Barawine — Restaurant in New York

My review will cover two elements of my experience. First, the food is quite good. My second opinion is more regarding management. By what would seem like a very strange coincidence I dined there about 10 days ago with two friends. When the check arrived, we put down three credit cards and asked that the bill be divided as such.

Within one weeks time two of us were victims of credit card fraud. One friend notified me two days later, and obviously was very upset because now her card had to be deactivated and she would have to wait for a replacement to be mailed. Two days later I received the same dreaded fraud alert call. My bank card was used in a fraudulent attempt to take three thousand dollars from my account to pay for legal services at some law firm in Oregon!!!

I called the restaurant to express my alarm and deep concern and ask them to investigate. The "manager" (Abdu or Abdul) was immediately very abrupt with me, and cut me off saying "that doesn't happen here." I asked him if he did not find it unusual but he stopped listening me and cut me off again. He never offered to ask any questions of anyone or to have me stop by, he just ended the call.

I was very insulted, and after waiting two or three days, I called the restaurant again and asked to speak to a manager. The woman that answered, said just a minute, before she could step away, I asked her the name of the manager she was going to have take the call and she said "Abdul." I told her I wanted to speak to someone else because he was very rude to me on my previous call. She stepped away, and when she came back, she said the owner was in a meeting, but would return my call later that day. Needless to say, it's been four or five days and I have not gotten a call.

I will not be dining here again, and it is very concerning to me that this matter was not...

The host was friendly, and the food was good; but unfortunately, it came with a side of Covid-19. My friend & I met here on 12/15 for dinner, my only social outing in the month since I work from home & live alone. We were placed at the tall round tables across from the bar. The hosts and servers were not wearing masks, which may not be required by law when people are vaccinated. However, whether vaccinated or not, if covid is present, the staff can potentially be carrying the virus from table to table to various patrons. It’s an irresponsible & an unnecessary risk to all involved. Also a group continued to clutter at the bar area, which didn’t allow them to socially distance from our table. The staff would ask to pass, but never directed them to move. Even when trying decide on my meal, I was uncertain of what an item was. Another server happened to be passing with the item in his hand in route to another table. Our waiter stopped him, and the server held someone’s food close in front of me so I could inspect it while unmasked. It was then carried off to the patron who ordered it. The overall experience in this establishment was an uncomfortable predicament, and I deeply regret not leaving the restaurant when I immediately noticed that lack of covid precautions in place.

Both my friend & I experienced symptoms & tested positive for covid a few days after we met up at the restaurant. Neither of us were able to travel as planned and be with family for Christmas. A nightmare.

I don’t like leaving negative reviews because I don’t want to harm a business, but I am sharing this so the restaurant will reconsider its policies. Even in an establishment that requires vaccinations, masks among staff & distancing between patrons is still a...

Neighborhood wine lounge. #RogetFaust Rogét Faust

LIVING

8 restaurants worth visiting in Harlem’s hot culinary scene

By Steve Cuozzo

May 22, 2014 | 8:58pm



Modern soul food is served up in a cottage setting with ample outdoor seating at BLVD.Gabi Porter

Give tourist-trampled downtown a rest this holiday weekend and check out Lenox Avenue — central Harlem’s historic main drag, which is morphing, in fits and starts, into uptown’s most enjoyable boulevard.

Barawine is an upscale wine bistro offering quality vino by the glass — and a DJ, too.Gabi Porter

Any emerging dining-and-drinking zone is more fun before it’s stampeded by frantic foodies and tourists. Right now, Lenox Avenue (a k a Malcolm X Boulevard) has settled into the short-lived “sweet spot” between neighborhood embrace and global discovery.

It isn’t yet culinary heaven. Red Rooster’s Marcus Samuelsson is the only “name” chef to plant his toque so far.

It isn’t a “restaurant row” like Frederick Douglass Boulevard two blocks west. Lenox’s many churches make it hard to find locations for liquor licenses.

Yet, the stretch between West 118th and 131st streets now boasts 20-odd friendly bistros and bars. Most offer outdoor seats on Manhattan’s deepest sidewalk. Legendary Sylvia’s, early 21st-century pioneers Red Rooster and its downstairs club Ginny’s, Settepani, Chez Lucienne, Il Caffe Latte and Jacob have been joined by a batch of brave new arrivals.

Just 15 years ago, empty storefronts blighted the avenue. Now, cuisines include Italian, Southern, soul, Latin-American, Senegalese and French. Prices are lower than downtown. Attitude is...