LA SIRENE

07/16/2008 Posted by architect68ny

Until my visit to La Sirene this past friday, I had never EVER liked mussels. I'm not a finicky eater or anything, but it was just something that I've never liked. My friends have been talking about La Sirene for a few months now, and it sounded good, so we finally came together. I don't know why, or how, but I somehow ended up agreeing to share the curried mussels. And it changed my life! I had never imagined it could be so delicious. My compliments to the chef! The spiciness of the curry beautifully balanced the subtle sweetness of the diced apple. absolutely lovely meal--I found myself mesmerized by this appetizer, and don't remember speaking the entire time! I love duck, and the chef's approach was gorgeous. just gorgeous! the cherries worked perfectly with the richness of the bird, and i very nearly ordered another! thank you so much to the chef and to the staff! it was a wonderful wonderful meal! the hostess was lovely. I didn't catch her name, but she was so warm and friendly, as was the restaurant itself! i was pleasantly surprised. i always thought that so many french restaurants were generic "bistro" type places. But this breaks the mold, and makes me wish that THIS was the model that other french places in the city used! now, don't go expecting white tablecloths and china... but I don't think that's what the chef intended! this restaurant is perfect if you want to feel at home, at ease, and welcome! I am sorry it took me so long to find this restaurant, but I will definitely coming back.

Pros: Fantastic food, great service!

Cons: I wish there had been seats outside!

07/15/2008 Posted by davidnycparis

I stopped by La Sirene tonight, and, admittedly, I am a regular patron--but I felt I needed to correct the record. The prior review was completely out of line because the reviewer didn't understand what was going on! Daphnee, though she works at La Sirene, was not actually working that night, and was just enjoying a meal and a drink with her friends and family (that should say something, that the staff chooses to bring their family to eat there from out of town!). She ended up helping just a little bit, but was not on shift! She, and the rest of the staff at La Sirene, is incredible. So thoughtful, attentive and knowledgeable. La Sirene and its family are a rare find in this city. A place where you will be taken care of, treated as family and have a wonderful dining experience. What I really enjoy about La Sirene is the responsiveness of the Chef/Owner, Didier, to his customers. As a preliminary matter, the food is delicious. The ingredients are incredibly fresh, and Didier's recipes are clearly crafted with intuition, care and great taste. But what makes the experience is Didier's passion and his care for his guests. Upon entering, you feel like you're in a friend's dining room, over for a dinner party. Didier takes your mood and your tastes into account when he makes his recommendations from the evening's menu, and your trust of his judgment is rewarded by a meal which will leave you speechless. The staff at La Sirene is the perfect complement to Didier's attentiveness, and the dining experience there would not be nearly as wonderful if not for Daphnee and her colleagues. I'm looking forward to my next visit already!

Pros: le chef, bien sur! the staff is incredibly attentive and warm, and the food is memorable and delicious!

Cons: i've got nothing here.

07/14/2008 Posted by MaureenNY

I have wanted to try this tiny bistro in my neighborhood for a long time after reading Bruni's review and seeing all the great write ups of the food, ambience, and staff here. And I would like to give it another chance, as the food was pretty good. But my experience at La Sirene was not what I hoped for. My friend and I decided to check it out on the 4th of July hoping there wouldn't be a wait as the neighborhood was rather quiet that night. We arrived with our bottle of wine and were delighted to see several empty tables and the great smell of garlic and butter. The staff, it seemed, was less than excited to see us however. I understand that it was a holiday, but why be open if you can't take care of guests properly? We were quizzed as to whether or not we had wine (we did) and cash (we did) before reluctantly led to a table. The food, like i said, was good, but not as memorable as we had hoped. We tried a very buttery hanger steak and a strange pork dish, which I'll admit, was exactly what was described on the menu, but it was still weird. The service was astounding though. Daphne, the "manager" was definitely drunk and spent much of her time outside smoking or sitting at a table of friends, occasionally getting up to serve food when a bell was rung. It was really shocking, because we had read such nice things about her and the rest of the staff. We hoped to meet the famous Didier but he was nowhere in sight, or else I'm sure he would have been surprised. I know it was a holiday, but this seemed unacceptable, even for the fourth of July. We hope to try again but will definitely be a little wary.

Pros: Smells great, Very quaint and cute

Cons: Unreliable staff

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06/27/2008 Posted by Shelbygal

Dear Didier, You and your team of Daphne, Olivier and sous-chefs deserve more stars than this web review allows. It's incredible how your talented and lovely crew can put out such amazing and delicious food in such tight (yet charming) quarters. The experience from the moment one is greeted on the sidewalk is delightful. And it just gets better from there. I had attended a 20+ birthday dinner there 2 weeks ago and couldn't believe how effortlessly your team pulled off getting everyone served at the same time, and it was fantastic. Last night my sister and I hosted new friends there and we were all enchanted by the deliciousness of the food and the lovely atmosphere and service. I hope to be a regular and kudos to all of you for creating such a lovely French respite in such a dreary part of Manhattan! C'est magnifique! Michele

Pros: Service, Food, Menu selections, Charm

Cons: Tight seating quarters (which adds to charm)

06/26/2008 Posted by chiway

A rare BYOB gem in Manhattan. First, La Sirene boasts a quality staff. Daphne, our all-in-one, hostess, waitress, and sommelier was knowledgeable and extremely helpful, providing suggestions and personable service that elevated the enjoyment of the entire dining experience. In addition, the food from the eight dishes we had, was wonderful... for the most part. The duck liver appetizer was so flavorful I found myself lapping up the residual fat from the plate (like fat from seared foie gras). Another surprising appetizer (I was skeptical at first) was the poached quail egg and foie gras jelly. The egg was perfectly poached, and upon breaking through the gelatin and egg white, the yolk oozed out wonderfully over the different components of the dish. The combination of textures and tastes from the foie gras, egg yolk, egg white, and jelly proved to be a stellar example of how cooking should be about creating a whole which is greater than the sum of its parts. The off-menu quail was my favorite of the night. I simply never had quail that was so moist and delicately flavored. The seasoning was subtle and appropriate where the meat was allowed to shine through the virtue of its perfect doneness. However, with all these high points, this gem of a restaurant had a near unforgivable flaw. The one dish that threatened to ruin the entire experience was the pork tenderloin with, oh yes, chocolate sauce. The chocolate overpowered every other component of the dish, drowning and muddling any other flavor that attempted to break through. Even more unforgivable, the pork (and i LOVE pork), was cooked to the point I felt like I was eating sandpaper. It was so overcooked that even the excessive chocolate sauce didn't succeed in masking how dry and tough the meat had become. Despite this, in the end, the combination of Daphne's service and the virtues of the other dishes managed to save the evening, qualifying it, in my mind, as a delightful gem.

Pros: BYOB, Service, Food

Cons: Cramped, Pork Tenderloin

06/25/2008 Posted by PaulF10014

We were, simply, wowed by the quality of the food at this restaurant. The skirt steak was simply superb; some of the best food I've had in Manhattan. It's nicely located within walking distance to the West Village and Soho, but far enough away that you don't have to deal with all the bridge and tunnel trash (you know who you are) that flows unchecked into those neighborhoods on weekends.

Pros: Incredible Food; Charming Service

Cons: None

06/08/2008 Posted by michel

I revisited La Sirene with some wine lover friends of mine for a Basque wine dinner with the Cassoulet. Despite the fact that the restaurant had taken the cassoulet off the menu they agreed in advance to make it for us and it was fantastic (just a hint salty, but that's a minor complaint). Service was warm and expert (and cute), and our appetizers were just delicious. This is a real gem and I will be certain to return. And the BYO-friendly policy certainly helps. Cheers!

Pros: BYO, very good food

Cons: Tight spacing, AC is so-so

06/06/2008 Posted by justin11211

friends decided to take me to la sirene for my 31st birthday celebration last week and i had a most memorable evening. met the infamous didier within minutes of arrival, who came over to chat with us, as if we had been longtime friends. from appetizer (soupe l'oignon, escargots, fresh sliced tomato special) to main course (poached skate, hanger steak, roasted lamb leg) to dessert (creme brulee, bittersweet profiteroles), the food was excellent, everything prepared to perfection. but what really stood out was the attentiveness and warmth of service that was provided. at some point the waitress overheard it was my birthday, who greeted me with a "bon anniversaire!" later in the evening, what was truly memorable was when they brought out dessert, the music was turned down and didier and co. surprised me with a rendition of "happy birthday" and candles on the profiteroles! this wasn't pre-planned by my friends at all i found out, and was fully the thoughtful gesture of didier and staff. it is really these little touches that have left an indelible impression... and i will go back again and again. didier, here's the review that i promised you i'd write!:) thanks again!:)

05/16/2008 Posted by Renanit

We came here for the first time for my 35th birthday last week. Although we were disappointed that the chef himself was not on site, we found all the food delightful (esp. the hangar steak with 4 incredible veggie sides and the duck liver salad, which was incredible and large enough to be an entree in its own right), the decor very cute and the service warm and friendly. It was an incredible value and a transporting experience for a very special evening. We will definitely be back and I have recommended it to friends already.

Pros: Excellent food, charming decor, good value

Cons: Tiny crowded tables, did not look like they had a/c

05/12/2008 Posted by JamesandPam

The second we arrived at La Sirene, we were enthusiastically greeted by a waitress and the chef who led us right to our table (we made reservations a week prior) during peak dining hours this past Saturday (5/10/08) evening. We brought some Prosecco with us (always been a huge fan of BYOB restaurants) and the chef came right over and opened our bottle with a flourish that inspired applause from the other diners. Our appetizers consisted of the duck liver salad and the escargot. Our conversation came to a complete standstill as we devoured our plates with such voracity that we later joked about the fact that we must have appeared to be two people who hadn't eaten in a week! After pretty much licking our plates clean, the waitress gave us a perfectly timed pause before serving our entrees (I ordered the duck and my girlfriend Pam had the pork special)....again; complete food hypnosis ensued and it took less than 10 minutes for us to inhale the scrumptious duck and pork. Our water glasses were never more than half empty as were our champagne flutes. The waitstaff has completely mastered the art of taking care of one's every need while never becoming a "hovering" annoyance. Two meals (the appetizers are easily as filling as the entrees....and in a very good way!) and two bottles of Prosecco later, we still had room for dessert and coffee....the creme brule was absolutely perfect, as was the coffee. The atmosphere was dizzingly fun without being too loud for a non-screaming conversation. The chef visited every table at least twice and seemed genuinly interested in what the diners had to say about his food. Upon leaving, we agreed that it was the best meal we'd had since visiting Paris over a year ago and I HIGHLY reccommend people make a reservation before it becomes popular enough (which I'm sure it will) to warrant a month-long wait for a table.

Pros: Everything about this place!

Cons: None come to mind.