Minton’s
“some tips:
-if youre visiting from out of town you may feel timid about going to Harlem.”
“Well worth the $10 music charge.”
“Minton's is very similar to its cousin next door, the Cecil (see my review for the Cecil as well).”
Minton’s
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Coat Check: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$$ Price range Above $61
8 reviews
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Very elegant and classy. When you enter there is a $20.00 seating charge to sit at a table near the band or $10.00 if you sit by the bar. The food and drinks were amazing. They are next door to Cecil's which is their sister restaurant, so you have a choice. The prices for a starter is $15-$20 an entree is $27-$130. Gratuity is not included for parties of 2, I'm not sure about larger parties. DO NOT GET THE OXTAIL APPETIZER. You will thank me later.
Four stars for having to pay $20 to sit closer!!
I love Minton's! I really, really, really, really, really, really love Minton's. It's everything I would normally stray away from when picking a venue to hang out in…but for some reason that is what makes it so awesome. Went to Minton's on a Friday night to see my friend play. The crowd is "seasoned" and the venue is "old school cool." You won't find many youngin's hanging out here. But again, that was fine. I actually really enjoyed this old school flava. I was with 2 other friends and we decided to sit at the bar for the night. I would normally order a glass of wine at a venue like this, but it was a rough week and I needed something that packed a heavier punch. I ordered one of THE most delicious drinks I have ever had in my entire life. The name of the cocktail escapes me. The ingredients included basil, gin and agave. I ended up ordering 4 of them (don't judge me). The bartenders are the bomb. My drink was made well every single time. I ordered a side of fries to pick at and those were yummy too. Minton's is where it is at. Don't come here if you're looking to turn up and get loose. It's a laid-back spot with a hell of a lot of class.
The perfect place to take someone you only want to talk to intermittently. The music fluctuates between being big and loud and being on the softer, more mellow side. The food and wine are great, though a bit heavy for my taste. I had the trout, which was a bit too rich, but the perfect creamy grits made up for it.
Such a great venue with amazing music. The ambience is beautiful inside – makes you feel like you've gone back in time. Went with a bunch of friends, however, you should know this isn't really the place for a lot of convo, since the live music is so good. We heard the Biggish Band and two singers. The ensemble was fantastic. What a treat. Only reason this got 4 stars from me was because the Pan Roasted Skuna Bay Salmon dish I ordered was alright. The pea purée in the dish was a bit too heavy for me. Salmon was flavored well on top (where the crispy yummy skin was), but the flavor didn't really permeate through as well as I would have liked.
Other than the food (I'm also just a pretty picky eater), the place is great. It's nice to dress up and go out for a fancy evening, and Minton's is the place to do that.
Classic jazz spot In Harlem rich in history and soul.
We came here to experience a lovely performance by Andy Bey. Its a very intimate environment; without a doubt a classy date spot with a mature crowd that genuinely loves jazz. There is an extra surcharge for a table by the stage, which I think is completely worth it if you're taking a girl out on a date and having a real dinner. Otherwise the seating by the bar is pretty far back by the entrance and while I'm sure the acoustics are great, I know I wouldn't have enjoyed my experience as much.
Bear in mind that I wouldn't recommend this as a first date get-to-know-you spot and the reason is this: before the performance begins, talking is recommended to be at a minimum (hushed whispers…if at all). The layout of the place is that you and your date will sit by the wall- super cozy, which does make whispering easier. I remember we were really trying to hold in our laughter a couple of times. lol
Portions are ginormous- I ordered the shrimp gumbo and barely made a dent! Service is excellent, and the servers were exceptionally courteous.
side note: for the ladies- you'll see some people really dressed up! The lady sitting next to me the next table over was wearing what looked like a gown. No joke. I wore a simple dress, cardigan, heels and didn't feel out of place. Its a classy place so accessorize appropriately and you'll be fine 🙂
3.5 Stars
It's been a minute since I've been to New York and I had forgotten that their restaurant scene is on point (just like my favorite city….Chicago). There were six of us dining here for brunch. 3 of us got there right at opening so the restaurant was empty, but they still don't let you sit until your whole party is there. That was okay, except we couldn't even get a drink at the bar and the bar tender was looking quite flustered and confused. He couldn't find anything so we decided to wait to order drinks once we were seated.
There's a fee to eat at the restaurant cause you are paying for the jazz band. That Saturday it was Christopher McBride and he did an awesome job. Can't wait to hear him in chicago next week.
As for the food….mostly everything was 5 stars:
Mac and Cheese – by far my favorite. We shared 3 of these. The cheese was unique.
Collared greens – delicious and such a robust flavor
House cut fries – yummy
Bacon – okay. One order was good and the other one was too burnt
Fried chicken and flap jacks – chicken was dry and not enough syrup on pancakes
S'mores dessert – ummm hello…delicious
Strawberry Tart – okay. I'm not really a fan of warm strawberries.
Drinks were good, service was much to be desired (the wait for anything was a bit much), band was great, and food was pricey. Around $100 a person. Good place to try out at least once though.
Decent place to meet friends for drinks.
I went for midnight breakfast. So that's what THIS review is for.
You def need advance rsvp.
Portions are very small…for what is suppose to be breakfast dish. And dishes were not "breakfast" like.
Prices were too high for portion/quality. $18 for a very small sandwich you can eat in 3-4 bites.
My friend ordered this & sadly she was unfulfilled. Then had bad diarrhea at home. Thankfully I didn't ask for a bite..not that she could afford to share.
I had the duck hash. They must have forgot the duck…all I kept eating was potatoes. $18 for a pot of sauteed potatoes. Lucky for my hungry stomach, potatoes are filling…so that was the only benefit of that dish. Otherwise, I still wonder where if the 3 shreds of strings I saw were suppose to be the duck or were they potato skins?
I did get a side of biscuit. Nothing grand.
I did not try any of the alcoholic drinks.
They had good DJ…crowd seems to be having fun.
I would not do the midnight breakfast again nor recommend it. I can come to have drinks or check out other events the venue offers.
I really want to give this place a five star… But I had to stop because the service I had received was pretty terrible. I think we slipped through a crack between waiter and hostess communication but we sat there literally for 15 minutes without water or anything and waited for our service. We eventually got several waiters to help us but the service was just horrible. I would normally give a service like this 1star but i have to say the music and ambience was just amazing!!!! I think it would be a perfect place to take out of town guests or for special occasions. I just hope you get a better service than us!