Signature install
Knotless braids
Most-requested style at the shop. Light tension, clean parting, and the kind of speed that lets Nafi finish a head other braiders are still planning.
125th Street, Harlem
Open 7 days, walk-ins welcome (646) 407-8402
Harlem African Hair Braiding
Braided by Nafi,
on 125th Street.
Knotless, boho, box braids and cornrows from a Harlem shop that never sits still. 4.8 stars across 468 reviews, open seven days a week, and yes, you can usually book for tomorrow.
4.8· 468 Google reviews Open 7 days 381 W 125th Street
Ask for NafiKnotless braidsBoho twistsBox braidsCornrowsColor installsOpen 7 daysHarlem, NYAsk for NafiKnotless braidsBoho twistsBox braidsCornrowsColor installsOpen 7 daysHarlem, NYAsk for NafiKnotless braidsBoho twistsBox braidsCornrowsColor installsOpen 7 daysHarlem, NYAsk for NafiKnotless braidsBoho twistsBox braidsCornrowsColor installsOpen 7 daysHarlem, NY
A working salon
The kind of shop where the chair is rarely empty.
Harlem African Hair Braiding lives on a busy stretch of West 125th, half a block from St. Nicholas. Walk in any afternoon and you'll see Nafi running the room: braiding, taking phone calls, training stylists, all at once.
No-frills, no waiting on a glossy interior. Just clean partings, fair pricing, and braids that hold up. Reviewers keep saying the same things, in different words: fast, precise, professional. Worth keeping a number for.
4.8
Google rating
468
Reviews
7
Days open
12 hr
Weekday window
The Craft
Six things Nafi installs better than most.
Walk in with a screenshot or sit down for a consult. Prices are quoted before the comb comes out.
Curly-end finish
Boho knotless
Knotless braids with loose, soft-curl ends. The style multiple regulars come back specifically for. Color-matched on request.
Classic & precise
Box braids
Hand-sectioned partings that look measured because they are. Tidy enough for work, sturdy enough to last weeks of New York weather.
Sharp lines
Cornrows
Straight-backs, feed-ins, design cornrows. Clean takedowns on top, no rushing through the nape. For kids and adults.
Wine, blonde, bespoke
Color installs
Burgundy boho, honey blondes, custom blends. Bring inspiration photos or sit down with Nafi and her sister to plan a look that holds.
Buying advice
Hair consult
Walked in unsure what hair to order? Nafi will tell you which packs work for your install, save you a wasted trip, and prep the chair.
Style not listed?
Locs, faux locs, twists, kids' styles, takedowns: ring the shop, Nafi will tell you yes or no in under a minute.
Meet Nafi
The braider Harlem keeps coming back to.
Nafi works the floor most days alongside her sister, with junior stylists in training beside them. One customer wrote, in a five-star review, that she watched Nafi braid an entire install while answering the phone and quietly correcting another stylist's tension. That's a normal Tuesday in this shop.
Repeat clients keep three things in their reviews: the parting is clean, the install is fast, and the price is fair. Walk in with a reference photo. If she can't do the exact style, she'll tell you, and she'll tell you who can.
"Make sure you ask for Nafi when you come." Brittany B., Google review.
4.8/5
From 468 Google reviews
125th St
Central Harlem
The Gallery
Recent installs out of 381 West 125th.
Clean partings, color you can spot from across the street, and the kind of finish that holds through a New York summer.
Word of mouth
What 468 Google reviewers keep saying.
4.8 / 5
468 reviews
Google review
"Ask for Nafi! Beautiful work and excellent customer service. I got knotless boho braids and they came out gorgeous. I called yesterday, scheduled a next-day appointment with ease, and she was very prompt. 100% recommend."
Crystal Goree
Verified Google reviewer
Google review
"This is a no-frills salon, but don't let that fool you. Nafi was incredibly fast, precise, and professional. She handled the entire appointment solo: braiding, managing nonstop calls, mentoring other stylists, and still staying composed throughout."
Amber B
Verified Google reviewer
Google review
"I get so many compliments anytime my hair is done by Nafi. She is really skilled at what she does and her parting is perfect. She will have you leaving the salon looking gorgeous. Repeat customer."
Kaila Kinkead
Verified Google reviewer
Read the rest on Google: search "Harlem African Hair Braiding (Ask for Nafi)" to see all 468 reviews.
Visit the shop
On 125th, between St. Nicholas and Morningside.
Opening hours
- Monday8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
- Tuesday8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
- Wednesday8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
- Thursday8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
- Friday8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
- Saturday9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
- Sunday9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Ready when you are
Call the shop. Ask for Nafi. The chair will be ready.
Quickest way to lock in an appointment is a phone call. She picks up between clients and most weeks she's got tomorrow open.