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Harlem has a bunch of French/Italian and French/West African places, but Maison Harlem on 127th and St. Nicholas has the Frenchest menu around. Open since 2012, it also happens to be one of the area’s most charming restaurants. With fairy lights and menus enclosed in record covers, this place has a little more patina and personality (and slightly higher prices) than some of the cookie-cutter spots on nearby Frederick Douglass Blvd.
A narrow bar fills up with regulars on weekends, and a bigger dining room attracts internet dates and small friend groups at brunch, or during Happy Hours. The extensive menu has something for everyone, from kale salad to boeuf bourguignon, with a solid risotto and a very good quiche Lorraine along the way. The food is comforting and competent across the board—like it’s made by a home cook who did a course at Le Cordon Bleu. When the bar regulars loudly wish you good night as you squeeze past them, you’ll consider becoming a regular too.
photo credit: Noah Devereaux