Harbs is a cute Asian bakery that is quite chic. Cakes are uber sweet and very pretty. They make a very short espresso shot so be aware. The cakes are pricy but then again quality usually is. I think this place is worth a visit. Please follow @joannasable on instagram for more food and travel fun.

+1

To be fair, this review is for the cake and pastry. The cakes are out of this world. All of them are excellent. Love the strawberry, chocolate, green tea, Sakura, banana cream cake and fruit Millie crepe. Very fresh. And do not forget to try the seasonal special cakes !! And I mostly get to-go since the place can be too busy to enjoy a sit-down as a diner. Even the to-go box is somewhat insulated by design, which is nice with attention to details. Pricey slices but worth the indulgence once in a while. Highly recommend 👍

Comfortable place. Good space for afternoon tea. We ordered strawberry cake, fruit cake, and royal milk tea cake. All of them were delicious. Will definitely come to this place again.

My first time there, and I had a wonderful time. The place is bright and comfortable to sit down and enjoy the food. The staff was great from beginning to when I left. The cake and food was amazing. I am already thinking to come back again.

+1

Really great, attentive service and delicious food! Note that the kitchen closes earlier than the hours state, 6:30 pm. The cafe is still open later, but no cooked food.

Harbs is a very popular Japanese cake chain that I’ve had many years ago in Tokyo! The quality in NYC is as good as what I can remember. I’ll start by saying Japanese cake is expected to be less sugar-y than American cakes (a lovely fact that allows one to eat more slices), but I don’t think Harbs’ flavor is compromised by that. Rather, I find the fresh fruit flavors to be subtle but on point and authentic (rather than artificial fruit flavors), topped and layered by fresh, light cream that doesn’t make you feel sick even when it looks like 50% of what the cake is made of! My favorite is their strawberry vanilla cake, a classic that allows you to indulge in the fresh chunky strawberries with fluffy cake layers and creamy cream. (Pardon my lack of adjectives to describe good cream!) I tried their banana cream pie the first time and it exceeded my expectations. The banana flavor comes through and although there is a lot of cream with this pie and just a thin layer crust underneath, it was really yummy and I wolved down the slice in no time. The chunky bananas worked with the pie that even my friend who’s not a banana fan enjoyed it. The hot royal milk tea complemented the cake and served about 2-2.5 cups but maybe is a bit pricey compared to other places. I’ve been to Harbs’ Chelsea many times but it’s my first dine in and visit at Soho location! The inside is airy and spacious, very comfortable to sit down, enjoy tea and good cake. Highly recommend if you’re interested in trying authentic Japanese cake!

The store is pretty and so are the cakes. I got a lemon yogurt slice and it was light and airy. It tasted lemony and yogurty so thats nice. It was the amazing toilet that elevated my experience. The toilet sensed my presence close-by and automatically opened its cover! That was amazing. I love a technologically advanced toilet!

Harbs is one of my favorite cake shops in NYC. These Japanese cakes were delicious, not too sweet like American cakes. The fresh fruit mille crêpes are a must-try! They also have good teas and fresh juice to pair with cakes

Love this place, the Crepe cake is always a must for the table. This last trip we have the Lemon Pasta which was so light and great, BLT Sandwich is superb too. The staff is efficient and friendly. Although this location is in the busy Soho District, the service was great and our waiters were very attentive. The place is clean and well maintained. Love that this location have a bar and just table seating.

The best Japanese fruit layered cake in the town. Super fresh, well balanced flavor, not too sweet cake. I had tried all their flavors, all amazingly delicious.

These desserts are truly delightful, excelling in texture, flavor, temperature, and presentation. They lean towards a lighter taste compared to traditional Western desserts, making them potentially more suitable for Asian palates. Definitely worth a visit to savor these treats!

I love this place for cakes, tea and matcha. I think we tried all their cakes and it’s always perfect. Even standard cheesecake. It’s expensive, but it’s better than eat too sugar cheap crème

Can't love it more! I normally don't like sweets, cakes, and bubble tea. But I need some sugar, HARBS is the place. Nice collection of tea, awesome toast, and cake. Also, the best service you can have. For tea, I highly recommend fruit cocktail. For cakes, they are all good, but if you see strawberry ones, please try a slice! HARBS only makes those cakes when strawberries are delicious. Also, the potato in a salad ( comes with a sandwich ) is the soul of the whole salad, try it and you won't regret it.

Delicious cake and tea! I recommend the matcha genmai if you like matcha. The cake was not too sweet and yet delicious. There are a lot of completely unreasonable reviews here about how each customer needs to order one item, and then they leave without even ordering a cake….why even leave a review? Wife and I were nervous since the review rating was a bit low but rest assured the cake was definitely a 5/5.

A real Japanese experience just here in NYC... this place made myself go back in time when I was living abroad in Kobe.

I had such a wonderful experience at HARBS in SoHo! The atmosphere was warm and inviting, and the staff were incredibly friendly and attentive. One of the floor staff even spoke Japanese, which made me feel right at home. I ordered the lunch set, which came with a salad, a choice of pasta or sandwich, dessert, and a drink. Everything was delicious, the portion was generous, and the price was very reasonable. I especially loved the sencha (Japanese green tea) — it had been a long time since I’d had such a comforting cup, and it truly impressed me. What made the experience even more special was how thoughtful the service was. The staff refilled my drink without me even asking, and both the floor and kitchen staff were so polite and professional. I also noticed how clean and well-kept the kitchen and dining area were, which gave me even more confidence in the place. On top of that, they even have a washlet toilet — the first time I’ve come across one in New York! It was such a nice touch and made me feel like I was back in Japan. Overall, HARBS SoHo is a gem. Great food, excellent service, a clean and cozy environment — I’ll definitely be coming back, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a lovely dining experience in the city.

So yummy, I came here twice within a few days. The cakes are divine (anything with strawberry and the fruit mille crepe), airy, fluffy, light and not too sweet with fresh fruit to balance the sweetness of the cake. The white grape tea is delicious, so is the savoury section of the menu, in particular the omurice and the pasta dishes (the butter shoyu is the best!) Can get very busy over the weekend so I recommend coming here during the week.

+2

A friend recommended this place, so we came for tea and cake. The strawberry mousse cake was absolutely divine! This cake felt like a strawberry kiss from heaven. So fresh, so rich, so perfect! I have tasted many, but this one tops them all. Hats off to the Japanese chef.

I love coming here for lunch! Came to dine in on a weekday during lunch hour, wasn't crowded and service was nice. Ordered the lunch set and an extra slice of cake. A bit on the pricey side but 100% worth the visit solo or with a friend. Was able to take my time.

Cake and tea are tasty, but the service is a little slow and it’s quite pricey. A long line at door waiting to be seated and mixed up with the take out line, it’s a little confusing. Overall a nice place to take a break.

Beautiful cute Cafe with the most delicious food and cakes. The lunch special was especialy great for the price. If you like Japanese style sweets and food this is the place to come to. Mild sweetness, and great subtle fresh flavors.

This place is awesome. Jason was a superstar, so helpful at explaining each cake. We had a nice time. These are high quality cakes. I don’t think the other bad reviewers are fair, or even real. Definitely good people running this shop. My only wish is that they use better matcha that has a good taste.

We ordered matcha latte and blueberry cheese. The blueberry cheesecake was SO GOOD!!!! They said it’s contained alcohol, but we did not notice anything. The cheesecake was a little bit salty and creamy combined with blueberries that taste sour-ish OMG. To be honest, I haven’t had a good blueberry cheesecake like this one before. I have tried many blueberry cheesecake before since it was one of my fav dessert. BUT THIS ONE??? YOU SHOULD HAVE A TRY.

If you have the time to sit down, overall great food, clean aesthetic, and nice in general. Mango mousse was sweet but not too sweet, and the strawberry cake was fantastic

+1

This place is Beautiful inside with an old-school feel to it like you wouldn't believe as for the waitress and waiter they were so nice polite and helpful it was such a wonderful experience. Let's not forget about the food omg I ordered the Banana cream pie it was amazing from start to finish treat yourself if your ever in the neighborhood to this phenomenal place with excellent service and food. Only thing wasn't 100% older man trying to hint to us more than once they are closing soon almost didn't let us sit down to order thank God he did we walked 45 mins to eat there.

We ordered Ala carte lunch and it came with a salad and bread with garlic butter and olive oil. It was a good deal. The seafood pasta was better than the bolognese pasta. It came with a good side of Japanese toasted bread and the garlic butter was very good. The ambience was nice and quiet, away from the bustling noise in NYC.

I went there and brought a lot of things home. I didn’t know why the Mille crepe was the best selling one until I tried it. Yes, it really has to be

They only charge tax if your are dine in. Save me $2 per piece. I like that! We like the texture and the sweetness of their cake. Not too sweet while has an enrichment of fruit inside.

+6

Delicious and exciting. The bacon was the thickest I have ever seen on a sandwich. Best matcha we have ever had 🫰🏼white grape jasmine tea was fantastic - temperature of the grape if u eat it after was sublime, texture was reminiscent of a baked apple.

Very cute and relaxed Japanese-French bakery. The cakes are airy and light, and the flavors are good. The strawberry cake is a good balance of cream and fruit, and the lemon yogurt cake is exactly that (lemon-y and yogurt-y) in a great way. The savory foods are also good; highly recommend the mentaiko pasta (creamy, briny).

This Japanese dessert store is a hidden gem that offers a delightful experience for anyone with a sweet tooth. From traditional treats to modern creations, the store boasts a wide variety of desserts that cater to different tastes. One of their standout offerings is the queen of cakes, which is rich and creamy with a perfect balance of sour and sweet flavors. Another must-try is their selection of royal milk tea, beautifully crafted Japanese milk tea that are not only delicious but also visually appealing. The store's ambiance is serene and inviting, providing a relaxing environment to savor your desserts. The staff members are attentive and knowledgeable, ready to assist you in choosing the perfect treat. Whether you're a fan of classic Japanese sweets or looking to explore new flavors, this dessert store is a must-visit destination for dessert lovers.

+3

I just love Harbs! I am a Japan style fan and they do it like that. The price fixe set comes with salad, main dish (either pasta or sandwich) today’s cake (strawberry cake is delicious & a must have if you like strawberries) it also includes a cup of coffee or black tea for $28-30. My kids and I usually get the lemon & Parmigiano pasta with the prix fixe. A La carte is also available, fresh cake, a quiet enough environment for a good conversation or a date.

+1

Maria Evans

It’s doesn’t get any better than this state-side. For those who have visited Japan, you’ll get it. If you closed your eyes and take a bite of their perfect strawberry cake, you would truly think you’re back in Tokyo. The food, the service, the atmosphere is perfection. Why this place isn’t a 5 star is beyond me. I could eat here breakfast, lunch, and dinner forever.

Wentao Ma

Super friendly service. Quiet and minimalistic ambiance. Nice presentation. The fruit crepe is custardy, not too sweet.

Soojennie

Not too sweet Japanese-style cakes with beautifully light flavors, paired with refreshing, high-quality tea. A truly delightful experience.

Pinar Ozcan

Must try!! Expensive spot, for a cake and a tea you pay around 30$ including tip. However!! Well worth it! If you hesitate, I can assure you, go try it! It is delicious!! Try the fresh fruit cake, Mille crepe or just anything really. My fav is the grape jasmine tea in a pot

Alan and Deirdre Forever

A bakery that stays true to its Japanese roots, delivering light, fluffy cakes with just the right touch of sweetness. Every flavor shines, and the variety of textures makes each bite enjoyable and thoughtfully crafted. The cappuccino is impressively done as well—smooth, aromatic, and the perfect companion to the cakes. Staff very friendly and helpful.

Gavin Ransom

Food was excellent. Prices were a little high but not too bad. Portions were great even the prix fixe that we had came with a good size, and very tasty, salad, plentiful main course and a reasonable size of cake. Tea was lovely, disappointing to me the tea was not a refill but the water was free flowing and never allowed to get empty! The Japanese washlets in the bathrooms are fantastic and I still cannot believe they are not everywhere!

Anne C

I LOVE THIS PLACE!!! I found it to be a very peaceful atmosphere, the staff were so polite and well trained, the food was delicious, place was spotless, and for the lunch special you get such value for your money! I highly recommend this place!! The staff made sure we had refills of water was attentive to our needs but in an unassuming way. It was really a perfect brunch. And don't forget the really cool Japanese ToTo toilet in the bathroom, so fun! Haha!

CHIA-CHIA CHANG

A lot of items were sold out (including my favorite fruit crepe) 🥲so we instead got the berry berry cake! It was soooo good that we even wanted to order a second piece😆 will def come back to get the fruit crepe

Samia Albalawi

Harbs Japanese Cake is truly a delightful experience for dessert lovers. The slice I had was a strawberry mousse cake layered over a light sponge base. It was incredibly fresh, with real strawberries inside the mousse, and topped with smooth whipped cream and a drizzle of strawberry sauce. What stands out is the delicate balance of sweetness—it’s not overly sugary, which allows the natural flavor of the strawberries to shine. The texture is airy and melts in your mouth, making each bite feel indulgent yet light. Paired with a creamy cappuccino, it was the perfect afternoon treat. Highly recommended for those who appreciate refined, Japanese-style patisserie.

+3

Jenny W

Always a pleasant experience when visiting here! The staff are always friendly and fast. The place is very clean and has a lot of seating so definitely a great place to dine in with friends or family. When dining in, the food is brought over to the table within 5-20 minutes of ordering depending on what was ordered. If you happen to order cake and other food items while dining in and you don’t mind which items you eat first, you can always ask for the cake to be served first while you wait for food that needs to be made in the kitchen. Just a pro tip if you like to eat cake first before the actual meal like I do! The lunch special always fills me up and hits the spot every time. 100% recommend it if you’re able to come here on an empty stomach. I have to rave about the cake that they serve because they make amazing flavors! Everything here always tastes fantastic and the cakes are great for different kinds of celebrations. We’ve ordered a few for birthday parties and they were always a hit. Will be coming back soon!

+4

Jacqueline Y.

Harbs SoHo is an absolute gem when it comes to cakes—truly unforgettable and consistently delicious. Every time I visit, I make it a point to try the newest flavors with friends, and they never disappoint. The cakes are fresh, light, and beautifully crafted, making each bite a delight. Whether it’s their signature Mille Crêpes or a seasonal special, everything is top-tier in terms of flavor and texture. However, while the desserts are impeccable, the service leaves much to be desired. Some staff members are not as professional as one would expect, often taking too long to take orders and sometimes even bringing the wrong items. It can be frustrating, especially given the high quality of the food. Overall, I absolutely love the cakes and the experience of sharing them with friends, but I wish the service matched the excellence of the desserts. If you’re patient and willing to overlook the service, Harbs SoHo is still a must-visit for anyone who loves exquisite cakes.

Piyanan Oransidhipong

Nice food and staffs were very friendly and provided excellent customer service. I ordered pastas with Lunch Special Sets , it comes with salad and choose of coffee, a half slice of cake , that's inside great atmosphere. The cake was delicious I ordered 3 more slices of cake for takeaway. Love ❤️.

+1

Samuel C

Nice food and staffs were very friendly and provided excellent customer service. I ordered a pasta with a lunch set ($30 dollars which the pasta worths $26), it comes with a salad, choose of coffee, english tea, Japanese tea and a half slice of cake. Good atmosphere. The cake was very good I ordered two more slices for takeaway!

+2

Food was good but taking off points for the prices idk I didn’t feel like it was that much better than just any slice of cake not going to lie, however the atmosphere and service was superb

A nice place to eat. The place have restrooms inside. The staffs were very friendly and provided excellent customer service.

Great cake selection. Got the mille crepes, which was very delicious, not too sweet, which I appreciate. Also, the iced coffee was decent. It has a lot of space inside. 1 star deducted because the table was sticky.

I read a review that said come here for the bathrooms. I wasn't really sure what that meant at first, but it's true, you should really come to Harbs Soho for the bathrooms. Please do note that they have a sign saying that bathrooms are available for customer use only. Bathrooms aside, I came on a Sunday afternoon to catch up with some friends. Harbs is very spacious especially for Soho standards. You grab an open table and the servers will come take your order. I ordered the pear mille-feuille. It was a very big slice of cake. I appreciated the cream puff style crust. The cream and pear added a nice soft texture and of course it had just the right touch of sweetness. The servers made sure that our waters were always filled. However it was weird that it did take a while for our orders to come out, which was interesting because my party only ordered slices of cakes and tea. Other than that, harbs never disappoints for a good slice of cake and of course, this particular location must be visited just for the bathrooms.

Food & drinks: 4 Staff: 3.5 Environment: 5 Great desserts for East Asian palettes, especially since they’re all so pretty! The “Queen of cake” had great freshly whipped cream and sponge cake, and the “Cream cheese mille crepes” were novel (to me), but I would’ve preferred whipped cream cheese as the regular cream cheese they used felt too heavy. Their desserts pair perfectly with teas and coffees since the sweetness and heaviness can be balanced. We got their yuzu sencha and it had great yuzu and green tea profile. However, as with everything Japanese and especially in Manhattan, things are overpriced. The staff at the counter when you walk in aren’t they most friendly and are super busy with takeout and other orders. There’s no one available to tell you to sign on the sheet to put yourself on a waiting list for dine-in, unless you’ve been there before. The staff who served us though, was super friendly and kind in explaining the food/drinks and how they’re served. The interior is cutely decorated with a nice restroom to compliment the rest of the place!

$15 + tax/tip for a slice of cake is definitely steep but the way the flavors in the strawberry cake blend together + the freshness of the cream definitely make this place worth it for the occasional treat Also ordered the fruit mille crepe based on the servers recommendation. Fruit was fresh but would stick to the strawberry cake next time :)

A Japanese cafe. Everything is a little bit pricey but cakes and teas are great. The interior is very unique. It's like a cold lab. That's why I prefer the Chelsea branch.

Getting more expensive these days. Still the vibe was nice and the cake delicious. beef can be tough.

Delicious cake. Very expensive. This Japanese cafe has delicious cakes. Of that there’s no doubt. I had the chocolate and was very impressed. Tasted like what I’d had in Tokyo. Light, moist, and not too sweet. The coffee was really good, too. But I spent nearly $80 on (3) pieces of cake and two coffees. That’s A LOT. I will say that we went on a Thursday at noon and the place was empty. Service was very good. There were a noticeable amount of fruit flies bothering us, though.

The strawberry cake tastes wonderful! But it is kind of forced to have the staff to service the customer even if the customer just wants to take a quick bite of the cake. While the customer is waiting for the staff is ready to take the order, it’s highly likely that the wanted piece have been taken by the others who are in the line for takeout. Well, it’s based on my experience. Also the price is a little higher than the market…..

Desserts are delicious and so are the entrees. Pastas were better than I expected and a portion size to satisfy but not feel stuffed.

Decent coffee and great selection for cakes. Only thing that bothered me was they insist one order per person. It is quiet pricy but I think it is fair considering that it is located in the heart of NYC.

Very expensive cakes ($15-19 per slice) but large potions and delicious. Coffee is decent, small selection but have a wide variety of blended teas.

I’d been to HARBS in Japan but this was my first time in NYC. One of my friends loves this place, so we came here for lunch today. The cafe is quite spacious with high ceilings and I really liked the atmosphere. There was still plenty of seating when we arrived at 12:30pm, but within an hour or so, it was quite full. We ordered the Lunch Special, which is available from 11am - 3pm. They have a pasta set ($28+) and sandwich set ($25+), both of which come with: - Side salad - Lunch slice of today’s cake - Cup of coffee or English breakfast tea (*free refills) We ordered 2 pasta sets and decided to share 2 different pastas: - Pescatora - Lemon & Parmigiano Overall, the food was good. The side salad could’ve used a little less dressing, but it was nice to have some greens. Both pastas were quite tasty and there was so much of it that we could’ve easily shared amongst 3 people. For today’s cake, we had the option of one of the following: - Fresh Fruit Mille Crepes - Chocolate Cake - Pear Mille-Feuille I tried the Pear Mille-Feuille, which had delicious cream and sliced pears inside. The cream-puff style crust was a little too heavy for me, though, after all of the pasta. I’ll try the Fresh Fruit Mille Crepe next time. In terms of service, they were very attentive when we first arrived probably because it was less busy. I didn’t realize (and my friend forgot) that the tea / coffee would be served at the start of the meal, instead of with the dessert. So by the time we were having dessert, we needed to order refills even though we hadn’t finished our drinks, because they were no longer warm. By then, restaurant was full and it took a while for us to get our drinks. I’d recommend asking them to bring the drinks with dessert, unless you want coffee/tea with your meal. My friend and I had a lovely meal and I look forward to coming back again for lunch or tea time.

+5

Came for lunch on a Sat. had the lunch special with Mentaiko pasta, salad, banana cream pie and iced coffee. also ordered a hojicha caramel tea and fruit cake. Pasta was a tiny bit salty, but cooked al dente. the pie and cake were really good! fresh fruits in the cake, and not too sweet. Service was also great, but a bit slow. I think they were understaffed. 10/10 would come back for the fruit cake.

Cakes are good as usual. Getting the seat is always chaotic. Cake display looks as empty as other days. The space is big, and the indoor arrangement doesn't make you feel jammed when it's full. The experience is pleasant.

+6

B LEE

Coming from Asia, where teas are served very well, this Green Tea in Harbs is nowhere near to High Quality Asian standard. Maybe Americans have different tastes for Green Tea. To me it is not worth the money. Cakes looked fabulous. Sad that I was too full to have a bite.

K S

Went around lunch time and got the prix fixe set with the butter shoyu pasta, Japanese sencha tea and a slice of the grapefruit mousse cake. Initially I thought it was a bit expensive, but seeing the quantity and quality of food I think it’s worth it. Service was great, immediately seated, brought me water and took my order quick. Food came out at good intervals, letting me eat the (large portion of) salad first, then the pasta, and then the cake. Also made sure to offer me a second cup of the tea to have with my cake (no added charge). They also made sure to refill my water and bring the bill quickly. I’d probably order the pasta again since it tasted great, although I am curious about other dishes. It has both mushroom and chicken in it, so it’s quite filling too. The grapefruit cake was really tart so it wasn’t to my taste, but they do give you 3 options for cake slices and it was my choice.

+1

Too short staffed. Staff looks overworked and is doing their best to meet client needs. Staff seems stressed. The company needs to do better for the annual revenue they make. This is unacceptable. Long wait lines for a piece of cake and tea. The whole store only had two staff on the floor. That works for take out and those who dine in . The cake is decent quality. Sitting area is nice. But customer service and responsiveness fall short. For the premium price for Okay Cake and Okay Tea. *shrugs*

Cake and coffee decent but maximally priced and nothing to write home about. Service, on the other hand, is minimalistic, and ambience and decor minimalistic too … like eating in Muji

Pear Mille and the Chocolate only OK. Large slices, a bit much. Didn’t get cups of water and napkins when order arrived. Took forever with getting the check.

It has a relaxing vibe and I could totally imagine myself reading a book ordering a slice of cake, a cup of coffee. However the price is pretty steep for a slice of cake, and honestly I don't find it extremely impressive , it feels a blend of raw ingredients/ fruit with whipped cream for the fruit crepes , the strawberry cake texture feels a bit same way. YMMV. Service has been pretty good, no complaints.

Cake is still pretty good, but I wouldn't want to dine in again. They are super short of staff, we waited super loooonngg for the waiter to come to take orders, then another long wait for the tea and cake to arrive. They really need to do something to improve the service.

Léa

This was my first time trying Korean pastries, and overall it was a nice discovery. While it’s not necessarily my favorite type of pastry, I did enjoy what I tried and found the flavors interesting and well executed. That said, the experience felt a bit restrictive. If you choose to eat on site, each person is required to order something, and considering the relatively high prices, that felt a bit disappointing. The pastries were good, but not exceptional enough to fully justify the price point in my opinion. The atmosphere was rather cold and not very cozy, but the biggest positive was definitely the kindness of the staff, who were very pleasant and welcoming. Overall, a decent experience for discovering Korean pastries, but not a must-visit for me.

Wendy Poon

The food was delicious and the cake was even better but the service was really spotty unfortunately 🥺 it’s a good place to come if you plan on spending hours talking without the waiter interrupting though 😆😆

Putt (Wonderer)

The food and cakes at HARBS are truly amazing, especially considering that I’m not usually a big fan of cake. The tea was also excellent. However, I had to give a mediocre rating due to the disappointing service and the long wait for our order. I visited with a few friends, and we all ordered at the same time. One friend ordered spaghetti, while the rest of us opted for cake and drinks. To our surprise, the spaghetti arrived before any of the cakes or drinks, which was quite odd, given that this isn’t a multi-course meal. The timing of the service was definitely off.

+3

The cake is good! The fruit is fresh! But the staffs are not friendly and we waited 40mins for two piece of cakes. Earl grey tea and cafe au lait are both mediocre. My friend and I weren’t happy about the overall experience even the cake is quite good.

Ok pieces of cake in terms of flavor, texture and overall quality. Wouldn't say it was good value for money as I've had better cake for considerably less cost. Not sure I would return

Servers were surprisingly rude, making the two of us wait over 30 minutes when other, larger parties who arrived after us were seated and served before us. No idea why they made us wait and were rude.

Service was really nice. But we don’t like the cakes , and coffee latte and tea . Cakes are full of bananas ( Mille crepe) . All you can taste is cream and bananas .. we don’t like this . Coffee latte for 8$ before tax was just awful. First of all it was not latte it was just americano with milk . For 8 dollars you expect at least regular good latte . Special tea for 9$ with Apple and ginger was nothing special and really cheap quality. And they serve cakes with some horrible foil and it make cake really messy , look at the picture . So , we will not go back . Lady M cake is much better, trust me.

Thanks for opening even on Christmas. Super long waiting line, no one assist customers to be seated. No service as all, cakes taste good but compared with price and value, not worth to go. Price is triple than Japan. Two slides of cakes included tax 37 USD +tips over 40 dollar, no drinks.

The $17 slice of pear cream cake was good, solid 4 star, not 5. The $8 cup of coffee was okay but not great. A latte with zero foam? It was a hot coffee with milk, and the flavor was a bit off. Time to clean the machine perhaps? I’ve had much better lattes on trips to Japan. The restaurant needs a thorough cleaning; the floors & tables are filthy (see pic of tables). You can scrape the grime off with your fingernails, yuck. I could only imagine how clean the kitchen was. Two stars for the coffee, 4 stars for the cake & 1 star for cleanliness = a 2.3 star experience. I live in the neighborhood and I won’t be returning.

Waited 20mins for 2 slices of cakes to be brought to our table; I couldn’t wait anymore; walked to ask to box up cakes and have the check plz; then was asked to keep waiting; even told me to line up at where the pick up area is to pay; the service here is so bad! Every table has to wait so so so so long! I suggest u don’t come here. Cakes are mediocre and If u can only bare the waiting. I don’t think there is fare distribution in terms of who does what, one same person can take order, also bring water, also bring u cake/food, also bring u check, also so many other also. Oh, and the iced coffee is extremely delicious.

Best millecrepe I ever had. But today 11/23/2021 the staff at checkout is TERRIBLE!!! Unfriendly, unhelpful, no smile and no greeting at all. The cake is good, but it almost melt and not that good when I bring it home, it is because the staff didn’t put ice bag in it(I do get the ice bag when I shop here last time). The cakes are good as usual, just bad service while the service used to be very good.

Overpriced, overrated, and rude staff...had some pasta > could have done without all the fat in the pasta, showed it to the staff, not even an apology. A slice of mediocre cake for $12...ouch!! Duncan Hines does it better

Too hot and no air conditioning. The staff are polite but they don’t work in an organized way. We waited 40 minutes and reminded them two times about our tea and coffee, nothing too special. They said sorry and still did not bring it. Crazy

1 star because customer service was good, if not it would’ve been zero. This place won’t let you sit with someone else if not everyone in your party is ordering something which I find ridiculous. I was with someone else who didn’t want anything so I had to order to go. Cakes taste like NOTHING, air, bland and overpriced. I wouldn’t come here again even if someone else was paying.

We arrived around 7:20pm （they close at 8 ）and the employee at cashier was extremely disrespectful and rude. Extremely unwelcoming environment for customers. SoHo has better place to go.

The cake is good but having a rule that each customer is required to order a giant $17 slice of cake to eat in is ridiculous, especially when your establishment is mostly empty. Decided to take out to avoid such an arbitrary rule which even the servers admitted was weird but insisted on enforcing. Don’t think I’ll be returning.

Food is good, nothing special. The service is SLOW!!!! Where is the manager..? Maybe sleeping in the back..?? Waited 25 mins for a coffee and a slice of pie. Maybe in Japan they are not in a rush and this is normal for them... well this is NYC, so slow is not good. The waitress when I checked why it was taking so long was actually surprised I asked...! Not worth it, sorry.

I ordered a milk tea cake and it came out so sad as attached.. It seems like it's been out of freezer for a very long time or something. And the most frustrated point was the server's attitude. I asked to replace with a new one and she didn't even apologize for anything but only said this cake is just naturally looks like this. I visited Harbs Soho several times before, so I know their service was not like this before. Worst experience of the year so sadly ;(

This was a horrible experience. It’s not my first time here, but this visit was truly disappointing. I really don’t understand why there was some kind of miscommunication between the staff and customers. When I realized my train ticket had been moved up, I immediately told the server that I needed my food to go. They said it would be ready in 15 minutes and promised to help pack it up. However, instead of doing that, they just gave me empty containers while leaving all the food on the plates — so I had to pack everything myself. Fine. But why would you take away my fork when you know I’m rushing and still need to pack my pasta. I asked three times about my dessert, wondering why it hadn’t been packed yet and if I could just get it first. The server said it was in the fridge and I could grab it directly. But when I was about to leave, I saw the cake still unwrapped and a long line ahead of me. I ended up waiting another 10 minutes! I really don’t understand why the staff ignored repeated requests and didn’t bother to communicate with customers. Do you honestly feel good about taking tips after such service?

The cake and drinks can be super slow that everyone else ordered after me got the cake but I still didn’t and it happened twice. The whole cake was already there and all they need to do is cut one slice for me. I don’t understand why it would take so long, especially everyone else got theirs. After waiting for 30 minutes, we ran out of our patience and left. The cake itself tastes good but I won’t come again because of the awful service.

HK

Three adults and a kid walk in. The server, clearly under pressure from the overwhelming crowd (see photo), rudely tells us they don’t accept only three orders—even the kid has to order something. Because, you know, business was booming at that moment… 😂😂

+1

Shervin K

I had an incredibly disappointing experience at Harb Soho. The place was completely empty, yet the waitress was shockingly rude from the moment we arrived. She insisted that everyone at the table had to order something — including my 7-year-old son. Seriously? A child? We explained that he’s a child and obviously doesn’t drink tea, but she wouldn’t budge and spoke to us in an unnecessarily harsh tone. This kind of inflexible, unwelcoming attitude makes no sense, especially when the restaurant had no other customers. There are plenty of amazing spots in Soho with good food and respectful staff. I won’t be returning here, and I wouldn’t recommend Harb Soho to anyone looking for a decent experience.