Gineste de Saurs

Gineste de Saurs refers to a French family of wine producers whose history in southern France is traced to the fourteenth century. The family's principal wine property is Château de Saurs in Lisle-sur-Tarn, approximately 50 kilometres northeast of Toulouse. The château was constructed between 1848 and 1852 by Eliezer Gineste de Saurs and later became the headquarters of the family's Château de Saurs wine business. The winery is headed by Marie-Paule Burrus and her husband, Yves Burrus, who comes from the Swiss Burrus family of industrialists. The family name is also closely associated with a distinctive restaurant concept created by Paul Gineste de Saurs. In 1959, Paul opened a restaurant near Porte Maillot in Paris's 17th arrondissement. Its deliberately narrow menu centered on steak-frites, using a sirloin-style cut known in French as contre-filet or entrecôte. Instead of serving the steak with the more conventional herbed butter, the restaurant used a proprietary butter-based sauce. The meal was structured around a simple lettuce-and-walnut salad with mustard vinaigrette, followed by steak and fries, with desserts such as fruit pastries, profiteroles, ice cream, chocolate sauce, meringue and whipped cream. The original restaurant operated under the name Le Relais de Venise – L'Entrecôte. After Paul's death in 1966, three of his children continued the family business through separate restaurant groups. Hélène Godillot retained control of the original Porte Maillot restaurant and expanded the Le Relais de Venise – L'Entrecôte name to Barcelona and London. Marie-Paule Burrus established a separate group under the name Le Relais de l'Entrecôte, with restaurants in Paris and Geneva. Henri Gineste de Saurs developed another group under the name L'Entrecôte, opening restaurants in Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nantes, Montpellier, Lyon and Barcelona. These restaurants share a recognizable formula rather than operating as a single unified chain: a limited menu, steak served with fries and the group's characteristic sauce, and a traditional French dessert selection. The post-1966 history therefore reflects both continuity and family division. Different branches retained related names and a common culinary model while developing their own geographic footprints and management structures. The founder's grandchildren have increasingly participated in the businesses, including Patrick-Alain Godillot in the Relais de Venise – L'Entrecôte group, Valérie Lagarde and Corinne de Roaldès in the L'Entrecôte group, and Paul-Christian Burrus in the Relais de l'Entrecôte group. The Gineste de Saurs subject is consequently broader than a conventional packaged-goods brand. It combines a longstanding southern French wine-producing family, the Château de Saurs property, and several family-linked restaurant businesses whose names and operations diverged after the death of Paul Gineste de Saurs. Public reference material does not establish a single consolidated corporation, a public listing, a group-wide website, or financial figures for all of these activities.

The Gineste de Saurs family is described as having lived in southern France since the fourteenth century. Its best-known wine property, Château de Saurs, stands at Lisle-sur-Tarn in the Tarn region, northeast of Toulouse. The family château was built from 1848 to 1852 by Eliezer Gineste de Saurs. It later served as the headquarters of the family's wine business, Château de Saurs, which is headed by Marie-Paule Burrus and Yves Burrus. A second major strand of the family history began in Paris in 1959, when Paul Gineste de Saurs opened a restaurant near Porte Maillot. The establishment was built around a highly restricted menu: a salad starter, steak-frites as the central dish, and a short selection of classic desserts. Its steak used the French entrecôte or contre-filet cut and was paired with a distinctive butter-based sauce rather than ordinary herb butter. The concept was named Le Relais de Venise – L'Entrecôte. Paul died in 1966. His three children continued the restaurant activity but developed separate businesses. Hélène Godillot retained the original restaurant and extended the Le Relais de Venise – L'Entrecôte identity to Barcelona in 2003 and London in 2005. Marie-Paule Burrus developed the Le Relais de l'Entrecôte group in Paris and Geneva. Henri Gineste de Saurs established the L'Entrecôte group outside Paris, with openings in Toulouse in 1962, Bordeaux in 1966, Nantes in 1980, Montpellier in 1990, Lyon in 1999 and Barcelona in 2019. The resulting businesses are related by family and culinary format but are not presented in the reference material as one consolidated operating company. The founder's grandchildren became increasingly involved, notably Patrick-Alain Godillot, Valérie Lagarde, Corinne de Roaldès and Paul-Christian Burrus. Gineste de Saurs is therefore best understood as a family-linked business identity spanning wine production and several restaurant groups, rather than as a single modern consumer brand with a unified corporate structure.

1. 2019L'Entrecôte opens in Barcelona

   Henri Gineste de Saurs's L'Entrecôte group adds a Barcelona location.

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2. 2005Le Relais de Venise – L'Entrecôte expands to London

   The Le Relais de Venise – L'Entrecôte branch extends its international presence with a London restaurant.

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3. 2003Le Relais de Venise – L'Entrecôte expands to Barcelona

   Hélène Godillot's branch opens a Barcelona location.

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4. 1966Family restaurant businesses separate after Paul's death

   Following Paul Gineste de Saurs's death, his three children continue the business through distinct restaurant groups.

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5. 1962L'Entrecôte opens in Toulouse

   Henri Gineste de Saurs begins the expansion of his separate L'Entrecôte restaurant group with a Toulouse location.

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6. 1959Paul Gineste de Saurs opens the first steak-frites restaurant

   Paul opens a restaurant near Porte Maillot in Paris, introducing the Le Relais de Venise – L'Entrecôte concept.

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7. 1852Château de Saurs is completed

   The château is completed and later becomes the headquarters of the family's wine business.

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8. 1848Construction of Château de Saurs begins

   Eliezer Gineste de Saurs begins construction of the family château at Lisle-sur-Tarn.

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A heritage French family enterprise combining southern French wine production with highly focused, traditional steak-frites restaurant concepts.

• Château de Saurs winesWine

  The family's wine business is based at Château de Saurs in Lisle-sur-Tarn. The available reference material identifies the property and family management but does not provide a sufficiently detailed account of its grape varieties, appellations, cuvées or production volumes.

• Le Relais de Venise – L'EntrecôteRestaurant concept1959

  A focused French restaurant format originating in Paris in 1959. Its signature meal combines a lettuce salad with walnuts and mustard vinaigrette, steak-frites and a distinctive butter-based sauce, followed by a limited dessert selection. The concept expanded to Barcelona and London under Hélène Godillot's family branch.

• Le Relais de l'EntrecôteRestaurant concept1966

  A separate family restaurant group established by Marie-Paule Burrus after the post-1966 division of the business. The group operates in Paris and Geneva and follows the family's recognizable steak-frites-centered dining model.

• L'EntrecôteRestaurant concept1962

  Henri Gineste de Saurs's restaurant group, developed outside Paris. Locations were opened in Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nantes, Montpellier, Lyon and Barcelona, with a menu centered on steak-frites and the family's characteristic sauce.

1. Gineste de Saurs