Address: | 558 Broome St, New York, NY 10013, USA |
Phone: | +1 212-925-3061 |
Site: | lasirenenyc.com |
Rating: | 4.4 |
Working: | 5–11PM 5–11PM 5–11PM 5–11PM 12PM–12AM 12PM–12AM 12–10:30PM |
HO
howard swood
"New York City has no shortage of French restaurants but it is surprisingly difficult to find a reliable, unfussy French bistro that cares more about the quality of food than the glitzy atmosphere. In SoHo, Balthazar has been the French bistro everyone knows about, swarming with tourists on a nightly basis, but my experience there this year in terms of food was quite mixed. If you are in SoHo or nearby area and want to explore the French bistro cuisine, Ill give you a hint: go to the western side of SoHo and step into this charming space with the sign La Sirene on the front. It has had a loyal following since opening almost 10 years ago, but for some reason it has also been hidden quite well under the radar. On a recent Saturday visit with my girlfriend, I had a lot to like about the food coming from the kitchen. The menu at La Sirene is a collection of simple bistro classics. Youve probably seen a lot of these and eaten a lot of these already. For bistro food, however, it is not always easy to be successful in execution department, which thankfully this kitchen is doing well. Roasted escargots with butter and garlic sauce had the nice texture without overpowering richness. I havent seen mussels steamed with curry before, and enjoyed the spicy kick instead of creamy sensation that brought something unique to the table. My girlfriend and I happily dipped the remaining bread to the curry. The best appetizer of the night, however, clearly belonged to baked goat cheese tart with shallots, truffles and grape. It was a sensational dish that my girlfriend couldnt stop raving about, with the silky smooth goat cheese (which Im not even quite a fan of in the first place) working so beautifully in the tart form for elegant balance in flavor. Tournedos Rossini, a classic meat dish consisting of filet mignon topped with foie gras and red wine truffles sauce, was another winner, with the juicy, tender filet mignon really shining and the foie gras and truffles sauce adding a level of richness that added to the texture (although my girlfriend said she wished the sauce came out a little less heavy). For dessert, we chose and absolutely loved croquembouche au caramel, basically a stuffed choux (a pastry dough) filled with French vanilla cream topped with caramel and sliced toasted almond. It was pure decadence with the delightful mixture of vanilla cream and caramel crust. Getting a reservation at La Sirene isnt too difficult, but the dining space quickly filled up so I would still recommend booking in advance. The restaurant takes only cash or AMEX credit card, so be aware. It has been long known for a BYOB place from Sunday through Thursday (although now they seem to charge small amounts for corkage fees); I will certainly go back during one of those days in the near future. I was a fan of the cozy, inviting dining space that seems perfect for an intimate date night or casual get together with a group of friends. If youre looking for a satisfying meal with soulful French bistro food, La Sirene is one of the viable options I would be glad to recommend.
ME
Melanie Tam
**Restaurant Week Summer 2017 Review** My sister and I made a reservation through Open Table the day before and there were plenty of times available. We came in at 7 on a Wednesday and one of their dining rooms was full. And when I say full, I mean cramped, as in we were pretty much sitting elbow to elbow with strangers. It wasnt until I went to go use the restroom did I discover another dining room, which was almost empty. I guess they did that to make it seem more poppin than it actually was. To start, I had the Pate de Campagne Maison (served with cornichons, dijon, and pearl onions). My sister had the Ravioles de Royan (stuffed comte cheese and garlic little tiny raviolis with cream and truffles). The pate had too much of some type of seasoning - couldnt quite put my finger on what it Waals, but the pearl onions and side salad it came with definitely helped balance it out a bit. On the other hand, the ravioli was amazing. They even had whole pieces of truffle in it. The portion size would was perfect for an appetizer because anymore, and it would have been overkill. For the main, I had the Steak Tartare with Toasted Pugliese Bread, and she had the Pan-Seared Hangar Steak. I enjoyed my steak tartare but after finished about a third of it, it was a little much. I think this would have been better in a smaller portion, as an appetizer instead. The hangar steak was chewy but the flavor was excellent, as they cooked it in a generous amount of fresh garlic. For dessert, I had the scoop of Cranberry Sorbet. It was nice and refreshing after a heavy meal like this. I was only able to eat about half though because it was pretty tart. My sis had the Banana Brûlée (french vanilla custard with fresh sliced bananas and smashed graham crackers), which she loved. Not sure Id be back, as Im not a fan of cramped restaurants and I only thought the food was better than okay, and not great. Tip - a glass of their house Bordeaux was $9, which wasnt bad at all, for its quality.
AL
Alice Chang
big fan of la sirene :) here are the reasons why: 1. b.y.o.b.: i was the first to arrive in our party and decided to look for a glass of wine to order then i saw "b.y.o.b. with no corkage fee" and thought, wait, am i dreaming?! and wait, where am i going to get my booze?! luckily my friends boyfriend came equipped with 2 bottles of wine. we were good for the rest of dinner :) 2. unlimited veggies with entree: i was able to unleash my inner vegetarian and had as many plates of veggies as my little heart desired! from mashed carrots, brussel sprouts, string beans, and some sort of beet(?). i was extremely satisfied. 3. excellent food: i got the sea bass and it was beautifully presented with light and not overbearing flavor with great sauce. i tried my friends filet and foie and its definitely worth ordering as well (had i not have steak scheduled the following night i would definitely have ordered the steak). 4. excellent dessert: lets not mention we ended the dinner with banana creme brulee and sorbet. the banana creme brulee was a hybrid of banana pudding and creme brulee, definitely devoured this one. the sorbet assortment (coconut, mango, berries) were excellent! you can definitely tell theyre homemade. the flavors were excellent :) 5. reasonable: with entree, unlimited veggies, bread, and dessert we paid $40/person. i mean, unheard of in this city that literally rapes my wallet. i thought i had to pay an arm and a leg for dinner, but nope, not at la sirene. highly reco this restaurant for an intimate get together/dinner. i really cant think of anything i can complain about ;) p.s. cash/check only!
TA
Taylor Yi
I have had a somewhat mixed experience at this restaurant judging from my two experiences here. The first time I went, the food was absolutely fantastic. The flavors were very full and nuanced. The ravioli as an appetizer and the foie gras and filet mignon as an entree were both to die for. However, the second time, I had the Cassoulet and, true to the warning on the menu, the dish was very heavy and unspectacular. It just felt like I was eating a bowl filled with beans and meat, and while the beans and meat were well done and generally pretty flavorful, it was just an unsatisfying meal for me. However, I am willing to forgive this experience and call it personal preference because the escargot and mussels were very delicious. Overall, this restaurant has a very homey feel--like your mothers kitchen almost--and generally very delicious. Ambiance is a bit on the loud side, but the quality of the food makes up for it The restaurant is cash only and also BYOB. However, if you forget to bring wine, the very attentive wait staff will offer to order from a nearby wine shop, which will deliver the wine to the restaurant for you. Overall, this is a great restaurant and offers a more casual setting to enjoy very high quality French food.