Great brunch--better than some of the over-hyped places in the East/West Village. Everything I've tried there is good. Good scene in the evenings, especially on the weekends.

I enjoy Yatenga because of its menu choices, tasteful atmosphere, and unpretentious nature. It also has great sentimental value, so I may biased. Also, interesting dance spot next door.

Ate here the other night with a party of 10 and everyone enjoyed the food. The duck and scallop entree's looked amazing. They also had impressive cocktail options. I highly recommend.

If you want some really good food, this is the place. The wait staff and everyone is great, friendly and helpful. This could be my favorite restaurant in Manhattan.

One of my favorite places to get Mac n cheese! The chefs gambas is so good too. They also have a nice happy hour with margaritas.

The food is fantastic and the drinks are great and inventive. The setting is so laid back and relaxed and the service is lovely. This is a favorite spot uptown.

Food, service and ambience was awesome!

+1

This is one of my favorite places in the neighborhood to go with friends. The salads are amazing, as is the tuna (tuna tartare, tuna niçoise salad), and they know how to cook meat (nice and rare). They have good beers and amazing cocktails as well. The environment is rustic and homey with rough wooden tables, including a long table on one side. (My favorite spot is by the window.) The owner is from Burkina Faso, and beautiful dolls from the old country survey the room from a high shelf. Service is terrific. On one occasion, the power was out so we could only have drinks, and the credit card machine was not working by the time we needed to go. Rather than insist that we find an ATM, they said it was on the house. I can't say enough good things about this place. Try it--you'll like it!

Simply delicious! Friendly staff and environment. Absolutely recommended.

Awesome food in one of the last reasonable priced restaurants in the city. Their happy hour deals are a great buy and their staff is super accommodating, including for large parties; they have a table that sits 20.

Staying around the corner from here, scrolled through 25 restaurants and decided on Yatenga. Well glad I did, good vibes, awesome food, family of 4 and would come back every week if we didn't live in Australia. Thanks guys, loved it!

I've been Yantega a few times over the past 2 months. The service and food is always excellent. My favs include the calamari appetizer, duck breast and steak au poivre entrees.

Yatenga , is legend in central/west Harlem.The west african family that owns and operates the venue has a solid interpretation of traditional French bistro items accented by nods to the plate of the neighborhood. A full bar features original cocktails and frequent happy hour specials. This casual bar/eatery is con-joined with the world music venue "Shrine" next door, making Yatenga ia popular hang out, meeting place, and otherwise social hub for folks in the surrounding neighborhood. A quality brunch menu and character rich staff add to list of reasons to add Yatenga to your list of frequent favorites

My friend and I dropped by while staying close by on vacation. Met with an awesome atmosphere of music laughter and chatter. A really good choice on the menu and we were both blown away by the food (Gambas, Calamari and Seafood Pasta for mains. Great service too!!

Food was excellent. (Chef's special is highly recommended) Non-alcoholic drinks were pretty expensive, and pretty small, but the food made up for it. Portions are generous.

This is one of my top 3 favorite places to eat in Harlem. The food is always good. I appreciate the consistency. The Chef special gambas , simply amazing.

Yatenga is one of my favorite restaurants. Delicious food, and very friendly staff. The food comes out quickly, too. Last night we sat at an outdoor table and it was lovely.

Me and my fiancé loves this place went there twice already Will definitely be back again Soo delicious 🤤

Some of the best upscale food in central Harlem. Try the lamb, the seafood paella or the excellent shepherd's pie. Seating indoors and outdoors, full bar. Great place for a date or anytime.

We went on a Friday around 6, only a few customers in the place. Greeted by a friendly waiter who asked us to sit where we chose. Had the Yatenga salad for starters which the dressing was a bit bitter but the otherwise the salad was very fresh. Entrees were the chef special gambas and the mussels. Both plates were well presented, good portions, and very delicious. We ordered the apple tart for dessert which was ok. We will definitely be returning to try some of the other entrees.

This place always has a great vibe, good service, friendly patrons, drinks & food is stellar. Tom is your mixologist and host extraordinaire!

Went here for the first time on a Tuesday night and everything was fantastic. Two dishes I'll mention: An abundance of perfectly cooked shrimp on a bed of parmesan-crusted baked macaroni and cheese (and mushrooms) and a very large salad Nicoise topped with a tremendous amount of rare tuna. Happy hour until 8 pm brought $5 glasses of quite good wine, with serious pours, and NYC craft beers. And the service was top notch. I can't recommend this restaurant enough.

Lots to say, but not much time. The place has a very laid back vibe. Lots of young people hanging out or working (coffee shopish). Rustic decor, very charming. Great happy hour 4-8. Can't beat $3 beer and wine. Some of the food prices may seem high at first glance, but all of the food was outstanding. We had mussels, salmon, sauteed mushrooms. 10/10 would recommend.

I've only ordered 1 thing consistently from here, The Chef Special- Gambas.1st first time I had it was pre-covid. I don't live in NYC anymore, but I frequent the restaurants when Im there for work (often in summer months). It's a QUALITY meal! Friendly and courteous staff also! 💜

Amazing food and service!!!!!! The bartender Tom, Abdul and the rest of the staff care of us! We will be back

I have been eating at Yatenga since 2011. I so appreciate its presence in Harlem. I declare that it’s my “go to” place to dine in NYC & Harlem in particular! For many years I’d have my “after-theater” repast on Restaurant Row. But no longer. I head straight uptown to Harlem and Yatenga. When friends & relatives are visiting and ask for restaurant suggestions it’s always Yatenga The staff is efficient, professional, attentive & personable. Ousman the proprietor has done a marvelous job and is the quintessential restaurateur! And I must confess that I have a keen admiration for Tom the Barman. The staff here seems to know me and my preferences and I like that! I once met Ousman on the bus and declared: I ONLY EAT YOUR FOOD IN HARLEM!

The food here is so good. Some of the best flavors I have had in a while. I have no complaints and only wish I could have had the whole menu. I will be sure to show them some more love in the future and you should too.

I ordered scallops over purple potatoes. The portions were generous and the scallops were PERFECTLY done! My friend had the lamb shank and agreed that the temperature was perfectly done while maintaining tenderness. This is an excellent "hole in the wall," affordable French Harlem eatery!

Took my girlfriend here for Valentines Day! Amazing time , chilled atmosphere, super strong drinks just how I like them!! Food was perfect , great flavor , wanted more to eat! Definitely a night spot to chill during the summer....

Love the decorations and the vibe. Next to one of my favorite venues in Harlem (the shrine). Food is great. I believe it's a French creole cuisine. Been here a bunch of times. The brunch is great. I would recommend the mac and cheese.

a fun spot to chill and socially distance with others to enjoy conversations and spirits not to mention some good food. my favorite is shrimp mashed potatoes with spinach. cocktails not bad either. and you can get no better friendly and attentive service that my man TOM will give. there is a small patio outside that you can enjoy now since indoor dining is prohibited during the pandemic. so hop on over to HARLEM to YATENGA and chill!

Excellent food, nice atmosphere and good prices. I had an amazing ratatouille quiche,, and the mixed greens salad is awesome. Good beer selection and great coffee. The apple tart was only so so, though.

Went there for brunch, it was very nice. My eggs benedict were perfect ($14) and the place has a nice and relaxed atmosphere. l'll definitely go again for brunch.:)

We had such a great time here! Tom is super kind. The food was extremely good, the onion soup is insanely tasty and full of cheese ❤️ Was my partners birthday so Tom gave him a birthday crème brûlée and I have to say that we loved the dessert, was really good 😌 and the music 🔝

Roshni Nair

One of my favorite places to get steak! Chef is fantastic, one of my favorites in the city and the service is excellent. Really awesome art and decor inside as well.

k S

Stopped by last night for dinner. They were offering a special Lobster Ravioli. I decided to give it a try and hands off to the chef. It was DIVINE!!! So light tasty and delicious. The sauce was perfect. I want to go back this weekend for seconds. Kudos to the chef.

Charles

Quite relaxed, down-to-earth ambience , however the staffing is quite minimal , so I waited at least 15 minutes? Yet, I'd would most certainly return because the food temperature was great and the portions were 👍 👍 👍

Tyson Max

Love the vibe and much respect to the owner being a person of color. I love the fish and chips as this place it’s legitimately the best fish and chips I’ve ever had in my life.

Zotaud Dally

I was invited by a longtime friend in this cool restaurant in Harlem. The young server and the manager were awesome. I loved the way the restaurant was decorated. Beautiful art all over the place. Rustic table. It’s just a nice place to relax and enjoy life. Let’s not forget the great food and the wine selection.

Gabriel huhu

i dream about their steak au poivre that i last had 3 years ago, and today i just had their steak sandwich for takeout (my family member was caring enough to pick it out). i reheated it on the cast iron, and oh my god, the creativity, the execution, and the flavors and how perfectly extracted they are, something to be proud of. what an amazing restaurant, one of my favorites for food in the city.

Adam Robinson

I can't say enough good about the food here. Everything I've had is excellent. The steak is worth a trip alone, and far outclasses places that charge a lot more downtown. Highly recommended!

Meredith

By sheer serendipity, we arrived just as they were opening at noon on Saturday. I say serendipity, because Google is quite convinced they have been open since midnight, which is very untrue, despite efforts on the lart of the hostess to get it changed (I tried too, hopefully it takes and no one else gets disappointed because they're closed). The place was bafflingly empty for most of our meal, peaceful and quiet, if a bit on the warm side. Honestly, overhead fans are about the only thing that could have improved the experience. The whole place is a distinct vibe, even the bathroom felt like a very particular time and place (tidy, big enough I didn't feel claustrophobic, had a place to set my purse). The hostess/waitress was delightfully friendly, bustling around opening windows and setting things up, and she had spot-on recommendations for what to order (and what not to- a few of the drinks on the menu, they're missing ingredients right now because of supply chain issues). And the food... Well, when the New Orleans native tells you the grits are some of the best he's ever had, you listen (and steal a bite, because Damn). The croque madame and home fries got inhaled no less quickly, and my steak sandwich with its fried peppers and onions was to die for. I took a little longer to finish, but only because my salad (dressed to perfection, with bright fresh greens and a bit of shredded cabbage) was massive. We are Absolutely coming back, even if we do live several states away.

Ricardo Cosme Ruiz

It was a group of eight friends hungry after an art exhibit. It was my first time at this restaurant, and I was amazed at its delicious food. We had macaroni cheese, fries, calamari, gambas, chips and guacamole, Caesar salad, hamburger, and fries. You must try this restaurant. Most importantly, the waitress was so efficient, it was her alone, and she worked the floor, and did not make anyone wait too long. I wish I had her energy. We will be visiting here again for sure!

Brian Hassett

I haven't had their food yet but have stopped in for happy hour and enjoyed the experience. Nice bartenders and pleasant environment. Update: French onion soup hit the spot on a snowy day. 😋

Tamara Sterling

I have been a guest since they opened years ago and I have never had a bad time here...ever. When you enter the restaurant you instantly feel like you're at home entertaining friends. The staff have all been there for years working together; so, you are dining, drinking and hanging out with family! This place is so cozy that it's hard to leave after dinner and drinks! So happy I found this hidden gem in Harlem!

Blake Rasmussen

A great Friday night late dinner. This was a delicious treat - the steak au poivre was excellent, and I was blown away by portion sizes. This is a great, home-cooked spot with friendly staff. Welcoming, unique, with a huge variety.

Mr Tim Rankin

The best restaurant in Harlem! Authentic French country and rustic food made by a star chef, served by genuinely welcoming and nice wait staff. Simple and rustic decor complements the unpretentious food and makes for a leisurely and luxurious dining experience unlike anywhere else. Truly a rare place that is a destination for people who know food, celebrate diversity and love Harlem. One of the only places like it and the best of any around.

Julien

Ok, it’s been two, approaching three years since I came here, not because of the food, but because I live several hours away. If I lived any closer, you bet I’d come far more often. Though you may be quick to write off a review of a restaurant that the reviewer hasn’t been to in years, and honestly perhaps rightfully so, I can tell you right now that after nearly three years I still remember the sandwich pictured as being the best I’ve ever had, or at very least, top 3, not that I have a written list. Steak, peppers, egg, and a spicy sauce all between incredible bread. Hot damn did I love that sandwich, and to this day do I love its memory. Give it a shot if you’re in the area. PS the interior is very nice.

Marc Adiel MENSAH

I had the lamb with couscous. The food was perfect. The meat just melted in my mouth. It was cooked to perfection. Karim took good care of us. Being attentive and patient with us. Excellent and wonderful experience at Yatenga

Sasha E.

Very nice place with North-African food. The Shakshuka is amazing, very tasty and a bit spicy, which is great. Also very nice ambiance with R&B music.

Mariska Schutten

Great food and a very nice atmosphere!! The staff is really lovely and kind. We had the Goat Cheese salad and the Quiche of the day with spinach. Prices are fine too!

Quaint little place. Great menu, spacious, good drinks, and I liked the atmosphere. Great group seating outside. Leg of lamb is really on point!

Food was amazing... had a group of friends out to dinner and they loved it..however, the wait staff, one young lady in particular needs to understand customer service and how it works.

Very good food but could be more abundant. Ambience is not the best, however it's very cosy. Cheap beers, food is more expsensive than average area bistro

Tom has the best drinks in Harlem. The Chef's special, shrimp gambias is out of this world (if the true chef is still there).

Good food, American size portion. The wine list is short, simple, and good! Great specials on wine bottles during the week.

Excellent food--we had lamb shank, mussels, scallops. The house wine available at happy hour is not very good, though. It's a boisterous neighborhood place.

Special birthday dinner with my husband Lou. Food was great [duck with orange sauce, calamari and a side sautéed spinach]. Calamari and spinach delicious. Duck entree good buy my husband likes his duck crispy. But it was tasty nevertheless. Service timely and attentive: Complimentary drink, St. Tropez, was given to the birthday man; it was a great gesture. Great servers. Ambience: Loud and busy but it's NYC... outdoor tables rustic and worn. We recommend and will return.

Fantastic. Amazing food and even better service. Don't go to the tourist traps in Harlem. This is the destination. The only thing to improve is the uncomfortable chairs. But, as you enjoy your meal, you don't even notice.

As a regular, its a Nice chill spot.food and drinks are reasonable. Love the owner and patrons.All down to earth.. Shout out to Tom, Abdul and Andrea.. The only dick in there is Usman; one of the worst unprofessionals I have encountered.

French, West African, neighborhood bar in Harlem. You don't at all have to be French or West African to find a welcome place on a bar stool. But being from the neighborhood helps in conversation. The bartender is an old Harlem sophisticate whose scope his broad. The fried calamari hits the spot on a Sunday afternoon.

The mussels were excellent, service was good. I would go back when I'm in town.

+1

A very nice atmosphere, great food and well-made drinks (I had the frozen pina colada and the frozen margarita...both were so good but the margarita was my favorite if I had to pick one to order all night...$6 each for happy hour). Our server was wonderful and always came back to us with a smile. She even gave us suggestions when we were torn between which dish to order. My friend decided on one of the specials of the day. Crab cakes with spinach, wild rice and quinoa. She really enjoyed the crab cakes and told me to try some. They were delicious. She said she didn't really care for the spinach, wild rice and quinoa mix. She said the dish could've been seasoned better. She said she would get the crab cakes again but with a different side dish. I ordered the homemade nachos. It was a large, super filling portion and really good (although I would have rather it come with black beans instead of pinto beans). The nachos were fully loaded with grilled chicken, pinto beans, guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo, cheddar and monterey jack cheese. So many options to choose from here and we plan to return to try them. It’s also worth mentioning that they have a daily Happy Hour until 8pm, a rarity these days considering most happy hours end at 6 or 7 pm.

Great staff and happy hour prices! But the food is expensive if you ask me....I mean a burger is almost $20!!

Food is great. I ordered the duck for dinner. The drinks are great too... I think it's $4 or $5 for house wines, house liqor and frozen or margaritas. The service though is very slow and sometimes they forget orders. A lot of follow up is needed. This level of service happened both times I was there.

Yatenga is a great neighborhood French restaurant. Friendly service and happy hour until 8pm. They usually have rotating specials Mon.-Thurs. where you can get a top quality skirt or hanger with fries and salad with choice of wine/beer for $16. Rest of the menu has been consistently good, with an AMAZING Lamb Shank for $17. Great food at uptown prices.

First thing I noticed about this place was its environment. It definitely takes you to New Orleans, Louisiana. The French culture mixing with the native. As the store is not that big it is quite busy and the music is not obnoxiously loud but the best part is its environment, its like a party all the time. With the subtle lighting the whole environment kinda kicks in together. It took them a while to get my drink but the service was pretty good. The menu was not crazy and overwhelming but it was divided in three easy simple sections. I ordered a chocolate souffle and as any other souffle there was a little wait time in between enough time for me to finsh my first drink and soak in the environment. First experience on the souffle was not that good. It was missing the classic cracking noise that you would expect from any other souffle but it was really good. So as far as i can tell for a really decent price this place offers a real good verity of french cuisine in middle of harlem.

My favorite lil chill spot for cocktails after work. They have the best frozen margaritas in and around Harlem (pretty cheap, too). Try the Mac&Cheese with ham cutlets, you will not be disappointed. I also happen to like their french fries.

It's always nice to come here (or their neighbor and sister-property, Shrine) to hang out with a friend, enjoy a drink and snack in a laid back environment with good music-- here it's recorded (next door, Shrine has great live music; and a more energetic vibe). The decor is eclectic and fun to look over and take in. Food is good, happy hour is generous, service is laid-back and many are from W Africa, which adds an extra air of authenticity, or even a vacation-air.

Delicious neighborhood eatery with a definite locals vibe. Food was well priced for what you received, we had a whole branzino special and then regular menu mussels. All delicious. Service was slow but there was only one server for whole restaurant while we were there, which is probably the reason.

The place to be Chef Sanchez and Tom the bartender amazing combo know how to pair and great fun nice croud

Great spot for happy hour not rowdy great food and music.

Akosua Akuffo

We came here on a Friday evening. Initially, there were 4 of us but we were expecting some additional family members to join us. The waiter was nice enough to allow us to sit at a larger table that would accommodate our total party. He was very nice and personable. He gave us some good menu suggestions and checked on us often. The food and drinks were spot on. Everything was great except for people walking past asking for money, asking to taste our food etc. Unfortunately, the restaurant can't manage people walking past but it makes for an uncomfortable dining experience. Next time we go, we'll avoid the outdoor seating closer to the street or just dine indoors.

The appetizers arw good, but the main entree is a little questionable. The staff arw very nice and it's located right next to Shrine a music hall where bands play live music and djs spin tunes

I really didn't like the food. The drinks were on point & the service was great .the staff very friendly .

The food and the service was good, albeit the wait time was pretty long despite the restaurant not being busy. However, they served us an expired Diet Coke (they said they didn’t have any, so I said it was okay I didn’t need it, but it was brought out anyway) I informed them that it was expired but they still charged us $3 🤦🏻‍♀️

The food was good and the portions large. It's a small space decorated with very eccentric art. I went on a Sunday and was quickly seated. My meal looked delicious and it was (Salmon Madame Croque). I can't give them a 5 star because the service was slow. Had to chase down the waiter for refills. I'm not sure if they were short staff but for a Sunday (popular brunch time) I was disappointed in the wait. I also want to note they were not packed.

Very nice spot, beautiful decoration and friendly and accommodating staff. The prices are very reasonable as well. The mussels/fries I ordered were good but I did not like some of the dishes my friends ordered. The crème brulée and Chocolate soufflé are good though

Phillip Boykin

A wonderful neighborhood bar that’s way too expensive for no reason. The bar tender is great, friendly, attentive, plays great music and he alone makes you want to come back!!!

Nina Agrawal

The food is great! Dont' let the casual vibe dissuade you. But, I found the service to be exceedingly slow. For example, my soda didn't come out, until the food --which was a really long time. I ended up bussing my own table and got my own check.

Meh... Food was spectacularly underwhelming with salty mussels and lumped up goat cheese and beet salad. Service was casual which was fine but they need to step up their game on the menu. More of a place for drinks and dessert perhaps..

The food was not very good. I went once before and I loved it. I was very disapointed. The burger was mushy and the fries was not cooked all the way. I asked for the bacon to be well it came back pretty much raw. Not a fan...

Food and service was horrible today. I went with a friend to dinner and was excited because they had a dj and the music was great. Had a table paella was terrible and alla vodka wasn’t far behind it. We had to get our own drinks. Pretty much had to beg to order food. Had to pick up our own drinks. Two of the staff only spoke French whelp!!!!! I don’t know when I’ll return or if I’ll return. Been here several times and never had this experience before

Just received the most despicable customer service from Andrea. We came in waited awhile at the table before being acknowledged. Had to let the older African bartender know when we were ready to order because I tried to call her to the table twice with no response. Received my food order and she did not check in once to see how it was. And then charged us $18 for a 16oz beverage(Ima bartender/manager) When I inquired on being charged separately for a shot and a Colada she shrugged. Smh piss poor service and I will not be back.

Good afternoon today 8/21/20 I called Yatenga in order to ask if they had the special chef de gambas on the menu. I was told that the chef was back at the restaurant. Excited wasn’t even the word I decided I would bring my woman to yatenga in order for our favorite meal. This meal is literally our favorite meal ever eating out. We arrived around 4:05 pm I believe and I walked into the restaurant in order to see if it was open. A women walked from behind me in a rude tone and said “we are not open yet” another woman inside of the restaurant started crossing her arms very defensively and I walked back outside. Me and my woman waited outside and were ignored. Until the windows were opened and a woman says you can sit wherever you want but we don’t have any waiters. Her tone was not welcoming at all. I am super disappointed in my experience. I have been eating at this place for years ! I speak highly of it regularly I hope someone can contact me at [email protected] this doesn’t feel right. I am a Harlem business owner also. I was spoken too so rude. My woman decided for us to leave because she did not feel good. We are kind loving people we don’t put bad energy out into the world. I hope the experience is better next time. In good Health, Anjel 🙏🏽✨💛

I use to love this restaurant.The service was not good. The waiter was very nonchalant, like he was doing us a favor by serving us. The steak was tough I only ate half of it. Someone on the outside dinning was smoking Marijuana and it came into the inside of the restaurant because the door was open. I was really disappointed in the service and the food.

I think I may have dodged a bullet. After waiting for 20 minutes without anyone taking my order, even though I had been served water and the waitress walked by repeatedly, I left. My repeated attempts to get her attention went unnoticed, though she did acknowledge my dog who was laying quietly near my outdoor table. However, as mentioned, I think I may have dodged a bullet as people at a nearby table had numerous concerns about the food they were served, one sending it back and opting not to order anything else. It's a shame that in a neighborhood where there are a lack of decent restaurants this one does not appear to be making an attempt to do so, at least not during brunch. I'll head to South Harlem instead.

DO NOT SPEND YOUR MONEY HERE THE SERVICE IS DREADFUL!!! THE FOOD ENDED UP MAKING ME SICK, WE HAD THE CALAMARI, FRIES, AND TUNA TARTAR. Our server disappeared for 45 minutes and we asked another server for assistance she became sour and got an attitude. When I spoke to the Manager he was completely clueless all he had to say was she was in a meeting with me. Okay I've worked in the Restaurant industry for 18 years. I explained to him that someone meaning the evil server left on the floor should have come over and said " My name is.....your server is off the floor at the moment, but if you need anything please let me know." That did not happen I try to support all new businesses in Harlem but this one is a huge!!!!! NO STAY AWAY!!!

The outdoor tables are dirty. They are white tables with black stains. They should at least cover the tables with a table cloth if they don.t want to clean it. There's always a person panhandling. It's not authentic French food. The server took 40 mins to bring my food, too long

TOM should be fired!!!! Terrible service, I was ignored all night- for no reason! He is a poor excuse for a bartender! I left in tears because of his overt mis treatment!!

Definitely not worth the money. The options were limited and the food did not look appetizing. The whole group ended up ordering the same thing. The lettuce was brown, the bacon was either over done or under done. I was so disappointed.