Hmmmm, when a place tried to be hipster and fails a little it's very noticeable. I was visiting Belfast only for the weekend. Maybe it's a really cool pub at night. But, the brunch I had... It was just OK. read more

Harlem Cafe is an absolute delight to dine in. The decor 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... read more

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Had a coffee with an old school mate. The place looks fabulous and all decked out for Halloween!! Pity they aren't having a party. Staff are amazing and food menu looks great. read more

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Came here for breakfast quite early one day. Love the decor 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 decor but either get there first thing in the morning for breakfast options or go somewhere else. Disappointing. read more

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. read more

This is a great cafe/restaurant in the heart of the city. Great indoor decor 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. read more

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! read more

We were always seated promptly and in comfortable locations. The service was excellent, accommodating, understanding, attentive. The space overall is very comfortable and fun. And the food and coffee were fantastic. Only complaint was the cheesy Christmas pop music on constant rotation. Being visiting vegetarians from the U.S., this place became our instant sentimental favorite. Can't wait to go back. read more

I'd admired this place in passing for a few months before venturing in. There was something about the location and the way the bright interior seemed to be both welcoming and intriguing at the same time. Heading there for lunch recently I must admit I wasn't disappointed in the slightest. The room is well laid out with plenty of wooden bench seating, some striking photography adorns the walls and the staff were really pleasant. I had a simple sandwich for my lunch which seemed a tad pricey but when it arrived I realised this was no normal serving as the damn thing was huge. Coffee was also good and the service was attentive and reasonably casual. I could see this place doing really well and it deserves to as it's got its own little twist on the café/bistro type thing which so many get wrong. Pros: Nice food, good décor. Cons: Might be pricey for some. read more

Harlem cafe - Cafes Near Me - Belfast, BFS

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 Cafe. 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 decor 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! read more

This is one cool looking restaurant!! Extremely hipster looking, very friendly staff and the food is pretty good too. I had breakfast here and it was very tasty and the menu had a pretty good selection to choose from. read more

Harlem cafe - Cafes Near Me - Belfast, BFS

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Top notch cafe and top food in a prime location, right next to the Ulster Hall. The Harlem is an absolute gem and right up my street. It's a really classy, salubrious cafe with furnishings so comfortable you'll feel right at home. The only downside is you might just get too comfortable. The food is also top notch with great big portions. The staff are really friendly. The one thing I will say is that they could do with some more waiting staff. One Saturday I was in here and pretty much every table in the place was covered in dishes that hadn't been cleared. A small problem which can be easily rectified. Otherwise, I highly recommend visiting. read more

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. read more

Wow, great place! First of all, the interior is fantastic. I feel that every seat offers a different experience of the café. So many interesting things going on at once, without being tacky. A really beautifully designed interior. The waiters and waitresses that we dealt with were very friendly, chatty and welcoming. I ordered a special - crispy chilli duck baguette and my girlfriend ordered tomato and pepper soup. I expected to only get the baguette and something small to the side but I was really surprised by the portion size! The baguette was packed with pieced of duck, there was a substantial side-salad with honey mustard dressing and even a small portion of fries. The soup came with some chunky brown bread. We were both very happy. After the food, we got a cappuccino and an americano - very tasty too. I'll recommend this café to everyone I know going to Belfast. read more

This place is so good, we ate here twice during our 3 day stay in Belfast. The food was outstanding and the service was friendly and fast. Absolutely loved the decor, including fresh flowers which made otherwise rainy day so much brighter. The morning crowd was energetic, fair mix of loungey brunch folks and business meetings. I Miss it already! read more

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Harlem is a dreamy, easy going, boho cafe in the unit that was Larry's Piano Bar in a past life. This unit has been a toughie, many restaurants have come and gone in this spot but it seems that all of a sudden someone has finally figured out what this space should always have been! A simple menu combined with cool surroundings and super friendly staff makes Harlem a winner. Thumbs up for an excellent Ulster Fry. Great for office lunches, taking a break from shopping or catching up with friends. read more

Live music and good selection of food. I tried the squid for starters and burger for main. Cool interior!

I was really excited to eat here because we passed by nearly every day on our holiday in Belfast. The decor is really cool with pictures and paintings all over the walls, neat candles, comfortable seating- an overall great atmosphere. So I was a bit disappointed when our service was a bit sharp and less welcoming than expected. I ordered a scone with jam and cream. Jam came from an industrial sized container. Cream was squirted from a can of whipped cream. Scone was dry. They don't have a coffee menu or didn't bother to give us one. My boyfriend's breakfast didn't seem spectacular though he only complained about dry pancakes and cold bacon and "fresh squeezed orange juice" from a container. The food was overall sub-par and the service wasn't ideal. Though I noticed many people having meetings and working so I suppose it's a good place to have a drink and get things do read more

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

This is a warm, friendly spot with a very creative interior which will make you smile. I was on a morning search for good coffee near my hotel, and I found that good coffee, along with terrific scones, which the staff packed to go. My wife and I returned the next morning for a full breakfast, which was superb, and stylishly presented. All in all, a terrific operation, located near Belfast City Hall. Great staff. read more

This was our first stop on our whirlwind tour of Belfast last weekend. We needed to refuel after our very early flight out of Manchester, and I'm glad to say we picked a very good spot to have our breakfast. I had a sausage sandwich and copious amounts of tea, but it was the large, well-cooked poached eggs that were a clear winner in our little group. Staff were friendly and helpful and it was clear that the owners had put a lot of thought into the décor of the café. There was an eclectic mix of interesting objects/ furniture. Would recommend to anyone visiting Belfast for the weekend or anyone local that is looking for a new brunch place to try. read more

Eat breakfast here! Great space and great food. None of that lame "Irish Breakfast" although I think they had it. Poached eggs were awesome and so was the omelette was great. read more

I don't get it. Decor looks like someone googled "kitsch" and decided it meant buy a bunch of ugly shit that doesn't go together. Sure, it's eclectic... Okay... Anyway, the service doesn't match the decor. It's not kitschy at all, just rude and hard to get. When we finally got some attention, I ordered a veg fry and my partner got a bagel with lox. She asked for extra cream cheese and he said, down his nose, "there's cream cheese on it" - oh, ok. There was cream cheese on half. We don't like to eat bagels like sandwiches, we want cream cheese on both sides. The bagel was mediocre/store bought anyway so no big loss. My fry was ok, but served on a plate that made it difficult to eat. Ordered coffee, but they don't have it? So we got americanos. Which I guess means no refills. Which would be fine if the cup were more than half full. Had to get up and ask for the bill after waiting around 10 minutes trying to get someone's attention as they passed. Dunno what we did wrong exactly, except that the rest of the clientele were men in business suits. Didn't know that was the kind of crowd this place catered to so I probably wouldn't recommend it unless that's you. read more

Went for a weekday breakfast. Staff were very nice. French toast and the red velvet pancakes were excellent. The eggs Benedict were good too. Eclectic fun vibe. read more

My first impressions of Harlem were excellent. The restaurant looks beautiful, it has a very eclectic decor 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. read more

Stopped in at Harlem Cafe for some lunch with colleagues. The food was delicious and presented to a high standard. Left feeling very full - definitely great value. read more

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. read more

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. read more

Trendy if not a bit pretentious, but I like it. I would guess that this place is regularly full of suits, given it's location, but no harm. I just had a quick breakfast of a cherry scone and a coffee, but I would come again to try the club sambo! read more

Lovely place for a soup and sandwich lunch break. Full of hustle busy, but what you would expect from a busy little hot spot in the city!

DELICIOUS - three of us went in for lunch this week & absolutely loved our croissant sandwiches. Each were different but they were all amazing. The inside is really cute too. It was decorated for Valentines day as we went in the day before, and it was very quaint. Our only complaint was that although the waitress was nice, she was not very attentive. If we're ever back in Belfast, we'll definitely return for their sandwiches. read more

Service here is terrible. It makes me happy that I don't have to tip in the UK. Sad really, the place looks cute, but I asked 3 people for my check...and had to wait 15 until I got it. read more

In short : Excellent location, excellent food and wonderful staff, this place is a must for visitors and locals a-like. This spot has seen victim to some wonderful restaurants over the years (Larry's Piano Bar & Wild Willy's Restaurant) So when this place opened in December 2010 I thought, like others before it, Harlem Cafe would be closed with-in 6 months & to my great delight I was wrong. From the moment you walk in the door you are treated wonderfully by the fantastic manger (Faye) My mother works in the hotel business & thanks to this I have gotten to eat in some of the finest hotels in Belfast & around the rest of Northern Ireland & I can safely say that the Harlem Cafe staff led by the manager are the best at customer service in Belfast. I remember going in one time with my sister & my niece. My niece was about 8 months old at the time and the staff where so nice to her (Asking her name, talking to her etc...) About 6 months later I was in Harlem Cafe again with a friend and the manager sat down and started asking how my niece was. How she remembered for a start was amazing but to ask how she was just goes to show you how important Harlem Cafe views their customers. Their food is amazing, I cannot fault it at all. Their club sandwich is to die for! Easily the best I've ever eaten. Their menu is packed full of choices and on the odd occasion when I have had something different it has been lovely. The ambiance was really metropolitan and stylish which is due in large part to the decor & music and also the "buzzing" around of the rest of the customers. While I have rated Harlem Cafe in this review as, "pricey" it really is worth that extra couple of pound just for the customer service alone. I recommend this place all the time to family & also to my work colleagues (2 of them in particular are mad about the place!) & I have no qualms giving Harlem Cafe the full 5 stars. Am always in as much as possible because the place is that damn good. Am hoping that they will be able to get a late license as soon as they can as I would love to start eating at Harlem at night too! AR :) read more

The couple we met had actually reserved a table for us, so we were fortunate to have a seat on a busy rainy day. And the place was very interesting inside-glass topped tables with kitschy seashell and sand displayed. A good distraction if conversation lags. The food was just ok and the service was lacking. My chili-chicken wrap lacked pizzazz although the rocket salad on the side was really good. Then we waited for our waitress to give us the bill and she seemed to have disappeared, so we chased down someone else after half our party had to leave due to time constraints. Good atmosphere, good location and interesting choices that did not live up to expectation. read more

I absolutely love Harlem. The location is great, the decor is fab, the service is outstanding and the food is A-MAZING (esp the Scampi!). I love all the quirky little touches from the com-shaped milk jugs to the buttons on the teapots!. I cannot think of one negative comment. The only downside is that at lunchtime you may have to wait for a table - but hey, clearly if there is a queue then we must all be willing to as it's such a great place to eat. If there is a queue, the staff keep you informed of how long a wait you will have and continually check back on you to keep you updated. Brilliant. Such a little gem.... go now! read more

Halfway between a bohemian coffee shop and a rock n roll diner, Harlem Cafe is my new haunt of choice. Whether it's an Ulster fry and a cup of coffee, french fries and a milkshake, or something a bit more bistro like seafood chowder, they do their own mean version and the food, like the coffee, is always top class. Both are helped along by Old Blues Eyes, who is a regular fixture on the jukebox and lends the place a class it's all too hard to come by these days. The decor, too, is relaxed and arty, but unpretentious - a breath of fresh air among the usual sterile chain coffee shops and boring cafes of Belfast's streets. It's just a cool, pleasant place to be, whether you're there for a business lunch or just to watch the world go by over a coffee, though the latter may be tad difficult during the busy lunchtime service. In my experience the place is nearly always full to capacity during office lunch hours, which can be a pain in the arse, but is to be expected around that area. Before and after the peak time, though, when things are less hectic, the service is exemplary and always comes with a smile. It's such a cool spot I sometimes selfishly wish it was less well known, but the level of business is promising for its future, as are the recently extended opening hours and new wine list. With an already fairly sturdy clientele, Harlem looks set to become one of Belfast's neatest little joints, and deservedly so. As Frank himself would say - for Harlem Cafe - the best is yet come, and won't it be fine... read more

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

Those tiddly bits on the menu were awesome. Very friendly waitresses. Local beers served are great.

This place needs a deep clean, at least once in a while!!! I do like the food there and the boho vibe, but the amount of dust on the frames/sofas/chairs, and the greasy/ketchup stains on the sugar pots and candlesticks are just off-putting, no matter how nice the food is. A little dusting/dishwashing cycle would be greatly appreciated! read more

I went to the Harlem for breakfast while in Belfast and everything on the menu sounded so great it was hard to choose! I got a Harlem style bagel sandwich with eggs and salmon and it tasted extremely fresh and was well prepared. The women who were working were very kind and friendly and one of them helped me choose what I ordered because I couldn't decide myself. It was a great place with a really wonderful atmosphere. read more