Sylla
West African restaurant · East Harlem ·
Ivorian eatery with complex stews, grilled fish, and alloco
Ivorian eatery with complex stews, grilled fish, and alloco
"You’re probably not getting a table atRao’s, but there are plenty ofgreat optionsin the area. The one we go back to most often is Sylla, an Ivorian restaurant in an understated room below the Metro-North tracks. Grab a steel high-top, drink some Vimto, and delve into the stews first—they're complex and layered, weaving together hot chiles, black pepper, and smoked fish. The kedjenou, a guinea fowl stew, is perfect for a cold day along with a gooey ball of plakali; the tomato-coated riz gras is deeply comforting, and you should always get a side of alloco: sweet plantains, chopped small, and served with a spicy red sauce." - Sonal Shah
"This Ivorian restaurant on 117th Street, in the shadow of the elevated Metro North tracks, serves some incredible West African food in a casual setting. The place is pared down, with steel high-top tables, red brick walls and musical instruments strung up at random, but the dishes are prepared with a lot of care. While we especially like the kedjenou with guinea fowl, all of the stews are layered with complex flavors like chile, black pepper or smoked fish. A gooey ball of plakali complements them perfectly. Also order a side of alloco—sweet plantains, chopped small, with a spicy red sauce. The whole menu is worth exploring, and it’s a good option for takeout or a weeknight meal." - neha talreja, sonal shah, hannah albertine
"Below the Metro North tracks, Sylla serves exceptionally good West African food in an understated room with instruments strung up on brick walls. Kedjenou, a guinea fowl stew, is perfect for a cold day with a gooey ball of plakali, and grilled dishes like a whole fish or dibi mouton are a substantial meal. Always order a side of alloco: sweet plantains chopped small and served with a spicy red sauce. And in case your drink at Rao’s turns into multiple drinks, Sylla is conveniently open until 2am daily. Distance from Rao’s: 18-minute walk, or 12-minute bus ride" - sonal shah, willa moore
"Sylla serves incredible West African food in an understated room below the Metro North tracks in East Harlem. Grab a stainless steel high top, drink some Vimto, and delve into the stews first—they're complex and layered, weaving together ingredients like hot chiles, black pepper, and smoked fish. We especially like the kedjenou, a guinea fowl stew, which is perfect for a cold day along with a gooey ball of plakali. Grilled dishes like a whole fish or dibi mouton make substantial, satisfying weeknight meals, and you should always get a side of alloco: sweet plantains, chopped small, and served with a spicy red sauce. If you find yourself needing more ordering advice, the Ivorian owner will happily help you out. photo credit: Alex Staniloff video credit: Alex Staniloff photo credit: Alex Staniloff Pause Unmute Food Rundown Attieke Poisson Fumé At a restaurant where we inevitably “accidentally” order enough for leftovers, there's never a morsel of the fat grilled mackerel left to take home. The fish is perfectly cooked: shiny, crackling blue skin and flaky flesh. It comes with a pile of vinegared onions and a big plate of attieke, the couscous-like dish made of fermented cassava root. A Maggi seasoning cube on the side is a nice though superfluous touch—everything is packed with flavor. photo credit: Sonal Shah Riz Gras This tomato-coated rice is so comforting and delicious, it's hard to stop shoveling it in. Pause only for a bite of the stewed beef and vegetables on top. photo credit: Sonal Shah Alloco Sylla's alloco does justice to the fried plantain. Small pieces mean more of those great, crisp edges, and the chili-tomato sauce has just the right amount of heat. photo credit: Sonal Shah Foutou & Sauce You can't go wrong with any of Sylla's stews, though we especially like the silky, peanutty arachide, and the gooey, okra-filled gumbo. Pair any one of them with some hot, gummy foutou." - Sonal Shah
"This Ivorian restaurant on 117th is pared down, with steel high-top tables and a few musical instruments strung up at random, but the dishes are prepared with a lot of care—and served until 4am every day. We especially like the kedjenou with guinea fowl, as well as all the soups that are layered with complex flavors like chile, black pepper, or smoked fish." - willa moore, will hartman, neha talreja, bryan kim, sonal shah
