It sounds like the making of an Ed Burns film: Four Irish guys band together to open a French bistro?and they pull it off better than any Frenchie ever could.

Opener: Papillon, a three week-old spot we stumbled upon in the West Village. Suffice it to say, we were duly impressed.

They’ve got the chef (from Daniel). They’ve got the front man (from Provence). They’ve got the bartender (from Smith & Wollensky). They have the man to build it (a construction guy from Cobra).

And man oh man, have they got the menu. Starters include a roleau of crab with mango chutney, a white-bean soup with lardons and forest mushrooms, and red-mullet mariniere with basil. Entrees? Sea bass with dill potato puree and gravlax sauce, duck with Armagnac prunes, and beef bourguignonne?all served in a simple space with a 28-foot copper bar that serves great wine and cocktails like the Red Hot Butterfly (Stoli Oranj, Absolut Citron, Grand Marnier, Campari, orange and cranberry juices), and the Black Forest (Stoli Raspberry Kahlua and Bailey’s?it was meant to taste like the cake).

And, for the next two weeks, DailyCandy subscribers who bring in a copy of this e-mail receive a free Red Hot Butterfly.