HARLEM, MANHATTAN
Safari
Possibly New York's only Somali restaurant — roasted goat, sambusas and spiced tea in Harlem.
Mona Birjeeb and Shakib Farah opened Safari as what may still be the only Somali restaurant in New York, cooking family recipes with spices they bring back from Somali markets. A fire closed the original on 116th Street; the restaurant reopened a few blocks away on St Nicholas Avenue, with cushioned floor seating and a room that feels like a family home.
Somali food sits at a crossroads — Indian Ocean trade put cardamom, cumin and basmati in the pot, and Italian rule left pasta behind. Order the hilib ari, roasted goat over spiced rice with green bizbaz sauce, and add beef suqaar, crisp sambusas, and a mango juice or sweet spiced shaah. Malawax, a soft sweet crêpe, is the way to finish.
Editor’s tip
Hilib ari is the dish — order it, then share a round of sambusas.
Make an evening of it — beautiful stops nearby
Also in the neighborhood
HARLEM, MANHATTAN
Sylvia's
The Woods family's soul-food landmark on Lenox Avenue, feeding Harlem since 1962.
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Red Rooster Harlem
Marcus Samuelsson's Lenox Avenue dining room and supper club — comfort food with a Harlem soundtrack.
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Editorial draft — core details last reviewed October 13, 2026. Confirm practical details with the official site before you go.