Hi Artist, thank you for always treating us as friends when John and I come eat. We love the food and the overall vibe. Thanks for the great conversation and we'll see you again soon!

This place is incredible! We had a private dinner here with 20+ people and the space was cozy and welcoming. The owner is a total gem and he cooked one of the most incredible meals I have ever had. The rosemary fried chicken was a standout dish for me, but I loved everything he made. The cornbread was the best I've ever had by far. This was a very special experience and I highly recommend it. We will be back!

What an incredible meal! We got the chef's table meal and were simply delighted! The only problem was too much delicious food. The chef was a real sweetie too. If I loved here it would be my favorite place to take people for birthday, etc. Such a nice intimate vibe.

SpaHa Soul reminds me of the wonderful, semi-secret feeling homemade storefront theaters, restaurants, and shops that flourished in the 90s... I live in East Harlem and we don't lack for solid soul food options, but ye gods. One of the tastiest meals I've had in a long time. The sweet potato in particular was a bit of heaven. We appreciated the live music, provided by Emmett, a recent grad of LaGuardia HS and Oberlin. I loved getting to chat with Artist about his time in Mexico City and Tepoztlán. He has lived an interesting life, and I look forwrd to hearing more. This is most definitely a slow food set up and well worth the wait. (The taper candle on our table was a puddle of wax by the time we left.) Go when you have time to really savor the food and the company. A very special place.

A lovely and intimate soul food dinner tonight in Spanish Harlem catching up with my friend. We ordered the baked chicken, pork chop, mashed sweet potatoes, mac & cheese, and collard greens. Artist also baked us cornbread. Everything was fresh, homemade, and delicious. The hospitality was wonderful, we enjoyed conversing with the owner. It really does feel like you're eating at someone's home.

I've heard it said that not all southern food is soul food; soul food touches the soul. When you go to SpaHa, prepare your soul for a bear hug. SpaHa is my favorite restaurant in New York. Calling it just a restaurant doesn't do it justice. SpaHa deserves a love letter more than a review. But this is Yelp, afterall. See, it's not just that the food is immaculate. The seasonings on the fried chicken stay in your nose and on your tongue for days. The surfing porkchop (which may or may not be named after me) is a delight. And it's so plentiful, it feels miraculous. Somehow I can stuff myself and still take a stack of leftovers with me for tomorrow. Artist (the owner/operator/chef extraordinaire) has cultivated something special. When the food comes out (preceded by a powerful, mouth-watering aroma) it doesn't feel like "service" at a restaurant. It feels like hospitality. Like you're the welcome guest of an impossibly cool and generous host. When friends or family come to visit--people I truly love--I take them to SpaHa. We're guaranteed to leave with full bellies, takeout containers, and hearts.

Simply amazing! Me and my husband finally had a night out without the kids and were looking for something different to eat. We headed to East Harlem with no real plans. We both agreed on this restaurant and parked the car (free street parking...woot woot). After seeing how small the restaurant was inside I was worried we wouldn't be able to get a table. Lucky for us they had a table available. The level of service here is seriously astounding. When we arrived we were the only ones there for a while. We felt like we were being treated to our own private chefs table. Everything on the menu sounded amazing but we decided to do the chefs menu and let him do his thing. He asked us what we enjoy and went to the kitchen to prepare our dinner. Every dish he prepared was delicious. The live music was an added bonus. Regi is the resident musician there. His singing voice was the perfect addition to an already amazing experience. Make sure to make a reservation. The chef let us know he usually doesn't accept walk-ins which makes perfect sense when you see the effort he puts into each dish. This is a byob place so bring your favorite drinks or you can order from nearby East River Wine & Spirits and have it delivered.

WOOHOOOO! Loveeeee this place :D Came here recently with a friend and we had a blast eating at this cute restaurant. If you're looking for a cozy spot for an intimate dinner with a date or catching up with close friends, highly recommend checking out Spaha. Owned and operated by the one and only chef/server/cashier, Artist definitely brings the charm when it comes to eating some delicious soul food. Things to note: Reservations - highly recommend making a reservation before coming here since the restaurant is pretty small. Just make a quick call and you'll get a text for confirmation. Food Options: You can either pick a la carte on the food or go with the pre-fix menu. Prices are fairly reasonable for the hugeee portion of food + the yummy quality. Wine: BYOB! It's $5 corkage fee per person or if you forget, ask Artist for a recommendation. We tried a red cab and it was delishhhh with our food. :) Food Itself: Absolutely yum yum yum. My friend and I opted to pick different dishes vs the pre fix meal due to timing, but it was a great experience. Tried the following items: chicken = juicy and with the perfect crisp. Pork chops = tender and so savory with the seasoning. Sides: everything was on point from the mac and cheese, spiced yams, collards and the corned bread just slayyyyys with its buttery goodness. Didn't have room for dessert but oh boy, everything was worth it. The experience: expect to spend at least 1.5hr-2hrs here. Food is made to order and with some patience, it's worth the wait for the meal. :) in addition, got the opportunity to listen to some live music which was quite the treat. Love the warm hospitality from Artist, who made this dining experience a fun one. Finally - payment options here are either cash (there's an atm nearby) or using the various payment apps (venmo/cash app/zelle). If I visit NY again, definitely will stop by here again for food :)

Great food great atmosphere amazingly nice owner. I wrote my first review October 2013 and have gone to this place more times than I can count. I have come at least 100 times since. Located at 118&2, Spaha Soul brought a great little restaurant to East Harlem neighborhood. Owned by Artist T, he greets you with a hearty hello as you listen to the amazing music (often live) that creates a wonderful atmosphere. I am so happy to have this restaurant with amazing people I meet every time I ja Things you must know: 1) Call ahead and let the proprietor know you are coming. It is a small place so this lets him have a table for you and fresh food from the market too 2) There is a huge variety on the menu for all food types: 'regular/traditional', vegetarian, pescatarian, vegan, paleo, etc. 3) Sunday is brunch/limited menu only 4) The food is fresh-orders daily and isn't made until you order it. 5) BYOB BUT BUT if you want to drink based on what you order, there is a great place that delivers (and around the corner). Artist hands you his phone with the number programmed in to place your personal wine order. There is a corkage fee 6) Delivery is not guaranteed-choose pick-up or dine in 7) Not sure what you want to eat? Talk it out with him! 8) Can you say deal? Ask what the nightly pre fixe is. The owner and proprietor, Artist, makes the food from the heart. Definitely a gem for the area!g