La Sirène has been open since 2008 and has expanded, changed, and created spin-offs, yet has managed to remain a cult favorite among those who have been eating there for years. In its early days, La Sirène was a tiny BYOB restaurant in the southwestern no man's land of SoHo. Today, it has taken over an adjacent storefront and started serving wine and liquor, but the original charm remains, thanks to chef/owner, Didier Pawlicki, who came to New York from Provence. Didier is obsessed with internet feedback and puts commentary on his menu like, “This cassoulet is a Very Rich Dish which was served for Warriors to defend their Village! Don’t take it if you can’t bear it :)”. So, yeah, now you know that. The intimate and feisty atmosphere suffered a bit once they expanded, and their new wine list isn’t an improvement from their long-held BYOB policy, but overall, the vibe at La Sirène is still the same - it’s charming and a little bit funky. As for what to eat, the menu here is generally solid, minus a few misses. Sure, there is probably better French food in NYC, but La Sirène is pretty damn good and pretty damn authentic. Imagine walking into an undiscovered bistro somewhere in Provence, and having a, “THIS IS FRANCE” moment. You can have that moment here too, as long as you can block out the actual tunnel vision right outside the window and focus on appreciating the classic French flavors instead. Plus, sometimes you just want a hyperactive and passionate Provençal man to serve you the best profiteroles you’ve ever had in a strange corner of Manhattan. This is your place.