Submitted by James Tew of Raising 3 Daughters.
James is an Australian Dad sharing his stories with other dads around the world through his blog. In this recent post on his blog he provided a review of Siren Bar and Restaurant.
I’ve had a really busy week! Let me tell you about it!
Between running social media coaching sessions, meeting with businesses about hosting events and catching up with new friends, it was great to be able to have lunch with Christine.
Arancini Balls from Siren Bar and Restaurant.
One problem we have found since arriving in Canberra is that a lot of restaurants don’t have high chairs. Not too much of an issue because we can bring a pram, but some places are tiny so a pram just gets in the way.
However, in our search we had heard that Siren Bar and Restaurant in Gungahlin had high chairs and did Tapas, our favourite kind of food. So today we took the rare opportunity to have lunch with only one of our three daughters.
Located on the corner of Gozzard St and Anthony Rolfe Ave, Siren’s has a large open plan dinning area with a large outdoor alfresco area for those Sunday sessions. If they were busy, parking would be at a premium so if you are planning on having a big night, maybe take a cab.
Today Siren’s wasn’t extremely busy. There were a few people enjoying a snack and a drink but we were the only people in the restaurant. Promptly seated and our order was taken, drinks were brought out and before you knew it, here was the Tapas.
We ordered;
Soft Shell Crab $16.90
Arancini Balls (Chorizo and Goats fetta) $14.90
Braised Pork Belly $14.90
Cajun Calamari $14.90
(You can see the full menu here)
The highlight for me (besides the impressive range of premium wines) was the soft shell crab! Large pieces of soft juicy crab meat with a light tempura batter which was then drizzled with sweet chilli sauce. It was delicious to say the least.
The Pork belly came out, crackle off and cold. I’ve never experience pork belly this way before and I wouldn’t say it is the best way to have your pork belly. Arancini balls were delicious with the Goats fetta providing a nice dressing to the Chorizo. Calamari was nice when accompanied with the Cajun dressing however there was a little too much parmesan cheese on a few pieces which spoilt the freshness of the squid.
As I briefly mentioned, Siren’s boasts an impressive wine collection which is on display just as you enter the dining area. With the most expensive bottle topping out at $470 a bottle (Jim Barry ‘The Armagh’ 2006 – Shiraz* Clare Valley S.A), you may want to opt for a cheaper selection such as the Katnook Founders Block – Cabernet Sauvignon coming in at $37 a bottle.
The venue itself is impressive. Clean and modern, it would be great for an informal get together or like I said, a Sunday session in the Alfresco area. The bar has a great selection of beer and stocks most of the James Squires range.
All in all, Siren put on a decent feed for my wife and I although it wasn’t the best Tapas I have ever eaten. If I was scoring them purely on speed of service, they would receive a 10 but taking into account all aspects of the meal, I’ll give them a 6 out of 10.
To find out more about Siren Bar and Restaurant, you can visit their website here.
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