L’ENTRECÔTE
This is a post about a very unique restaurant in France…. a restaurant so particular that either you love it or you hate it (as shown by yelp’s or tripadvisor’s reviews)…. L’Entrecôte is a family-own place in Toulouse’s city center that first impresses by the colourful signs and then by the queues….. yes! the very long queues at the door every mid-day and afternoon, testament of the popular essence of this restaurant.
The restaurant only serves one dish, which is very rare in French cuisine, where a diverse à la carte menu is customary in every restaurant… but here, of course. Here, you can only choose the “doneness” or cuisson of the faux-filet, which is served with a delicious secret sauce, unlimited French fries and green salad with vinaigrette and nuts. Even the wine is limited to only 2 local very good reds and 1 rosé.
So, as you can imagine, this unique formula can be a bit too much for some customers used to the very best French bistro experience, but l’Entrecote remains a very affordable delicious menu which contributes to the reputation of the place.
Initially intended as a single restaurant, l’Entrecote was founded by Henri Gineste de Saurs in the 60’s, with the purpose of benefiting from the local agricultural products to offer on the one hand a high quality meal at attractive prices, and on the other a window to small local producers to highlight their products. It is then no surprise that the success was assured!
Year after year, with success growing, the family started to open new restaurants using the same style and formula across France, and more recently also internationally with the opening of the Barcelona branch.
But what is so special about it?
First and foremost it is the meat and the sauce. The faux-filets are all from France or Germany and they are carefully cut and cooked to your desire. The sauce is a mystery. According to many sources only a handful of employees know the actual recipe. After looking and testing some of the recipes on the internet, this one is quite close:
And then there is the ambiance. The room is elegantly decorated as a typical French bistro, with Scottish black tartan covering the walls and the usual table distribution that allows you to be comfortable and at the same time be able to talk with your neighbours if desired.
It is definitely an experience worth having and worth a detour. You can now visit a l’Entrecote in Toulouse, Lyon, Nantes, Montpellier, Bordeaux & Barcelona.
