Entrecôte
Following Paul Gineste de Saurs’s passing in 1966, his daughter Hélène Godillot assumed control of the initial Porte Maillot establishment. Her division licenses three additional venues managed by Steven and Michael Elghanayan: two located in London and one in New York City. A family-run location operated in Barcelona from 1999 until 2010. Licensed sites opened in Manchester in 2012 but ceased operations by 2013.
L'Entrecôte
In 1962, Paul’s son Henri Gineste de Saurs inaugurated a comparable restaurant near the family vineyard at Lisle-sur-Tarn in Toulouse. He subsequently expanded with additional restaurants in Bordeaux, Nantes, Montpellier, and Lyon.
Le Relais de l'Entrecôte
Marie-Paule Burrus oversees the Le Relais de l'Entrecôte restaurant brand, which comprises four establishments—three situated in Paris and one in Geneva—as well as seven franchised venues located in Beirut (managed by Boubess Group), Kuwait City, Doha, Dubai, Riyadh, and Hong Kong. Between 2016 and 2017, a West Hollywood branch operated under a licensing agreement.
Since 1981, Marie-Paule and her spouse Yves Burrus, a member of Switzerland's industrial Burrus lineage, have also been responsible for managing the family's Château de Saurs vineyard.
The Relais de l'Entrecôte's Geneva location
From 1979 until 2014, the Geneva restaurant was housed in the historic Bavaria brasserie on rue du Rhône—a site popular among international diplomats during the League of Nations period and mentioned in Ian Fleming's Goldfinger. As the district evolved into a high-end shopping area, the property owner Zurich Insurance Group aimed to terminate the restaurant’s lease in 2006. After an eight-year legal dispute, the landlord succeeded; the establishment closed on 23 June 2014 and reopened nearby on 15 July 2014.
In 2011, Marie-Paule Burrus obtained heritage protection for the interior of the premises—including wood paneling, banquettes, ceiling moldings, fixtures, and original furnishings—which mandated their preservation. This designation restricted leasing opportunities to other dining businesses.
The new occupant launched Le 49 Rhône in January 2015, featuring a comparable steak-frites menu.
The third generation
The founder’s grandchildren are progressively taking active roles within the enterprise. Notably, Patrick-Alain Godillot is involved with Relais de Venise – L'Entrecôte; Valérie Lagarde and Corinne de Roaldès contribute to the L'Entrecôte group; while Paul-Christian Burrus and Géraldine Burrus participate in managing the Relais de l'Entrecôte outlets.
The formula
Although operating under slightly varied brand names, all groups closely follow Paul Gineste de Saurs’ original concept: beginning with a lettuce-and-walnut salad starter; followed by steak-frites accompanied by a distinctive butter sauce served in two portions; a limited dessert selection; and at Paris and Geneva venues, wines sourced from the family’s vineyards.
The butter sauce plays a pivotal role in this signature dish. According to Le Monde, its ingredients include chicken livers, fresh thyme and thyme flowers, cream, white Dijon mustard, butter, water, salt, and pepper. The preparation process involves blanching the livers with thyme, reducing cream combined with mustard and thyme flowers, then blending this with finely minced livers and butter. Nevertheless, Hélène Godillot has publicly refuted this recipe as inaccurate.
Le Relais de l'Entrecôte is recognized for offering only two menu options—wine and dessert—and serving an unexpected second portion of steak and fries to diners.
The ambiance significantly contributes to their appeal. Each group presents unique decor elements: Relais de Venise – L'Entrecôte features Venetian murals and gondolier-style lampshades; Relais de l'Entrecôte displays early 20th-century spirit advertising posters; L'Entrecôte incorporates yellow-and-black striped patterns and plaids. All maintain a traditional French brasserie atmosphere characterized by wood paneling, mirrors, tightly arranged tables, red-upholstered bench seating, waitstaff dressed in white or yellow aprons, and no advance reservation policy—often resulting in queues at numerous European sites.
See also
External links
- Official website for Le Relais de Venise – L'Entrecôte's London branch
- Le Relais de Venise – L'Entrecôte: New York Midtown Manhattan site
- L'Entrecôte: primary website
- Le Relais de l'Entrecote: official homepage
- Le Relais de l'Entrecôte: main online presence
- Château de Saurs winery: official site
- Review of the Paris branch of Le Relais de Venise – L'Entrecôte in The Independent
- Paris location review of Le Relais de Venise – L'Entrecôte featured in Le Monde
- Photographs from the Paris venue of Le Relais de Venise – L'Entrecôte
- Interactive map displaying restaurant and winery sites