2 May 2012

Mourad Dine trained at business school in Brussels and has a grasp of many languages. As far as he is concerned, though, the fact that his franchised restaurant’s fortunes have improved over the last seven years is not down to talent or being in the right place at that right time. “Its really simple” he says. “We serve the best steak, the best frites and a secret recipe sauce, with salad to start. Consistency is vital.”

With just steak frites on the menu, consistency is vital. It’s also something his restaurants are equipped for, trading as they do in volume and cooking the same, simple dish, day in, day out.

There are branches in London, New York, Paris and now Manchester. And the restaurants are popular. There’s no booking system. You just turn up and queue. The model, Kate Moss and actress, Gillian Anderson, are regulars at the London outlets and each is a replica of the original in Paris.

Staff are dressed in black and white with hair in buns. My friend who ate there are the weekend said that it reminded him of eating in a French ski resort in the 1980s. I can’t confirm or deny this, but it is definitely retro. The panels are dark wood, there are those half-length net curtains in the window, and everything is tile, wood or paint. It’s very…French.

As a young waitress walks away from our table Mourad says that he tells the staff to treat customers like they are guests in their own home – “you would keep an eye on them, ask them if they need anything, make sure they are happy and comfortable.”

Steak frites

The first course is a mustard-dressed salad, with a few crushed walnuts on top. It reminds me of salads in Paris which is the idea; almost spicy, fresh and palate cleansing. The main course steak comes finely sliced and cooked blue, rare, medium or well done. Mine is perfectly rare, with golden, crisp skinny fries on the side, silver-served by a stuttering waitress. She is looking the managing director in the eye, I suppose - and he’s not incapable of being intimidating.

Chewing on a perfectly crisp chip, Mourad points out that they use only French potatoes. When I ask why British potatoes aren’t up to the job, he wrinkles his nose slightly. “It’s a question of flavour”, he says. He also considers the sauce vital to the chain’s popularity. Green in colour and served over the top of the sliced steak, it’s a like béarnaise, mixed with herbs and something astringent, like lemon juice or mustard. I can’t add more here, sadly, as the recipe is top secret.

For dessert, he orders every option on the menu, just to see how the kitchen are getting on. My first impressions are of generosity. For example, you get two chocolate or lemon tarts for under £5. That’s a lot of tart for your pound. My favourite was a simple wine glass filled with vanilla ice cream, chestnut puree and topped with crème anglaise. Called Mont-Blanc, “its very French” Mourad says with a grin. It sure is. It’s also a lesson in simplicity and consistency that contemporary British restaurants could learn a thing or two from.

Le Relais De Venise, 84 King Street, Manchester, M2 4WQ. www.relaisdevenise.co.uk