For fancier restaurants, I think there is more demand and competition downtown rather than uptown, and I too have observed that fancy restaurants downtown provide a better bang to buck ratio than uptown. Downtown is wealthier than Harlem, and the residents there can afford to eat out much more frequently than the residents of Harlem. read more
The answer to both questions is yes. Drinks are ridiculously overpriced in restaurants compared to what you pay in the grocery store. drinks, especially alcohol, are where restaurants make much of their profit. There is relatively little prep time involved, unless it’s a fancy club, and if so, the prices will be higher to compensate. read more