"The place is located along the westside highway with fantastic views."
(in 4 reviews)
"This is most certainly one of my fav uptown spots."
(in 4 reviews)
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The Hudson River Cafe
Rating Details »
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Harlem697 W 133rd Street
12th Ave
(between 12th Ave & Broadway)
New York, NY 10027
(212) 491-9111
- Nearest Transit:
-
137th St (1)
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good for:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
27 reviews for The Hudson River Cafe
Review Highlights
Hands down my favorite spot in New York City and by far best spot in Harlem!. I have become a fan of this spot, the ambience, the people, the sexiness, the food and the drinks! HAPPY HOUR! it's the half price premium drinks that get me and my group there before 7pm...the Hudson River Cafe is where I met some of my coolest and newest friends and actually it has become our "Cheers!" You feel welcomed at the point of entry and given first class treatment form the lovely and charming hostess to the professional management staff. It's one of the few places where the owners are present and accessible to add that special touch of being their guest. I've invited famous friends there, FAIZON LOVE, FLEX ALEXANDER, TALENT, CHARLIE MURPHY, TRACY MORGAN, JAMIEE FOXX.. all had a great time!
I had my birthday party last year and my friends are still talking about. Following mine two more friends had their parties there!..and guess what?..its that time of year again and I hope to do it there again. Especially since word is out that they are permnantly covering the outside patio with a retractable roof..summer continues on!..I LOVE THE PLACE!
Garrfield(Actor, writer, comedian)
Okay once again this place reconfirmed to me how annoying it is. Why throw beach balls in the air for a bunch of drunk off balance people to punch at?
Any ladies coming to dance here do not bother as your heels will get stuck on the wedges on the floor.
CAN MY FRIENDS PLEASE STOP CELEBRATING THEIR BIRTHDAYS HERE??
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
8/18/2009
I've been dragged here a couple times and I am not a fan. Sometimes friends decide to celebrate… Read more »
Venturing out of my normal downtown-nightlife area I stopped in with a friend to use the bathroom as we were out in the area. The music was decent so we hung out afterwards to check the scene out. Crowd appeared to mostly be men taking their ladies out for a night of dancing, although nothing had started up yet. Within one minute we were approached and asked to do a scotch taste testing. Free booze. YES!
We spent about 15 minutes sampling a total of 6 different scotches, some were horrendous- but who am I to let alcohol go to waste?? Once we completed the test we stood up, warm and fuzzy, and were on our merry way to the next spot.
I was considering returning for brunch but don't think I will after reading a few of these reviews. 3 Stars for the free scotch. Scotch Scotch Scotch.
The Good
I went for a birthday party this summer. It was a gorgeous night and there was a full moon. The place is beautiful and the food tasty. The drinks were super strong. I had two long islands and was nice. Sorry I dont remember how much they were. I didnt pay.
The Bad
All of a sudden, after dinner, a crowd of women dressed in super cheap clothes and attitudes came in. You know, the kind of cheap clothes you see in the window of 'Pretty Girl' stores in bk. lmao. Cool for the guys I guess, but the vibe went down hill from there.
The Ugly
I guess it was latin music night? They stacked tables one on top of the other inside of the restaurant and started playing hip-hop/top 40 inside and the latin music outside on the patio. It became crowded and the line for the bathroom wrapped around the stairs.
I'd go again though. Maybe the vibe will be different. At least I know the drinks will be on point.
This place is like a comfortable old shoe. You know exactly what to expect. Friendly wait staff, small space, good music and the food is pretty good too. Overall not a bad place to start your night off.
Hudson River Mimosa:
Cheap champange.
Warm bottle of Tropicana OJ that has been sitting under the bar.
$10 please?
Below average, expensive food with so-so service.
If I've eaten at Covo twice that week, can't wait an hour for Dinosaur BBQ and I'm not in the mood for Talay... Hudson River is my first choice!
Went there last night (Saturday)and overall, I had a good time. The bouncer outside was EXTREMELY rude, but we got over it quickly. Grey goose & cranberry was $12, not too strong, but the bartender added more vodka for me. Margarita was $10 and they were great.
Outside had salsa & merengue, really nice setup, but I didn't see the point of having a VIP out there. I think it would've been nicer as an open dance floor.
Inside had hip hop. The DJ was realllly good, but it got reallly crowded. For some strange reason, they had folding tables in the middle of the room (upstairs). Again, pointless, and they should left more room for people to dance.
The line for the womens bathroom was unreal. UNREAL. I have never seen anything like it. THANK GOD I made friends with the bouncer at the men's room and he let me in.
All in all, a decent night. I would go back.
I really love the spot. Good food, great music and tasty drinks. Nice place to just chill and have a good night with your girls or your significant other. Definately recommend this spot.
Your bill may look look you ate in Soho, but without the douchebags - substituted with a few beeper salesmen thrown in and maybe a few dealers on the DL. Good friendly professional crowd overall.
I am a fan of the food and drink here, which has downtown-like prices and quality that almost approaches. Don't expect an overly inventive menu as it still needs to reflect the diverse peeps but perhaps less sophisticated palate that opts to stay uptown. The vibe remains bustling (loud) and welcoming downstairs, and cozier upstairs. Decent scotch and other top shelf selections. Live music, even if covers (which i hate), is usually good quality. I like the wine selection, bartenders, pork chops, mini burgers, and skirt steak (warning: garlic!)
And i've met a few nice people who are worthy of acknowledging, unlike the all too common feeling downtown where you just want to detach and evade eye contact.
I feel bad for those that didn't have a good experience here as mine was GREAT. Even though you'er by the highway you can barely hear the cars b/c of the shrubbery and wall (second floor). Had amazing ribs (after waiting unsuccessfully to get into dinosaur bbq's for almost 2 hours, can't stand that place).
They were guava ribs and boy were they tasty! The service was good and the drinks had a definate kick to it.
A tad overpriced for the area but hey...that's what gentrification is all about, isn't it
? (damn it!!!)
This review is based only on the club and NOT the restaurant. I went on Saturday night and it was a true disappointment. We arrived at 11:30 PM and stood on a long ass line for 45 minutes. 80% of the women there wore obscenely short and tight dresses with stilettos. I have never seen so much booty in all of my life. Finally we get in -- there's an outdoor area with music blasting and then the indoor area on the ground floor. To get an area in the VIP area with couch/bed, you need to buy three bottles minimum. There are "tables" in the outdoor area. And that's all it is. There is no privacy. It's a table with no chairs. So you stand and basically have a place to put your drink and purse, if you dare. Inside, there are limited tables with chairs and you will need to buy a bottle to sit at one of them. The DJ inside was horrific. He had an identity crisis -- merengue abruptly cut short and then hip hop played (LL Cool J or some crap from the South), and then abruptly cut and silence... or echoes of the music playing outside....this went on for a good two hours. Finally another DJ came on and the sound and music flow significantly improved and was more coherent. We could actually dance.
That was until someone farted or released a stink bomb. The entire dance floor cleared. It was the worst odor I've ever smelled in my life. Are we in high school again? Please...
Fast forward to the ladies restrooms. After climbing a flight of stairs, it's on the second level --- there are only two bathroom stalls and another long ass line and minimum half hour wait. WTF?????????????????? One of the employees that attended our table told me that they typically have 1,000 people there on a given Saturday night. And you only have two fucking bathrooms for the women??? Who co-signed this shit??
I'm sorry -- while there may be a lot of eye candy here for the gentlemen and the bottle/waitress service was good, there are too many people, the layout sucks, the DJ is a hit or miss and the bathroom situation is appalling. And to add insult to injury, women had to pay $15 and men had to pay $20 after midnight. No one from our party would ever consider returning here.
This place is solid on food. We had the appetizer sampler which came with delicious creamy spicy shrimp, ribs where the meat falls off the bones and flavorful crab cake. I had the seafood paella which was extremely plentiful and filling. I left with enough leftovers for a filling lunch.
The service was friendly, but unorganized. I came with a party of 8 and I understand that it can get confusing with a large group. However the waiter took a quarter of the entrée orders then forgot to come back for the rest. There must have been a 25 minute gap from the time my entrée came out to the time the last one came. It created for a bit of awkward waiting among my colleagues. Besides that debacle, the service was okay. The ambiance was not as nice as I would expect from a restaurant called Hudson River Café. Granted I didn't research the place ahead of time, I expect some view of the Hudson River. The outdoor seating was between the train tracks and a highway, which made for loud background noise. For a place that positions itself as an upscale dining establishment, the ambiance and newbie staff unfortunately takes away from the experience.
There wasn't really anything that impressed me about this place. The risotto's rice was a bit greasy, and served way too hot. No problems with the muscles or shrimp, but the half lobster was small, came uncracked, and tough.
My companion had the skirt steak. She ordered it rare, but it came medium, and kind of cold. The meat was tender, but lacking in flavor. The specialty cocktails we ordered were large and sounded pretty good from the menu, but there's still an APB out on the booze.
Highlight of the meal was the dessert, a strawberry & rhubarb personal pie. Good temperature, nice and crusty on the outside, gooey in the middle.
I also realize due to it being right beneath an elevated highway, they had to have the background music pretty loud, however they could have picked a better CD than what appeared to be "Greatest Soul Hits Vol. 1".
As far as I'm concerned, the only reason not to give this place the full 5 stars is due to its location. The restaurant is quietly placed between two highways overhead (WS Highway and Riverside Dr.), which takes away from the overall ambiance (particularly because its main draw is outdoor dining).
Otherwise this place is a true gem. The food is extremely tasty and the staff, while this place is still in its infancy, is very attentive. They have some original cocktails (my personal favorite is Cucumbers on the Hudson) that are extraordinary. Its best to catch this place before the weather gets too cold for their outdoor seating, but rumor has it that they have a cover for unseasonable weather. I will definitely be back. Cover or no cover, this place is amazing.
Really fantastic restaurant. I went there for dinner last week with my fianc and her parents and we all had a wonderful experience. The food is top notch. We started with the appetizer platter, the buffalo shrimp were slightly spicy and lightly fried, and the ribs literally fell off the bone. The Kobe burgers I found a big boring but others at the table loved them.
I'm a big fish eater and was really excited for the Stuffed Red Snapper with seafood and coconut rice. It leaped past my expectations, wonderfully plated and well cooked. The fish, and stuffing were fresh and excellent, but the squid was (expectedly) tough as it had cooked to long. Other wise it was a fantastic dish, although very expensive ($34).
The service was great, very nice attentive staff. It was a nice looking place, thu if your inside on the main level your sitting near the bar, which I could have done without. Overall I highly recommend this place, I would have given it 5 stars but I feel it's a bit over priced and the location is not ideal.
Truly awful. The gorgeous architecture is incredibly deceiving, as it acts as a facade to hide the unbelievably (embarrassingly) bad service, terrible food and meager menu. The waitstaff was unknowledgeable about the plates in addition to being few and far between. Not only did I have to get up to scrounge around for menus, but the waiter didn't even approach us for a good twenty minutes and ended up screwing up our order without the slightest apology. By the end of the meal, my friend and I were far less than satisfied - our food had been slow, pricey and way too greasy. The service was truly abismal.
A complete and utter disappointment
The service is excellent and the food was A+++++. When I tell you that I've never had a Ceviche has good as the ones served here. It was flavorful and so delicious that I can't wait to go back and order the Tuna Ceviche. The place feels like your in someone fab home. It's very posh and all the cuties where out and about the the patio chillin and eating. We had Ceviche, Ribs, Yucca Fries, Sangria, Mussels, and Buffalo Shrimp. The ribs where not as good as the ribs served at Ginger, but the Yucca fries where tasty. The Buffalo Shrimp was good but I didn't really like the sauce it was served with. So I suggest you just eat the Buffalo Shrimp by themselves.
One of the many thing that kills a new restaurant is the food. And the Hudson River Cafe get's an A+ for food. The wait staff was friendly and eager to help with tasty suggestions. There was a band outside which was a little to loud and we decided to sit inside and just enjoy the food. This is a great stop of Harlem and I will be going back again and again. The kitchen seemed to close early at about 11:30-12ish and HARLEM really needs a late night spot like this one.
http://www.hudsonriver.../ is their website. It's not up yet but keep it as a reference. This spot is a block of from Dinosaur BBQ, after we ate we took a walk down by Fineway to see what is the soon coming Harlem Walkway which is here the River Taxi will pick up and drop off people to that area. This is clearly going to be the new hot spot and area of trendy Harlem heads. So keep checking back to this area because more is coming.
FYI my review is from a visit of 5 months ago...
While Hudson River Cafe looks like an up-and-coming hip spot it left me wanting more. The lobster quesadillas were chewy. The lobster was like eating chicken fat. The main lobster and summer corn chowder was okay. For dinner I thought I'd play it safe with a medium-well kobe beef burger but I was served a flavorless charred burger.
So, the food was upsetting and so was the fact that you can't order drinks at happy hour prices at the table; you can only get happy hour deals if you sit at the bar without ordering dinner.
The drinks were weak but the upstairs lounge area looked nice and relaxing (although I couldn't eat there because of the rain) so the only way I might consider going to this place again is if a friend were having a party on the deck.
My friend and I were looking for a place to celebrate after she took part of her medical boards, and since we're both seafood buffs and we heart uptown we wanted to check this place out.
The outdoor space isn't as nice as one would hope; the lower terrace is blocked from the river by the West Side Highway, and we didn't really get a chance to check out the upper terrace because it was reservations-only. We ended up sitting inside, which was nice enough.
The food made up for it though; we got the red snapper ceviche which was very good: the sauce was pretty tangy but the fish itself was subtle and delicious. I had the grilled tuna entree (medium) along with the garlic mashed taters, both of which were also quite good. My friend had steak and yucca fries, which were absolutely heavenly (I ended up stealing like half her fries).
The service was very friendly and prompt, and the entire experience was great minus the lack of true riverside seating/views.
Great spot for brunch -- a nice outdoor patio under the Riverside Drive viaduct -- and a good brunch at that. I had the steak and eggs, while my friend had the crab cakes; devouring the basket of breakfast pastries cooperatively proved the old adage that two mouths are better than one.
The Amtrak trains that whoosh by on the tracks immediately west are splendid for puncturing conversation. Sit upstairs for maximum benefit!
The service here is quite poor, the food is not great and way overpriced for what you're actually getting. However, go to The Hudson River Cafe for cocktails. The view from the deck on the second floor is relaxing, especially in the summer. Grab a quick drink before you go grocery shopping at Fairway!
Ok...ya boy is back! I've actually been here twice. First time I just had some appetizers and a couple drinks with a beautiful dame.
So Saturday was yours truly's bday and the first portion of the festivities that day involved the traditional dinner with Pap and my brother. We actually originally headed out for Dinosaur BBQ as this place has always eluded me despite being a couple blocks away from home. We headed there and the place was packed. There was an hour and a half wait time! What the bloody hell! So about-faced to HRC. This place is simply off the hook! You're going to find people complain about the price and the fact that it doesn't represent the community, blah blah. Let me be the first to tell you that this place earns its stripes and the right to the prices. The ambience is ridiculous (as in good ridiculous). Live music and all. As soon as you walk to the entrance you are greeted by a woman that seemed to have walked out of my last issue of Maxim Mag. I'm not joking. Their maitre d's are drop-dead gorgeous women! Take note: the outside seating area on Fridays and Saturdays is only for people who made reservations so we crapped out on that option. But to be honest, I would have followed this woman to any part of the restaurant with how smitten I was by her. Anyway, we chose the upstairs seating and proceeded to appetizers. Coconut battered jumbo shrimp with chili sauce. Start licking ya fingerz! We ordered a bottle of white wine (Cloudy Bay). Magnifique!
I had Salmon Filet, my bro the Jumbo Shrimp, and papa had the Sirloin steak. We all had sides of garlic mashed potatos and chimichurri salsa. All our meals were 5 stars! Our waitress, Yvette went out of her way to make sure we felt like royalty the entire time. After a second bottle of wine we topped it off with a fresh fruit- chocolate fondue desert. The chocolate had dulce de leche. You heard me...dulce de leche! We also had a tres-leches cake which came with a little candle for yours truly. Relax...I got no cheesy bday sing along. El Mayimbe is too classy for that!
went to Hudson River Cafe last night......really recommend this place for a few reasons....
The food was good, not great by any "foodie" standards. You don't go to this place in search of great food but clearly, what we ordered was well prepared and fun. We had the spare rib apetizer (really good), mini sliders and calamari. For an entree, I had the salmon which was good but again, I've had better. My wife had the skirt steak....just OK imo.
As for the the service......it was quite imperfect and a bit unprofessional at times. No decaf coffee, no espresso we were told after waiting 10 minutes, etc.
However, what you go to this place for is the vibe. You really have to "get" this place and if you're a New Yorker, you should. It has a neighborhood soul to it (with good live music) that is pretty uncommon elsewhere. Plus, the al fresco setting (adjacent to the west side hwy) was so unusual (amongst the billboards, etc) and very cool. Yeah, the music was a bit loud but that's the groove of this place......a happening, fun place.
Would I go back? Sure....but probably not during any of the colder weather months.
Amazing views, great menu, flavorful food, yummy drinks, good service staff, I could go on and on! This is most certainly one of my fav uptown spots. This place is casual yet classy in all the right ways.
Hudson River Cafe gets 5 stars specifically based on my Brunch. The food was ok, kobe burgers, fries, eggs in a multiple of ways, pina colada french toast, etc. But the experience was very cool. Alcohol was flowing as they have unlimited drink specials and me like the unlimited mimosas very much. The place is located along the westside highway with fantastic views. It's so hidden that you feel cool knowing about it among the elevated rails overhead. The views are fantastic and the vibe is definitely city cool, like Williamsburg a while back. Go for brunch. It's hot. But probably when it's not cold out. Lastly our servers were chic and men, one Latino and the other Caribbean. I think Mr. Caribbean was quite hot too yet when our party engaged him with questions about himself, he turned out to be more than just a pretty face. Go figure.
I am not sure how I feel about this restaurant. My husband and I went here on a Saturday night, hungry and wanting to eat at some place we've never ate before. I liked the restaurant because of the location, its hidden, but can easily be found. I liked my drink - it was $8 and came in a tall glass. On to the food...my husband ordered the steak and shrimp - tasty! I'm not a steak eater, but it was really good, juicy and sliced perfectly. I ordered the seafood linguine. That was good, it was a little spicy but it wasn't hot; it gave the seafood just enough kick. What I didn't like about the place, my husband had to take off his hat (ok he didn't like that very much because he didn't get a haircut this week LOL). Also, we received our meals warm. I don't know if it was because the A.C. was too high and made the food cool off quickly or was it because our food was in the kitchen waiting to be picked up , but whatever the cause, I didn't like that. In fact, my husband's mashed potatoes were cold and taste like the boxed kind. Last but not least - the pricing. It was expensive for what the menu had to offer and what you got on your plate. A $40 appetizer? I'll pass thank you. In conclusion, this place is great for a first date or if you want to hang out in a place that's elegantly casual. I can't promise I will not eat here again, but I can promise it will not be my first choice.
I hesitate to give any place five stars..okay just thought of a reason to take off that last star. I finally made it over to HRC and it is lovely. Since they close between Brunch and dinner we had to hang out on the river walk for an hour and half while until they opened the bar at 5 p.m. The staff was very courteous and eager to please. I ordered a red Sangria and my friend a Merlot. She said the Merlot was wonderful (don't remember the brand or region). The Sangria was very light so I ordered their special Strawberry Mojito with dinner! There we go! While we sipped our drinks at the outside bar, in walks this tall, dark and handsome biker who looked like he stepped off the page of a magazine. This guy was exceptionally good looking...what a way to enjoy the sights! Speaking of sights and views, I was bit disappointed that the only view was of the highway and the surrounding buildings - particularly Fairway. If you are sitting at the outdoor bar and you face the right direction you can see the brown murkiness of the river. At 6 p.m. HRC started serving dinner and we headed to the 2nd level for a bird's eye view. Unfortunately we only had a view of a wall that separated the restaurant from the highway on ramp and of the entrance so we could see everyone who came in. There are also commuter trains that pass nearby if you are sitting on the upper deck. It's not Miami (as some reviewers have said) but it's the most sophisticated of all the uptown eateries. The meal prices are comparable to mid-level eatery downtown and the service, ambiance and convenience warrant the prices. We started off with the highly recommended fried Calamari salad and we were blown away....tons of fresh (not chewy!) calamari, dressed in a sweet/tangy/spicy sauce and topped with a layer of greens. The portion size was unreal for an appetizer. This appetizer is meant to be shared! I could have eaten that with crab crabs and been done for the night. Instead I ordered an entree. I had the duck ($25) while my friend had the salmon ($24). Both were very tasty but a tad bit overcooked. The sides were good, especially the spinach. We were both quite satiated and passed on dessert although the selection was quite tempting. This place deserves all 4 of the stars that they received. The last star was withheld due to the lack of a view (not really their fault but still) and the overcooked meat and fish. I would definitely make another visit to this establishment. The crowd was mature (all ages, races, genders and orientations) and the ambiance was perfect (low music played via CD and later by a live band that was inobtrusive). Attire was both casual and dressy -- people came in from biking along the river and others from church service. My only concern is the lack of indoor seating once the weather turns cold. Although they have two levels of seating, the popularity of this restaurant will guarantee long lines. I am hoping that they have heat lamps available for the fall months so diners can still use the outdoor seating through October. I also noted that some of the menu choices were better suited to colder weather and they could have offered a few more summer choices like cooked crab or other light fare with a couple of the heavier meat options. All in all it was nice (if pricey) dining experience.
