Where to find the best Ethiopian & East African restaurants in London
I feel lucky living in London. We have the world’s vast tapestry of gastronomic flavours in kitchens all across the city. I haven’t yet been to any countries in East Africa, and that’s perhaps why I’m so drawn to its cuisine. For a while now, I’ve been seeking out places in the great metropolis of London to bring me closer to this region that I’ve not yet stepped foot on. Now, I want to share them with you.
Anthony Bourdain once said, “I think food, culture, people and landscape are all absolutely inseparable” and never has a truer word been spoken.
The beauty of food isn’t just about the taste (though it’s a large part!), it’s a chance to experience cultures that are far away from where we live. Most of us won’t have the opportunity to travel to every country on earth, but we can experience them in some way through ingredients, and different methods of cooking that are so deeply ingrained in the bedrock of their traditions.
Zeret Kitchen
Camberwell, South East London
Located in what might feel like the middle of nowhere on the outskirts of an estate laden with concrete and run-down shops, is the unlikely home of Zeret Kitchen, named after the rural village in Ethiopia where the owner had grown up.
Admittedly I felt a bit dubious, but as soon as I stepped through the door and was greeted by a warm ambience and an attentive and softly spoken waitress, I was reassured that I was in good hands. Another thing worth mentioning is Zeret Kitchen’s high ranking on TripAdvisor which is consistently among the Top 50 restaurants in the whole of London – that’s no easy feat considering there’s almost 20,000 restaurants in the city!
On each table were candles and a rose, a nice touch for a date night, but the real care was put into the food. We had a sharing platter, which was prepared to the highest standard. As is the custom in Ethiopia, dishes are eaten with hands, done by tearing off a piece of injera then used for scooping up the various aromatic mixes. For someone who hasn’t eaten Ethiopian before, this makes the experience memorable. Zeret kitchen is a labour of love.
Address: 216-218 Camberwell Rd, Camberwell, London SE5 0ED
Website: www.zeretkitchen.com
Adulis Eritrean restaurant
Brixton, South East London
I love everything about this restaurant – the delicious food, inviting atmosphere and characterful decor. Serving both meat and veggie options served across a huge serving platter of injera, they’ll be something that takes your fancy.
This attention to fresh quality ingredients packed with flavour was much appreciated, this, mixed with the relaxing atmosphere and good selection of wines, makes it a great place for dates nights or catching up with friends to share a platter. I left feeling extremely satisfied!
Address: 44-46 Brixton Rd, London SW9 6BT
Website: www.adulis.co.uk
Blue Nile Restaurant
Woolwich, South East London
Located on a busy, noisy road in Woolwich, I immediately noticed the tranquility upon stepping foot in Blue Nile. The second thing I noticed was the cool, hipsterish decor which you don’t really expect from a place serving traditional Eritrean cuisine. But this isn’t the only surprising thing, Blue Nile also weaves a few Italian edibles into its menu. Confused? Yes, I was a bit confused about this before learning that Eritrea was an Italian colony. You can read a bit more about Italian Eritrean cuisine here.
Along with my friend, we ordered a set menu for 2-people to share. There is a veggie option for £19.20 and a veggie and meat option for £24.20. Since my friend eats meat we opted for that one which consists of five curry-like stews, two of which are meat and three vegetarian. Each had their own distinct flavour which we accompanied with traditional tea made from cloves, cinnamon, star anise and ginger. While I loved the chickpeas marinated with mild spices, my friend’s highlight was the kilwa stew which consisted of lamb with onion, tomatoes and garlic sautéed in a seasoned red pepper sauce.
Address: 73 Woolwich, New Road, Woolwich, SE18 6ED
Andu Cafe
Dalston, North East London
Andu Ethiopian cafe and restaurant is completely vegan and operates from an extremely chilled out venue on ever so popular Dalston high street. However, if you’re looking for somewhere a bit fancier, then I’d probably skip it though. This place is low-key.
It’s a BYOB restaurant (bring your own booze), ideal if you’re with a group of friends simply after tasty, unpretentious, affordable food. The menu is stripped down, offering a 1-person platter for £7 or 2-person platter for £12. Among my friends we ordered a couple of 2-person platters which are actually six portions of various ‘tastings’ which we mopped up with injera. The generously-portioned tastings consisted of spiced cabbage, potato tikil gomen, a spinach gomen, and an assortment of split peas and lentils. Simple but very yummy!
Address: 528 Kingsland Rd, Dalston, London E8 4AH
Website: www.anduvegancafe.com
Laza Eritrean Ethiopian Restaurant
Newington Green – North East London
When it comes to hosting, the owner strikes all the right notes – welcoming, warm, and attentive. Adding to the relaxing atmosphere of Laza is the smooth Ethiopian Jazz that is played from a laptop via Youtube – how can this homely vibe not make you smile?
The food is fresh and delicious, along with Zeret Kitchen, I rank it among the best I’ve tasted in London. As well as the injera platters, I recommend the cod in stew and the spicy marinated chicken wings! Don’t just take my word for it, their 4.9 out of 5 on Google reviews, is certainly something they should be proud of!
Address: 41 Newington Green Rd, London N1 4QT
Website: www.lazarestaurant.co.uk
Merkamo Ethiopian - Spitalfields Market
Spitalfields, East London
Merkamo Ethiopian is a pretty new addition to Spitalfields market, and I was extremely happy to discover it. If I worked nearby, I’d probably be here everyday because the food is flavourful and rich yet light and healthy. Everything they serve is vegan and there’s a variety of dishes to choose from which are all affordably priced. At £7.50 I ordered the Merkamo Special, the most expensive thing on the menu, which is a container filled with spiced lentils and chickpeas, stewed veg including okra, carrots and spinach topped with sorghum seeds and injera.
Whether you happen to be in the area whilst shopping, working, seeing friends, or in seek of food, make a stop at Merkamo Ethiopian.
Address: Old Spitalfields Market, Horner Square, London, E1 6EW
Website: Check out their Instagram Page for more details
Ethiopian Vegetarian Food - Greenwich Market
Greenwich, South East London
My go-to place in Greenwich Market. I’ve been coming here for about 6 years now, and the prices have stayed consistent. A delicious choice of vegetable and lentil curries and stewed spinach, along with rice and cous cous. At the very least, you have to try their lentil sambosas – they’re incredible! And at 5 for £2 or 3 for £1, they’re an amazing deal too!
Address: 5B Greenwich Market, Greenwich Peninsula, London SE10 9HZ
Website: See Greenwich Market website.
2 Responses
Awesome blog. Thanks for sharing!
What great info! We plan to visit London next time. Loved your blog.