Manhattan's edge

Look along Westbourne Grove and you'll see a potted history of the London restaurant scene - there are old-style curry houses, Greek-Cypriot diners, a jolly Tirolean tourist trap, chic new Lebanese and Iranian restaurants, a Brazilian grill house, Chinese, Thai, a sleek modern place specialising in authentic Bangladeshi dishes, health-food eateries, fast-food outlets, high-streetchain Italian restaurants, coffee shops, patisseries.

So perhaps any new establishment here should be viewed as an indicator of the next up-and-coming trend?

For many years the site at No. 78 was occupied by Angelo's, a splendidly seedy Greek establishment that had the great advantage of being a 'members' only club' and, thus, sidestepped the licensing laws. The food was only so-so, but for decades the late-night drinking arrangements made it a place of pilgrimage for many, including a high proportion of lively off-duty policemen.

The latest incumbent (which opened during 2003) is Harlem, a bar and restaurant that sets out to bring soul food to the Grove. It's a busy, buzzy place, packed with a young crowd and featuring a drinks and cocktails list as long as a first novel. The main bar area is downstairs, while on the ground floor there's another bar and a rather cramped dining area. The decor is bar-room dingy, with a bronzed ceiling and dark wood. Service comes, eventually, via cheerful American waitresses.

The food plays a supporting role to the real business of this place, which is partying. The menu reads well, and reads authentically - shrimp hushpuppies, gumbo, Louisiana blackened catfish, soul Caesar salad - but dishes seem to lack oomph.

Pomegranate baby-back ribs are cut into tiny pieces and artfully stacked - they are very moist but lack flavour, you would be forgiven for thinking microwave rather than barbecue pit. BBQ wings are also tame, their heritage more roast chicken than Deep South. Fried green tomatoes are sound, but not as good as those turned out by Scott Webster, the Aussie chef at Osia on Haymarket.

From the main-course options a chipotle-grilled rib-eye steak is a well-chosen and accurately cooked piece of meat. However, the buttermilk-fried chicken will not give the Colonel any sleepless nights, and the home-cut fries turn out soggy. The 'Mac'n'cheese' is macaroni cheese, better seasoned than the other dishes and agreeably rich, but still merely macaroni cheese. Puds are an authentically sweet selection - NY baked white chocolate and blueberry cheesecake, chocolate coconut brownies, sweet potato pie.

If soul food is ever to make an impact on the London scene, it will need a better springboard than this. Harlem is no 'destination restaurant', but it's a lively place, packed with people drinking and having a good time - much as Angelo's used to be.

Harlem
Westbourne Grove, London, W2 5RT