Mamajuana Cafe

Part-lounge, part-restaurant, part-outdoor party, Mamajuana Cafe is the unofficial meeting ground for Inwood’s glitterati. Tapas-style appetizers, like tender beef skewers accompanied by Cabrales fondue or a sweet plantain stuffed with delicious salt cod, and desserts, such as mousse-like coconut flan, fare better than hit-or-miss entrées (a perfectly cooked “brick-pressed” Cornish hen over yuca mash has just the right balance of sweet and savory, while a plantain-crusted salmon on a bed of artichoke hearts has no crust and little heart), but the generous portions won’t leave you hungry. Cocktails include the (reputedly) aphrodisiac Mamajuana shot (a Taino concoction of herbs, spices and roots mixed with rum, wine and honey).