Harlem

So sad this place shut down I loved the food and atmosphere here. There's nowhere else you can get an uptown brunch with bacon and pancakes in London. The service wasn't incredible but the food and music was great. There's way too many haters on here who are probably sad now that it is gone.

As an american I was very disappointed with the food and the fact that the staff didn't know what they were serving. twice I had to explain to diners beside my table what certain menu items were as the waiter did not know. Most fried items cooked to death. Comfortable chairs though.

The complementary warmed cornbread they served with our drinks was good. For my meal, I had the southern fried chicken which tasted more like boiled chicken that had then been coated with breadcrumbs and fried for one minute. I also ordered the collard greens, but what they served was actually cabbage. The cabbage was mixed with chopped bacon, which wasn't mentioned on the menu. That would have been an unpleasant surprise for anyone who doesn't eat pork for religious or other reasons or is vegetarian. I enjoyed the creamy mashed potato and the chocolate brownie dessert. My friends ordered different main meals and weren't that impressed either. I'm suspicious about their claim that this is soul food and that there's probably some hood winking going on with what they actually serve and how they prepare it. The food was no more flavourful and comforting (as soul food should be) than any other type of restaurant I've been to. The reason I've given 3 stars instead of 2 was because of the small chill-out area downstairs. The young DJ certainly knew some classic rare groove tunes and played one of the best sets I've heard in a long time.

Good food, good location. Service friendly, but a bit slow to take our order.

I think this place is way overrated. Went with some friends for cocktails and was extremely dissapointed by the quality of drinks, and service. Won't be back again!!

wow seems everyone has mixed reactions about this place but my own experience is that i thought it was definetely a good one.what can i say first?well the food was abit overpriced but how can it not be?it was delicious and i always end up with a full stomach. it definetely brought soul to the food renound for being "Harlem Soul Food"!decor was fab with images of new york and bits and pieces of the jazz era.however it was too dark so probably best for a intimate dinner with your loved one.staff were helpful and even suggested reccommendations for food!first time i came here i tried the caesar salad,great portions and seemed fresh!you wont get to see any gone off lettuce here!the second time i tried the pumpkin soup which had coutons or maybe it was mushrooms but whatever it is was,it was gorgeous.ab'soul'utely a must try!

Sweet people but useless service. Nasty cheap wine with no provenance for which they charge £22. Food is interest but poorly executed. It’s a shame really - the concept is great - it feels that the owners have just got bored with it.

If you like American food then Harlem is for you. From brunch through to dinner, it serves really good American cuisine although it’s not cheap. If you go for breakfast the pancakes are brilliant, as is the french toast. Fresh juice and good coffee really make it. In the evening the steak is good and so is the burger and you can choose from variety of wines, beer, cocktails and soft drinks. Service is very friendly and in the summer when they open all the windows, it’s a lovely place to spend a weekend morning, eating breakfast and reading the papers.

five stars for the late night drinking bar downstairs. I have never actually visited this place during day time hours, or eaten here.
if you are looking for one last drink for the road, this is the place to come. as far as I know it is the only late opening bar in Bayswater.
we were asked for just £5 each last night, and the bouncers were actually OK, remembering those who needed to come up for air (no re-entry after 1am!).
the DJ was excellent, so was the bar staff. while the papers are full of stories of restaurants and bars refusing to serve tap water, this place has a big jug on the counter inviting people to dehydrate between cocktails.
we danced the night away until closing time.

Good old fashioned soul food from the heart of the deep south of the US of A. I asked a friend of mine that I dined with to describe Harlem is one word. Amazing? Eclectic? Original? No. She said ‘New Orleans-y’. As for origin of the food, she’s right.
A cuisine choice not so popular around these parts, but one that we all need to try, at least once.
Located in trendy Bayswater, this place is gooood if you just want to eat and eat and eat and enjoy some good company.
Okra features heavily here, as does southern fried everything. It really is delicious and a change from standard multicultural choices in this city. If you plan to see a movie nearby, or burn some serious calories ice skating or bowling around the corner, then leave the guilt at the door and go to Harlem!

Feel good with this soul food.

I have actually heard quite a few bad things about this place but I actually really enjoyed it. the decor is just wonderful, really stylish and very over the top. the food is really lovely, its a great place to bring friends for dinner. However, i found the service to be really bad, and wasnt surprised to hear other people complaining. We had to wait a very long time for our food due to some very rude waiters but when it eventually came I really think it was worth the wait! If you value perfect service, then dont bother but otherwise the food and atmosphere is definitely worth it!

Hit or miss...first of all, the doormen at this place may be the stupidest, most ogre-ish ones in all of London. Idiots that can barely speak, extremely rude, etc. And I dont say this because of rejection - I always get in, but its always a conversation....they could let you in upstairs for a drink, or into the tiny downstairs area, but you have to point out the options to them (even though they work there). It usually ends in you handing over £10 and having to feel like you lost a few IQ points & brain cells along the way.

So, there is a restaurant upstairs....very forgettable. But later on, its a good place for a cocktail or two.

The real upside is the downstairs bit...especially now with the smoking ban...before, it was too small, so with the abundance of smokers, you basically suffocated. Now, its a cosy bar, with funky cool music, and usually a decent crowd (read: not the West End club makeup, despite the Notting Hill location - all the eurotrashy NH types go to the West End, leaving this for you).

The Djs are usually out of this world (especially if you happen to be there the evening that DJ Sauce is at the helm) - the coolest, funkiest set, great bartenders and a nice area to dance, chill & drink. Worth checking out for an alternative night out. Not the best place to pull, but a great place to take a date, put back a few and continue the flow.