Profile

Nestled in the former headquarters of Harlem's largest black charity group, Shrine is a deceptively low-profile live-music spot. The ground floor of the onetime Black United Fund Plaza community center hosts a full bar, a tables-for-two lineup, and a small back stage, its age-worn space colored by African icons and a serious vinyl fetish. Shrine’s deepest loyalties clearly lie with Afro-beat, calypso, and roots-reggae offshoots starring the sons of Fela and Bitches Brew, but the space also presents a slew of classicists assimilating traditional jazz and American funk staples with an occasional dip into newer, rockier waters. A back kitchen offers Mediterranean platters, chicken kebabs, and Jerusalem Toast (toast with olive paste, feta cheese, tomato, and zaatar). — Patrick Coffee