Harlem in Kingston upon Thames

Love and am blessed to have this amazing restaurant in my neighbourhood. I visit almost weekly! The vibe is glorious from the moment you walk in- The most amazing staff that I have had the pleasure of being served by. They are always so friendly and happy to help with any dining questions or requests. The music is chilled and the décor is fantastic! I don't often write reviews but these guys go above and beyond expectations to ensure you have a the perfect dining experience. The menu has food that would suit most people, even fussy eaters have a choice! My son says the smash burgers are the best burgers he has ever tried!-He has tried more than most. The pizzas are divine and I am unsure which pasta dish I would recommend as they are all so good! This place has been perfect for, a girls catch up meal, Mothers Day, Birthday celebrations, Sunday Lunch and just because it's one of the few places left locally that can cook better than I can! Easily my favourite restaurant!

If you have read any of my other reviews you will notice I tend towards the generous side. I suspect the problem with this place is the owners/management, I may have been a little harsh with this review, but I don't think so, particularly having read other reviews on Harlem while I was waiting to get the bill. Younger adult family members have visited on two previous occasions and liked the place so rather than cooking dinner this evening I decided to take some of them here for dinner. The starters: cheese topped garlic bread and BBQ ribs to share, both were very tasty. The mains: I had the osso bucco ragu with tagiatelle it was very tasty and the others enjoyed their mains, The dessert: no idea! we gave up waiting and I went to the counter to pay the bill as we wanted to get to our homes. We saw three members of staff during our visit, all were very pleasant and efficient while serving us, but they appeared to be the only staff working front of house and were fully engaged with other tables, even though the place only appeared to be a quarter full. They need more staff or else like me, and many other reviewers, customers will not return. Perhaps one of the problems is that this is a place with an identity crisis, it's another "am I a restaurant? or am I a pub?" places and while trying to decide does neither well! added to the fact that the designer of the interior decor really needs to either go full on Steam Punk or stick with a conventional interior rather than the half hearted mish mash that they have put in now. But the bottom line is get more staff or you will loose customers, and yes I know all about hospitality staff recruiting problems but that should be your problem not the customers.

We popped here last week for a ‘Happy Hour’ drink and as my husband ate there for Fathers Day, he said he wanted to take me for a meal there as the food is lovely. Unfortunately, 1 member of staff on from 17:00 is not enough, so we had one drink in that time. There were many tables that needed serving, and we totally appreciated that the guy was on his lunch break (he’d been on since 12), but obviously the early evening custom isn’t what is their forte. So on the whole, although it might be nice to eat there, the service was appalling, not the girls fault as she was rushed off her feet, but maybe management might want to step it up to hell their staff.

Our first visit won’t be our last. Lovely food, lovely atmosphere and good service. My girlf and I both had a burger and it was delish! We then shared a brownie and struggled to finish it, it’s a brick. Leave room for dessert

Lived here years ago, and had worked in the building when it was a bank. Shocked to see now a restaurant, decided to eat lunch here. So thrilled we did. Bottle of cold water brought to the table. Pasta meat balls for me and a fettuccini Alfredo for him. Absolutely delicious. The sauces were amazing, most enjoyable. Juice and coffee lunch time. The decor was superb, but slightly weird for my memory. The staff most welcoming, friendly and professional. Hopefully will return when this way again.

Never disappointed! Friendly and helpful staff. Eaten here numerous times for breakfast, lunch and dinner and have thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Food exceptional quality and taste!

Had the BBQ ribs which are just amazing. really good size with a fantastic sauce- just try them. Ive had food (try the chicken wings) from the Earlsfield in the past, which is its sister pub- fantastic too. Had a great Saturday night and it was packed

I can’t see why they advertise Brunch, as when you turn up they take so long to seat you, then hand you the menu .Only to tell you at 12.45pm that they are no longer serving Brunch ( as it’s 2for1) so you have to order from the lunch menu. Don’t waste your time

Brunch advertised as 2-4-1 until 1pm every weekend in February. We arrived at 12:40 and waited almost 10 minutes to be seated and for staff to set the table. Restaurant less than half full and staff incredibly slow (clearly this was a tactic to run down the clock). We were finally seated at just past 12:50 and were told that the kitchen had stopped serving brunch and we had to order from the main menu which started at 1pm. I pointed out that we arrived well within time, but the manager was incredibly dismissive and rude, so we decided to leave. Plenty of other great restaurants in the area that care about customer service so dined elsewhere. Would not recommend this place and will not be returning.

Don't bother. I really can't understand the glowing reviews. Maybe we expect too much but when I am paying a high price for food and drink I expect a reasonable quality. We visited for an early Saturday evening meal and should have worried when there were very, very few people in there. We brushed this off as perhaps it was too early but gut instinct should always be followed - it there are no customers, don't go in. Anyway, We were greeted fairly quickly and were able to sit anywhere. Unfortunately, picked the wrong table as the lighting was so poor that we could hardly read the menus. I had the melenzane parmigiana which was sloppy and only lukewarm, but my husband's Chicken Milanese was dry and rubbery - obviously pre-cooked and re-heated as food came out very quickly. We decided to have the sharing dessert - banana calzone - and it was again dry and rubbery and £10.00. Why should you have to send back food for a replacement? I appreciate that it isn't a gourmet restaurant and perhaps burgers and fries may have been a better choice, but if you are going to offer an extensive menu, ensure that you have a chef who can produce edible food. As someone else has noted, this could be a short-lived enterprise.

My family and I were eager for brunch at Harlem, advertised until 13:00. Despite arriving at 12:50, after being seated following a wait, we found ourselves neglected until we had to request menus. By 13:02, when we tried to order from the brunch menu, we were informed it had been discontinued at 12:40, contrary to advertised times. The manager, when approached, failed to provide an explanation for this discrepancy. Faced with disinterested staff and subpar service, we chose to leave. Based on this experience, I cannot recommend dining here and will not be returning.

Have visited a few times over the past year, every visit enjoyable and have been meaning to review for a while. Have eaten across the menu and enjoyed the burgers, chicken milanese and today, the Sunday Roast - I usually avoid roasts which mostly disappoint - not this time. Half a (free range) high quality roast chicken, roast potatoes, carrots and parsnips, savoy cabbage with great flavour and texture with extra gravy (intensely flavoursome and made with skill). Good quality ingredients cooked with skill and care. As notable today was the speed of service and response to feedback. Nothing was worthy of complaint in the slightest, but feedback on the potatoes being perhaps a little "tired" and Yorkshire Pudding a little dry was met with fresh versions arriving swifty at the table. Many thanks to the staff who served me, on more than one visit, in particular Hajar, Ellie, and Anna. Really genuinely want diners to enjoy the experience. Will be back again soon.

Second visit here in a few months, this time for brunch on a Saturday. Warm welcome and great service throughout, the two girls who were serving were nothing but friendly and courteous. The coffee, smoothies and Rosti from the brunch menu were all really excellent. Will be heading back.

Visited on multiple occasions for both drinks and food. The service is very friendly and welcoming. Nicely designed interior that feels trendy. Have tried a couple of the pastas, steaks, and bruschetta/garlic bread and all have been better than expected. Nice champagne for £7.77 a glass which I've seen priced at £9.50/£10 at some other restaurants in the area. They serve draught Lucky Saint which is a bonus if you're not drinking. Whilst the menu is simple, have yet to find something which hasn't tasted great. Personally, I think this place is a great addition to New Malden and will be visiting again soon.

Have been a number of times. Food great and staff really friendly. Nothing is too much trouble and I can't understand some of the other reviews on here as my experiences have been nothing other than positive. I have really enjoyed the food and the service each time I have been.

Well despite other reviews I enjoyed Harlem. We had pizza and lasagne, we waited awhile after ordering but the pizza was delicious so worth the wait, staff attentive and general atmosphere was relaxed. Love the decoration, would go again, didn’t find it any more pricey than other similar venues, that is the way of the world these days. My only bugbears were the “optional” service charge already on the bill and the additional topping of mushrooms a little sparse for the price.

Really would love to be a regular at this restaurant but it’s still struggling many months after opening. Again, we visited on a night that wasn’t particularly busy but the service is terrible. At every stage of the meal, it’s a real struggle to catch anyone’s eye for service. It’s really not relaxing having to put so much effort into trying to get served. Food remains at an aspirational level of mediocrity. There’s nothing particularly exciting on the menu. I’d normally expect to be wanting to try a handful of dishes. In Harlem, you end up picking something with a “I suppose that’ll do” thought process. The pasta and pizza dishes we had felt about the level you’d cook for yourself at home. Not necessarily dislikable but certainly not restaurant quality. Similarly, deserts were really disappointing. The martini tiramisu was sloppy, had no alcohol flavour and missed all the textures you’d normally expect. Finally the bill. Still too expensive and a ridiculous 12.5% “optional” service charge. Come on, the food the service and the overall ambience / experience doesn’t warrant an additional charge. I assumed after returning to this place after a few months, all the teething problems of a new restaurant opening would be fixed. It seems not. I’m a bit baffled. Customer reviews are consistently pointing out the same issues but the owner doesn’t seem to want to address them. Looks like this will be a very expensive and short lived learning experience on how restaurants fail.

The restaurant decor was lovely and the food was ok but the service was so slow and the restaurant was mainly empty. We were only offered 1 drink and that took half an hour after we were seated to be offered. When we looked all the waitress/waiters were drinking tea behind the bar!

I wanted to get behind this place . New Malden needs a new spot. I am writing this after 6 attempts at being a customer but unfortunately I will no longer try and advise others of its failings and to avoid . It looks beautiful but with regards to quality and service its way out of its depth . The food is massively over priced and not worth the money . The service is shocking . The manager/owner ( tall bald Italian guy ) is the rudest individual I have had the pleasure of dealing with . Totally incompetent and it seems even the staff are unhappy to be working with him . The lasagne was an insult a small slither for the price and i felt robbed . Pizzas are nice and the only thing worth eating . Burgers were awful and over priced . They don’t serve burgers till after 1pm which is ridiculous as we wanted one at 12.30 and could only get the breakfast menu . The vibe is confusing in the evening . Is it a bar or a Sports bar or a restaurant ? I don’t think they know themselves as I certainly didn’t . It just doesn’t feel right in any of the segments mentioned above . I advise to give it a miss until they sort themselves out . Which they have too or they be closed in months . New Malden needs this so please sort it out .

We went last week with my friends for dinner. The welcome was very warm and the staff very welcoming. The food was amazing and we all enjoyed it. Defently we be back there for more. To be continued 👌🏼💯

Way too expensive. 3 of us….One starter, 3 mains, no pudding and NO alcohol…. BILL £68!!! Just silly…. Staff lovely and helpful. Won’t be returning

Totally makes the High Street look nicer and is a really nice place to go! Amazing decor, good vibes and the manager and assistant manager were so so friendly and helpful, felt abit like a holiday! (Amazing Cocktails) - just please add more Vegan to the menu!! Will be back thanks.

Start off with positive it looks amazing inside the rest not so good The service was shocking we waited 15 mins after being seated to then ask for menu and a drink even though they were not busy quality of food was very average and...

This is a great addition to the New Malden scene. The decor is super, the staff friendly and the food delicious. The ribs are a mound the best I’ve tasted! We’ve also used the ‘click and collect’ service a couple of times for pizzas. It...

Harlem is a brilliant addition to New Malden's high street. The menu is modern and varied - delicious options for brunch, lunch and dinner and a great kid's menu too. I've been here with friends and also with kids, it's family-friendly with welcoming and attentive...

Really like the vibe in this place , had a lovely brunch with friends . Delicious breakfast and amaaaazing smoothie . Also went for dinner a few weeks ago which was delicious too. The service was great and all the staff were really friendly .

Was excited to see a new restaurant opening up and refreshing New Malden high street, so decided to visit with my family for dinner. On arrival the service was friendly and welcoming, and we were impressed with the eclectic decor and refurbishment that the venue...

As a sister venue to The Earlsfield it should have a lot going for it. However, on the Tuesday evening I went it was completely empty here. The menu was very disappointing and overpriced too with burgers not even coming with chips! With Guinness for...

Sunday was our 3rd visit. I left the 12.5% service charge on the bill but resolved to leave this review. The food was, as ever, excellent. The service however was quite poor, considering the restaurant wasn't in the least bit busy. I appreciate that hospitality...

We arrived for lunch at 3pm and were greeted and seated by a very friendly waiter…. Drink and food orders were taken together and fairly promptly… The drinks appeared in drinks and drabs over quite a while which was a shame… We ordered 6 pizzas,...

High expectations and I had been looking forward to visiting but we left quite disappointed. My burger patties were pretty bland and over-caked in sauce. Not £15 worth. Always find it annoying when chips/salad are sold separately, and for nearly a fiver, the side order...

This restaurant is in a good location along the high street and looks great from the outside. I thought it would bring back memories of New York, it didn't and I had missed breakfast so would've eaten anything ... except this! I ordered a chicken...

Really rather excited to see a new restaurant on the high street but our first visit will sadly be our last. On arrival, we waited 10 minutes before being able to talk to anyone and get a table. It was mid week, mid evening and...

Disappointing food, menu choice limited for vegetarians. Provided constructive feedback for issues with our meals, but was not handled to our satisfaction. Service ok from table staff.