Restaurants

  • Lalibela

    Budget choice
  • One of London’s older Ethiopian restaurants, the thoroughly enjoyable Lalibela has long been a fixture on the map for Ethiopian expats and Europeans who appreciate the Horn of Africa’s traditional cuisine. The decor – embracing old photographs of Emperor Haile Selassie, examples of national costume and wall friezes of the Queen of Sheba story – errs on the heavy side; this can feel more like an ethnographic museum than a restaurant. But the food holds its own. Our awaze tibs (sautéed lamb) and tsom bayentu (a melange of vegetarian food), ritually deposited in small piles on a sourdough base, were fresh, tasty and promptly served. Made from a mix of grains, rather than the classic, hard-to-locate tef, the injera is less sour in flavour than it should be, but that’s par for the course in London. Food is served on traditional low tables, and diners ordering coffee at the end can luxuriate in the extended Ethiopian ceremony. Set across two storeys, Lalibela offers a quieter and more relaxed experience than some of its smaller rivals. A ground-floor alcove allows privacy for larger groups.

  • Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009

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  1. Posted by David on 13 Nov 2009 23:55

    I love the place and the food. Original, exotic and very tasty.
    I thoroughly recommend it to everyone who wants to try something different.

  2. Posted by Simon on 27 Oct 2009 10:54

    I really cant understand how this place earns three stars out of five. We visited with friends (they're vegetarian) and had a meal which will be remembered as one of the worst I've ever had. Most of the dishes are served on large sour pancakes that are firstly sour (not in a nice sour dough way) and flabby like old, damp carpet underlay. That was followed by a very boring meat curry and a pumpkin curry that looked like it had been sitting in a bucket for a week or two and tasted worse. By the end of the meal me and my wife were actually laughing at the general state of the food/service etc. Very, very poor.

  3. Posted by suzanne dykes (registered user) on 24 Nov 2007 18:45

    Fantastic! Really tasty and orginal food. Great to share with friends.

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  • Details

  • 137 Fortess Road, Kentish Town, NW5 2HR
  • Area: Kentish Town
  • Tel: 020 7284 0600
  • Category: Ethiopian
  • Travel: Tufnell Park tube/134 bus
  • Times: Dinner served 6pm-midnight daily
  • Price: Main courses £8.50-£9.95
  • Credit cards: MC, V
  • Services:
    • Child facilities: Babies and children welcome: high chair
  • Map

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