What a gem! For starters you take a little ferry over (no waiting). Sit outside even if it warm. Lots of shade. We each had the ceviche and its was awesome. So fresh! Katie was so attentive and polite. A perfect afternoon cocktail and great tunes! Enjoy! read more

Ambiance / views 11/10. One of the best hot lobster rolls in the area. Got lucky and ended up here on more of a chilly/ overcast day so it was nearly empty, quiet and enjoyed a great meal. read more

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Fun to take a short (VERY) ferry ride to the restaurant. Food is solid and the views are incredible. Makes a person feel like they're on vacation. read more

We had a lovely evening with a glass of wine and some apps at the Siren Kitchen and Bar. So summery and fun to be taken across the canal in a boat to get to the lovely bar/restaurant. The server was lovely, and the food was absolutely delicious! We had flash fried Brussel sprouts. WOW they were so good. And the Korean chicken Bar buns had so much flavor. It was a memorable evening. read more

Siren Kitchen and Bar - flash fried brussel sprouts - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Essex, Connecticut

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When in Essex you must visit this place. The restaurant exudes vacation vibes. For a start you take a 10 second water taxi over to the place. Michelle, our bartender made us feel very welcome. Add some libations, and a cool breeze and you feel you've been transported on vacation. Sit at the bar, you won't be disappointed. Cheers read more

Beautiful views & location. Good food. Reservations a must. Take the small boat for 60 seconds ride. read more

First time here with a friend who has been before. Neat experience to at least try once. In Essex you can park on the street down at the water and then you take a boat across the river to the restaurant. The boat ride takes 2 minutes and seats six people at a time. It was a Friday between 12:30 and 1:00 p.m. and we were seated right away. Nice outdoor seating on the water. I ordered the fried calamari which was fried perfectly because I do like it more on the crispy side and I ordered the crispy brussel sprouts which were really good as well. I had enough of each to take home and eat later on in the day. My friend ordered the chopped chicken Asian salad and she really enjoyed it. We each had a mango mojito and it was okay. I would not order it again. It was not too sweet, which I did like but it did taste more like Seltzer than anything else, and too much fresh mint. The mint kept clogging up the straw. With tip I spent about $80 We were in and out within an hour and a half. Then a quick boat ride back to the other side where we walk to the car and went on to our next destination. read more

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It's the lobster roll for me! That brioche bun is delicious and their poke bowls are too notch! I do wish they had more of a seasonal drink menu but you can't beat that view! read more

Environment was amazing! small place but food was really good. we had the calamari, poke bowl, and mahi tacos-all were great! Service was nice and relatively quick even though they were busy! read more

Great atmosphere, the views and breezes put you in nice frame of mind. The menu is eclectic with many seafood standards, some Korean options and different choices of appetizers and veggies. read more

This place is so cute! The patio was so nice with views of the marina, bar is small but also capitalizes on the views. The little boat ride (like 30 feet) to the "island" makes it summery and fun. We came on a Saturday as a party of 5 and the hostess took our name saying "there's 5 people ahead of you, are you sure you want to wait? I have no idea how long it will be." We said sure and got a drink at the bar.. but seemed super odd to it be able to give an estimate. while at the bar the bartender offered us to dine there so we said sure thinking a table would take an hour. About 20 minutes of being at the bar the hostess says our table is ready .. so we asked to transfer our meal to the table. The hostess and bartender got a little annoyed with this but we really didn't want to eat at the bar. With 5 people it's hard to talk to everyone. Anyway we sat down and since the bartender stayed on as our waitress we barely saw her. Never got waters and only got a drink refresh when they dropped off the dinner. Both bartender and hostess seemed overworked and annoyed all night. Food was just okay.. I had the cauliflower bowl and it was good but a crazy amount of green onion was on top.. almost more than there was cauliflower or edamame. Others had the crab cake sandwich and said it was ok, over sauced and roll was dry. This place has potential to be amazing but needs to work out their staff morale and fine tune the dishes. read more

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We loved this place! Wonderful town and the boat ride over was unexpected and super fun. Perfectly set in the marina, surrounded by boats , we walked in to a great playlist - Bob Seger, Etta James, Van Morrison and Chris Stapleton. Perfect vibe. A cool breeze, and cocktails! Clam chowder was delicious and the hot lobster roll /delicious bun was heavenly. The fish tacos were fresh and wonderfully charred. Waitress was great. A walk around the dock was perfect after dinner. read more

Siren Kitchen and Bar - Martini and The Blue Mermaid were tasty! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Essex, Connecticut

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Spur of the moment decision to try Siren Kitchen on the way home from the shore. Adorable area. Seated right away. Very welcoming waitstaff. Brandon was the best ! Had fish tacos and fish sandwich. Both delicious. French fries appeared homemade and were very tasty.would definitely return ! read more

Amazing location! A lot of outdoor waterfront seating. Food was great too. A lot of Asian influence mixed with the seafood. Mango mojitos were delicious! Servers were very friendly. read more

Overall the ambiance at Siren is lovely. However on the holiday weekend with family, the wait for food after ordering was well over an hour. Food itself was meh. Drinks and view were the best. They need to step up their game because it is such a unique dining experience and there are so few in Essex. Ran out of plates as well. read more

The ambiance is what caught our attention. Adorable, kitschy little patio, outdoor bar and chill tunes playing, with a great view of the marina. We were welcomed by a friendly server, who was also the owner. She masked amazing cocktails! The best Bloody Marys I've had, and I'm a Bloody connoisseur. We had to come back one more time during our stay to eat, and we were not disappointed. Highly recommend this place! read more

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We only had drinks here but the service was excellent, the location magical and the setting very nice. This is a must-visit location in an oasis of must visit locations. The menu looked very interesting and fun. They had a couple fruity spritzers and a decent beer selection. What's not to love? We will absolutely return! read more

We've enjoyed coming to siren kitchen and bar several times! It's a great option for seafood and to sit outside for food in Essex! The drinks are always solid and the food is delicious! I got the shrimp roll which was tasty! Definitely recommend giving it a try if you're in Essex. read more

Siren Kitchen and Bar - Shrimp roll with fries - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Essex, Connecticut

Went for the view but was blown away by the food and service! Have been back several times and each time the food, drinks and service are fantastic. Poke bowl, fish tacos, brussel sprouts, burger, lobster roll...Beautiful views, relaxed atmosphere and very friendly staff. The ferry over takes a few seconds and adds to the charm. read more

Went today for lunch. I had the fried cod sandwich. It was disappointing. More roll than fish. Just a small piece of fish. Husband had clam chowder and mussels and they were ok but not the best he's had. Disappointed. read more

We rode our dinghy to Essex Island, with the intention of having drinks and a bite to eat. First off, the Marina doesn't have a dinghy dock, and they charge $10/hr to tie one up in a regular docking area. When we walked into the bar, it looked like a nice place to spend a few hours. Well, after listening to the bartender boasting to another customer that she was going to be working at other place soon... I started to feel a little strange. But my partner and I each ordered our drinks after confirming our drink mixers. I have to say that I've rarely, if ever turned down a drink... but the drinks that we each had were so terrible that my wife could not get down a second sip and I let my self down almost a half before throwing in the towel... The bartender made the worst drink I've ever had and was very unwelcoming. The food was tasty but frozen restaurant supply quality. read more

Great food and service with fabulous views of the boats coming and going. Wonderful spot to tie the boat up for a couple of hours and enjoy lunch or dinner. The Essex Island Marina, VHF channel 26, and 9. read more

I had never heard about this place till one of the store owners recommended it. You hop on a ferry tan by Safe Harbor Essex Island Marina and just taxi across to the island. It's literally like crossing a street but it's the only way to get over there. It runs continuously all day until the late evening hours. There is a good sized outdoor bar and seating area which has nice views of the CT River and the surrounding marinas. The menu is limited but still had a lot of good options and the prices were fair. The lobster roll was perfect and not too much butter but I didn't love the chips. They weren't bad they were just kinda bland. I also could have added some salt to them and I think that could be what they were missing. Our server was friendly and professional and talked with us for a bit. Overall a very enjoyable time and I'll definitely be back again! read more

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The food was delicious. Nothing fancy nor exciting but delicious. Service--- amazing! So friendly and fun and attentive. Location-- it's a little island that you take a 4 second ferry ride to. ( maybe 10 seconds ). How can this be bad? It was a great find and I am saving it to my bookmarks to remember for next time in the area. read more

We were walking down the street in Essex, and stopped to pet a dog. The owner started chatting and told us about this place. You hop on a ferry by Essex Island Marina and you go the distance to cross a street, but thats part of the experience (They can only take 6 at a time). We just went over for a drink but they have tables and a small menu. It was busy (Mother's Day). The only bartender was busy but got our drinks out quick. It was a nice day and the drinks near the water hit the spot. Nice place if you are in the area. read more

Such a treat to enjoy lunch at this restaurant on a beautiful day. A brief ride on the water ferry takes you to the island just a hop away and you are greeted with friendly service, delicious food, and a nice afternoon out. We started with drinks and Brussels. I had the refreshing raspberry rose spritzer, my niece enjoyed the spicy key lime margarita, my nephew had the Arnold Palmer and my sister, our designated driver, had the no booze cherry limeade. The appetizers of Brussels was a generous starter portion for the four of us and very tasty. Asked the server for vegan recommendations but the only option seemed to be the salad if the cheese is removed. There are other vegetarian options like the king pao cauliflower bowl which was highly enjoyed and the tuna poke bowl also had rave reviews from my family. I had the hot lobster roll and it was likely the best one I've ever had. Tender lobster cooked just right on a perfectly buttery toasted roll. The house chips were fresh and delicious as well. Service was fast with extra hands bringing out the food. We would have liked another round of cocktails but we weren't asked if we'd like more, in fact by the time we saw our actual server again our meal was nearly done. Overall, we all really enjoyed our meal so much and the atmosphere was so charming, we cannot wait to visit again. read more

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Nothing like being made to feel like an imposition for ordering/expecting and being forced to ask for customary setups with my order/attempting to order another drink and getting a subtle eye-roll for requesting the lime that is- again- an established staple of a gin and tonic...? Wings were good, but never setting foot in this establishment again (this was a chilly, overcast, drizzly afternoon- how would a customer be treated when they're actually SLAMMED on a gorgeous summer day.. ?) Beware- you've been warned... read more

Location, location, location!! This is such a beautiful spot that requires about a 1 minute boat ride to get there. Kids love that part and the food is great too! read more

One would expect a friendly and professional manager for this unique restaurant at this lovely town and Marina. Too bad is not the case.

This place is the one for you if you like waiting two hours for a sandwich. Terrible kitchen

Took an adorable boat ride across to the Siren, put in our name, told a 20" wait and to go inside for a drink at the bar. It was a beautiful view and a nice crosswind coming in so we thought we would just remain at the bar and Eat there. The crabby bartender would not make eye contact with us, we waited 35 to 40 minutes without a drink or even being acknowledge by him. I asked if we could order dinner and he still ignored us. We left and went right around the corner to The Dockside, great service and food here! Don't waste your time. read more

Siren Kitchen and Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Essex, Connecticut

Excellent lunch at Siren! Enjoyed the water taxi to Essex Island! Great service, view and food! Crab cakes and FishnChips were delicious! After lunch we went for a cruise on the Onrust, a replica of a 1600 sailing ship! read more

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Stopped in while attending the Boat Show on this rainy cold Saturday and this place was busy! We had a wonderful time! Great atmosphere, attentive service, and the owner was very gracious! We enjoyed a tasty appetizer, and the dishes being served looked fabulous! We will be sure to visit again when in the area. I highly recommend this charming restaurant/bar. read more

Siren Kitchen and Bar - Corn Fritters - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Essex, Connecticut

I really liked it here. The ferry boat ride over is a super short ride, but fun to do! The host let us know it would be about 10 minutes to get a table outside, it was probably less time. Our waitress was on her first day and she was great! I did hear the staff tell a couple of tables they were sorry for the wait for food and that the kitchen was backed up. We must have hit it just right because we only waited a short time for our clam chowder and corn fritters (which were amazing) to come out. Shortly after that our large lobster roll, fried chicken sandwich both with fries and my tuna poke bowl came out. Everything was delicious! And the scenery was delightful. Beautiful spot to be overlooking the river and marina! Two thumbs waaaay up! read more

Great place to go by boat. Food is good and creative menu. Very nice cocktails. Best thing about it is the place is the view

We discovered this place during a visit to the Newport area and stayed in middletown. The food was very good! Only mishap was that we came here mid afternoon and the fries we first received had been sitting for a while and were tepid and limp. My husband brought them back up to the counter and they made us more and they were great! Their X sauce was delicious. I ordered it on the side of my burger and as an option to use for the fries. So good! My husband is vegan, but I'm not. So nice to find a place where I'm not scrounging to find something for me. If your looking for something more substantial then a salad and healthy "fast food". You should definitely try it. I wish they had one closer to us. read more

Stopped in here For lunch with clients and were happily greeted by the hostess who told us our table should be ready in 20 mins. Great. So we headed to the bar to sit in the shade as it was 85 deg. and we'd been walking around town. As we sat down,the bartender started mumbling something about vodka. When asked what hell he was talking about he asked one of my clients what was in her water bottle. We actually thought he was kidding. She held it up and said it was water ( which it clearly was) and he bent down and almost touched the bottle with his disgusting snout. He then asked her husband what was in his water bottle while complaining about how people bring their own alcohol in and order soda to mix their own drinks. Absolutely classless. No one had ordered anything. And after that, no one was going to. We went to our table and had a nice meal. the wait staff was great but your bartender is a classless, clueless dillweed. read more

Grossly understaffed! The bartender didn't know how to make one of the limited martinis. We waited half an hour AFTER being seated before our server arrived. As I asked my daughter if she still wanted an appetizer (given how long it had taken for the server to take our order) the server walked away from our table to check a ticket. It was less than 5 seconds. She could have waited and shown some appreciation for her customers. Our entree arrived before our appetizer and we had to wait forever (again) to tell our server that we needed napkins and flatware. I didn't even bother to ask for water! Everyone around us was having a similar experience. Very disappointing! read more

Miserable staff with even a worse host. Waited for a long time for a table, no one even bothered to follow up. We just left. Don't waist your time. read more

We were not served for 1.5 hours; theyrefused to comp anything and their attitude when we complained was essentially - who cares? The food was fine but not worth the wait. read more