EAT: OYSTERS ON THE HALF SHELL IN HARLEM

Harlem Bespoke:  Oysters on the half shell have made a comeback in the city in the past decade and there are some great spots uptown to check out in all parts of the neighborhood.  Outdoor dining is the way to go this summer and curbside seating can be found at all of the eateries listed.  Apparently months with the letter R are peak time to eat the fresh delicacy since they are at their prime during the cooler months but this is pretty much a food myth since oysters are served all year long around the world:

Maison Harlem, 341 St. Nicholas Avenue at the corner of 127th Street.  Harlem's favorite French restaurant has a wildly popular Happy Hour so make sure to come early since the bar fills up quickly even at the beginning of the evening. Best bets are probably earlier in the week when things are less crowded.  More on Maison Harlem in our past post: LINK

B2 Harlem, 271 West 119th Street, east of Frederick Douglass Boulevard.  The former Billie's Black still has the same owner but has been transformed into one of uptown's most under the radar seafood restaurants.  This eatery is probably one of the best spots for oysters since there usually is not a long wait to get a table.  More details on B2 Harlem can be found in our past post: LINK

ROKC, 3452 Broadway by 141st Street. The boutique Japanese ramen and raw bar in Hamilton Heights now has limited outdoor seating.  Dropping by early is probably beneficial since lines have been known to form for the critically acclaimed eatery.  More on ROKC can be found in our past post: LINK

Alison, 1651 Lexington at Eas 104th Street. Uptown's newest fine dining restaurant has ample outdoor space to serve up freshly shucked seafood.  There is so much diversity in the East Harlem dining scene nowadays and Alison is definitely one to check out: LINK

HarlemBespoke.com 2020