Solomon and Kuff
“A seated area with bar and a more club looking area with elevated dj booth and couch.”
“Solomon and Kuff is the newest addition to Harlem's rapidly growing nightlife scene.”
“My husband ordered the grilled herbed stuffed whole porgy.”
Solomon and Kuff
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Good For Dancing: Yes
Happy Hour: Yes
Coat Check: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
3 reviews
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I think it is safe to say I fell in love with wonderful establishment at first sight. I have seen a couple of blogs and press releases written up about this amazing space and it has everything needed to breathe life in to this part of Harlem. I think it was a number of things won me over such as the ambiance, decor, service, drinks, and bar menu.
I went on a Saturday around 5ish because I was just meeting up with a group of friends for a drink of two. It was rather quiet and mostly that is because they were probably switching over from brunch to dinner time. The mixologist (Cyllan) was inviting and very informed…let's make this clear …he has his craft down to an art AND HE IS SERIOUS ABOUT IT. Drinks are about 14-15 bucks a piece, but I consider worthy of forking over my hard earned dollars. After several drinks I decided to try a dish off their bar menu and the cod fritters sounded great after having a drink or two. It was a great appetizers and definitely had me wanted to come back to try the dinner menu.
Around 6 or 7 ish it picked up and almost every table was full with patrons along with the bar. My advice to you my fellow Yelpers is GET RESERVATIONS. This is a place you want to bring your lady or male friend to leave a lasting impressions, grab casual drinks, or have a fab ladies night out.
I look forward to coming back soon!
Solomon and Kuff is the newest addition to Harlem's rapidly growing nightlife scene. It's owned by the same people as my favorite speakeasy bar in Harlem – 67 Orange – so that's a plus! I went to check out the official grand opening with a friend and we were not disappointed! Located at the cross of 133rd and 12th Ave, it took over the space from 9A West Harlem. It's in what is now a quiet part of Harlem, but there's a lot of construction being done in that area (thanks to Columbia University) so it's going to rapidly change. I can envision a time in the not-so-distance future where Solomon and Kuff will be the hot spot to go in that area since it has a lot going for it.
When you walk through the door, the interior feels cavernous. It's much bigger than I expected. There's a sizable dining area with a number of tables towards the entrance and a very large bar area towards the back. To the left is a private event space, which is also larger than I expected.
Solomon and Kuff markets itself as a "rum hall," with all the benefits that go along with it. The music is reggae and soca and the food on the menu is distinctly Caribbean. Sounds like a perfect combination to me.
My friend and I sat down at the bar and were immediately greeted by the bartender Cyllan who is from Trinidad. He was very nice and went over the signature cocktail menu with us. The drinks on the menu were all priced at $14. After some discussion, I decided on the Kentucky Blossom, which was made with rum, bourbon, orange blossom honey syrup, cinnamon, and lemon. I was afraid it was going to be too sweet, but it was delicious. My friend ordered the My Mother Ruined My Tonic, which consists of gin, bay & sage reduction, mango, lime, agricole, and tonic. It was on the sweeter side but well balanced. We were both very happy with our drinks.
Although we didn't eat that night, the menu looked interesting. In particular, the two house specialties caught my eye. The first is the West Indian inspired Coca Bread Sammies (the lobster celeriac with lemon butter sounds delicious) and the second is the Escabeche Chunks (fried porgy skewers with a warm onion marmalade). I'm looking forward to trying out both next time.
I was also impressed with the staff. I've already mentioned the bartender Cyllan. The host John came over to us several times and asked whether we were having a good time (we were). The general manager Karim also came by and chatted with us for a time. Even the two bus boys were nice to us. Granted it was opening day, so we expected the customer service to be good, but they went above and beyond.
When the word gets out on Solomon and Kuff, it's going to get packed. But with everyone listening (and perhaps) dancing to reggae and soca, while sipping on their rum cocktails, and eating Caribbean food, the vibe is guaranteed to be good!
*sings to self* Happy 500 reviews to me! Happy 500 reviews to me! Was saving this one for some good Harlem lovin', and this one takes the cake.
I came here with a few other Harlem-ites (the lady included). Solomon and Kuff has recently commandeered the old Club 9A location and upgraded it's facilities to a high-end speakeasy style rum bar with top-notch mixologists behind the counter (shout out to Shane!). Such an upgrade to the rowdy hip-hop degraded bar 9A once was.
Walking in you will find a classy dimly-lit atmosphere with accentuating lights on old-world style rum barrels lining the wall above dozens of top shelf rums. With so many variations of rum, your head will spin and your wallet will thin. But not too much, standard cocktail rate of 14$ non-happy hour prices is not a bad deal for some premium stuff.
You'll find dark rum, white rum, clear rum, smoked rum and more all living together in perfect harmony that will dance on your tongue to a tune that you won't soon forget.
I read from another Yelper that the owners are the same that own 67 Orange speakeasy in Harlem, which I will be sure to check out since I am definitely a fan of what they did with the place!