SHOP: HARLEM NIGHT MARKET 2022

Saturdays, December 3rd, 10th, and 17th, 4:00PM-8:00PM, Harlem Night Market at La Marqueta, 1590 Park Avenue between 115th and 116th Street.  The Harlem Night Market returns for 3 consecutive Saturdays this month to celebrate the holidays.  Checkout our past post for more photos of the first event from two years ago: LINK

HarlemBespoke.com 2022

SHOP: HARLEM NIGHT MARKET 2022

Saturdays, December 3rd, 10th, and 17th, 4:00PM-8:00PM, Harlem Night Market at La Marqueta, 1590 Park Avenue between 115th and 116th Street.  The Harlem Night Market returns for 3 consecutive Saturdays this month to celebrate the holidays.  Checkout our past post for more photos of the first event from two years ago: LINK

HarlemBespoke.com 2022

SHOP: HARLEM NIGHT MARKET 2022

Saturdays, December 3rd, 10th, and 17th, 5:00PM-9:00PM, Harlem Night Market at La Marqueta, 1590 Park Avenue between 115th and 116th Street.  The Harlem Night Market returns for 3 consecutive Saturdays this month to celebrate the holidays.  Checkout our past post on more photos of the first event from two years ago: LINK

HarlemBespoke.com 2022

SHOP: HARLEM NIGHT MARKET 2021

Friday-Sunday, December 17th, 18th and 19th, 5:00PM-9:00PM, Harlem Night Market at La Marqueta, 1590 Park Avenue between 115th and 116th Street.  The Harlem Night Market returns for 3 consecutive days this month to celebrate the holidays after a hiatus from last year.  Checkout our past post on more photos of the first event from two years ago: LINK

HarlemBespoke.com 2021

SHOP: NIGHT MARKET RETURNS TO LA MARQUETA

Friday-Sunday, December 17th, 18th and 19th, 5:00PM-9:00PM, Harlem Night Market at La Marqueta, 1590 Park Avenue between 115th and 116th Street.  The Harlem Night Market returns for 3 consecutive days this month to celebrate the holidays after a hiatus from last year.  Checkout our past post on more photos of the first event from two years ago: LINK

HarlemBespoke.com 2021

CELEBRATE: DIA DE MUERTOS EN EL BARRIO 2021

Saturday, October 30th, 1:00PM to 6:00PM, Dia De Muertos En El Barrio, at La Marqueta, 116th Street and Park Avenue. Celebrate México’s beloved 3,000-year-old tradition commemorating friends and relatives who have passed away with El Museo del Barrio and Union Settlement! This year, we are presenting an altar dedicated to the East Harlem community, live musical performances, art-making workshops, and special discounts for local restaurants in East Harlem.   More details to RSVP for this free event can be found at the El Museo site: LINK

HarlemBespoke.com 2021

CELEBRATE: BASTILLE DAY IN HARLEM 2021

Bastille Day 2021 is the perfect excuse to make reservations at Harlem's notable French eateries.  Below is the list of Gallic establishments to check out tonight in celebration of France's independence from the monarchy:

Maison Harlem on St. Nicholas Avenue by 127th Street. Tel: 212. 222.9224

Barawine on Lenox Avenue by West 120th Street. Tel: 646.756.4154 

Le Petit Parisienne, French bakery on Lenox by 117th Street. Tel: 917.262.0524

Yatenga, on 7th Avenue just south of 135th Street.  Tel:  212.690.0699

Amuse Bouche at La Marqueta, Park Avenue at 115th Street. Tel: 917.710.3111

Ponty Bistro,  on 7th Avenue and 139th Street.  Tel: 212.234.6475

HarlemBespoke.com 2021

EAT: APPLE TART AT AMUSE BOUCHE

Harlem Bespoke:   We finally got to try one of these photogenic apple tarts from Amuse Bouche at the food court within La Marqueta on Park by East 115th Street.  This pastry is a best seller and pretty much half a sliced apple with a flaky crust to hold it all together. Definitely worth going out of the way for while walking around the East side since it is all really  ffordable and freshly prepared French fare.  They have also have table service with incredible lunch and dinner specials or just visit to grab and go at the cafe: LINK

HarlemBespoke.com 2021

REMEMBER: LA MARQUETA BY ALICE NEEL c.1947

Harlem Bespoke: The new exhibit at The Met showcasing the life's work of artist Alice Neel mainly focused on portraits but some landscape or interiors provide a peek into East Harlem's past.  We new that La Marqueta was the location when we saw the painting of the fish market done in 1947 with the industrial glass in the background.  A black and white photo was also included with the presentation of this piece and shows how market under the elevated train tracks on Park Avenue by 116th Street used to be the food hub for El Barrio. There also used to be hundreds of vendors present but only about a dozen can be found today because the purchasing patterns of the neighborhood has drastically shifted.  With that said, some infrastructure improvements have been made over the past decade so maybe one day we can return to this.  More on reviving La Marqueta can be found in our past post: LINK

HarlemBespoke.com 2021

HARLEM RESTAURANT WEEK: AMUSE BUCHE FALL 2020

Harlem Bespoke: Uptown's own restaurant week will be running from October 19th through the 31st and some of the great meal deals will be highlighted on the blog for the last half of the month. Amuse Bouche which is open midweek into the weekend has a great $25 prix fixe menu for lunch that runs three full courses.  French classics such as escargot for an appetizer with an entree of Brandade de Morue are some new things to try out for the week and dessert like chocolate mouse is also included.  The little eatery over at La Marqueta underneath the Park Avenue underpass by 115th Street has outdoor seating but is only open during the day.   More on the menu can be found on the official HRW site: LINK

HarlemBespoke.com 2020

EAT: AFFORDABLE FRENCH AT AMUSE BOUCHE

Harlem Bespoke: One of the best thing about Harlem Restaurant Week is discovering some of the newer eateries that have opened uptown in recent months.  Amuse Bouche took over the Hot Bread Kitchen space at La Marqueta on Park at 115th Street and we were surprised to see how affordable everything really was a la carte.  The enclosed food court setup within the train underpass is definitely on the modest side but the two owners have dressed everything up to be warm an cozy in a very limited space.  Everything is made to order and apparently is pretty much under $9 for the entire bistro menu.

We especially like the Escargot de Bourgogne that is this week's special and also on the restaurant week menu since the offering provides a bit of nostalgia.  This iconic French dish with butter, parsley, garlic and snails is mainly now served up without the shells at most spots but the classic way is to have a more whole presentation that also includes a very bespoke escargot tong.  Diners just grab one of the shells with the tong and use the tiny wooden fork on hand to pick out the tender delicacy within.  At the end, make sure to use the same aforementioned tong to pour out the melted butter from the shell to eat with the bread.

SEE: AROUND HARLEM THIS WEEKEND

Harlem Bespoke: Keep it all uptown and help out Harlem's great local businesses over the weekend.  Below is the Bespoke list of what is new and notable in the north neighborhoods to try out this upcoming weekend. 

Dinner service at the new Chaiwali on Lenox by 124th Street: LINK

Shopping at the first Harlem Night Market at La Marqueta on 116th: LINK

Trying out Latin American pastries at Dulceria on FDB by 119th Street: LINK

Checking out the new Mountain Bird location on 2nd Avenue and 111th: LINK

African coffee and tea at Ginjan Cafe on 125th Street: LINK

Grabbing brunch at Ruby's Vintage on ACP by 137th Street: LINK

Eating at the new Pizza by Lucille's on Macomb and 150th: LINK

Crafted rice bowls at Field Trip on Lenox by 116th Street: LINK

Eating at River Thai in Hamilton Heights by 147th Street: LINK

Brunch at Archer & Goat on Lenox by 119th Street: LINK

Coffee and ambiance at Common Good on FDB by 149th Street: LINK

Saturday Morningside Farmers Market at 110th and Manhattan: LINK

Coffee at Lucille's on Macombs Place and 150th Street: LINK

Ethiopian cuisine at Benyam on FDB by 149th Street: LINK

Dinner service at Belle on ACP 7th Avenue by 139th Street: LINK

Burgers, shakes and fries at Shake Shack on 125th Street: LINK

Weekend lunch at Teranga on 110th Street and Fifth Avenue: LINK

Checking out  NHBD cafe on Frederick Douglass and 140th Street: LINK

Discovering new contemporary African eateries in Harlem: LINK

Dinner service at Clay on Manhattan Avenue and 123rd Street: LINK 

Cold brew coffee at Little Bean on St. Nicholas and 111th Street: LINK

Drinks at the new Honeywell in Hamilton Heights on Broadway: LINK

Eating hand-made tacos at the Oso on Amsterdam and 140th Street: LINK

Visiting Ploughshares Coffee on Amsterdam and 126th Street: LINK

Arepas and drinks at Barepas on Amsterdam by 148th street: LINK

Reserving a spot at Harlem's only Michelin Star restaurant: LINK

Asian pub grub at The Expat on the corner of Tiemann and Claremont: LINK

Drinks at Sugar Monk on Frederick Douglass by 123rd Street: LINK

Pizza Happy Hour on the weekends at Uncle Tony's by 139th Street: LINK

More drinks at the new Harlem Ale House on 127th Street: LINK

Tasting tacos in East Harlem at La Chula on 116th Street: LINK

Coffee and donuts at Shuteye on 116th between Lenox and 7th Ave: LINK

Visiting Bo's Bagels on 116th early in the morning before they sell out: LINK

Trying out the brunch burger at RDV on FDB by West 112th Street: LINK

Discovering Japanese style crepes at Crepe Master on 116th: LINK

Discovering the East Harlem Bottling Co. on Lexington by 107th Street: LINK

Trying out southern whiskey at Uptown Bourbon by 152nd Street: LINK

Slurping up authentic ramen at R.O.K.C on Broadway by 141st Street: LINK

Brunch or dinner at Sottocasa Pizzeria on Lenox by 121st Street: LINK



HarlemBespoke.com 2019

SEE: AROUND HARLEM THIS WEEKEND

Harlem Bespoke: Keep it all uptown and help out Harlem's great local businesses over the weekend.  Below is the Bespoke list of what is new and notable in the north neighborhoods to try out this upcoming weekend. 

Shopping at the first Harlem Night Market at La Marqueta on 116th: LINK

Checking out the new Mountain Bird location on 2nd Avenue and 111th: LINK

African coffee and tea at Ginjan Cafe on 125th Street: LINK

Grabbing brunch at Ruby's Vintage on ACP by 137th Street: LINK

Eating at the new Pizza by Lucille's on Macomb and 150th: LINK

Crafted rice bowls at Field Trip on Lenox by 116th Street: LINK

Eating at River Thai in Hamilton Heights by 147th Street: LINK

Brunch at Archer & Goat on Lenox by 119th Street: LINK

Coffee and ambiance at Common Good on FDB by 149th Street: LINK

Saturday Morningside Farmers Market at 110th and Manhattan: LINK

Coffee at Lucille's on Macombs Place and 150th Street: LINK

Ethiopian cuisine at Benyam on FDB by 149th Street: LINK

Dinner service at Belle on ACP 7th Avenue by 139th Street: LINK

Burgers, shakes and fries at Shake Shack on 125th Street: LINK

Weekend lunch at Teranga on 110th Street and Fifth Avenue: LINK

Checking out  NHBD cafe on Frederick Douglass and 140th Street: LINK

Discovering new contemporary African eateries in Harlem: LINK

Dinner service at Clay on Manhattan Avenue and 123rd Street: LINK 

Cold brew coffee at Little Bean on St. Nicholas and 111th Street: LINK

Drinks at the new Honeywell in Hamilton Heights on Broadway: LINK

Eating hand-made tacos at the Oso on Amsterdam and 140th Street: LINK

Visiting Ploughshares Coffee on Amsterdam and 126th Street: LINK

Arepas and drinks at Barepas on Amsterdam by 148th street: LINK

Reserving a spot at Harlem's only Michelin Star restaurant: LINK

Asian pub grub at The Expat on the corner of Tiemann and Claremont: LINK

Drinks at Sugar Monk on Frederick Douglass by 123rd Street: LINK

Pizza Happy Hour on the weekends at Uncle Tony's by 139th Street: LINK

More drinks at the new Harlem Ale House on 127th Street: LINK

Tasting tacos in East Harlem at La Chula on 116th Street: LINK

Coffee and donuts at Shuteye on 116th between Lenox and 7th Ave: LINK

Visiting Bo's Bagels on 116th early in the morning before they sell out: LINK

Trying out the brunch burger at RDV on FDB by West 112th Street: LINK

Discovering Japanese style crepes at Crepe Master on 116th: LINK

Discovering the East Harlem Bottling Co. on Lexington by 107th Street: LINK

Trying out southern whiskey at Uptown Bourbon by 152nd Street: LINK

Slurping up authentic ramen at R.O.K.C on Broadway by 141st Street: LINK

Brunch or dinner at Sottocasa Pizzeria on Lenox by 121st Street: LINK



HarlemBespoke.com 2019

FIRST LOOK: THE HARLEM NIGHT MARKET PREMIERE

Harlem Bespoke:  We dropped by the first Harlem Night Market of the month at the La Marqueta extension on Park Avenue and 116th Street this past Saturday.  Doors opened at 4:00PM and the crowds arrived quite quickly to the glass encased underpass that just finished construction in the past month.  Several dozen merchants were allocated the block-long stretch to sections marked as Makers, Savory, Sweet and Beer Garden which required ID to enter.  An on site DJ provided music at the last section towards 115th Street which was an all out dance floor for the evening.

SEE: AROUND HARLEM THIS WEEKEND

Harlem Bespoke: Keep it all uptown and help out Harlem's great local businesses over the weekend.  Below is the Bespoke list of what is new and notable in the north neighborhoods to try out this upcoming weekend. 

Shopping at the first Harlem Night Market at La Marqueta on 116th: LINK

Checking out the new Mountain Bird location on 2nd Avenue and 111th: LINK

African coffee and tea at Ginjan Cafe on 125th Street: LINK

Grabbing brunch at Ruby's Vintage on ACP by 137th Street: LINK

Eating at the new Pizza by Lucille's on Macomb and 150th: LINK

Crafted rice bowls at Field Trip on Lenox by 116th Street: LINK

Eating at River Thai in Hamilton Heights by 147th Street: LINK

Brunch at Archer & Goat on Lenox by 119th Street: LINK

Coffee and ambiance at Common Good on FDB by 149th Street: LINK

Saturday Morningside Farmers Market at 110th and Manhattan: LINK

Coffee at Lucille's on Macombs Place and 150th Street: LINK

Ethiopian cuisine at Benyam on FDB by 149th Street: LINK

Dinner service at Belle on ACP 7th Avenue by 139th Street: LINK

Burgers, shakes and fries at Shake Shack on 125th Street: LINK

Weekend lunch at Teranga on 110th Street and Fifth Avenue: LINK

Checking out  NHBD cafe on Frederick Douglass and 140th Street: LINK

Discovering new contemporary African eateries in Harlem: LINK

Dinner service at Clay on Manhattan Avenue and 123rd Street: LINK 

Cold brew coffee at Little Bean on St. Nicholas and 111th Street: LINK

Drinks at the new Honeywell in Hamilton Heights on Broadway: LINK

Eating hand-made tacos at the Oso on Amsterdam and 140th Street: LINK

Visiting Ploughshares Coffee on Amsterdam and 126th Street: LINK

Arepas and drinks at Barepas on Amsterdam by 148th street: LINK

Reserving a spot at Harlem's only Michelin Star restaurant: LINK

Asian pub grub at The Expat on the corner of Tiemann and Claremont: LINK

Drinks at Sugar Monk on Frederick Douglass by 123rd Street: LINK

Pizza Happy Hour on the weekends at Uncle Tony's by 139th Street: LINK

More drinks at the new Harlem Ale House on 127th Street: LINK

Tasting tacos in East Harlem at La Chula on 116th Street: LINK

Coffee and donuts at Shuteye on 116th between Lenox and 7th Ave: LINK

Visiting Bo's Bagels on 116th early in the morning before they sell out: LINK

Trying out the brunch burger at RDV on FDB by West 112th Street: LINK

Discovering Japanese style crepes at Crepe Master on 116th: LINK

Discovering the East Harlem Bottling Co. on Lexington by 107th Street: LINK

Trying out southern whiskey at Uptown Bourbon by 152nd Street: LINK

Slurping up authentic ramen at R.O.K.C on Broadway by 141st Street: LINK

Brunch or dinner at Sottocasa Pizzeria on Lenox by 121st Street: LINK



HarlemBespoke.com 2019

CELEBRATE: THE FIRST NIGHT MARKET AT LA MARQUETA

Saturday, December 7th, 14th and 21st, 4:00PM-10:00PM, Harlem Night Market at La Marqueta, 1590 Park Avenue between 115th and 116th Street.   Manhattan's first night market will be happening  over at the north part of La Marqueta which has just gone under a $5 million renovation to encase the Metro North underpass in glass for year round activities.  This section of the historic market located between 115th and 116th Street will now host the Harlem Night Market on 3 consecutive Saturdays this month to celebrate the holidays.

Music by uptown's own DJ Stormin Normin alongside local small businesses and entrepreneurs such as La Fonda Boricua, Harlem Shake, Flaco Coquito, Sugar Hill Creamery, Sprinkle Splash Sweet Shoppe, the Harlem Pie Man and many more will be featured.  Drinks will be abundant with the help of East Harlem Bottling Co., Serengeti Teas & Spices, Flaco Coquito & Los Sabores de mi Tierra.

Families can come early and take selfies with Santa and the Three Kings from 4:00PM-6:00PM and enjoy the winter holiday decor that will light up the newly restored historic space featuring festive concession stands along with public bathrooms.  Learn more about the renovated La Marqueta in East Harlem can be found in our previous post: LINK


HarlemBespoke.com 2019

BESPOKE: HOUSE PLANTS BACK IN VOGUE

Harlem Bespoke: There was a time after the 70s that most homeowners did not really consider having multiple house plants inside but that has changed with the newer generation. Cut arrangements were all the rage during the 80s until the aughts but now millennials have changed all that with a preference for having an indoor jungle all year round.  Some of the newer coffee shops such as Shuteye on 116th Street or Plowhshares on 127th and Dear Mama on 129th Street all are hip to this new trend.

We had talk to a young architect recently who mentioned that part of the development projects at their company now always includes a plant consultant to spruce up the final interior when the physical space finishes up.  With that said, East Harlem's Urban Garden Center at La Marqueta is the place for interested uptowners to get more green and beautify their homes since the location under the Park Avenue elevated line is the largest outdoor garden space in Manhattan: LINK

HarlemBespoke.com 2019

INTRODUCING: MODERN RENOVATIONS AT LA MARQUETA

Harlem Bespoke:  Renovations for the north part of La Marqueta between 115th and 116th Street on Park Avenue started up at the beginning of this year and it now looks like everything is almost complete.  We walked by the historic market place in El Barrio that used to have hundreds of local merchants but has had a major decline since the mid 20th Century when cheaper fast food and bodegas became more dominant in the neighborhood.  Today only a handful of merchants can be found in the south end of the 115th Street section but that is about to change.

CONSTRUCTION: NEW PLANS FOR LA MARQUETA

Harlem Bespoke: La Maqueta will be going through a renovation period for the remainder of the year at the 116th Street end which will introduce a more enclosed design for the outdoor plaza section.  A massive expansion plan seems to have been edited down to improvements on the current areas of use but things could go further if foot traffic picks up.  The existing indoor shop space at the  115th Street entrance will still remain open so make sure to drop by and support some of the great local businesses this summer: LINK

HarlemBespoke.com 2018

QUESTION: WHAT'S UP WITH VENDY PLAZA?

Harlem Bespoke: The outdoor sunday market at La Marqueta called Vendy Plaza started up in 2015 and returned in 2016 but currently no opening date has been announced for this side of the year.  There had been a lot of excitement for the historic open-air retail space underneath the Park Avenue tracks by 116th Street but somehow things are not moving forward from what we can see.  A few indoor merchants are currently set up for business but the large crowds have since disappeared.  More on Vendy Plaza can be found in our past post: LINK

HarlemBespoke.com 2017