Restaurants

Full of wonder and delight, Lalibela occupies two floors furnished with assorted chairs and tables of varying heights. Upstairs, in a room festooned with bric-a-brac, a loyal throng of Ethiopian and European customers sets a lively tone. As did refreshing starter salads of warm beetroot and potato, and shards of crisply fried fish mixed with tomato and lettuce. It then proved impossible to do justice to the shared vast expanse (two rolls apiece!) of injera, the spongy, pancake-like bread that substitutes both plate and cutlery. The otherwise rather uninterested waitress seemed surprised and disappointed we hadnt finished. Our defeat was in part due to fried strips of lamb spiked with rosemary and thyme the house special being too long and chewy to eat with dignity and no knife. Wimps who want cutlery can order turmeric rice instead of the versatile, terrifically tangy bread; this injera made the timidly spiced yellow split peas with courgettes and green pepper pale by comparison. Sprightly spring greens stewed with ginger, tomato and onion were a revelation, and the food was served with enough ceremony mains sizzle over a nightlight in an unusual mask-like claypot to make the experience thoroughly enjoyable, despite the odd disappointing dish.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008