PEQUE Vinos & Tapas Bar

Location

231 West 145th Street

Neighborhoods

PEQUE Vinos & Tapas Bar 1 Bars Brunch Spanish Tapas and Small Plates Wine Bars Central Harlem Harlem

It was the fairy lights strung outside of the outdoor dining area that drew me to Peque. They were a surprisingly quaint addition to an otherwise no-frills selection of businesses on 145th Street. The atmosphere inside was just as captivating, as the space is decorated in vintage 1940s and 1950s style. Chargers beneath the plates at each table are painted with Harlem divas like Josephine Baker and Nina Simone, old sheet music by Harlem artists are framed on the walls, classic books are propped up on the window ledges, and a curated collection of other vintage items - from Broadway paraphernalia to musical instruments - decorate the bar. It is a very intimate and undeniably elegant setting, with just an intimate handful of tables.

The Manhattan Sideways team had the chance to chat with Paul, one of the owners of Peque, during the summer of 2017. He walked us through the restaurant and explained, “Vintage to us means authentic. It’s what we think Harlem needs.” Aside from the overall vintage style, the theme for the restaurant is a road trip from Barcelona to Paris, a concept that was inspired by Paul's honeymoon in Spain, where he “fell in love with the food, the culture, and the lifestyle.” When planning the menu with his co-owner and chef Marla Rose, he drew heavily on the quintessential flavors of Mediterranean tapas. “The ingredients are simple, the flavors are balanced, and it makes the dishes fantastic.”

I was curious to learn why Paul chose Harlem as his ideal location for opening Peque in 2015. He revealed that both he and his partner are Harlemites and that they both identified a void in the neighborhood for high quality comfort food. Surprisingly, neither of the two had previous experience running a restaurant. Paul was a fashion photographer who operated a photography studio on 148th Street, while Marla is a former NYPD lieutenant who served for twenty years before pursuing a passion for cooking at culinary school. It seemed like quite the unconventional partnership, and when asked how they started working together, Marla jokingly replied, “My wife blackmailed me.” Their respective spouses, aware of their desire to bring something new to the neighborhood, conspired to have them work together to open the restaurant.

This was clearly a good call, since Peque attracts a real neighborhood crowd that comes for tapas that are perfect for sharing with friends, such as the exceptional Gambas al Ajillo (shrimp in garlic). Paul told us that the restaurant always draws a crowd for Sunday night live jazz sessions, as well as for Tuesday performances where younger musicians are invited to showcase their talents. Every other evening, the restaurant plays old-school Latin music - another nod to Spanish culture that enhances the classy ambiance.

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