Ready to delve into London’s best Ethiopian restaurants? You should be.
London’s a food-lover’s heaven. Wherever you look you’ll find excellent restaurants just waiting to be explored. With the city’s Ethiopian restaurants that’s no exception.
Regularly suitable for vegetarians and never anything short of exciting, Ethiopian food draws big crowds of foodies looking to sample the spicy stews (wats) and injera flatbreads that define the cuisine.
Traditionally served to suit the sharing types, you can’t go wrong with Ethiopian restaurants when looking for a spot to suit group dining either – and those large plates loaded with samples of the day’s wats or bubbling pots of tibs, a stir-fried hotplate of sizzling meat and veg don’t disappoint.
We’ve put together a guide of all our favourite spots. Read on for the best Ethiopian food London has to offer…
The Best Ethiopian Restaurants in London
Wolkite Ethiopian Restaurant
Finsbury Park
Wolkite is most people’s go-to choice when it comes to hunting down the best Ethiopian food London has to offer. We hate to use the word authentic when it comes to cooking but the chefs here import all their spices and many of their ingredients direct from Ethiopia.
The result is food that’s true to Ethiopian flavours and techniques. Regardless of whether you think the hype around authenticity is valid in cooking these days, we highly doubt you’ll be anything less than impressed by the food on offer here.
Adulis
Brixton
Another top Eritrean restaurant London boasts, and perhaps the best Eritrean restaurant Brixton has claim to is Adulis.
The food here is heartier than at many of the other spots in our guide, placing as much emphasis on the heavy stews and curries of the region’s cooking as it does the sharing elements built around its flatbreads.
We’d recommend going for one of Adulis’ combos – a solid way of trying as much of the good stuff as you can.
Addis Ethiopian Restaurant
King’s Cross
Addis sits along a stretch of King’s Cross that puts up some pretty fierce restaurant competition, and they manage to hold their own.
What’s particularly interesting about Addis is that they’ve done away with some of the traditional forms of Ethiopian dining in place of a more, shall we say, London-focused dining experience.
Plates of food are presented prettily, they’ve adopted a course-based approach to dining and service is noticeably better than most of the rest. You’ll still be tucking in with your hands though, and still be eating from a menu deeply rooted in the country’s cooking, just with a bit of added class.
Merkato
King’s Cross
Anyone looking for the best Ethiopian restaurants London has can’t overlook Merkato. Being another Ethiopian restaurant Kings Cross can boast, they’re only a few hundred metres up the road from the aforementioned Addis. The vibe however, is totally different.
Merkato is a bit more down to earth and encourages sharing between friends. Thus they take pains to see that everyone is catered for, offering options for both vegans and vegetarians.
The best perk for this place though, might just be the spread of outdoor seating you can take advantage of if the weather permits.
Adam’s Ethiopian Restaurant
Brixton
Adam’s Ethiopian Restaurant is a bit of a mainstay of the south London Ethiopian restaurant options. Every time we’re down there it seems to be busy, and with satisfied diners nonetheless (us included).
The food here definitely acknowledged India’s influence on Ethiopian cuisine with a heavy hand on spices and fragrances that aren’t always used so liberally at other restaurants.
Adam’s started as a bakery and because of that their injera (flatbread) is second to none. Also be sure to try the Derek Tibs – beef seasoned with rosemary and garlic, and served with a chilli dipping sauce.
Zeret Kitchen
Camberwell
Looking for the best-value Ethiopian restaurants London has to offer? You can’t do much better than Zeret Kitchen. For the quality of the cooking and the frankly generous price you’ll be having a hearty meal of traditional Ethiopian classics.
Make sure at least one of your group orders a portion of special kitfo because you’ll want a bite. They make it with this special kind of spiced butter that adds oodles of points to the flavour scores.
If you’re feeling adventurous you can always opt for the Zeret Surprise, a platter of who-can-guess what that’s a tour of some of Zeret’s best bits.
Kokeb Ethiopian Restaurant
Highbury
With a hefty menu of meat-free food, Kokeb is a great place to take any curious vegetarians on the lookout for the best Ethiopian restaurant London has.
That said, across the board Kokeb packs a punch with the flavours. Dishes are heavily spiced and have an underlying fragrance from a range of traditional berbere spices that get get liberal use in the cooking here.
The vibe is also pretty cool – it’s got a nice touch of the exotic to it in the use of bright colours and Ethiopian art, and while it’s far from flashy, the whole things comes off as incredibly charming.
Andu Vegan Cafe
Dalston
While much of Eritrean cooking is suitable for vegans and vegetarians, many of the Eritrean restaurants London has on offer don’t aim to cater solely for that demographic. Then along comes Andu Vegan Cafe and bucks the trend.
They’ve carved out a bit of a cult following for their very laid-back digs and quality cooking. That does often necessitate a wait for tables as anyone who’s walked past their door on Kingland road might have guessed.
Dining wise, you’ve really got one choice. To enjoy your food as a sharing plate with friends, or in the traditional way – on top of flatbread that you tear and dip until you’ve worked your way around a hearty spread dips.
Lalibela
Finsbury Park
Perhaps one the most time-honoured Ethiopian restaurants in London, Lalibela has been serving up hearty portions of tibs since 1993. We mention the tibs as the Ethiopian stew is something of a speciality here. They do it with a variety of different meats and vegetables so you’ve got plenty to choose from.
While you’ll likely want to try things like beef or chicken for your first time, don’t shy away from the Mushroom and Okra Tibs, or the Tofu Spinach version either – both examples of how the chefs here like to get creative with their cooking.
Practical Tips for Exploring the Best Ethiopian Restaurants in London
- Ethiopian food is pretty unlike anything else you’ve probably eaten before so our first tip is to just be bold. Order stuff you may not like the sound of on paper, try new dishes, eat things you wouldn’t usually.
- If you’re confused about the menu, don’t hesitate to ask your waiter. They’re always going to be more than happy to help talk you through it.
- Most Ethiopian food is eaten by hand and that’s even true of these London restaurants. You probably can get a knife and fork if you don’t want to dig in with your paws.
