Entrecôte

Although I’m very fortunate that Brad is a relatively adventurous and open minded eater, he can also be a very simple creature.

As we departed from a dinner at Entrecôte with Rob and Glenn, he pondered why would you go to Entrecôte for a $40 steak, when you could get steak at a pub for a whole lot less?

Oh silly boy, it’s because at Entrecôte you get exceptional quality meat, and on top of that, a darling Parisian experience.

The expectation is set the second you set eyes on it from across the road, in a beautiful Victorian style building, I gush over the adorable astroturf terrace set up out front (very European, tres chic) and the simple elegance of the bar area that I opt to sit in. The dining room was a little dark for me at 5:30pm in the afternoon. I also gush over the aloof but very cute waiters wandering around (but don’t tell Brad that). 

5:30pm may seem early for dinner, but that’s because you must get in for happy hour, from 4pm to 6pm daily, for $2 oysters and French onion gougeres, $12 champagne and $7 glasses of wine. 

The oysters are beautiful, cool to the touch, briny and sweet, and served with lemon and mignonette sauce, but I love mine natural. 

The gougeres though had me completely enraptured, the choux pastry the size of a small fist, and surprisingly heavy to lift up, as it’s completely stuffed with caramelised onions and oozy amounts of cheese. Amazing. 

Should have ordered two!

I love that Entrecôte keeps things simple with the menu, with only one main on offer, the steak frites, Grilled Hopkins River steak, with frites and sauce au beurre here de la maison, as well as a salad of soft leaves, radish, walnuts and a dijon vinaigrette. Why not do one thing, but do it well after all?

I request my steak medium rare, and it comes out perfectly blushing, and is sumptuously tender and juicy. I don’t go out for steak that often, but Entrecôte is definitely worth it. What really got my attention though, was the herb sauce that is lavishly poured over, so rich and aromatic…although the fries and salad are unlimited, what I really wanted was unlimited sauce!

The fries are crisp, and generously salted, as they should be, and the salad makes for a nice bit of relief from the overall richness. 

Although the fries are unlimited, honestly, by the time you finish the steak and the first lot of fries on your plate…I don’t really think you can fit in that much more potato! But feel free to prove me wrong…

Whilst choosing mains is a pretty easy affair, the desserts make it a little harder…fortunately with four of us present, it meant we could sample a healthy cross selection!

Whilst the profiteroles filled with vanilla ice-cream and topped with hot chocolate sauce promised many good things and looked a treat, we found that it was good, but not mind-blowingly so. I however did very much love the chocolate, which was dark and rich, the quality absolutely coming through.

The creme brûlée was perfect, cracking perfectly on top, to reveal a smooth, surprisingly light, but rich in vanilla custard. 

However, my surprise favourite dessert for the evening was the lemon tart with creme fraiche. Although I like a lemon tart, it’s not usually my go to dessert, but this particular night, I was completely won over by the zingy citrus flavours and again light texture, that just melted into the mouth. And that pastry? So short, no concerns about breaking the plate trying to get through the crust at the bottom here!

Although the desserts are beautiful, they are priced on the slightly high end, but for the creme brûlée and lemon tart, the quality completely comes through and are worth every dollar. I’ve also heard the chocolate mouse is very good, but my request was vetoed by the boys. Hmph!

Overall, I very much enjoyed my meal at Entrecôte. It wouldn’t be a regular for me, as mentioned earlier, I don’t really go out for steaks that often, but for a treat every now and again? Definitely. In fact, I would happily visit regularly at 5pm, gobble down oysters, fill up on gougeres and finish up with a lemon tart…that’ll totally count as dinner won’t it? 

Entrecôte

131-133 Domain Road

South Yarra