Safari
East African restaurant · Central Harlem
219 W 116th St, New York, NY 10026
Highlights
Hearty Somali & East African specialties, roasted goat, mango curry
Hearty Somali & East African specialties, roasted goat, mango curry
"NYC’s only dedicated Somali restaurant, Safari moved from its original location in the heart of Little Senegal to a corner on St. Nicholas Ave. after a fire. We’re just glad this casual, canteen-like spot reopened, so we can once again get our hands on their excellent plates of hilib ari with yellow rice. The roast goat is supremely well-spiced, and so are other dishes, like their chicken or beef suqaar, and the mango chicken. Everything on the menu is worth trying, and Safari also serves breakfast. Have yours with some cardamom-scented milky chai, or a mango lassi." - neha talreja, hannah albertine, bryan kim, willa moore, sonal shah
"A fire forced married owners, Maymuuna “Mona” Birjeeb and Shakib Farah, to close up shop — just two months after she gave birth to their twins. Things worked out, and they have a shiny, new place just a five-minute walk away to continue welcoming members of their Somali American community as well as New Yorkers at large. Bestsellers include: crispy sambusas, roasted goat, mango curry, and chicken suquaar (stewed chicken). They’re cooked in a base of cumin, turmeric, cardamom, bay leaves, garlic, and spicy green peppers, Birjeeb tells Eater. And they all come with an addictive bisbaas sauce that’s spicy and tangy with jalapeños and limes." - Caroline Shin
"After spouses, Maymuuna “Mona” Birjeeb and Shakib Farah opened Safari in 2014, it became the rare hangout spot for birthday parties, Mother’s Day celebrations, and iftars for the Somali American community in Harlem. Now, New Yorkers at-large demand their bestsellers: roasted goat, mango curry, and chicken suquaar (stewed chicken). They’re cooked in a base of cumin, turmeric, cardamom, bay leaves, garlic, and spicy green peppers, Birjeeb tells Eater. And they all come with an addictive bisbaas sauce that’s spicy and tangy with jalapeños and limes." - Caroline Shin, Robert Sietsema
"For a year, we had to live without the city's only dedicated Somali restaurant, Safari—one of our favorite restaurants on Harlem's 116th Street until it closed due to a fire. Thankfully, it's reopened a few blocks away, and we still walk into this place with tunnel vision. To put it simply, their hilib ari rocks. The tender, spice-soaked goat meat falls right off the bone, and it’s perfectly complemented by a side of fluffy yellow rice. Other menu items that make it hard to choose: beef suqaar, vegetable sabaayad, and crispy sambusas. Double fist some fragrant Somali tea and glowing mango juice, and leave room for some sticky-sweet malawax at the end. Safari is worth all the visits it takes to try the whole menu, but keep in mind that it is fairly meat-heavy (all the meats are halal)." - Neha Talreja
"Little Senegal along Harlem’s 116th Street brings the cuisines of West Africa to patrons at restaurants like Le Baobab Gouygui, Safari, and Pikine."
