Category Archives: Cafe

Zoe Cafe and Hookah Lounge opens on Harlem’s restaurant row

The Middle Eastern tradition of enjoying a hookah pipe is now available on Harlem’s restaurant row. Zoe Cafe and Hookah Lounge recently opened on the corner of West 121st Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd. They opened a few weeks ago. Hookahs range from $10-12 with a variety of flavors offered, such as apple, grape, cherry, mint, coconut, peach, mango and much more. On the cafe side, Zoe’s offers coffee, tea, bottled water, sodas and dessert starting at $2.

If interested in trying a hookah pipe, no need to go far now. There’s a hookah lounge right here in Central Harlem. I also recommend Kiosk in East Harlem. They have hookah pipes on their menu as well.

And a big disclaimer, hookah pipes are for ADULTs ONLY!

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Introducing The Harlem Sound Project, caberet music at The Chipped Cup

There is a new concert series uptown for us to check out! It’s called The Harlem Sound Project and it’s happening in the Hamilton Heights area of Harlem. The focus of The Harlem Sound Project is “to bring quality classical music and jazz to the Harlem community.” Their next concert will be on Valentines Day at The Chipped Cup located at 3610 Broadway and West 149th Street. Interested in attending, all the details are here!
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VH1’s Black Ink Crew filming at Harlem’s Cedric French Bistro and Bar tonight

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Did you watch the Season Premiere of Black Ink Crew last night? It is a new reality series featuring “the only black-owned and operated tattoo parlor in the heart of Harlem at 113th St. and Lenox Ave.” If you missed it, it is showing again tonight at 8 pm, Jan 8.

And if you want to see the cast of Black Ink Crew being filmed in Harlem, pass on by Cedric French Bistro at 185 St. Nicholas Avenue and 119th Street tonight. VH1 is filming there tonight, according to Cedric’s Facebook page.

To learn more about Black Ink Crew from Harlem, go to its website, but ignore the big fat typo they have in the first paragraph. They spelled Lenox Ave with two n’s not one. It happens…

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Looking for a new Harlem restaurant recommendation? Try Maison Harlem

If you’re looking for a new dining option in Harlem, here is a recommendation! Try Maison Harlem, located on the northwest corner of 127th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue. The French bistro opened in Harlem three weeks ago and it already has received a shot out in The New York Times.

We went by Maison Harlem this past weekend for dinner and was pleasantly surprised by the place. First, Maison Harlem is very easy to get to. Take the AC BD Subway line to 125th. Get out of the 127th Street exit and you’re right there. Second, the decor of the place is very lovely. The place is filled with dark wood every where and has lots of windows that look out making it spacious. It appears it can seat up to 75 people or more. And last, the ambiance was incredible for only being open three weeks. Maison Harlem was packed with a diverse group of patrons and we went early to dine, say 7ish. I couldn’t believe how many people were there dining and drinking at the bar.

As for the food, it was delicious, but be prepared to eat meat. If that’s not your thing, you may want to hang out at the bar for drinks. The dishes I devoured were very rich and creamy, but that’s what you get with French cuisine. I had the Frisee Salad with crispy bacon and a poached egg. If you like fancy bacon, this is the place for you. The Frisee Salad had big cubed pieces of bacon on it making the dish slightly salty and tasty. For an entrée, I tried the Tagliatelle Carbonara. This dish has a creamy sauce, more bacon, and a raw egg left in a half shell. The pasta dish was fun and different to eat because you had to take the raw egg out of its shell, whisk it up and mix in the pasta. And for desert, I had the Pina Colada Parfait. This was a light tasting desert and much-needed after I O.D. on fancy bacon. The service was fair, but a tad off. I chalk this up to the place being brand new and the staff working on their groove. I am confident the service will improve.

Overall, I am definitely going back to Maison Harlem. This place is going to have the same people watching/ambiance crowd that Red Rooster Harlem and Corner Social have. Maison Harlem is positioned to offer up a good time and a delicious meal. It has location, good food and ambiance. Can’t ask for more than that. Check it out soon!

Maison Harlem
341 St. Nicholas Avenue (127th Street)
212-222-9224/212-222-9220

Aromas Boutique Bakery & Cafe opening soon in East Harlem


The folks behind Aromas Boutique Bakery & Cafe have reached out saying they are scheduled to open in East Harlem on October 22nd. Their new home is at 2248 First Avenue between 115th and 116th Streets. This new business is owned by “natives of East Harlem and they are excited to be opening in the area where they grew up.” Some of their featured desserts will a Red Velvet Doughnut, Bourbon Hazelnut Sticky Bun and out of this world Pumpkin Cake. Yum!

Aromas Boutique Bakery & Cafe already has a website up and ready to go. Check it out!

Aromas Boutique Bakery & Cafe
2248 First Avenue (between 115th & 116th Street)
New York, NY 10029
Phone: 212.360.0010
Fax: 212.360.0012

Visit Harlem’s Astor Row Cafe on Lenox Avenue

Looking for a new place to hang in Harlem? Try Harlem’s Astor Row Cafe on 130th and Lenox Avenue. It’s a charming, Latino-owned, corner cafe that offers fair trade coffee, soft drinks, lemonade, fresh-baked pastries, omelets, salads and sandwiches. And on Yelp, they get 4 out of 5 stars on 20 reviews submitted.

Astro Row Cafe also has special events, such as Flamenco and Paella Sunday’s that offer all you can eat paella and sangria for $25. And for those of us who are computer nerds and take their gadgets with them, Astor Row Cafe in Harlem offers free WiFi.

To learn more about Astor Row Cafe in Harlem and its owners, read the article by DNAinfo or to visit the place head to 404 Lenox Avenue at 130th.