The Honey Well has established itself as one of Hamilton Heights’ premiere date spots with its craft cocktails and kitschy, neon-lit, ’70s-inspired decor. The subterranean bar balances its cocktail menu with a playful menu that housemade chex mix, several varieties of meatballs, and spinach dip served in a pretzel bun. Happy hour runs daily until 8 p.m. with $9 cocktails, $5 wine, a dollar off beer, and $1 deviled eggs.

Each quadrant of the ROKC name — ramen, oysters, kitchen, and cocktails — is worth exploring. The West Harlem restaurant carries an extensive cocktail menu of over 40 drinks, many of which come in novel containers like tea saucers, light bulbs, and Día de los Muertos skulls. Oysters are $1.50 a pop at happy hour, which runs daily from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Don’t leave without trying the shrimp bun.

With its selection of French food with an African flair, Ponty’s is a tribute to Harlem’s West African influence. Open for breakfast through dinner, dishes vary from luncheonette fare (omelets and burgers) to those with more global influence (Sengalese fish or chicken yassa and lamb merguez couscous). The bright interior — with sun streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows onto marble-top tables — is especially inviting.

This Harlem soul food institution started out of the chef Charles Gabriel’s house and serves up tender, crispy chicken cooked in a cast-iron pan. The chicken has a very serious following, but the restaurant remains humble, with counter service and generous portions served on paper plates.

Harlem Hops made an instant name in the neighborhood for its large selection of craft beer accompanied by spicy meat pies in an industrial space. The black-owned business is deeply rooted in the neighborhood — it also runs a non-profit called Harlem Hopes, which raises money to give college scholarships to Harlem natives.

Chef Shinichi Inoue managed to lure Michelin uptown with his omakase restaurant that has one star. There’s both a la carte and two tiers ($225 and $275) of omakase menus for sushi that employs two batches of seasoned rice to enhance various fish.

Known for its long lines snaking out the door, this Puerto Rican staple specializes in rotisserie chicken served alongside rice, beans, tostones, or sweet plantains. Don’t miss the mofongo, or fried plantains mashed with salt, garlic, oil, and pork, and expect generous portions at an affordable price in a spare room.

What was once a jazz club is now a small, stylish bistro with dishes such as grass-fed steak tartare and short rib ragu. It’s an ambitious neighborhood restaurant, one that takes extra care in sourcing, from its meats to its mainly natural wines.

Sylvia’s, open since 1962, is a Harlem tradition. Celebrities, politicians, and even monarchs have visited the establishment to sample the iconic Southern soul food. Fried catfish, barbecue baby back ribs, and corn bread are standouts. Sunday brings gospel brunch, a rowdy experience that’s the ideal time to try chicken and waffles alongside unlimited mimosas.

This neighborhood establishment — its bread is from area nonprofit Hot Bread Kitchen and vegetables from a local garden run by students — is always a party, bringing in DJ’s several nights a week. Standard bistro fare, like burgers, fried calamari, and kale salad, is almost besides the point, but does the trick.

Much lauded in the neighborhood and beyond, chef Marcus Samuelsson’s Red Rooster has become an attraction in and of itself to Harlem. The lively comfort food restaurant has been packing people in since 2010 for dishes such as shrimp and grits, a loaded seafood jambalaya, and fried chicken with red velvet waffles. After a 2011 visit by President Barack Obama, his meal is forever known as the menu as “Obama short ribs,” which come braised with lobster & biscuits, bok choy, and amolasses glaze.

Note: Marcus Samuelsson is hosting a show created by Eater and PBS. This does not impact coverage on Eater NY.

Lolo’s brings the full experience of Caribbean seasonings: Choose a fish — snow crab, shrimp, crawfish — and flavorful sauce — garlic butter, Old Bay, coconut curry, etc. — to go on seafood boils and in steam pots. Eater critic Ryan Sutton especially recommends the snow crab legs in spicy sauce, best eaten in the backyard. Don’t miss the jerk chicken, either.

Minton’s is more than a restaurant — it’s a cultural institution that represents Harlem’s thriving jazz scene. Regular live performances, dutifully tracked on the website, and an eclectic menu of dishes such as empanadas, lobster ravioli, and lamb lollipops draw in locals. Next door sibling restaurant the Cecil is the answer for steak and live piano.

This East African restaurant is one-of-a-kind in NYC, offering rare insight into Somali culture and food. Dishes include hilib ari, or with roasted goat meat and basmati rice, sambuza, or pastries filled with ground beef or chicken, and mango curry chicken. Times critic Ligaya Mishan calls that last one “heady.”

Chef Melba Wilson practically comes from Harlem royalty; her aunt, Sylvia Woods, is the namesake of the neighborhood’s most iconic soul food restaurant. Melba’s serves American comfort food, and no trip is complete with an order of the chicken and eggnog waffles served with strawberry butter and maple syrup, which Wilson used to defeat Bobby Flay on his TV show Throwdown! in 2008.

JJ Johnson gave rice a stage in Harlem this past summer when he opened FieldTrip, whose menu is centered on bowls made with different strains of the grain. It’s a fast-casual spot that pairs braised beef with Texas brown rice and spicy black beans; salmon with Chinese black rice, pineapple, and piri piri sauce; and crispy barbecue chicken with Carolina gold rice. All the rice is non-enriched, non-bleached, and sourced directly from farmers who mill the grain themselves. Despite the laborious process, bowls are kept under $12.

The neighborhood’s stop for happy hour, Cantina is known for its cheap drink specials and even cheaper taco deals. Specials vary by day of the week but include $3 tacos on Tuesdays. Both locations (111th Street and 127th Street) get busy during happy hour, when margaritas run for $7.

Expanded from Tribeca, Maxwell’s brings some of the downtown aesthetic — Edison bulbs, subway tiling, and dark wood — to 111th Street. The tavern offers standard saloon fare, from burgers and fish and chips to spinach and artichoke dip and caesar salad. Don’t miss the cocktails, especially the spicy jalapeño margaritas that are $8 during happy hour.

A massive pork al pastor beckons from the window of Taco Mix, and it’s a mistake to miss it. The al pastor tacos are the best in town, Eater critic Robert Sietsema says. They’re so good that the restaurant, which started as a food cart, opened another location on the Lower East Side.

This poultry-focused restaurant was a critical darling upon opening in 2013, popular for dishes such as chicken schnitzel and chicken wings with black truffle dressing. The tiny charmer closed just eight months later due to landlord issues, but reopened to equal acclaim in a larger space.