Harlem Eats: ChaiWali Restaurant
ChaiWali is a cute, bohemian styled, Indian restaurant tucked in a historic brownstone in Harlem. It’s intimate in size, but huge on charm. I first heard of ChaiWali on of one my favorite blogs. The restaurant has been around for a while, since 2015, but I never got to visit it before the restaurant had to unfortunately close due to repairs to the historic brownstone for almost two years in 2018. I had been stalking the “under renovation” signs posted outside for the longest, hoping that it really would reopen. Two years is quite a long time, and unfortunately some of my favorite restaurants in Harlem have closed over the last few years. I completely missed the reopening in December 2019. We all know that as of March, 2020, the pandemic put a halt to restaurant dining in NYC.
I was absolutely giddy to find out that the restaurant was open for dining this summer in it’s two outdoor dining spaces. I grabbed my sister, daughter and best friend for a perfect girl’s day outing on a hot, New York Saturday afternoon. We choose the patio dining in the back of the restaurant, but there are cute tables in the front of the restaurant as well. We ordered a carafe of the “I am Drinking Flowers,” a lovely cocktail mixture of Prosecco, rosewater, ginger and lychee.
The ambiance is just lovely. There’s so much eye candy with colorful decor that’s just as flavorful as the food. We had the pleasure of meeting the owner, Anita Trehan. She was warm and inviting. She explained how she carefully chooses everything on the menu. It’s home style Indian food made with love. There are many vegan options, seafood and meat eater options, and all of the spices are gluten free. She was kind enough to give us a peek into the closed upstairs area, (due to Covid dining regulations). I’m definitely keeping the space in mind to rent for future parties or events. The colorful, eclectic, boho decor is right up my alley. It was so captivating.
I cannot wait to visit again, especially when indoor dining resumes in NYC. I recommend ChaiWali for a girls’ night out, date night, and single dining. Treat yourself and patronize these type of establishments. They are the heartbeat of Harlem.
Chaiwali
274 Lenox Avenue (bet 124th & 123 rd St)
New York, NY 10027
646-688-5414