Le Relais de Venise l'entrecôte

Hmm. An interesting venue. I was told many good things about this restaurant, but it seems my expectations were set too high. Upon entry a great French atmosphere ensues, immediately encouraging guests to relax. So far so good. The first let down is upon seating, where cheap paper table covers make the restaurant feel more café than Parisienne dining. The tables are small, bringing the elbows into play and anyone of 6ft plus will struggle to get legs comfortably under the table. Service is fairly quick, though quiet waitresses will struggle to be heard among the buzzing background. Menu is simple, salad and then steak frite, cooked blue / rare / medium. Wine list is small so those with a finer palate will struggle. It is also confusing, in a restaurant where choices are limited and steak is cheaper than elsewhere, why does the wine increase in price so quickly? The Medoc was £36, and tasty but this was the next up from house, and a £55 option just did not seem worth it. Bread is served, simple French baguette sliced, though not all the way through, annoying when only one plate in a table of 8 is placed. No butter, although they use it to cook in the kitchen they will not offer it to you with the bread. Shame. A very annoying point. Salad was green fresh and leafy, and is so common in France, covered in dressing. A Dijon spice to the covering was overpowering at times. No real care to how it landed on your plate. Main is served steak frites, mine Blue. Now the real test of a steak restaurant is to get warmth into a blue steak without cooking it, and for a restaurant that only serves steak, I was disappointed. The Rare steak equally lacking in warmth. Dressing is applied to the steak if you asked for it or not and chips are thin cut and a touch over fried. Second portions of steak are brought round on a serving platter, though don't be surprised if the waitress leans straight across you to serve the inner table. Dessert is in French on the menu, a touch i actually like and there are a couple of very sickly looking very tempting options including a meringue ice cream tower with chocolate sauce. My simple chocolate and vanilla ice cream was just right in terms of amount and flavour to cleanse the palate, though fitting the spoon in the wine glass it was served in was a touch more difficult. All in all a mixed experience, a confused restaurant that errs too far into the cheap and cheerful for me to attend as a dining experience, though if all you want is steak and chips in a nice atmosphere for a reasonable price, give it a go. Oh and they don't take bookings.