BEST OF 2018: NEW UPTOWN RESTAURANTS

Harlem Bespoke:  Heading towards the last few weeks of 2018, HB will be reviewing some of the best Harlem and the Heights has to offer for the year.  There has been a slowdown this year in new openings but some establishments did shine with overall concept, design, quality of offerings and service.  Our pick for Best New Restaurant for 2018 is Barepas in Hamilton Heights: 

Barepas opened quietly in Hamilton Height on Amsterdam between 148th and 149th Street at the end of the summer but the uptown stunner definitely makes a lot of noise in a good way.  This Venezuelan eatery serves up artisan arepa pockets not only made of the typical fried maize but are often offered up infused with cilantro, beet, carrot or plantain to highlight stuffed main ingredients such as octopus, tuna or traditionally stewed beef.  Other menu items such as rice fritters, terrines or ceviche add to the small-bite menu that packs in a lot of flavor.  Overall everything is still new so the menu will probably expand a bit from our first visit.

There are also the expected trendy cocktails or wine options which are a great pairing to the menu but we especially enjoy the ambiance of the handsome bar and contemporary interior accented with classic detail which makes for a great date night. Some of the other fine dining establishments that had planned to open in the more southern blocks of Harlem this year never quite made it as far as an opening was concerned and we suspect that startup businesses further uptown might be having an easier time these days because of lower rents. For more details on Barepas, check out our past post: LINK

HarlemBespoke.com 2018