Maison Harlem

GREAT authentic country French couisine. The Risotto and the Cous-​Cous were delicious.
Wish the service was as good… they forgot to serve is bread, the mixed the orders and got one dish wrong… and no free refills on ice-​tea

I pass by here on the way to the ABCD train all the time, and I’ve always been curious. My friends and I came for a birthday and that was the start of the trouble. We were a party of 6, and the dining area just isn’t suitable for parties larger than 4. Even with reservations, we were seated 90 minutes (!) later. Granted, they gave us a round of free cocktails, but really! I think something happened in the kitchen because we noticed other tables getting their orders fairly quickly, and then no one would got anything for the next half hour. Either way, we didn’t get our apps for 45 minutes (!), and complimentary bread can only tide you over for so long. The final straw was the birthday cake. We brought a cake from outside and the restaurant charged us a fee for storing it the duration of our stay. Considering the duration of our stay was elongated over 2 hours because of their issues, we were upset. Never again…

Brought me back to Paris (kinda): French I did not understand and a tasty and expensive burger.
The vibe is really cool here. I really appreciated it. The service was pretty good as well.
My boyfriend was in love with the mushroom risotto and my burger (with cheese and onions was also good). Beware of the caramelized onions though, they put a lot on and it makes the bread soggy. I didn’t mind but I could see that being a problem for some people. I did have a problem with them adding 2.50+ for any add ons though. I rationalized spending it because then it came out to the same price as burgers in Paris. Sigh. Lol
Idk how often i would go back but it’s a pretty cool spot!

Seriously great neighborhood spot. One hiccup with our to-​go order once and the manager treated like VIPs next time. Everything on the menu is delicious especially the mussels and burger!!! Highly recommend for a casual date. They’ve had live music a few times I was there and it was awesome.

Excellent restaurant ! I have been there quite often now and sincerly both the atmosphere and the food are worth coming back. The staff is attentive and very helpful ! Great find !

Bad service and ok food. This is good food if you’ve never had good food. Sorry just being honest.

Lovely service, lovely food and the night I went there was some live music too
There is a bar at the front section then two parts of the restaurant so there is space for group bookings
There is a great variety on the menu — steak, duck, lamb stew and chicken stew amongst the mains along with some pasta and risotto options too. Tasty options for starters too so it takes some time to work out what you want
Nice wine list and beers and spirit too
I had the steak and it was fantastic and as an avid steak lover that’s saying something
Lovely friendly service and serves breakfast and the coffee, my friend tells me, is not a bad drop either

My cousin Ann had a birthday party at Maison Harlem and the food was tasty. The service was superb thanks to the managerial skills of Camille. She informed our large party of the particulars so that we could decide on what we wanted to eat and her insight and assistance made for a great last minute birthday party for my cousin Ann. Some of our family members were late. Everybody was more than delighted with the food and service what more than anyone could one ask for… My Hamburger platter was juicy. The family passed along numerous buckets of mussels in garlic and lite tomato sauce. Mum, mum, good.

I came here on a date with my husband and it instantly became our go too spot. It’s cozy and intimate and if you love good eats, a must. We have the tuna tartare appetizer, the oysters, I always have the wine while my husband has the cherry noir drink (something Harlem, can’t remember.) I’ve had the lamb sausage and a salad once but my ultimate favorite was a saffron risotto with lobster tail. It was ridiculously amazing. I haven’t had a bad experience yet. Oh and We always, always finish with the crème brûlée. Big bill BUT you get what you pay for.

I have an issue with whomever is in charge of Unilocal’s categorization of Maison Harlem as a two $$ restaurant. Maison Harlem is not cheap. It’s good. But I wouldn’t even say it’s reasonably priced. It’s expensive. For Harlem, it’s crazy expensive (in comparison to other restaurants in the area). But the food is solid. Thus my three star review.
I went with my fiancée on a Tuesday night on the later side (around 945pm). The bar that you come across when you first enter was crowded. A good sign for Maison Harlem, after all, it was a Tuesday. We checked in with the host and were seated right away.
We started off with the kale salad ($ 12) and foie gras ($ 17). My fiancée enjoyed her kale salad. I thought my foie gras was just ok. I’ve had way, way better at other French restaurants. And for the price, I should be getting better than ok.
We asked our waiter for suggestions on the dinner menu and he recommended the Wild Mushroom Risotto ($ 17). My fiancée went for it and enjoyed it. It’s large enough to enjoy a nice dinner but also have enough left over for a nice lunch the next day too. I decided to go with the Black Angus Hangar Steak ($ 26). Before ordering I asked whether it was anything like «steak frites» that you normally get at a French restaurant. Our waiter said yes. So I went ahead. When my plate finally arrived, my potato gratin (on the menu) was substituted for french fries. Not what I ordered, nor what was on the menu. No big deal since I love fries. Who doesn’t. But not what I wanted. Our waiter assumed I wanted it and later apologized and said he would bring out potato gratin if i wished. I declined but thanked him anyway. My meal was very good. I could have done without the salad that took up a large portion of the plate (and was not on the menu) because I feel that space could have been used to give more steak for $ 26, but it wasn’t a huge deal.
For dessert, we went with the waiter recommended chocolate mousse and it was delicious. I don’t remember the exact price but I recall it being under $ 10, which we found to be reasonable.
Overall, Maison Harlem is a nice little French restaurant in Harlem, but it’s pricey. So set your expectations and then enjoy yourselves.

Harlem Maison has changed significantly in regards to a pleasant, professional staff who seems to care about you. Very attentive.
Happy, enthusiastic environment with beautiful art on the walls. Love the magazine pictures papered on the bathroom walls.
The manager always makes me & my family feel fabulous & well taken care of.

For such a small place, there’s a lot of love in this joint. For the friendly servers and staff to the atmosphere, you’ll feel a warm embrace of a place you’ll enjoy whether needing a drink or dinner alone, with another, or with a group.
The menu has many wonderful dishes prepared by their French chef. However, if you want to stay closer to home, their burgers and fries are amazing!
Save room for dessert since the cream brûlée is something to cherish!
Dine here and do it often!

I came here on a Thursday night for the first time. There was a jazz singer performing and although they have outdoor seating, everyone was inside due to a random cold evening. It was a little loud because it was busy and the music of course. Let’s get straight to business… the food.
I had the Wild Mushroom Risotto with grilled seafood and it was delicious! I really enjoyed it and I am excited to go back and have it again. (P.S. It tasted even better the following day for lunch.)
My sister had the muscles and French fries, she, too, loved her food. Their serving is quite generous. I’m a sucker for French fries and they were very good.
Staff was attentive, music was great, hot French bread w/​butter tres bien … Why the 4 stars? Dessert!
We both ordered the Crème Brûlée and it was not tres bien. It could’ve been a little sweeter with more flavor but, hey, you can’t win them all. Maybe it was a bad dessert day! I’m still going back and you should too!

I can understand why some people love this place and others can’t stand it.
Went with a few friends for Sunday brunch. Waited for 30 min despite having a reservation. This doesn’t bother me.
The bar, ambiance feels like you walked into an old bar /​tabac in the south of France, but with really beautiful urban artwork. Light filters through green ivy latticed windows off an open air patio. It has a whole urban rustic chic thing going and seems like a great place to while away for an afternoon brunch. Tables layout is cramped or cozy depending on your perspective.
Service is prompt. The cons of the whole situation start with the meal.
Three out of four of us had subpar or inedible meals. My partner and I ordered the Nordique ($ 14) — Egge Benedict with salmon. The salmon was ok. The hollandaise thin, flavorless and watery, the egg wasn’t poached long enough so it was quite raw and all of this was showcased on top of an untoasted English muffin. The new potatoes and greens were well seasoned and well dressed. Only problem was both potatoes and salad were the same temperature-​tepid. It was gross. I didn’t eat most of my meal.
My other friends ordered mushroom risotto and some kind of phyllo wrapped goat cheese salad. The risotto was a heaping bowl and looked a little glumpy rather than creamy.
My friends salad consisted of a block of goat cheese wrapped in a phyllo package on top of a few sparse, undressed dry spinach leaves. It was a disappointment on a plate.
Unlike other places in Harlem there are no brunch specials. Drinks are a la carte.
Overall the food is a 1. The décor and vibe is a 4. Service is a 3.
Also, it’s Odeon in TriBeCa prices for mediocre Harlem fare.
I think some people have good meals here some times depending on who is cooking, what day of the week and who is doing service.
My advice is lower the price or improve the quality.
I won’t be back. There are just too many places worth the time, energy and expense.

I have frequented this place way more than my original three star rating lets on. The staff here really go above and beyond to create a good experience for customers.
Between the live music which is always wonderful, to the great atmosphere, to the many acquaintances I have made here it’s time I added that fourth star. The décor is always eye catching, the place itself is thoroughly clean and their food is consistently good. Sometimes the only thing I would like is to become anonymous in this place as it was in the early days. But that is my fault for coming here so often.
Good for groups or alone, for theeee drink or for food.

Love this place. Love the food, love the speedy delivery, love everything. I don’t often eat at the restaurant itself, but the few times that I have, the service has been great.
If you’re in the harlem area, drop by /​order their seafood pasta /​10 oz burger (medium rare).
I just wish they would introduce sweet potato fries into their options, to replace regular fries.

I have been here twice. First time was a year ago for lunch and most recently for dinner.
Ambience: Modern, almost museum-​like décor. Crowd was very diverse age and race wise.
Service: We were seated immediately by the host. Our waiter, although a bit eccentric, was nice and attentive.
Food: The first time I came I had the burger and although it was nothing out of this world, it was good. The lamb sausage and fries were plain. The lamb is slim sausage links, like the ones you have for breakfast; they are somewhat dry.
Mussels were decent and oysters quite fresh. The wild mushroom risotto was soo freaking delicious and quite filling.
Price: Like others mentioned, a bit high for the area.
Since this place is super close to me I would not object to returning to try some of the other dishes people raved about like the mac and cheese.

ate here last night… it was pretty packed. the hostess stated it would be a 20 – 30 minute wait for a table of two. Luckily, we found two seats at the bar and decided to stay there for our meal.
As many others stated, the atmosphere is pleasant. The drink menu /​wine list is pretty pricey for harlem and didn’t knock my socks off by any means. $ 13 cocktails. $ 6 beers Reasonable wines.
We ordered escargot to start, which was delicious and then a pair of burgers. The burgers were tasty, but WAY OVERCOOKED. we both ordered them medium rare, and they arrived medium well. The bun was somewhat stale also, even after they toasted it.

They are just reopening from a fire so I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. So far very understaffed and food is a little too expensive for what it is.
We felt a little forgotten as the waitress was definitely over extended with tables. After she did take our order the food came quickly which is good, but maybe a little too quickly since my omelette was under cooked and runny. My husband ordered Eggs Benedict which was served with regular bacon rather than Canadian bacon because they were out and while good didn’t quite make it with regular bacon. Sides of salad and Home fries were bland.
We’ve been told by a lot of people that this place was amazing and I’m hoping this was a fluke as they are getting up and running after reopening. We are going to try again, but this visit definitely didn’t wow us.

My friends and I had brunch here Saturday afternoon. It was fairly busy but we were seated quickly. The ambiance is laid back, relaxing and intimate. There’s outdoor seating available and the windows/​side doors of the restaurant are kept open for a nice breeze.
My friend and I ordered the eggs benedict which was amazing and I found the portion to be large. Another friend had the salmon, which she found to be satisfying and tasty. The waiter we had was extremely friendly, attentive and informative which made for a good experience. I’m eager to try something else on the menu and plan on returning next time I’m in Harlem.