Shrine Bar Reviews

The vibe of this place is great. There is always something on the stage (jazz, country, anything!). I had here the best nachos of my life!

Don't miss this authentic Harlem bar , if you are a jazz lover. The atmosphere is absolutely fantastic. Definitely recommended!!!

Enjoy really nice local music provided by local musicians. Great jazz place. You will not find that many places like #shrine. Different artist and great selection of music. Good is great and great happy hour.

Very nice bar in Harlem, very typical, frequented by regulars and New Yorkers on the move. Very nice musical programming. Few tourists. Absolutely recommended.

Our favorite place for hosting jam sessions in New York City and Harlem - great backline, awesome vibe, solid food and drinks - Random Strangers Jam always loves playing this venue.

This is a nice low key spot for live music. The atmosphere and crowd is very diverse. The DJs after the live performance were very good well. You can get a little bit of every type of music here. If you're ever un Harlem looking for a good time checkout Shrine.

Had a great night here round the corner from my B&B. This is a cosy club with great ambiance and music in the middle of (here) leafy Harlem. It's small but not cramped and gets locals and those from farther afield mixing. Everyone was friendly to everyone and the music was so close you could touch it. You might have thought a club like this no longer exists. But it does! Tables are there so you can relax and listen or there's really still room to dance. Music is of newer artists inspired by afrobeat, r&B, jazz, roots…The night I was there ended in early hours with cool DJ playing eclectic range of stuff to keep everyone moving. Great Senegalese inspired food in restaurant next door.

Monday night was great. No crowds, just solid African drum lineup, women and men jumping in to play, a vocalists and drummers fast and harmonious. I drew, had a Guinness and Shepherds Pie. A great night, easy to get to, friendly people,

This is such a cool place. Love the setup, the vinyl records on the ceiling and walls and the intimacy and closeness of the stage to the tables. Good menu choices in terms of bar food. Wine was limited to house red and house white. There was a selection of beers and cocktails though. Great funky night. We went on a Saturday night. $20 in a taxi each way from Times Square to Harlem.

The Shrine Bar is not a tourist place. You can expect pretty good and enjoyable live music, an attentive service and a reasonable price for New York City. Food was okay but no more. Instead of the spinach salat we should have tried the burgers which looked way better. If we go to New York again we will definitely visit the Shrine a second time.

The Shrine is a fun place to stop for a drink while you see who is playing. I have heard some really interesting music unlike anything I previously was exposed to (from Nigerian rap to Balkan soul). You can check the lineup on their website to see who will be on, or just stop in and check it out. It is usually standing-room-only at night, and extremely loud, so not great for conversation. The food comes from Yatenga next door (there is a door leading directly between the two) but if it's food you want, I would just go there afterward. There is a great selection of beers ($4-7) and never a cover charge.

Top level live music, incredible ambience, cozy, small dancing room downstairs with great dj (afrobeat and hip hop when I visited). It is a hidden pearl, must visit!

The Shrine plays live Music every evening. Each band plays a set of about one hour, followered by the next band. The music ranges from Jazz, soul and Hip Hop. Their is a bar and good food. Great low key vibe. Good for a date or take friends. service is decent. Its also Cash only.

Perfect place for a jazz evening = come on sunday between 5 and 8 pm you'll listen to local but high quality jazz. The band is a group of old friends and they have a lot of guests for one or two songs each. After 8 pm the band was also great. The waitress was adorable. The food is correct and not too expensive. You'll spend a warm and great evening at Shrine!

First and foremost bring some hot clothing! The air conditioning can freeze anybody! This is really a hidden gem, out of the beaten path. The entrance is free, however, you are supposed to tip the musicians in stage. Still less then paying for a manhattan jazz club. Next, there is a descent amount of various singers and players. The overall vibe is superb. Very local, and by no means not aimed at tourists. The service is ULTRA slow. You can see many local people entering and chatting, drinking and laughing. More like a gathering spot with great music. Do not expect to be treated differently:-) Can be easily accessible with a subway from Manhattan.

We have gone to the Shrine several times for the Sunday Night Jazz Jam, It is always fun to see who will come onto the stage and, mostly, the performers are quite good. We usually have a light meal. We like the Mediterranean platter which consists of hummus and various salads as well as the cheese platter which has a great selection. But the real draw here is for the music.

Me and my friend visited this small bar/restaurant/ night club two times. The first time during day time (very quite and cozy) and the second time at night (great vibes, very friendly people). Each time we had the same meal: Fela burger. Absolutely must have it while you there.

Been here now multiple times, on weekends. All the bands were very good. Since I like Clapton to Metallica to BB king, this place rocks. Bands playing Senegalese music were fantastic. Reasonably priced drinks and food. After live music is DJ comes in. The place is packed. But the live music alone is worth the visit.

a dive bar in the BEST sense of the word. Great brew and heard some fun bands that should be discovered. It reminded me of the East Village back in the day. Keep up the great work. I am a fan!

I stopped by this Harlem oasis one hot afternoon in August of 2011. Try to imagine how wonderful it felt to step through swinging doors from the blazing street to the cool, funky cave of Shrine Bar. The ceiling and walls are papered in old 33 1/3rd album sleeves. The bar is a gorgeous, huge, old wooden monster from a former age. The bartender set me right up with a light golden ale from Germany that he garnished with a lemon slice. It was heaven on a scorching, parchy day. They serve food, but I didn't eat there. Apparently they also feature rootsy alt music at night. Had a great chat with other customers as I cooled off. At $4 a beer the price was less than half what you'd pay in Manhattan. Def pay this spot a visit!

On january we went Shrine in order to satisfice my musical appetite, the menu was wonderfull, entree was latin music (trovador), the second plate was a canadian duo and finally the dessert was reggae music with two bands, one of that with vocalist's focus and the other with remarkable steel pan. People higly friendly make that your visit was surely unforgetable

Shrine is this place where you can just walk in and listen to world music from 5 different countries in one night. and the chicken wings are to die for:)! The owners are great and sociable. Weekend nights can be crowded and DJ's after midnight. African ambiance on the weekend nights after midnight.

There is something magical about the music scene in Harlem. This place is no exception. The food is great....not just typical bar food....although that is available. We saw 2 bands and both were great. Great way to spend a Friday night! Highly recommended for anyone looking for live music in Harlem!

Great bar with live music from jazz to soul and soft pop. Food is ok - not great but not bad either. Not a fancy or posh place - very genuine and local.

A real nice venue to listen to great jazz. We had cocktails and watched the show. Waitress was attentive and the drinks were good and reasonably priced. A fun visit !

We went, as UK tourists, to Harlem hoping to find a good music bar. They are not easily spotable. We wandered around and ended up spying a lady doing a bit of gardening on W 32nd Street. We chatted and her daughter had studied in Bath, England, near where we come from. She recommended this bar and we were so grateful. Hip, cool, easy-going, relaxed, all-comers welcome, wander in, grab a table, listen to the music. So varied, we heard a single folksy guy with a guitar, then a loud, rock band from The Bronx, then a few more all different. There were a couple of kids there, a family atmosphere. Wonderful.Nice food, we only had snacks but it was just what we wanted. It felt really, 'New Yorky'.

I went there with friends for lunch. Live Jazz was amazing. Incredible give with album covers all over the walls and ceiling. Had good appetizers and drinks. Menu was kind of limited but good. Would go there again, especially to see another musical performance!!

It was great. The music was ver entertaining. My food was delicious. Large portion good price. My server was friendly. We listened several group overiew between jazz, blues (my favourite) R&B and hip hop. Love and peace in the air. Really like the decor..the 33s great artwork.

On 1/16/16 we celebrated our friend's birthday at this fun club. Was my first time in Harlem and I will definitely return. The decor is fun and interesting. Albums covers on the walls and other interesting things to see. Food was excellant. We had a wonderful time listening and dancing to the band. We also had dinner at the restaurant Yatenga Bistro nextdoor. Both venues were wonderful. We are in our early 50s so it's great for all ages.

On the Must visit list. Live bands, DJ kicks in around midnight. Tremendous decor. No cover but two drink minimum. There’s a reason it’s five star.

Went to this bar after dinner after our host suggested it was good for live music. She was completely right! Its a bit of a dive but the staff were helpful, the drink selection varied, and the music was amazing. When were first arrived a jazz trio were playing, really great. But then a 10+ latin brass band came on, absolutely incredible, great atmosphere. I would definitely check it out again, next time I'm lucky enough to be in town.

Heidi and Tom took us there for a bite to eat and music. It was the most warm and frienfly place! Great food and music

We asked our server at Red Rooster where we could hear reggae and the sent us here in walking distance. We were so surprised by the quality of music and chill vibe for a Sunday night. This Blues Band was amazing and the roots reggae band after was good too. They said live music every day until 12 then DJ until 4 am.

I have a soft spot for The Shrine and eventhough it can be hit or miss, i've had some great times. The key is to have no expectations and to make sure to check their event guide online to see which night suits YOUR interest best. I've always had fun and met really nice people