For information, reservations see their website, https://les3bornes.com/en
Rating Standards: 5-Stars = Extraordinary; 4-Stars = Excellent; 3-Stars = Average; 2-Stars = Fair; 1-Star = Poor
€ = Inexpensive: 30€ and under; €€ = Moderate: 31€-49€; €€€ = Expensive: €50 -75; €€€€ = Very Expensive: more than €76 (prices based on minimum 2-courses)
1-Bell = Pleasantly quiet (less than 65 decibels); 2-Bells = Can talk easily (65-70); 3-Bells = Talking normally gets difficult (70-80); 4-Bells = Can talk only in raised voices (75-90); BOMB = Too noisy for normal conversation (90+)
4.50 - Star........................................€€.................................... 1 - Bells
We normally go to Barcelona every fall to visit our friend Paul, who we've known for years and has lived in Paris for years, and our friend Emmanuel who was born and raised in Paris, but both currently live in Sitges, Spain 30-minutes outside of Barcelona, they decided to come to Paris for a visit. What a treat for us.
I selected this restaurant in the corner of the 11eme and 20eme, because it was mid-way from us who live in the south of Paris and they were staying in the north of Paris.
What a gem of a restaurant. The restaurant, loosely translated means 3-bornés "to limit." Strange name. This restaurant is definitely off the beaten path and definitely in a neighborhood where tourists would not go to, unless they're in the know. Although a tad gritty, it is a very safe neighborhood.
Despite the neighborhood, the interior of the restaurant was a pleasant surprise, was not large, but quite homey. Plants warmed the room with nice soft chairs and nice tables. You also got a peek-a-view of the chef and 2-sous chefs busying around in the kitchen to prepare our meals. A bar in the center that also doubled as a work station.
AMUSE BOUCHE
This was a quite a large amuse bouche, but glad it was, because it was absolutely delicious. It was muffins made out of beets but filled with a savory tuna fish, served warm. The slight sweetness of the muffins and the savoriness of the tuna made this a big hit. I could've just eaten this all night and would've been satisfied.
ENTRÉES
CECINA. This was not on the regular menu. In a nutshell, Cecina is a like an aged iberico ham, but with BEEF. It was served with salted butter. I'm assuming the butter was meant for the bread. I have to say, I'm a new fan of beef "ham". It was really quite tasty, and not as greasy or fatty as Spanish ham. BTW, this style of preparing originated in Spain. It was a hit for all of us. You only need need to order, one. It's good for 4-people.
BEETROOT AND AUVERGNE BLUE APPLE TATIN TART. I'm not a beets fan, but I have to say this was delicious. The natural sweetness of the beets along with the surprise tart bottom gave it a contrast. As for the cream cheese accompanying, it was savory enough to bring some balance to the sweetness. We all agreed it was a hit.
PLATS
DUCK BREAST WITH BAKER'S APPLE AND PEPPER SAUCE. One of our friends ordered this dish. He said it was cooked perfect, medium rare. The sauce was a great accompaniment.
LAMB. Three of us ordered this dish. This was not on the regular menu. It was a roulade of lamb stuffed with carrots and peas and some raisins. I thought it was an excellent dish. It was topped with a parmesan tuile and a side of encrusted potato. A hit.
DESSERTS
VACHERIN STRAWBERRY RHUBARB.
JJ adores rhubarb and this dish actually had slices of rhubarb in it, and a sorbet inside the tart. A huge hit, perfectly cooked, presented, and put together!
AGED CHEESES. As I always say, you can't go wrong with cheese in France. I have to say we got a nice variety of both cow and sheep cheese. And, the sweetness of the kiwi jam made it a nice touch.
TERRES ROUGES. A wine made with the grapes of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, and merlot.
Tasting notes: "Strong smell of fresh, light fruit, strawberries. Tastes much deeper, like plum and blackcurrant. Lightly acidic, few tannins, this wine is incredibly easy to drink..."~ Vinio
SUMMARY
What a gem. Found this restaurant totally by accident. Now if you want to definite what a neighborhood restaurant would look like, this would be it. There was not one tourist in the restaurant. This would be out of the way for most tourists. But personally, I think it's worth the schlepp.
It's in a grittier neighborhood, but very safe. But once you walk into the restaurant it's such a contrast. You walk into a warm cozy restaurant, not large but comfortable. The wait-personal was great. I don't believe they speak English, but you can peruse the menu before you go, since the online version is also in English. And, they don't have a menu, per se, you need to download it on your phone via a QR code provided on the table.
The food was great, the service was great. Would we go back, if we're in the neighborhood a definite yes. But it took us almost an hour on the metro to get there.
For 2-entrees, 4-plat principal, 2-desserts, 1-bottle of wine and 2-glasses of white wine our meal came to 175€ total, or round up to 44€ per person. What a great deal in today's market. BTW- they also have a 5 course prix-fixe (55€, plus 35€ if you want to add the wine flight) which is an incredible deal, but 5 courses is too much food for us.
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