Le Relais de l'Entrecôte

There are restaurants where you choose. Then there is Le Relais de l'Entrecôte, where the only choice is how you would like your steak cooked.

The formula began in 1959 at Porte Maillot, when Paul Gineste de Saurs decided to serve just one dish, perfectly executed. His daughter Marie-Paule later founded Le Relais de l'Entrecôte, which continues the ritual at three Paris locations, on rue Marbeuf, in Saint-Germain and in Montparnasse.

One menu, an unchanging ritual

Green salad with walnuts, followed by exceptionally tender sirloin covered in the famous secret sauce, with homemade shoestring fries. Then comes the restaurant's little miracle: a second serving, arriving just when you thought you had finished. The sauce recipe, jealously guarded by the family, has fuelled theories for decades. All for around 28 euros: unbeatable at this level of consistency.

The queue is part of the tradition

No reservations: you queue like everyone else, outside a proper Parisian bistro with banquettes and waitresses dressed in black and white. In fine weather, the terrace makes the wait easier. The house wines come from Château de Saurs, the family's estate in the Tarn.

Who is it for?

• A hassle-free group meal: nobody debates the menu, because there is only one
• Lovers of Parisian classics that outlast passing fashions
• Value for money rarely found around the Champs

Why Le Relais stays with you

Because sixty years later, the queue is still there, and that tells you something.

Le Relais de l'Entrecôte, a single dish turned into an institution.