Belle Harlem

A thrilling dinner in the most intimate surroundings possible. Belle Harlem brings a la carte dining to a chef's table experience, safe in the knowledge that chef is not distracted by the rest of the restaurant. Excellent, imaginative food, and a well- chosen compact menu that suggests the options change regularly to more with the seasons ...and what's good right now. We chose nearly everything on the menu, and everything delighted our party of three. Definitely worth the short ride on the 2 or 3 line from mid town. If you're left wondering, what other jewels are there in Harlem, the answer is: plenty! Though Belle is definitely one of the best... TAKE 2: A quick update - I sent back to Belle Harlem earlier this week... Everyone once in a while you have a fabulous experience, but it turns out to be a one dinner wonder. Very happy to say, not Belle Harlem! Another fabulous dinner, which delighted both me and my guest from the UK. And it reminded me that one thing I missed above was to comment on the people behind the restaurant. Chef Darryl Burnette and his partner Melissa are wonderful warm hosts, making for a fabulous evening. Highly recommended!

Great place, awesome food but you never know when it’s open. Make the outdoor space bigger and more appealing. Below 125th everyone is upping their games, downtown they are going above and beyond...up here it’s like “ok, we put some tables out, come have a seat”. Uh?! Give me a fancier experience and I will. Harlem is full of artists, get one of them create a unique outdoor space. It’s almost as if you don’t want to make money...

Belle Harlem is a lovely single-table restaurant in a little nook next to Harlem Nights. You'll be eating literally inside the kitchen, so you'll be able to watch everything being made. The owners are a wonderful couple that live and breathe Belle Harlem, and they're super friendly. Great date location or nice night out for a small group. Reservations absolutely necessary! You can check on opentable or call the restaurant directly. Good wine selection, and creative soul-inspired dishes. Go for the grilled asparagus with crab (surprisingly generous with the crab), the chicken and waffles (with a light jalapeno marmalade sauce). I didn't end up getting it, but the filet mignon dishes looked delicious. Portions are not huge, but as mentioned, the dishes don't skimp on the good stuff in favor of filler ingredients. I was expecting to see the crustini with only a tiny bit of filet - I was pleasantly surprised to see the meat stacked on top!