☞ MEET: Samuel Thiam

Harlem Bespoke's style interviews continue with Maison Harlem owner Samuel Thiam who happens to be French but has lived in the neighborhood for the past 15 years.  Maison Harlem at 127th on St. Nicholas is clearly one of our recommended restaurants to have breakfast, lunch, brunch or dinner at and it was refreshing to be able to catch up with the gentleman behind the great vision of the uptown eatery:  www.MaisonHarlem.com


HB: You have a very distinct sense of style. What are your menswear influences?

ST: Well for me comfort is number one as well as mix and match texture,fabric and style I believe it's a reflection of your personality and your moods and my Menswear influences are the elegance of Yves Saint Laurent snd the casualness of Indiana Jones.


HB: Do you think American men are finally catching up with Europeans in the way they dress?

ST: In big cities, yes, but anywhere else I think men dress more by necessity rather than style but there is something cool and trendy also about the lumberjack look from the Midwest.


HB: Your restaurant Maison Harlem at St. Nicholas and 127th opened in the past year.  How has business been so far? 

ST: We are very happy with Maison Harlem since the beginning and it has been surprisingly well received in the community.


HB: One of the things that sets a restaurant apart from others besides the food is the decor. What was the inspiration for the look of Maison Harlem? 

ST: I wanted to feel at home and wanted everyone to feel warm and comfortable as soon as they got through the door. I wanted a perfect mix between Paris and Harlem and I think we succeeded in doing that!

HB: There appears to be a lot of French tourists and restaurants uptown. Is there a romantic relationship between the French and Harlem?

ST: The French like Harlem, they like jazz they like black heritage and authenticity.  Harlem has always been a big inspiration for a lot of French people.  It is part of a pop culture as well as music, arts movies, fashion - so many different things created a fascination for it.

HB: Are there any surprising things about opening a restaurant in Harlem that most in the city might not know about? 

ST: There are a lot of foodies up here.  People know their wine and food.  They like to travel through a meal, and if they enjoy, we enjoy. This is an amazing experience to be part of a rejuvenation, a new splash of energy in this part of town. Come to Harlem and enjoy an authentic slice of New York City.