SO Sleuth went to Le Relais de Venise L'Entrecôte.
It’s going to interesting to see whether the stark minimalism of the menu and the relatively high price will prove a hit in Manchester in 2012.
Here are pictures from the pre-opening trial run. The restaurant is now open to the public.
As the visit was hosted by the restaurant Sleuth can’t review and score until next week when Confidential goes in and pays its way.
L'Entrecote has no menu range, except with desserts, and a no reservations policy. There is a green salad starter tossed with mustard vinaigrette and sprinkled with walnuts, followed by steak-frites, with an accompanying sauce, cooked as 'blue' if required. There’s a minimum spend of £21 for the two courses. And then some very odd puddings.
Sleuth loves the word ‘Today’ on the non-menu about the food on offer, as though there's a daily special. There isn't it, it's always steak and chips. 'Today' and every other day.
Today and forever
There are eight wines, including a rosé, and champagne is available. The glasses you drink out of are the size of thimbles. Very French, very old-fashioned - again strange
On Sleuth’s visit he noticed something else. “Are there any boy waiters?” he asked. “No,” said a girl waitress in her old-fashioned Betty’s tea-shop uniform, “only girl waitresses.” Is that legal thinks Sleuth?
The decor is very plain inside a prestige building from the early 1840s by architect Richard Lane. True there are some entertaining and colourful murals but the overall impression is austere.
Simple is as simple does
Gordo was sat in another part of the restaurant. “I used to visit the one in Paris in the 80s,” he said to Sleuth. “Thought it was dead cool, the limited menu, the very Frenchness of the thing. I can’t believe that not one single thing has changed from food, to presentation, to the glasses via the plates, the uniforms, and the plastic coated paper on the table-cloths. Even the typeface on the menus is the same.”
Sleuth found the whole experience distinctive but very peculiar with not quite as much steak as he thought there would be. The whole operation seemed a marvellous way to reduce costs.
In truth Le Relais de Venise L'Entrecôte is fast food French-style.
The promotional material says: 'When Monsieur Gineste de Saurs founded the original Le Relais de Venise L’Entrecôte in Paris 52 years ago, little did he know that his Parisian eatery would be replicated in London, New York and now Manchester. Le Relais de Venise L’Entrecôte is a true Parisian bistro.’
It’s going to interesting to see whether the stark minimalism of the menu and the relatively high price will prove a hit in Manchester in 2012.
Follow Sleuth on twitter @Sleuth
Salad - lots of leaf fun
Curious desserts, mad typeface
