This place is in between a 3.5 and a 4. It was my first time trying Ivorian (Côte d'Ivoire) food. We had Poisson Braise: Grilled fish with peppers, tomatoes, and onions, Gigot: Lamb shank with peppers, tomatoes, and onions, Attieke: Fermented cassava dish, salad, jollof rice and plantains. The portion size was great. The fish with the peppers, tomatoes and onions was fresh and good. The issue was service. The service seemed like they had trouble following up, splitting a check evenly with 3 credit cards, bringing out all the food. The restaurant was not busy. This could be more of a take out place. read more

Sylla is a good Ivorian restaurant that had a few misses at the plate on a recent Sunday afternoon after church. I was among the first persons dining in at Sylla approaching 1PM, so service for the day was commencing, primarily with takeout orders, but I was the first to sit down and had my pick of where to sit. There is a bar area on the back left area closest to the kitchen with bar stools, but I do not think they have a liquor license. I sat in the front by the window. All the tables are stainless steel hightops, bringing a contemporary and streamlined aesthetic. Very nice. I sat down and ordered the fried red snapper to get the crispness desired, but it can be order grilled. It comes with the raw onions and tomatoes, which typically accompany Ivorian food. I also ordered the attieke as my side dish, which looks like couscous, but made with cassava. The red states very good, flavorful and crisp. It's a bit bony, but good knife and fork skills can handle it well. The attieke comes with a bouillon cube, which is to be crushed and sprinkled carefully over the attieke, being careful not to overdo it with the saltiness. The ginger lemonade and the bissap were not available, so I ordered a coke. I had to wait on a glass of ice water, because the dishes had not come out of the dishwasher yet. I ordered the rest to go: savory kedjenou guinea fowl stew with veggies and brown rice as the side (they gave me white rice in error); peanut stew with chicken as the protein and a foutou ball properly in saran wrap; and the gigot lamb shank (it came one bone as opposed to two). The kedjenou is good, but there was not a lot of meat left on the guinea fowl's bones. The guinea fowl is very much like chicken. The broth was very rich, but it was not too oily. The broth was; however, too salty and the white rice helped to absorb and buffer the saltiness. Perhaps this is the level of seasoning the Ivorians use, but it was a bit much for my palate. The peanut stew was excellent. Here, the chef, who is the wife of the husband and wife team, whipped up that peanut stew to a level of smooth creaminess I had not experienced with this stew before. The chicken in it was more plentiful than the guinea fowl in the kedjenou and the sliced foutou was the perfect accompaniment for the peanut stew. This gets a high rec from me. When I ordered the gigot, I asked him if it comes as a two bone order as I have had at New Ivoire and as it is served at other restaurants. I was disappointed to see it was only one shank bone at home and I was so disappointed, because he, the husband, said it comes as a two bone order. I asked, because the price point of $25 at Sylla is lower than the $33 at New Ivoire and other places. Well at Sylla, you'll have to spend $50 for what New Ivoire seves at a considerably lower rate. It was still very good at Sylla and is probably the best of all the dishes I ordered at Sylla. The fries were also good as an accompaniment to the lamb shank, whose ultra savory and rich fat marbling was especially punctuated with and cut across by the acidic onions and tomatoes. Really, that combo lights up my palate and is the highlight of all I had from Sylla. Don't expect service in the way you would at other restaurants. The Ivorians apparently don't operate that way. I had to go to the bar to order my takeout. After the service of the fish and attieke, he never returned, except to bring a glass of ice water after it had come out of the washer. He was not rude or unwelcoming, but service has apparently a different interpretation at Ivorian restaurants and one must adjust expectations. The bathroom, by the way, was very clean. It's all the way in the back right behind the brick wall with the flatscreen. 3.5 stars, but could be better if not for the missed opportunities. read more

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Huge fan of this place!! West African restaurant run by a nice cheery man, Suleiman who recommended the sauce gumbo (okra stew w lamb) w a side of placali ($20) which was slimy but my favorite! Also tried their gigot (lamb shank) w a side of vermicelli ($25). Soo tender and well spiced. The vermicelli was cut up and paired with a spiced tomato sauce that was so delicious. Their ginger juice was strong, emblematic of the strong flavors throughout the entire meal but I enjoyed it! Can't wait to order from here all the time and try their grilled fish next! read more

Sylla - French Near Me - New York, New York

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This was my first experience eating French, west African cuisine and it was absolutely amazing! I've tried both the Ginger and Bissap drinks and they are both great. They are fresh juices so the ginger juice will have that signature kick, but it's also sweetened. The Bissap drink is sweet and delicious, and seemed to be really popular when I looked at other tables. You can order both and mix them! I had the salad both times with the house dressing and it was very fresh! I had the red snapper and DibiPoulet (chicken) and they were both great choices and full of flavor! The sweet plantain is always a must and super fresh and delicious. There is enough food to have left overs. The atmosphere is very inviting and intimate while still being able to accommodate larger groups of people. Every time I go in there, there are many different African people dining in and ordering to go, which must mean the cuisine is true to its authenticity! The owner is from Ivory Coast and has amazing customer service. read more

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The food was full or spice and flavors. Grilled fish, sweet plantain fufu, beef stew, sour cassava...all good. The portion is generous. No pork, no alcohol establishment. Staff were friendly and helpful. Good for small or large groups. Small bar with a decent sized dining area. Outdoor seating possible when weather permits. I would recommend & try again. read more

One day after church we went to Sylla for brunch. I found out about Sylla from Instagram. The feature was well done and left me craving their food. On a cold afternoon this cozy and clean restaurant was just what the doctor ordered. The owner, Sylla, greeted us and we were promptly seated. I ordered the Chicken soup and shared it with the Lamb and side of sweet plaintians and rice. For our beverages we ordered the ginger juice. The portions were very large and the food was flavored well. read more

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This place is a true diamond in the rough. We picked it because we wanted a new African culinary experience. We came in from a very rainy day and were greeted by an angel named Amy. This woman could not have been more accommodating. She was so kind and so knowledgeable about the menu. We decided on the sweet plantains, Poisson Grille and the Ris Gras. Let me just tell you...I started to eat slower because the flavor was exceptional..The Ris came with a sauce of onions and tomatoes I believe and it was so delicious..The fish was so easy to eat and the seasoning was just perfect. The bones slid right off of the fish!!! The ambiance was simple and clean. We also enjoyed the African tunes that played in the background.. we will both be back either separately or together for sure!!! Amy, Amy, Amy!!! You have to pay her a visit and feel the warmth of her service. It was top notch!! Tell her Chase sent you!!! read more

Sylla - This is a simple photo of one of the tables in the restaurant I loved the mood.. - French Near Me - New York, New York

Fantastic food. I have not had a lot of African food in general or Ivorian food at all so I can't speak much to the authenticity, but it is very tasty. I forgot the cost, but it wasn't expensive, great value, and again delicious. We ordered poisson grille (grilled fish), sauce gombo (stew with meats and okra). Each dishe came with a side so we got foutou (made of plantains), another fried plantain side, and added a rice. The grilled fish was very flavorful and balanced. It came with a red sauce that made even plain rice so delicious. It wasn't too salty, it was moist, and so fresh and sweet. It wasn't terribly complex with many herbs, but it was well cooked and used time as an important ingredient better than most marinated grilled meats ive had. As a rice person, I liked it best with rice. The stew paired well with the sweet stretchy foutou. Also not too salty although it is a stew so was a bit salty. It was richly tomatoy and earthy and cooked for so long each bite of the tender meat tasted like stew. I can't decide if I liked the stew or the fish better, as my preference changed to what I was currently eating with each bite. I think everyone can appreciate the food here even if you don't like certain ingredients or aren't accustomed to them. We came for lunch and the smaller restaurant didn't have many people, but the food didn't take long and servers were friendly. Restroom was cute and clean. I wish I could come back to try more of the menu! read more

Sylla - Grilled fish, sauce gombo (okra and meat stew), foutou (of plantains), and fried plantains - French Near Me - New York, New York

My guest and I loved this restaurant and the food they had to offer. We didn't get to meet the owner, but our waiter was nice and explained each inquiry we had. We ordered the vermicelle, sweet plantain, water, bissap, stew (can't recall which one, but essentially, it was good) and foutou (fufu). Our food arrived HOT and ready! The Bissap drink is on the sweeter end, so feel free to dilute it with water, if need be. Overall, Sylla: 10/10. Can't wait to try more of their tasty foods. read more

Sylla - Vermicelle, Sweet Plantain, Water, Bissap, Stew and Foutou - French Near Me - New York, New York

This was my bf's and my third time here. The food is absolutely delicious! My bf is Nigerian and I'm Jamaican and we loved every dish we've had. This time I got cassava leaf (not on the physical menu) with fufu and he had the palm nut stew with fufu. We've previously gotten the fried fish, jollof rice, light stew, and fried plantains. The lady who serves us is always so kind and helpful and the restaurant itself is nice and always plays African music. read more

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Everything was top tier , first time trying this kind of food and it was all soo delicious the flavors were immaculate and the fish !! Don't miss out read more

Sylla - Vermicelle Poisson Braise / Grilled Fish - French Near Me - New York, New York

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This place was lovely. Not sure if the construction is slowing down their business but it was empty. The server was very nice. The food came out fast, fresh and so delicious. My boyfriend had grilled chicken with onions. I had a stew with turkey, lamb and cow foot. We also had a side of plantains and the ginger and hibiscus drink. We mixed the drinks together and it was the perfect combination. I would definitely return. read more

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Delicious delicious!! We got the fish and the okra and stew and every single fish was just amazing

Apparently, every time I review an Ivoirian restaurant, I say it's the only one of its kind in the city. Oops! But seriously, there are, like, two other Cote d'Ivoire restaurants in NYC, so you'd better come and support this endangered species! Sylla is a good intro to this vastly overlooked cuisine. The decor is modern and chic enough to please fussy, upscale types, while the offerings are authentic and interesting enough to please hardcore foodies. We got: - Poisson Braise: Grilled fish served with green and red peppers, tomatoes, and onions. Tasty but watch out--it's bony - Kedjenou: Spicy stew with guinea fowl and vegetables. Hearty and delicious, perfect for chicken lovers. - Gigot: Lamb shank served with green and red peppers, tomatoes and onions. You'll notice a theme of lots of peppers, tomatoes and onions in Ivoirian (and most West African cuisines). If you don't like these vegetables, tough. I happen to adore them, which might be why I inhale West African dishes. Anyway, the Gigot here is lamb done well. - Tchep Djeun: Fish stewed in a rich tomato sauce with eggplants, carrots, cassava, and white cabbage served with rice. Possibly one of my favorite fish dishes in the city. It's just so simple and hearty. Served with delicious, fluffy, joloff rice We also got some tasty placali, a common swallow food similar to fufu, to complement our meal, which I highly recommend if you've never had African swallow foods. Washed everything down with the Bissap and Ginger juices, which were a tad too sweet and too pungent respectively, but mixed together with a bit of water, were just perfect. Service was great and food arrived quickly (not always a guarantee in mom 'n' pop African restaurants in Harlem). Sylla is located under an overpass in a somewhat dodgy-looking part of Harlem, but the area is fine and you'll be glad you came. read more

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The food is great! And this place opens later than any African food spot I've seen so far. I need to go back & try more things on the menu but we enjoyed! read more

Found Sylla on IG and decided to try it out because I've never had African food. Once we got there we were greeted by the owner Sylla, who was very pleasant, social, and very attentive. He gave suggestions and even gave us some dishes to try (on the house), while we waited for our food. To start, he brought us some chicken thighs with some type of sauce on top. It was juicy and really good. I wasn't a fan of the sauce, but the chicken itself was good. He also gave us a ginger juice and sorrel to try (mixed), which was really tasty. We ordered The grilled fish, plantains, and rice with lamb (I honestly can't remember the proper African name of each, but it was listed on the menu). We also went there to try the Fufu and light sauce stew w/chicken. Which took almost 2 hours to prepare because they ran out of the chicken flavor for the day. But we patiently waited for it because my point of coming to an African restaurant was for the fufu. They had the other flavors available but I wanted chicken lol. Outside of the food, the restaurant was nice, clean, and spacious. The service was great, and the owner and staff was really nice. The owner invited us back for a special meal, on him, due to the wait for the light sauce chicken stew. read more

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When I tell you this is my mom and I favorite restaurant to come to... ITS OUT FAVORITE!!! LETS GET INTO IT From the moment I walked into this African gem, I felt welcomed like family. The atmosphere is warm, inviting, and most importantly - spotless. The cleanliness of the restaurant immediately stood out, and that attention to detail carried through to every bite of food that followed. A huge shoutout to Ami T, whose energy, kindness, and professionalism elevated the entire experience. She was attentive, friendly, and made sure every need was met with a smile. And let's talk about the magic coming out of the kitchen - Chef Khandy is a culinary genius! Every dish was bursting with authentic flavor, perfectly seasoned, and cooked with love. You can taste the tradition and care in every bite. This isn't just a place to eat -- it's a full cultural experience. I will absolutely be back and will be bringing friends and family. If you haven't been yet, you're truly missing out. THANK YOU read more

I'm so glad I stumbled upon this place! I came here in a group of three after helping a friend move. We were really hungry and wanted to try something new, and this place hit the spot. We arrived around 8pm on a Monday evening and we were the only customers at the time. The service here is wonderful and the ambiance is casual and inviting. We tried their fufu, sweet plantains, sauce grains, riz gras and sauce claire. I absolutely loved the sauce grains stew, it's so well flavored and I would have it again anytime. Along with the food we all got ginger drinks. I personally thought it was good though it was too spicy for the rest of my group. We had a great experience here and would recommend you come and check this place out! It deserves more love. read more

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We came here for lunch at 12:30 pm and the place appeared to be closed. Thankfully, we waited until they set up, and a very kind gentleman helped out with getting our orders. This place is small with high table tops and exposed brick walls. They have some outdoor seating on the sidewalk. We were a group of 4, and 2 of us ordered the lamb with sweet plantains while the other 2 ordered the fried croaker fish. I've had African food before but not specifically from Ivory Coast. The lamb was tender and flavourful. The sweet plantains were absolutely delicious and cooked perfectly! The owner brought over a very nice tomato sauce that complimented the food perfectly. He also brought over some spicy pepper sauce that my friend, who is from Trinidad, loved but I found entirely too spicy. I tried some of the fried fish, and it reminded me of fried fish on the beach in DR. The fried fish was impressive! Despite the confusion and long wait when we arrived, we all had an amazing time here and absolutely loved the food and warm hospitality. read more

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This place serves tasty, hearty, satisfying food but I tend to lean on the healthy and this was not that. I ordered the Dibi chicken which I had eaten in the past and loved it but this time it had a lot of bones maybe not so much chicken. My friend ordered fried plantains which were incredible. I also loved the house-made ginger and hibiscus juices. The ginger is very strong and both drinks have sugar but I really liked them. read more

Been here quite a few times. Owner will recommend meals to you if you are not too familiar with African cuisine. The food is outstanding & very authentic. The service is not like your typical restaurant but they let you enjoy your meal and company. The restaurant is a hole in the wall and I'm glad I did not miss it.. read more

Sylla - French Near Me - New York, New York

The owner was very nice. Very nice atmosphere. Great place to bring a date. The food was so good and filling as well. read more

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Sylla what a pleasure! Stumble upon this african gem ! The food was delicious. I had the grill fish and I'm still savoring it ! The plantains, rice, sauces and drinks were all yummy. Service was perfection, the owner Sylla makes you feel at home. He is charming and attentive to every details. I rarely write reviews but this special place deserves to be shared with the world! Its worth a trip and worth your time. Please support this small business. You won't regret it . read more

The food was extremely delicious. I got a lamb shank which was served with rice and a side sauce that was great. Portions are quite large. They have a good jamaica and anise drink. Appears that they may only speak french here, but nothing google translate can't handle. Place is clean, good ambiance, and there is a bathroom. 5 read more

What a gem. I ordered the light stew w/ meat and fish as well as the foutou. The stew came with so much meat, I was fully satisfied. The foutou was lovely, slightly sweet. Would come back again! read more

Sylla - Meat light stew w/ foutou on the left - French Near Me - New York, New York

I am blown away by how delicious the food was. I ordered the sweet plantains, riz gras, and kesjenou. Each food was packed with rich delicious flavor that I am craving even after full. I highly recommend it. read more

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. I rarely ever write reviews but Sylla's deserves to be packed every night. We had the grilled fish and the lamb shank and let me tell you... I HAVENT HAD SOMETHING THAT GOOD IN A LONG TIME! Sylla, the owner, was also the sweetest and made us feel so comfortable. This place felt like home. Such a chill ambiance. I cannot wait to be back and see the success that comes to Sylla and his team. Definitely check it out! read more

Sylla - Grilled Fish & Lamb Shank (Gigot) - French Near Me - New York, New York

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This is a very cute and clean restaurant. Service was excellent. I came here for New Years Eve and had a blast. I didn't get a chance to try the food because I arrived late but the food looked delicious! Can't wait to come back and try the fried fish! read more

This new Ivory Coast restaurant Sylla, by chef Sylla, is cooking up some of the best Ivory Coast food in Harlem. We have tried many African restaurants in Harlem and still we are so impressed with this one. We had the grill fish and lamb shank per chef's recommendation. The food was well seasoned and cooked just right. The fish came out so crispyWe also love the modern decor and comfortable seating inside. Come give this a try. read more

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FINALLY a good ivorian restaurant in NYC! As a native ivorian, I often crave my country's cuisine. Everything I've had there was delicious: the grilled fish, okra soup and grilled chicken. Now we need some fried yams on the menu The owner is very kind, and that's important to me! read more

Service was great but the food was not. I'm confused because our food looked nothing like what's plated here. My peanut stew with beef had maybe two tablespoons of Beef and the rest was fat and bones. The fufu was not fresh and was hrdened on the outside. honestly I felt bad it's a small business to send the food back so we just didn't eat it and left. my friends jollof rice wasnt jollof rice at all but just a tomato stew and a side of white rice... the fish in the stew mostly bones and skin. Really confused as to why we weren't served food tat looks even remotely near to the pics featured read more

Service was Great everything great but the food can have more favor maybe seasoning but love the vibe

Best restaurant ever. The fish was well cooked, plantains was good. The customer service was really good. The lady and the owner I believe made sure we was well taken care of. The restaurant itself is clean just like how I like it. I will definitely be back. I'll recommend this place to any African food lovers. read more

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Sylla's restaurant is very clean restaurant. The owner and his team have great customer skills. The food is incredible and taste amazing. My friends and I visit Sylla all the time because of the food and amazing customer skills. The ambiance is perfect for the day or evening. Visit Sylla's restaurant and you will not be disappointed. You will keep coming back for more. read more

The owner was amazing, the food was good like homemade food, and the restaurant has a great, casual ambiance. All in all, I recommend 100%!

I will be dreaming about the Sauce Aubergine and Fufu until I get to come back and enjoy again. Amazing service. Everyone there was friendly and explained the dishes we had not tried before. It has a cool vibe and the food could not be better. Get off the beaten path and go visit Sylla. read more

Not the best. The food was really cold. The service was pretty slow. It took me almost 10 minutes to get the server's attention. They also tried charging me $100 over the original price. read more

This new restaurant in Harlem is my go-to spot for West African food. The lamb and French rice (like jollof but better!) is amazing! The customer service is also superb and the food comes out really fast. read more

Came uptown after seeing 2 pm seating of The Lion King. 12 minutes from Broadway with no traffic on a Saturday. Food was freshly prepared; juices were handmade and the host was warm. Perfect for a quick after theater bite on the way back up to Westchester. read more

Very lovely and cozy little place, food was delicious, host was warm and friendly. So much value for money, chicken was superb, fish was perfecto, fried plantain was on point, and rice was like endless. Definitely going back 100% read more