Harlem

Came here for breakfast quite early one day. Love the décor inside, but unfortunately that was about the best part.
Took a good while for someone to get us seated, a good while for the food to be ordered and to arrive.
The place does all day breakfast but a lot of the items on the menu were sold out which wasn’t great. Ended up going for salmon on what were supposed to be savoury pancakes… But they were sold out, so for some reason they could only give me mini pancakes. To me this says they don’t make their pancakes fresh, disappointing given it was nearly £7.
Decided to get a pavlova for dessert, wasn’t great. Rock solid meringue that again didn’t seem fresh, seemed store bought.
Points for the décor but either get there first thing in the morning for breakfast options or go somewhere else.
Disappointing.

fantastic breakfast menu to be had here, perfct place to go for warmth coffee and pancakes!

This is a great café/​restaurant in the heart of the city. Great indoor décor with a collection of different antique furniture mixed with modern lighting. Small area outside to sit on a sunny day.
Sunday brunch is particularly good, they do a really good handmade weather bread that goes well with lots of their soups, scrambled eggs and salmon etc. There is also a dessert fridge with a big selection of cakes and cheesecakes. Everyone needs cheesecake for brunch.
The owner is hands on and really friendly and helpful.
The only downfall is that’s it’s full of children shouting at lunch and on Sunday’s especially.
Also, I suggest booking or going earlier than you want to eat as there is often a queue.

This place is AMAZING! I went here today for breakfast and I swear I would make a return trip to Belfast just to visit Harlem.
I love the mis matched furniture look and the walls were covered in photos (in particular I loved the Elvis one!). We were seated straight away and the staff could not have been nicer.
I ordered porridge with fresh fruits and honey which was so delicious. Honestly the best bowl of porridge I have ever had! I ordered a peppermint tea which arrived in the most amazing teapot (I wanted to take it home with me) and it gave me 4 cups of tea! As a tea lover, this made me very happy indeed!
The staff were incredible! The waiter was so helpful and took the time to draw me a little map of tea shops so. I could get my hands on some tea blends. His recommendations were excellent!
For breakfast, lunch, dinner or a quick drink/​snack Harlem is definitely worth a visit. I wish I could take this place home with me!

I found this wee gem courtesy of Unilocal when looking for places that offer gluten free and i was not dissapointed.
The menu clearly states what items can be made gluten free and i chose the egg breakfast with bacon. My sever was happy to swap the tomato for mushrooms.
The eggs were delicious.. really creamy and generous portion sized. The bacon was cooked to perfection and i honestly could not have faulted anything.
A lovely quirky wee venue with lovely informative staff. A must visit when in belfast!

My first impressions of Harlem were excellent. The restaurant looks beautiful, it has a very eclectic décor without feeling busy and my partner and I were seated quickly. We came in for a coffee but when we saw the menu we decided to get some brunch as well. Unfortunately I didn’t rate the food all the much. Not to be a coffee snob but my latte was about half foam and the all-​day vegetarian breakfast was cold. The service was faultless though — my waitress brought me an extra portion of beans without me even asking because the ones on my plate looked like they’d been sitting out for a whole, which is I suppose damning with faint praise. Really if not for the table staff it’d probably be two stars.

Harlem is pretty into itself, but it’s an aesthetic that needs that kind of commitment. It’s very Alice in Wonderland — my dad was greatly intrigued by the kitsch décor which he isn’t exposed to very much!
Even on a Sunday afternoon at 2pm it’s still the brunch menu, which was a little disappointing for me as brunch isn’t really my thing. They were doing sandwiches though. In the end I opted for a superfood salad which was basically every single salad item in a massive bowl. It didn’t have quite enough dressing for me, and some of the flavour combinations were pretty weird (e.g. olives and blueberries!) but you couldn’t fault them on the range of ingredients. My dad seemed to enjoy his Ulster Fry although I didn’t think it was the best I’ve seen.
Service very friendly and prompt.

Visited Harlem this morning with a friend for a catch up chat and breakfast. The deco is very unique, especially the tables and tea pots. We had to wait for 20mins for someone to take our order, but the coffee and the breakfast arrived quick enough. The bagels were very tasty, and a huge portion, coffee was extremely strong for us, but it was helpful on a Monday morning :) Overall a great place, will be back for sure.

Good service. Good food. Great atmosphere. They quirky décor adds to the ambience of the meal or coffee. A real gem in Belfast.

Excellent wee café for a quick breakfast. Interesting place, great photos on the wall, good menu.
Poached eggs on toasted soda and excellent coffee.
Set up for the day now. Ok Belfast, what you got?

Harlem is a funny old place, a bit all over the place to be honest, in terms of décor, but it always seems to pull in the lunchtime punters. On my most recent visit to Harlem I made the mistake of ambling in the door in the midst of the lunchtime rush and perhaps this was my first mistake.
I asked the obviously busy waitress if there was any chance we could get a table for two and she sat us at a large round table in the centre of the café. This was grand until 5 minutes later she also sat two businessmen with us — I don’t they were overly impressed, especially not with our standard of chat. At first I was fine with our new lunch guests being in such close proximity but it became clear that they weren’t enamored and this made things a wee bit strange.
This strange experience shouldn’t take away from what is an amazing City centre lunch spot. I ordered the daily special which was Salmon Sweet Chili Noodles — the quality was exquisite and the speed at which I got the grub was even better. To top it all off it was under £6.
The staff are great but as mentioned they are clearly rushed off their feet at lunchtime. So be patient and you’ll have a better experience.
My advice to anyone thinking of going to Harlem for lunch would be to go early or go late otherwise you could end up lunching with unintentional guests.

Harlem Café is an absolute delight to dine in. The décor is an elegant, eclectic mishmash — beautiful large tables, comfy chairs and wonderful art work. It is a very busy restaurant so is worth getting to for an early lunch before the rush. I’ve had lunch here numerous times but unfortunately have never been in the evening to sample the dinner menu. Lunch consists of freshly made salads, pies, bread boards and soups with daily specials and generous portions. The wine is very good and it’s great for a decadent, lazy lunch…

Weirdly enough Belfast city is totally dead Sunday morning pre-​midday. We were a bit worse for wear after a heavy night out and needed an Ulster Fry stat!
From the outside Harlem looks very cool, walk inside and you step into this crazy quirky grandiose living room.
The staff were awesome and pretty patient with us in our notably fragile state!
I went for the bacon, sausage and egg in soda bread. I had it swimming in brown sauce and it was epic!!! The girlfriend went for the Ulster Fry and she loved it.
By the time we left the place was rammed. I recommend getting in early as the place seems to be in demand. I’d love to try the place out for dinner as I’d say it’d a great spot in the evening.
Can’t wait till the next time Harlem!

Had a fry, not impressed, burnt sausages, under cooked bacon, over cooked eggs, burnt toast. Doubt I’ll be back. The service wasn’t that great either, it’s pot luck if someone walks by your table and asks if your food is ok or if you need anything else.

Renowned for the business brunch or lunch, Harlem is positioned in a prime spot for many of the legal and financial services firms. You are almost guaranteed to spot someone you know if you work in that area.
Due to it’s overwhelming popularity I would recommend you book a table, as we ended up sharing a table with strangers today — except not actually because it turned out I knew one of them obviously.
The service at peak times is understandably slow, but the quirky decorations leave you with more than enough to look at to pass the time should your date or meeting prove too mundane to listen to.
With daily specials taking my fancy more often than not, I am normally guaranteed to get something a little different each time.
The food is much better than your average lunch, with the extensive menu providing yummy food to suit even the fussiest of eaters.
If you are in a larger group make sure you pre-​order to save time and energy (I recommend writing down what people ordered to prevent that inevitable person taking fancy to someone else’s or forgetting their order)

A beautiful and quirky café. Tables of different sizes, plenty of frames on the walls and as many lights as possible! All the lights create an incredible atmosphere! Love it!
Their coffee is really nice, latte art and all that we can expect on a cup of coffee! Food is also gorgeous and really nice portions! Probably a bit more expensive than other places but taken into account that it is fresh and the place itself, so it is worth it! From focaccia to sandwiches and crumble, everything that I ate so far was really nice! It’s not a restaurant but they have a big selection of food, like panini, sandwiches, baguettes, wraps, soups and a bistro section where they have more food options!
Staff is also really polite and friendly! One time I had a problem with my meal and the way that they dealt with it was really professional, they do look after their customers! It might sometimes take a bit of time to take a payment at the table, so I normally go to the counter if in a rush!
Lovely décor, good food and nice coffee make this a great place!

I stumbled upon a review of this place when looking for a good gluten free restaurant and after pouring over their menu knew I couldn’t leave Belfast without checking out Harlem Café.
I get quite anxious going to new food places because my many food intolerances make it difficult to find something decent to eat. We walked in without a booking on a Friday night (yes, were that stupid.) Luckily we were really early and they were able to seat us immediately.
The menu isn’t huge but there is a good range of options and all the gluten free and vegetarian options are clearly marked. I desperately wanted the Thai Green Curry. It’s been ages since I’ve had a decent curry that I could eat! Of course they said it had onion in, one of my biggest intolerances. I was gutted, figuring I’d be stuck with potatoes, again (my fall back option, always).
Then the server, who was an absolute super star, came back and said the kitchen could make a version for me without onion. It was so lovely of them, they really went above and beyond. They also came out a few times to check certain ingredients to make sure I’d be okay with them or not. While there I also had a delicious gluten free bruchetta and a yummy gluten free chocolate brownie. Others in my group had a beef burger, Hake fish and the pan fried duck breast and they all said it was delish. Non-​gluten free dessert wise, the chocolate cake is HUGE, I recommend sharing, but it was very good, and the fruit and cream was really nice too.
The décor of the place is amazing, very classy yet hip and cool at the same time. Comfortable and relaxed yet not too casual. The perfect balance. The tables are big, there are big tables with couches that looked really comfortable and the paintings displayed on the wall were really lovely. The staff were all really nice and they even had live music! Such a little gem in this city!
I’d certainly go back in a heartbeat next time I’m in Belfast and I can’t thank them enough for going above and beyond to look after me being ‘that person’ who needs to check every ingredient. The staff are super stars!

Pretty nice coffee, decent food, and a gorgeous environment.
Also, full of people from InvestNI across the road, so you’re likely to move and shake.

Delightful café with reasonably priced, high-​quality breakfasts. Beautifully decorated with tons of old clocks and things.
The breakfast special was so good we went back a second day. My «go-​to» place for brekkie in Belfast.

Gorgeous quirky interior, really friendly staff, and delicious eggs and bacon. Could have happily stayed here all day but wanted to explore more of Belfast.
Only regret is discovering this place on the last morning of my visit. Otherwise this would have been breakfast every day and I’d have been curious to try their Fri/​Sat dinners.
Will definitely be back.