Adulis

We went here at 10pm on a Saturday night, without booking, as we didn't know when the play we were going to in Brixton would end and the online reviews here were better than for Asmara in Coldharbour Lane. It started well, when we were ushered on to a larger table by the window for just two if us then went downhill from there. We waited half an hour for someone to take our order then had to go and ask. We were still sitting there an hour after arrival with nothing but honey wine and tap water waiting to help wash down some injera and stew. We asked again got told it was a minute away. It wasn't so we left and got swift, friendly service from the Oval Tandoori so at least got the last tube home. Two or three tables whose occupants arrived after us got served. One waiter did at least register our absence enough to pursue us down the street for the few sips of wine we'd been able to face without any food but no concern for why we never wanted to set foot in there again and some lame excuse about the chef's inexperience. Shame as we were really looking forward to that meal.

The food was wonderful, presented well and worth the money paid for it. Service came with a smile, and the drinks the waiter suggested to have with the meals were perfect choices. One gripe would be the time taken for the coffee course - we were told afterwards it can take a while, but the 45 minute+ plus wait meant a couple of our party had to leave before it arrived. Again, however, it was worth the wait.

Loved this restaurant - a great cuisine. Very unusual. Chatty staff. and great ceremony at the end with the coffee. :0)

I have been to many Ethiopian and Eriterian restaurants in America and also in England.To be true, I really like the Injera that Adulis makes also, the other food that is topped on it and, I have to say I have never tasted Injera made that delicious!The next time I plan to go out to eat, it's going to be Adulis!

A group of us booked a table for four last week and ended up having one of the greatest eating experiences of our lives. I have been to Eritrean and Ethiopian restaurants before and am fairly familiar with the cuisine but my three friends have never tasted the food. From the moment we arrived to the time we left, we had fun. Throughout our meal, the manager, who also happened to be the sister of the owner, was very attentive and kept on revisiting our table. Having explained in detail how the traditional honey wine is made, she offered to give us free tasters. Having tasted it, we ended up demolishing two whole bottles while my Finnish friend ended up buying two more bottles to take back home. When we finished our meal, the owner was kind enough to give us a tour of the restaurant including the newly refurbished basement area which is decorated with amazing murals. Apparently, they hold concerts of Jazz and World Music there twice a month. The food was great and the service was second to and the night, aided with loads of honey wine, was sweet. My three friends are now proper converts. Adulis, until next time then!

This was a surprise booking for my brother in-law who was up for any celebration after securing a dream job. Having visited the restaurant a couple of times before, I thought this would be a good way to celebrate with a touch of adventure for the in-laws as well as a couple of other friends. Adulis didn't disappoint - the ambience, the food and the superb wine list – it was an amazing experience for my ‘guests’. They thoroughly enjoyed the visit and they might have just become converts now :)

I'm actually totally mindblown - as to just how unbelievably bad an experience we've just had. at Adulis. We waited an hour & a quarter just for the starter, then when the main finally came, it looked really amazing (we had ordered a vegetarian combo platter for 2). It was a big dish of injera, with at least 8 or 9 different dishes on it, possibly as many as 10. The first one i tried was tasty enough, but it seemed strange that it was only just luke warm. I tried the other dishes 1 by 1 - luke warm was the best it got - & that was only for 1 other dish. All the others were abolsutely stone cold. And I mean like straight out of the fridge stone cold. They were all tasty enough, but it just didn't seem right. We have eaten at ethiopian restaurants several times, & it seemed to be much the same type of food, but the dishes were always hot previously. We called the guy over & asked if they were supposed to be cold, & he said no, apart from 1 of them, they should all be hot. He took the plate away, & came back another 15 minutes later, with the very same plate, with the very same injera & the very same half eaten scoops of food on it. The injera, that had previously been just about at room temperature, was now completely cold. The actual dishes themselves were still only luke warm. It seemed that they had been microwaved halfheartedly 1 by 1, & that by the time they had finished, most of them were cold again. I think that as a minimum, they could have put it on fresh, warm injera, & properly heated the food through, & preferably given us fresh scoops of all the various dishes. Basically, I walked out in disgust. And instead of being apologetic, the guy started getting shirty with me. Maybe this is not how they usually are, but even if so, the one thing I can now state as a fact beyond all reasonable doubt, & QED, is that all the food they serve at Adulis comes straight out of the fridge - nothing is cooked to order. I really feel compelled to say something now, as this is quite possibly the worst meal out I have ever had. And it's Valentine's night as well!