After having dinner at The Cecil, a well renowned restaurant in Harlem – I wrote about it on this post here – I was curious to check out Minton’s, which is located next door. I read several positive comments about the place, which is a bar / restaurant with jazz performances. Minton’s is an old and famous place in Harlem – it was founded in 1938 by the saxophonist Henry Milton. Carmen McRea, Billy Eckstine, Erroll Garner, Gene Krupa, Miles Davis, Art Tatum, Bill Evans and Art Blakey are some of the important musicians names that have performed there. We were there on a Saturday night.
Minton’s is not a large restaurant. I would say that is very intimate – and also perfect for dates. There is a bar at the entrance, then the tables and the stage. The admission price is $10.00 Sun- Wed. and $15 Thu- Sat. per set PLUS a 2 drink minimum. On Sundays, during brunch, there is no music charge unless otherwise indicated. A two-item minimum at our tables applies.
The menu doesn’t have a lot of options. There are five options of small dishes – appetizers / starters – with prices ranging from $10 to $15. We chose the Fried Calamari. It cost $13 and was a very generous portion, very tasty. In main courses, there are six options, which include fish, burger, pork, chicken with prices from $18 to $30. We choose the BBQ Beef Ribs – $30. The dish comes with three large pieces of ribs served with Fried Rice. Both the meat and rice were delicious. I loved, particularly, the rice seasoning. This was a very generous dish and we shared it. Also, we ordered a drink – the Pink Room ($ 16), which was phenomenal! We also ordered a beer.
We had a reservation for 9pm and the jazz performance started at 9:30pm. There were three musicians who played for about 45 minutes. Very cool! You can check out in the video below. Minton’s hosts live music Fridays and Saturdays, with sets at 7pm and 9:30PM, and Sundays, with sets at 7:30PM and 9:00PM. You can check out the calendar here and I recommend to make a reservation.
Address: 206 West 118th Street.
Laura Peruchi is a Brazilian blogger, author, and entrepreneur. She has lived in Manhattan with her husband since 2014. Since then, she has shared on her blog varied content about the Big Apple. From travel tips, including unusual things to do, shopping tips, etiquette, restaurants, and a lot more, her blog has become a reference in Portuguese (also available in English) for anyone planning a trip to New York City.
