Heed the call of Siren, a terrific new South Slope seafood spot 

By Scott Lynch

As soon as they saw the place a year ago, and soaked in the vibe of the neighborhood, best friends Diego Davila and chef Javier Suarez knew they wanted to open their first restaurant in the South Slope. Davila even moved over here from Queens with his family soon after signing the lease about a year ago. “When I came here, I fell in love with this neighborhood,” he tells Brooklyn Magazine. “I fell in love with this community.”

And now, after a long year of work transforming what was once a taco shop dive bar into their casual but stylish, full-service restaurant Siren, South Slope seems eager to return the love.

Photo by Scott Lynch

“We had our soft opening about three weeks ago; the only people walking in at that point were our neighbors. We’ve had regulars since the first day,” says Jose Moscoso, Siren’s operational manager and partner. “Just because this is a small business — just because we’re not in Manhattan — doesn’t mean that service has to suffer, or the quality of the food.”

The quality of food comes down to chef Suarez, whose ambitious menu covers all the basic seafood pleasure points, from hamachi crudo and fritto misto to lobster ravioli and snow crab legs. Everything is good, but your first stop at Siren should definitely be the oyster bar, featuring a well-curated selection from both the east and west coasts. We gleefully slurped four different varieties the other night, and they were all bracingly fresh and delicious.

East and west coast oysters, priced from $1.50 for the bluepoint to $4.75 for the kumamoto (Scott Lynch)

Other winners from our visit included Suarez’s luscious and tender octopus, with the cephalopod laid over a bed of squid-ink hummus, a smattering of pomegranate strewn about for a bit of tang and acid. This was exceptional.

Octopus on squid ink hummus, $22  (Scott Lynch)

The casino clams were also very good, the plump, briny bivalve meat allowed to shine under the crunchy breading and bacon chunks. As a fun bonus, the dish arrives at your table literally on fire.

This clam is on fire, $20 (Scott Lynch)

There are several creamy soups, some basic salads, and a bunch of pastas on the menu as well. We opted for the linguine with clams in the latter category, but the mushroom tagliatelle might have been better in terms of bringing something earthy to the feast.

Linguine with clams, $28 (Scott Lynch)

Our splittable-sized entree of branzino was simple and beautifully cooked, the three filets draped atop a mound of fat, slippery couscous.

Branzino, $36 (Scott Lynch)

Want to eat something that lived on land? There’s roasted chicken, strip steak and lamb chops here too. Booze-wise, cocktails will set you back about $17 or $18, bottles of wine hover around $60, and beers are eight bucks a pop, for a bottle or can. The big marble bar is a large presence in the relaxed room, welcoming locals who may just want to stop in for a drink and bite.

“We pride ourselves in being a neighborhood restaurant,” says Moscoso. “People walk by and wave, and they know us and we know them, and it feels like home. And that’s how we want Siren to feel for everyone. Like home.”

Siren is located at 687 Fifth Avenue, between 21st and 20th Streets, and is currently open on Tuesday through 4 to 11 p.m., on Friday from 4 to midnight, on Saturday from 2 to midnight, and on Sunday from 2 to 9:30 p.m. Closed Monday. (347-689-4577)