Best Restaurants & Dining in Harlem, Manhattan

Harlem's restaurant list leans casual and local, with plenty of cozy, social rooms. The picks run from Ethiopian platters to West African maffe, plus handmade pasta in a backyard, Basque-style tapas with a gin bar, Neapolitan pizza and a Peruvian garden patio.

1. 

   Rank 1Mustard Indian Eatery

   Indian

   4.9 out of 54.9Price level $$

   Reviewers praise the chili paneer and a butter chicken full of spice, served in a small, cozy room. Expect it to be loud and the service to take a while.

2. 

   Rank 2Benyam

   African

   4.8 out of 54.8Price level $$

   A sibling-run Ethiopian dining room where people travel for the kitfo, share generous vegetable platters and sip honey wine.

3. 

   Rank 3MAKI

   Japanese

   4.9 out of 54.9Price level $$

   For a quick Japanese meal near Columbia, this cute spot pairs fresh sushi and matcha with a salmon teriyaki rice bowl in generous portions.

4. 

   Rank 4Sottocasa Pizzeria Harlem

   Pizza

   4.7 out of 54.7Price level $$

   Neapolitan pies with Italian deli meats draw pizza fans, and one reviewer says the calzone ruined all others for them.

5. 

   Rank 5Harlemite Peruvian Cuisine

   Peruvian

   4.7 out of 54.7

   Sizzling lomo saltado, crispy jalea platters and handmade ceviche are served out back on a garden patio lit by string lights and walled in brick.

6. 

   Rank 6Azara Kitchen LLC

   Seafood

   4.7 out of 54.7

   West African cooking with global touches; the tender maffe lamb, lentil soup and hibiscus drink earn praise, though some diners leave disappointed.

7. 

   Rank 7Dado's Pizza and Taproom Harlem

   Pizza

   4.7 out of 54.7Price level $

   Thin-crust New York pies, a Sicilian slice worth noting and craft beers on tap make this a relaxed taproom stop.

8. 

   Rank 8Enoteca Harlem

   Spanish

   4.7 out of 54.7Price level $$

   Basque-inspired tapas for sharing and a separate gin bar with attentive bartenders; the room is cute but tables sit very close together.

9. 

   Rank 9El Mariachi Mexican Cuisine 🇲🇽

   Mexican

   4.7 out of 54.7Price level $$

   Come for the salsas, thick chips and a strong michelada; regulars at this family-run spot also order the birria and nopales tacos.

10. 

    Rank 10Awaze

    African

    4.7 out of 54.7Price level $$

    Ethiopian cooking without seed oils: tender lamb awaze tibs, Ethiopian beer and traditional music, though one veggie combo fell flat.