Randomly searching for a late-night bite, my boyfriend and I wandered into Bird in Hand and ended up having such a standout experience. We ordered the Mac and cheese - a burger and the chicken & waffles -- all were absolutely delicious. But the cocktails? On another level. Truly worth experiencing and experimenting with. We tried several different spins, and every single one was perfectly balanced and hit the spot. Creative, thoughtful, and genuinely impressive. The drinks are absolutely worth the price, and so is the overall experience. Huge shoutout to Joost, the bar manager -- thank you for taking such great care of us and turning a random Monday night Harlem stroll into something special. We'll definitely be back. read more

Bird in Hand - KIKI VANDEWEGHE - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

See all

Lovely room, attentive service, food fell short. We visited Bird In Hand on a recent evening while in town visiting our son in Hamilton Heights. The space itself is genuinely beautiful -- dim lighting, warm decor, and a moody, inviting atmosphere that makes it feel like a proper grown-up neighborhood spot. The service matched the room. Our server was attentive, gracious, and knowledgeable, and the front of house clearly knows what they're doing. The food, unfortunately, didn't live up to the rest of the experience. The pork chop arrived dry, which is hard to forgive on a cut that should be the kitchen's pride. The steak was competently cooked but unremarkable -- no real seasoning, no char to speak of, nothing that set it apart from a passable home-cooked version. For a restaurant at this price point, the kitchen should be delivering more. I'd happily come back for cocktails at the bar -- the n and the staff deserve that. But on the food alone, there are better options in the neighborhood. read more

So super quaint inside! I love the attention to detail, from the cozy lounge-like waiting area at the entrance to the thoughtfully placed plants throughout to the hidden kitchen door behind the well-appointed bar. I've been several times, with large groups and with just one other dining partner. It's great for both. The food is delicious standard American fare. I've had the burgers, fries, pork chop...probably other things I can't remember now but nothing disappointed. My friend had a birthday dinner there one winter and the gas burners broke or something, so they couldn't offer most of the menu items. Somehow they were still able to make burgers so we all got those. While a disappointing event, I was impressed that they were able to offer a solution. And the owner came out to personally apologize and give each of us a business card for discounted meals for a year. And they honored it every time I returned. read more

Very nice chill atmosphere, seemed to be a diverse crowd with age range and ethnicity. I liked the mature music in the background and I liked that it was not too loud so conversations could still be held. I was greeted by the male bartender when I arrived. But overall I feel the service could've been better me and my person were left unattended to for a while before are came to ask us if we were okay, needed anything etc. I enjoyed my food, which was the French toast. It was REALLY GOOD! my person has the eggs Benedict which I did sample and found it to be flavorful. Although there could've been more Hollandaise sauce. I especially enjoyed the Hot Toddy. It was made to perfection! The bill was more than expected... $96. I honestly think that's a bit pricey. I might be back another time read more

See all

I came here for brunch after a race and it was not good. I have come many times before and it is always delicious but this one time it was disappointing. The service was not good; we were a large table and the staff member looked overwhelmed and frustrated. We had to constantly flag them down to give them our order. Then the food which i ordered was not good and the portion was a lot smaller than the last time we came. I ordered the Benedict and it was not good; the sauce didn't taste like anything and it was room temperature. I like my food to be hot and this was not. The place is quite nice and usually it is my go to in the area. I am not sure if I would go back. The sangria was good but it had a lot of ice. It is possible they had an off day but both the service and food were disappointing so... read more

See all

WOW! This place was amazing. The ambiance was 10/10. Went with my friend randomly and the staff was lovely and welcoming, very accommodating. The food was divine! The fried pickles were some of the best I've ever had and the truffle burrata salad was incredible. Everything was fresh and made with care. The cocktails were also so creative and delicious. Definitely will be returning! read more

I've been here around 10 times and it never fails. Friendly service especially from Madi, the new hostess, all the way to the bartender + servers. Fun drinks good food and an extremely local ambiance. Very good for groups and parties. This bar has a secure identity, great workers, good showing of sports and also has Trivia once a week. Weekend brunch has been good (love a good Benedict). When it's a little slower, the bartenders are very conversational and willing to share insights on their experimental cocktails (shout out Maggie)! Tl:dr: awesome bar awesome people awesome vibe. read more

I think I found my new favorite brunch spot in Harlem. I recommend making reservations as the place tends to fill up pretty quickly. The reservations are made by filling out a form on their website. I made brunch reservations late the night before & we were still able to get accommodations. However, without the reservations we wouldn't have been able to get a table because the place was completely booked. I had the BIH biscuit and enjoyed every bite of it! I'll definitely come back soon. read more

Bird in Hand - BIH Biscuit - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

My husband wanted a snack before our movie, so we stopped by this bar to pregame. Food: 4/5 We ordered oysters and the vegan grilled Caesar salad. The oysters were fresh and clean, though not my favorite type. The vegan Caesar was beautifully presented and enjoyable--not quite the same as a classic Caesar, but still a nice dish to try. Drinks: 5/5 I loved the "Bird in Hand"--not only was the glass gorgeous, but the drink itself was delicious. I also got a smoked cocktail, and as soon as it arrived, I could smell the amazing wood they used. They definitely don't skimp on the pours here--I was feeling it after two! My husband enjoyed his gin-forward drink as well. Overall: I'd definitely come back. The interior is stunning, with old-school tiling and tall ceilings--perfect for date night vibes. Can't wait to return! read more

See all

Great food and atmosphere. I have returned there several times. The waiters are so nice.

Stopped by for Saturday brunch. We sat at a high top table. It wasn't too comfortable so I would sit at a regular table next time. They have an interesting cocktail and food menu. I wanted the plant based chicken and waffles but they were sold out of the plant based chicken. Instead I got a vegan burger with fries which was pretty good. The noise level in the restaurant was moderate. They have two bathrooms with Broadway posters inside which was cool. I like the artwork they have displayed throughout the restaurant and most of it is for sale. Service was ok, though I do think they could be more attentive. We had to flag someone down for more water and the check because they did not frequently come back to check on us. Overall, a solid brunch spot in the neighborhood. read more

Bird in Hand - Bar area - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Great food and great artisanal cocktails plus the bartender was very nice, charming, and thorough. The fruity pebbles was a very good drink read more

Bird in Hand - The fruity pebbles cocktail - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

See all

Went with the girls for brunch. Love this place its so relaxed. We had the chicken and waffles which look yummy and they said was so good. I had the salmon Benedict and wasn't happy. I didn't like the slimy salmon or lox that they use. I rather salmon not lox. The drinks and dessert were delicious. They have a great selection of drinks. I will definitely go back and order something else. They are definitely a place to stop by. read more

See all

I had a wonderful time at Bird in Hand! I had three rounds of cocktails and they were all so good. I had a gin elderflower drink and 2 cosmos. The cosmo was so good, I had another one. I shared truffle fries with my friend, and they were good, nice and garlicky. The ambiance was very cute and made a nice spot for a good drink on a Friday night. The servers were so nice and kind, and made some nice recommendations. read more

The oysters weren't fresh, but the eggs Benedict was pretty decent. The cocktail was probably my favorite part of this dining experience! I ordered the songbird won cocktail, and it was very delicious. You could taste the fruity mix with elderberry. Definitely worth the try. read more

Bird in Hand - Oysters - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

See all

Went for brunch. Warm and comfy space. Excellent food. Great service. Creative cocktails. A new fave.

Food was great and our waitress was wonderful but there is a staff member who needs some serious people training. She comes across so rude. Several encounters with her have been less than pleasant. My signature barely dried on the check and she asked us to leave since people were waiting.... tables were literally empty around us and no one was up front waiting. Good luck. read more

We visited Bird in hand to celebrate my birthday last month on a Saturday during brunch. It was a group of 7 girls and it was all our first time dining at the restaurant. We absolutely loved the service, the food and the cocktails. The ambiance of the restaurant is also so welcoming and bright- with greenery all over the restaurant. We can't wait to go back! read more

See all

I personally feel like I grew up in this neighborhood and the menu as far as ingredients does not represent the culture within the neighborhood. I am not saying, this is a bad restaurant, but I am saying the menu items and their extravagant ingredients does not represent the neighborhood and what we grew up on. I think gentrification and people trying to insert other cultures into what the culture was before 2010, is completely different. Growing up there, there was no "Deviled eggs" that consisted of Panko Fried crispy prosciutto, mirco herbs". That menu does not and will never represent Harlem. read more

Cozy lil spot for some dinner and drinks. Some cocktails were way better (and stronger) than others, I enjoyed the pear in a partridge tree and the espresso martini the most. The food was just okay, I liked the truffle fries and the fried cauliflower. The Mac and cheese was unfortunately very one note. read more

See all

My husband and I live in the area, we've been here multiple times and it's always been great. Sad to say that tonight's service was "meh". First of, the food was delicious, as for service? What service? Our order was taken by a lady who was maybe the manager? Who knows, but she took our drink and food order and then proceeded to sit on her laptop... assuming she had maybe passed on the table to the young lady who came by ONCE to ask if everything was ok?... waited 20 minutes before she came again and asked if we needed anything else. I asked where our entrees were and she looked confused. Of course she goes to the lady who originally took our order... I could see that she had completely forgotten about our order... you would think that an apology would follow after but NO. She stood by speaking to someone else having a whole conversation meanwhile no one has approached us to give us an answer or at least apologize for the delay. I had to flag her down only for her to say "the food is coming"... like yes thank you for telling us 40 minutes later but ma'am can I order a drink? Like who is serving us? Anyways loved this place, won't be going back. read more

Delicious food, adorable decor, and welcoming service. Came for brunch and loved every bite. The espresso martini is a must - orange peel adds complexity and the sweetness was balanced nicely. Visited from CA - wish I could come back soon! read more

My friend and I just grabbed a couple drinks here and truffle fries as well. I can't remember everything we ordered but my nightcap was the Churchill Old Fashioned and it was indeed the right drink to finish off the night. On top of the cool drinks, Maggie was an absolutely fantastic server as well. I would go back to try their food as well. read more

Food was good and our server (Victoria) was very attentive and helpful. The spot is cozy and everyone was nice. read more

Bird in Hand - Chicken and pancakes - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

worst fries ever-i called for a pick up order last night. i got the grilled cheese with fries. soggiest fries and grilled cheese of my life. PLEASE find a new way to make your fries-the seasoning is great but they're thinner than a pencil and not crunchy at all. sandwich was meh i cant believe i spent $22 on that. read more

Pork on, in, on top, on bottom, of nearly every dish. Many New Yorkers do not want it near their mouth. Couldnt eat there.

Lovely staff, and the food was yummy. Eggs are Devine .. I don't usually eat sausages but these were delicious. Price VERY reasonable- nice space. read more

Came for Brunch; We ordered the Burger and Chicken and Waffles (which I believe is on their dinner menu as well. The burger was cooked to perfection, and the chicken and waffles were awesome. The skin of the chicken was deliciously seasoned and the waffles kept its integrity through the syrup. The restaurant itself is a cute set up, with an assortment of styles set up. Very cool mixed drink menu as well. The service was also top notch. read more

We were really happy to find this place when we were walking through Hamilton Heights! The ambiance is really cute and welcoming (they have a pool table and other games in the back), and it's pretty large and spacious inside. We tried their happy hour specials. The truffle fries lacked a strong truffle flavor (but were otherwise okay, thin, and crisp), and the wine was also fine for the price. We sat at the bar and there weren't many people in yet so service was quick! I would definitely come back but just for drinks. read more

We first discovered Bird in Hand after a quiet lunch w/o our kids, and from there my partner decided to have a low key baby shower there. MAGNIFICENT! Brian, the manager, was wonderful from the moment we spoke to him to set things up. He even secured a private area for our group! Two of our guests plan on hosting events there in the near future. The charcuterie board and roasted veggies we ordered as appetizers were fantastic, farm to table fresh! EVERYONE loved their food! Please support this gem in the Heights. read more

See all

We had a recommendation for the place next door but we're drawn in by the by the warm spirit coming out on a cold January night. The highlight dish was the Brussels sprouts app. It was sweet and complex with lots of savory notes and a crunchy bonus of almonds. read more

Bird in Hand - Songbird cocktail. Elder berry and gin. Delicious. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

It's a cute spot. The cheese board and wings were AMAZING, the Brussels sprouts were great, skip the fried deviled eggs (don't know why that's a thing to begin with), and the drinks were kind of hit or miss. Some were small, some lacking in alcoholic content, some were amazing. My biggest complaint is that they dump the used plates and glasses at the end of the bar, letting it pile up. Which was completely unnecessary, as a manager was at a high top right behind us. A solid 3.75. read more

See all

We went to Bird In Hand on Valentine's Day and it was a mixed experience. The food was great, the staff was friendly, and the music, ambience and decor were perfect. The manager, on the other hand, was a nightmare. We arrived at 6:20 for a 6:30 reservation and would have been happy waiting at the bar, but the bartender/host invited us back to be seated. As he is a walking us to a table, the manager loudly says "they are 10 minutes early - they have to wait!" There were approximately 8 empty tables by the way. Fine - we went back to the bar and waited. Then he came to get us again - same 8 tables still empty - and as we are sitting down, coats on the chairs and all, the manager comes back and says "you can't sit there because I am holding that table for someone else." Imo, this needed to be communicated with the staff ahead of time. We were already sitting - at that point, it's their mistake and they need to own it. Then she tried to give us a table right next to the service station and bathrooms. We said we would not sit there and asked for one of the other multiple empty tables. This annoyed her apparently and she rudely said "I don't care - sit wherever you want." For the rest of the night, we kept hearing her bark at the staff and every time she went in the back, the whole mood of the place and the staff changed. I feel sorry for them having to work for her. She was the only person there who was woefully out of place - otherwise, it's a pretty cool crowd. My husband said they should change the name of the restaurant to Bird in Hand with a Big Sore Thumb ;) read more

Great food, ambiance was also great, staff very nice. Drinks were great . Definitely worth it

Great spot in Harlem. I can't believe I didn't know about this place sooner. I will be going back again.

More like Mouse in Hand. Went there for Sunday brunch for a birthday party and after we had ordered our food, we saw a very large rodent run out from the area between the bar and kitchen to the seating area. We told the wait staff and they saw the rodent when it ran out a second and third time. They did not offer to move us (granted we were a large party ) or any apology. They eventually comped the dessert for those who wanted it. I did not want to eat anything after seeing the mouse/rat. We still paid for the food ordered. I just felt like Moore should've been done to capture the creature instead of ignoring it. This was my second time here in 6 months and the food quality declined. For example, one of my favorite dishes were the deviled eggs but this time they were gummy and not edible. This time I ordered the wedge salad and burger. They were okay. But the burger was not worth 24 dollars. However, I do like how they toast the buns. The one thing I do like about this establishment is that they can make any cocktail alcohol free. So I suggest maybe go there for a drink, but do not eat any food for now. read more

Bird in Hand - Grilled Vegan Caesar with chicken - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

See all

I love the atmosphere, the service and the food! I enjoy coming here always a great time. I hope they bring the pool table back

When you are in Harlem looking for a place for lunch, I highly recommend Bird in Hand. On google maps it's listed as a cocktail bar but it is a full service restaurant and bar. The food is delicious and nicely presented at reasonable prices. Most important is the excellent service by Megan. She's friendly, helpful, and very professional. I have tried a variety of the menu items, all of which I enjoyed, but today the arugula salad (see picture) was amazing. read more

New favorite spot in this part of town for many reasons. Food is good. They have veggie options (jackfruit sandwich) The Bird in Hand IPA is really tasty. They usually have 4 IPAS on tap here. I had steak and frites really tasty cooked to perfection med-rare. Shoestring fries never miss. Shout Kalina&Yost but friendly staff that are super patient with my million questions about beer. I love beer! The Ambiance and music is always a plus here as well, dimly lit not overcrowded and good tunes. Anyway I'll be back to beat whoever on the pool table here. The pool table is not always open but it's free and in a place like NYC you can't beat that. Cheers! read more

Bird in Hand - a restaurant with tables and chairs - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

See all

Really neat spot in West Harlem. Not exactly cheap, but you get quality food and drinks (so unlike other spots in NYC, it's actually worth it). Came here for a friend's birthday and the staff were great; they set us up with two tables at their Pool Table area for a group, which was basically roped off for us, with our own dedicated servers (who were as quick and as prompt as they could be, despite there being a lot of us to assist). They have really good signature cocktails at around $19 each - a bit above my comfort zone but honestly that's normal for NYC, and it's also solid motivation to come back during Happy Hour. I had their "Penicillin" (Scotch, liqueur, honey and lemon) and their "Hello, Colonel" (Bourbon, Mescal, liqueur and lemon) and both were great. I ordered their fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy and was well pleased - delicious. I also sampled their fried pickles and their lava cake dessert and both were excellent. We had to wait for a bit for food but not excessively so; the place was pretty busy on a Saturday night and they only had 2 chefs on shift. Our server kept us updated and apologized for any delays, did a great job - they even coordinated with us to bring out a dessert with a candle for the birthday boy to blow out. It's not an evening I can repeat often (total damage for 3 drinks and 1 entree, including a 20% tip,was around $95) but I'd easily come back again if I'm in the area. read more