QUESTION: NEIGHBORHOOD BARS IN CENTRAL HARLEM?

We received a message from a recent Brooklyn transplant who now lives close to Lenox Avenue just north of 125th Street and wanted to know if there are any casual bars in the neighborhood that are good for just a quiet night out.  Restaurants such as Red Rooster or Corner Social all have bars out front but these get quite crowded and loud as the evening progresses.  Lenox Lounge was basically the low-key neighborhood watering hole before it shuttered but some of the smaller restaurants such as nearby  Chaiwali have more intimate lounges set up that are not too much of a scene.  Maison Harlem on 127th and St. Nicholas also has a nice Happy Hour with an informal ambiance.

Paris Blues is a dive bar over on 7th Avenue by 121st Street that has been around for 40 years which might be worth checking out but the younger crowds will probably be over towards FDB.  Mess Hall by 118th Street definitely has a chill vibe and only take about 15 minutes to walk to from Lenox.

Shrine is a little further north by 135th Street on 7th and has live music but has a no frills aesthetic.  Another suggestion is to even go further west to Hamilton Heights for Harlem Public, At the Wallace or Hogshead Tavern which are a bit of walk but will get one orientated with the historic blocks of Central and West Harlem.