This was my first experience of Ethiopian food. We had the Lamb Benyanatu, a platter with a couple of Ethiopian preparations. We also had some Spiced Ethiopian tea which was quite nice and soothing on a cold night. The food was good and the restaurant cozy. Overall we had a nice time.
Very tasty Ethiopian food with amazing decor. A must try place for whoever likes sourdough. Unique experience will take you to Ethiopia for sure
Federica De Dominicis
+4.5
I love the Ethiopian food, the concept of eating it with your hands and the help of the injera, the sour bread on top of which the vegetables and meats are served, it's spiciness and fresh taste, all conjure a real change in habits and culture. With that in mind I decided to give a try to this restaurant, lured by its interior and the food I saw pass by me while lurking inside. The place is adorned with original pieces that give a nice touch to the establishment, the main hall is on the second floor, very spacious and cozy, that doesn't help to overcome the feeling of emptiness when there aren't many patrons. The food is fantastic and have been really a satisfaction. I've been lucky to be there with few friends so have had the option to order many different dishes and share. Both meats and vegetables are fingers liking, literally. Can't wait to have some more fun and delicious food.
I last went to this restaurant a long time ago. I have to say one of the most pleasureable eating experiences I've had. The dishes are comprised of aromatic spices with a good balance of heat. I liked the involved eating style, hands and sharing. The best part was the coffee at the end of the night. Liked it so much I revisited with my mum and dad same good experience.
Slow service but delicious food and worth the wait! First timers should try the mixed platter at £20 for 2 people. Bargain! Nice friendly relaxed atmosphere and pretty decor.
Had never had ethiopian food before: was a really educational & tasty dining experience. Took the advice below and had the Sunday set meal: Had the non-vegie set meal plus some green rice & a bottle of house white which came to £50 between 3 of us! Fantastic meal, nice atmosphere & interesting décor. No rude service or long wait as had been suggested in previous reviews, great dining experience - will be going again
Ethiopean food is fantastic. Go on a Sunday for the set meal which is even cheaper than normal. If you like curries and spicy food you'll enjoy this. The cheapest meal I've ever had in London by a long way. Be prepared to get your fingers messy-eating the curries with the injeera bread is all part of the fun
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Perhaps because we were in Tufnell Park on the first miserable Wednesday of January, this place was almost completely empty when we walked in. Fair enough, it was 9pm on a school night. Normally this would put me off a restaurant but I'd heard good things about Lalibela, plus my friend Daniel Walker and I had been talking about going for Ethiopian food for ages.
As you walk in you're hit by a rather pleasant scent of incense as you take in the traditional ethiopian decor of tapestries, wooden furniture and, well, nick nacks all over the place. There are two floors and we sat downstairs but I imagine the top floor is as exciting as the bottom - I mean there's an African art gallery section at the back of the room so you'd hope so.
We ordered two St George premium Ethiopian beers which, whilst not bad, tasted a little watery for a beer that's supposed to be 4.6%. Nevertheless it ended up being a decent choice as it didn't overpower any of the flavours of our meal.
Our meal was centered around Injera, a traditional East African flat bread that you use to scoop up your food with your fingers. Not for the feint hearted, this is messy eating at it's best. Good for those who struggle with general eating decorum. We started with two portions of grilled injera which is hard and crispy compared to the usual spongy stuff you have with mains. One was coated with spices with a surprisingly delicious side of spiced cottage cheese, and the other infused with black coriander accompanied by a creamy aubergine dip. The dip had a really pleasant smokey aftertaste but lacked any kind of exciting kick or strong flavours as you first tasted it which was disappointing, perhaps because there was too much cream.
For our main we had a Beyeynatu sharing platter and a side of Okra which was perfect for two to share. The main included a large injera to share topped with two types of lamb wot (one spicy stew, one less so) and a spicy beef wat, as well as vegetables, a salad and spinach. The stews were absolutely delicious with really tender meat, and you could tell the subtle differences between the different stews. My favourite was the spicy lamb wot and luckily this was the one closest to me... winner. The spinach was nothing special but the Okra on the side was amazing, cooked with tomato and peppers too. I'd say a sharing platter and a side is the perfect amount for 2 to share, but if you're got a larger group I'd go crazy and order a load of different dishes to get stuck in.
It's such a unique experience that I probably won't go back too quickly, but I'd recommend for anyone wanting to trying something a little different for very reasonable prices. Look out for the monkey too.
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If you don't much fancy using knives and forks, preferring your fingers, this could be the place for you.
I've been coming to this restaurant off and on for ten years. It's out of the way for me now, so when I go it's not incidental to something else I'm doing, I go there because the particular flavours of their dishes have been playing on my mind and I absolutely have to eat there.
Located just up from Tufnell Park tube Lalibela is one of the handful of Ethiopian restaurants in the capital. The cuisine is marked by the use of lime in the food, used to cure fish in the spicy stews, and the large injera, pancake, served with the meal.
The injera, essentially, is your new spoon or fork. You break a piece off and use it to scoop up some spicy wot or tibs, both either combinations of stewed meat and vegetables or just vegetables. These are akin to curries but are distinctively different in flavour.
The whole experience is quite interactive and very compatible for group eating. You are sat about a foot off the ground on little stools, eating off a low round table with the huge flat injera crepe in the middle. The injera itself is fluffy and porous, soaking up the stew, but also filling your stomach up very quickly.
Go in a group and order several of these spicy fish and meat wots and tibs to share and you won't be disappointed. Dishes are about £12 each, so to sample a few of them you're better off descending in numbers. The interior looks almost Balinese in its woodiness, slightly over indulgent for this gritty stretch of Fortress Road, and the waiting staff can be frustratingly slow to the point of thinking they've gone home without telling you.
But the food is an experience both for its flavours and its presentation and, like me, you may well find yourself drawn back to this place time and again.
Lovely Ethiopian restaurant. Great place for an introduction to Ethiopian cuisine. Three of our party had never tried Ethiopian food before, but were very much impressed.
We got some lamb samosas and the cottage cheese with injera to start. Then for mains we ordered two sharing platters on injera to share (one meat-based, one veggie).
This was a great way to try many different dishes.
We then got dessert accompanied by a traditional coffee ceremony - we felt we couldn’t leave without trying coffee from its birthplace. The ceremony involved wafting the scent of roasting coffee our way and the burning of frankincense as we drank.
Really great experience - the guy who served us was friendly and the atmosphere is lovely too. Well decorated with a range of ornaments and art representing Ethiopia’s cultural heritage.
Would definitely recommend!
Every vegans dream! This platter of vegan dishes was so so tasty and comforting. Such individual tastes to each dish and all three of us sharing this were so satisfied
The staff were so lovely and this place has such a homely and relaxing feel. Absolutely recommend
Extremely delicious food in a cool atmosphere. Captivating decoration
This restaurant is well worth a visit. It's got a relaxed atmosphere, cosy decor, and the staff check in enough to make sure you're sorted.
The food is good, especially if you want vegetarian options. You can eat many of the options using injera bread, which is filling; although cutlery is available if you’d like.
The standout for me was the coffee ceremony; with coffee beans roasted right in front of you, served alongside fragrant frankincense. It's a nice multi sensory touch that rounds off the meal well. Every dish was tasty, so you're after something that's not your standard fare but not too left-field, Lalibela is worth a shot.
The best ... The flavours, textures and aroma were so well balanced in our meal . Fantastic value for money . Very satisfying , unfortunately . I didn't leave room for dessert, as the food , as well being scrumptious , was deceptively filling ... Not to mention friendly and welcoming staff... The plain fabric floor to ceiling screens between tables added an intimate ambience ... I shall pay a return visit as soon as....
First time having Ethiopian food and wow ... just incredible. We picked a great place for it. Very vegan friendly as we had the veggie platter and a side of okra between the two of us alongside the coffee ceremony. Service was great and pricing totally fine. Definitely recommend to anyone in London.
Delicious food and a cute vibe inside. Being the uncultured man I am, having sit down Ethipoian food served for the first time, I didn't realise the bread served at the start was for the main food, luckily I didn't eat all the bread before the food arrived.
I have been Lalibela over 5 times for over 12 years for Ethiopian food.
It was nice to come back after a decade. I was even happier to see they still sell the Chicken cream tibbets the best stew have ever tasted! Staff are so welcoming and patient they even opened 30 minutes early to serve us. Decor is dated but authentic and homely!
Main meal and drink with injera is £25-27. Ill be back
Food is always great here but last time we visited we waited aaaaages to get our food and get the bill. They seem understaffed which is a pity as the food is always excellent and the people there are really nice.
Nice small Ethiopian restaurant. The food was very good!
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