Red Rooster Harlem. Photo: Lucía Vázquez

Street view of an illuminated restaurant at dusk named "Red Rooster." The building has a warm glow with colored lights and outdoor greenery.

One Night in Harlem, Manhattan

Jonathan Durbin

Published 02/06/2025

This series is a three-stop snapshot of what we at NYC Tourism want you to know about our favorite neighborhoods. In this installment, NYC Tourism’s Executive Creative Director, Jonathan Durbin, takes us on an evening out in Harlem.

Harlem is among the five boroughs’ most nightlife-rich neighborhoods—the historic home of countless musicians, writers, artists and others who enjoy NYC’s after-dark offerings. That legacy can be felt today at any number of the area’s inspiring venues, whether well-known or under the radar. To help visitors navigate the neighborhood, here's a short itinerary of must-visit nightspots, each within a quick walk of the others. For other options—and there are many—explore our

Harlem neighborhood guide

1
Dinner: Red Rooster Harlem

310 Lenox Ave.
There’s no shortage of dining options in Central Harlem, but

Red Rooster

remains among the neighborhood’s most stylish. The décor features enough art to fill a decent-sized gallery, and even now, well into the restaurant’s second decade, patrons tend to be on the trendy side. If you’re so inclined, dress to impress: chef Marcus Samuelsson’s flagship is a good place to see and be seen. Expect American classics with a soul-food spin, including shrimp and grits, pan-fried catfish and a chicken and waffle that comes with maple hot sauce. You won’t leave hungry. On a recent lunchtime visit, I ate enough of the Rooster Cobb Salad to last the rest of the day.

The restaurant is located near many others—

Archer & Goat

Harlemite Peruvian Cuisine

and

Harlem Shake

are a few family go-tos. Red Rooster is also convenient to several independent galleries and the soon-to-reopen

Studio Museum in Harlem

, in its transformative Adjaye Associates–designed home, right around the corner on 125th.

Exterior of the Apollo Theater in Harlem, NYC

2
Show: Apollo Theater

253 W. 125th St.
It’s no stretch to call

the Apollo

an American institution. The storied theater opened to Black patrons in 1934, launching the careers of an incredible array of artists who went on to become household names, including Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan and Lauryn Hill. Although best known for Amateur Night, the venue hosts a variety of touring acts—learn about 10 of our favorites

here

, including a groundbreaking performance by Salt-N-Pepa—and, with the opening of the Apollo Stages at the Victoria Theater, a variety of other programming as well. I was particularly interested in performances based on works by the likes of James Baldwin and bell hooks.

A dimly lit, elegant bar with mirrored shelves displaying various liquor bottles and glasses. Warm lighting creates a cozy ambiance, with decorative elements like flowers and candles enhancing the sophisticated atmosphere.

3
Drinks: Sugar Monk

2292 Frederick Douglass Blvd.
This

delightful cocktail bar

offers low lighting, an intimate space and an inventive menu—quality ingredients for a memorable nightcap. The last time I went, Sugar Monk’s menu was divided into themes like “Ascension” (for “bright and enlivening” beverages) and “Contemplation” (“slow-sip, sensual”), while drink names display a correlative investment in creativity (see Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, for instance, or Over the Volcano). My current favorite is Queen of the Desert, a bracing mix of tequila, lemon verbena, pineapple, lime, cucumber, habanero and elderflower, which tastes like pure, uncut sunshine. The quality of the drinks is matched by the bar’s vibe. On each of my visits, Sugar Monk has been lively enough to keep an evening going, but quiet enough to enjoy an actual conversation. I’ll be back.

One Night in Harlem, Manhattan

1Dinner: Red Rooster Harlem

1

2Show: Apollo Theater

2

3Drinks: Sugar Monk

3

1
Dinner: Red Rooster Harlem

2
Show: Apollo Theater

3
Drinks: Sugar Monk