Sylvia's
Sylvia Woods came to Harlem from South Carolina and in 1962 opened a restaurant on Lenox Avenue. She cooked the food of the South, and the whole district, then the whole country, came to eat it.
- What it is
- Soul food restaurant
- Opened
- 1962
- Area
- Harlem
- Nearest museum
- Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, 3.1 km
New York this week
What Sylvia's is known for
The cooking
Fried and smothered chicken, barbecued ribs, collard greens, candied yams, macaroni and cheese, cornbread: the dishes that Black families from the South brought north.
Sunday
On Sundays the restaurant fills after church, and gospel is sung in the dining room at lunch. Book ahead.
The guests
Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama have all eaten here, and their photographs are on the wall with a great many others.
What to know
- Founded in 1962 by Sylvia Woods
- Still owned and run by her family
- Three blocks from the Apollo Theater
Where Sylvia's is
Address
328 Malcolm X BoulevardNew York, NY 10027, United States
Nearest station
125th Street (2, 3)
Museums and sights nearby
Distances are in a straight line from the restaurant.
The queen of soul food
The restaurant began as a small luncheonette and has grown along the block into a row of dining rooms. Sylvia Woods died in 2012. Her children and grandchildren run it.
Sylvia's: common questions
- Where is Sylvia's?
- At 328 Malcolm X Boulevard, in Harlem, New York. The nearest station is 125th Street (2, 3).
- Which museums and sights are near Sylvia's?
- Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is 3.1 km away, The Metropolitan Museum of Art is 3.6 km away, Central Park is 4.4 km away. Distances are in a straight line from the restaurant.
- What is Sylvia's known for?
- The cooking, Sunday, The guests. Harlem's best-known table since 1962: fried chicken, ribs and collard greens, in the restaurant Sylvia Woods built from a lunch counter.
- When did Sylvia's open?
- In 1962. Founded in 1962 by Sylvia Woods.
What visitors say about Sylvia's
Rating from Google
Tickets and tours near Sylvia's
Things to do near Sylvia's
The nearest of this site's best things to do in the city. Distances are in a straight line.
- 20Hear gospel in Harlem500 m awayWalk, 2.5 to 4 hours, free
- 13Walk down the spiral of the Guggenheim3.1 km awayMuseum, 1.5 to 2 hours, ticket
- 2Spend a morning at the Met3.6 km awayMuseum, 3 to 4 hours, ticket
- 11Meet the dinosaurs at the Museum of Natural History3.9 km awayMuseum, 2.5 to 4 hours, ticket
Artists to see near Sylvia's
The museums nearest to here, and the most famous artists on show in each.
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, 3.1 km away
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 3.6 km away
- Hans Holbein the Younger
- Pieter Bruegel the Elder
- El Greco
- Caravaggio
- Diego Velázquez
- Rembrandt
- Johannes Vermeer
- Francisco Goya
- Jacques-Louis David
- Edgar Degas
- Winslow Homer
- Paul Cézanne
- Claude Monet
- Henri Rousseau
- Paul Gauguin
- Vincent van Gogh
- John Singer Sargent
- Gustav Klimt
- Henri Matisse
- Pablo Picasso
- Edward Hopper
- Jackson Pollock
Hotels near Sylvia's
The five-star hotels closest to it, of those this site lists in New York. Distances are in a straight line.
- The Mark4.5Five-star hotel, Madison Avenue at 77th Street4.0 km away
- The Surrey4.4Five-star hotel, Madison Avenue at 76th Street4.2 km away
- The Pierre4.5Five-star hotel, Fifth Avenue at 61st Street5.3 km away
- The Sherry-Netherland4.6Five-star hotel, Fifth Avenue at 59th Street5.5 km away
Where to eat near Sylvia's
The nearest of the famous tables this site lists in New York. Distances are in a straight line.
- Café Sabarsky4.3Viennese café, Inside the Neue Galerie3.3 km away
- Barney Greengrass4.4Appetizing shop and restaurant, Upper West Side3.4 km away
- Tavern on the Green4.4Restaurant in the park, Inside Central Park4.9 km away