Sirene — Restaurant in Oakland

Sirene's soft opening this January 2025 on Grand Avenue Oakland, in the previous Sisters and Boot & Shoe location, portends a wonderful new seafood bistro and bar option on what's becoming a very cool neighborly food, drink and entertainment block, which includes The Grand Lake Theater, Almond & Oak, The Alley Piano Bar and Walden Books, just to name a few. The decor and atmosphere of Sirene is simple, as if it was blown in on a warm breeze from the Normandy Coast of France. It's perfect for a restaurant specializing in dishes from the sea. The entire menu looks delicious and I look forward to making my way through it in it's entirety . On this visit, my first, my early test was the Fish & Chips, which not only looked good in it's presentation but tasted great accompanied by a generous dish of tarter sauce. Sitting at the bar it was easy to engage in conversation with other patrons, waite staff and even management. There is a nervous excitement in the air. I look forward to my next visit. The Mussels sound great! Breaking news: the Cafe is now open! And an update on last evenings Mussels, they were amazing in a very savory broth, even better than the ones I had at...

This is a focused, fearless seafood menu. Just one crowd-pleasing concession- fried chicken (but I wouldn’t know, because I’m not afraid.) What arrives is confident, precise cooking that feels like it matters.

The scallop crudo—creamy, clean, and sharpened with yuzu in a way that lingers. Then comes the lobster and duck mortadella, a shocking pairing that makes perfect sense once you’ve tasted it, especially when paired with those buttermilk-dressed pickles—tiny, bright bombs of acidity and richness.

Black cod, meltingly tender, woven with morels and bursts of cherry tomato. The ling cod fish and chips- flaky, golden perfection with a lobster béarnaise standing in for tartar sauce.

Every bite finds a perfect partner in the drinks program. A chartreuse slushy was a brilliant foil to the richness of the meal. The back bar is a masterclass in restraint—spirits chosen for character, not clout. Who else is pouring La Gauloise Jaune?

Service was warm, dialed in, and attentive without hovering. Ben and the bar team made us feel like regulars, every plate hit the table with that rare energy: someone really...

Ahhh lovely new restaurant vibes and decor all a 10 . Starting off strong seafood tower was DELISH. Maybe not worth the price but fun to experience and I want to try the terrines. The crudo I loveddd the smoky white mussel puree thing blew my mind. Do not get the lamp dumplings a salty salty mouthful of cumin our server hyped it up. The champagne very yummy and not a huge bubbles person. Mains were excellent and some of the best mussels I had super plump and big(I feel like these are the wrong words but idk what the right ones are). Bread is from rize up and while I prefer acme bread it’s not bad I just would appreciate it warm. Strawberry chartreuse dessert thing is sooooo goood and was surprised by the lemon custard bowl bc it was just literally a bowl of custard but so yum. Presentations needs some work but both would order again. Donuts and cake were kinda eh , points off bc they stop serving coffee and at the end of the night and I need an espresso with my sweet treat.

Ps the cute notes on the wall are from when they were renovating the place and discovered messages in the brick and I think...