There is no truer, yet more annoying, cliché than saying London is a real 'melting pot' of cuisines. Pretty much every part of London is blessed with a reliable Ethiopian restaurant. You never have to travel far when rolls of sour injera and scoops of comforting misir wot are on your mind.
But on a mission to hunt out the capital's best hidden gems, I was advised to visit the acclaimed Zeret Kitchen in Camberwell. It’s a given that the restaurants on this guide are tailor-made for group dining, but while some have a lively party-ish atmosphere full of St. George lager and tibs, others suit a serene midweek catch-up over a vegan platter better. So take your pick and, whatever you do, don’t take London’s wealth of Ethiopian spots for granted.
A cuisine I shamefully knew nothing about, this South London spot is regularly regarded as the best Ethiopian restaurant in the whole city. They've won recognition from many awarding bodies, but the main thing to me is they uphold a whopping five star rating on Tripadvisor. Obviously, this all sounded way too good to ignore. And while I may have been apprehensive at first, I think I've found myself in a life-long love affair.
Zeret Kitchen: A Culinary Revelation
Just off Camberwell Road, Zeret Kitchen looks rather unsuspecting as it nestles between an off license and Islamic centre. Casual with a simple front against the backdrop of an estate, could this really be one of London's best restaurants?
I entered Zeret Kitchen and was immediately greeted by smiling staff. Arriving right after opening time on a sunny London evening, I was their first guest of the day, guided over to a seat in the bright, empty restaurant. Colourful placemats illuminated the tables, tribal art adorned the walls and uplifting instrumentals of welcoming wind instruments played from the speakers. A modern streak of white walls and bright space beautifully undercut these vibrant elements, landing the spot into the pizzazz of the London food scene. And that clear London comfort offers some reassurance as the menu totally overwhelms me.
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Unfamiliar sounding dishes of familiar meats and vegetables hooked me with each tantalising description and I began to salivate into a daze. Filled with sharing plates of food, I was spoilt for choice dining alone. And more shamefully, I didn't even know what the majority of it was. But my friendly server was on hand to help me. She guided me through the options asking my preferences of spice, taste and diet. I trusted her choice and off she went with my foodie fate in the palm of her hands and a knowing smile on her face.
I soon learned this was the smile of someone who knew she was about to blow my mind. Swiftly returning from the kitchen as I anxiously awaited the arrival of this blind date, she paraded a giant plate across the restaurant. It was bigger than the pair of us and topped with a cover, called a mesob. Lifting the mesob from on top of the large silver dish, she unveiled a spectacular spread of dahl, meats and salad on top of a soft bed of bread. A stranger that would soon become my lover.
Sour in taste, the bread is the popular injera, which is made using teff flour. This is my cutlery, my vessel, for the incredible platter of delights. Its spongy sharpness is perfect for complimenting the rich flavours of lovingly-cooked food. Tentatively tearing from the edge, I place the injera in my hand and use it like an arcade claw grabber, reaching in for a prize. And I've won already. Wow.
I closed my eyes in disbelief as I had my first experience of Ethiopian style chicken; pieces of tender meat and peppers cooked with chillies, herbs and spices. It's smoky yet slightly sweet with a pepperiness that balances into a soft punch of fire. Then, awakening me with more newness, a heavily-turmeric laced split-pea stew stings me with a slightly bitter and earthy taste. Then the lentil dahl hugs me with a comparatively smoky and spicy flavour, contrasting again to a nutty kick of the orange-coloured creamy chickpea stew.
Fresh salad and shredded soft cabbage sits wonderfully on the sides, offering me some familiarity with a light and sharp cut through the intense flavors. But my absolute favourite part has to be the Beef Wot. Oh my god. Unbelievable cubes of tender meat sit in a thin, rich stew that's fired up with the Ethiopian chilli, berbere. It's hearty and comforting and cooked craftily. It seems so simple, yet it's sensationally sublime - I've never had anything like it, but I can never go without it again.
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I sat in bliss as I ceremoniously devoured the food. Flitting between fiery beef, herby chicken and yummy dahl, I even text my editor, thanking him for sending me here. This food is unbelievably good and I'm hit with sadness when I realised the portion is way too generous for me to finish.
The waitress comes over to check on me, with her knowing smile now changed into a pleased, proud one. I'm in on her secret now. Zeret Kitchen are humbly cooking up mind-blowing dishes. There's nothing quite like your first time, and I'll never forget this first life-changing taste of Ethiopian cuisine.
I left the haven with a spicy heat still warming my mouth, delicious remnants of the incredible experience to savour and sweat out on my way home from this South London gem.
The chicken and beef combination platter for one costs £16.99. You can find Zeret Kitchen at 216-218 Camberwell Rd, London SE5 0ED.
Do you have a favourite hidden gem restaurant, cafe or pub in London that you think we should know about?
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Other Notable Ethiopian Restaurants in London
Everyone’s got a local favourite they rely on but residents of Elmington Estate in Camberwell have one that’s literally on their doorstep. At Zeret Kitchen, it’s impossible not to adopt the warm glow of its chilli-ribbed kategna after a meal here. The room is usually made up of couples sharing the improbably large and good-value platter for two-safe in the knowledge that they’re at the stage where a little misir wot on each other’s chins won’t do any harm-and sprawling families who rightly feel like the warm glow of Zeret turns it into something like a second home.
In football, they say that form is temporary and class is permanent. Wolkite, a few steps away from the Emirates Stadium, seems to live by this. We’ve sat in this easy-going restaurant as the only guest, as well as when it’s been spilling out onto the terrace, and the quality of its godin tibs remains absolutely stupendous. These sizzling lamb ribs aren’t the only reason to come here. The kitfo has an irresistible, buttery hum to it and when it comes to under-the-radar restaurants for big-ish groups around Holloway Road, Wolkite should be close to the top of your list.
Meals at Marathon are just that-as the owner will remind you upon seeing your not-quite-finished plate. This Caledonian Road restaurant is made for lingering over heaving platters and ‘just one more’ glasses of honey wine that turn into strong coffees and missed trains. Order the feasting-sized mahberawi, with its mild, buttery kitfo and smoky, moreish misir wot, and succumb to the meat sweats in a room hazy with incense.
A wardrobe-sized coffee hut in Dalston with a cult following, Kaffa Coffee is where to go when you want to eat injera and wot in the sun. There’s an enjoyably bohemian feel to this vegan favourite. Gillett Square neighbours post up on stools with a coffee for hours on end, Ethiopian jazz plays in the background, and Kaffa’s handpainted sign has stayed the same since day one. The green cabbage gomen and yeatkilt alicha are standouts, but in truth everything here is lovely.
Anyone who’s frequented this BYOB Tottenham spot knows these three things to be true: tender lega tibes is the best possible way to consume ginger, marriage oaths can be abandoned for the last stew-soaked piece of injera, and berbere spices taste even better with a Mulatu Astatke soundtrack. It’s a casual, cash-only restaurant filled with woven mesob baskets and locals that already know their order. Borrow ours until you find your own-the lentil, garlic, and tang-heavy misir wot platter.
Andu is a small, cash-only, BYOB vegan Ethiopian restaurant in Dalston serving food that’s low in price and high in quality. The menu is straightforward. So straightforward that there are only two things on it. Decide between a Sampler Platter with rice and injera, or the Traditional with just their perfectly tart injera. Then just size up depending on how many people are around the table. You’ll then be eating moreish, spiced yesimir wot, crunchy gomen, and a load of other bits to be mopped up. At around £20 for two people, it’s wonderful-value too.
At Mesi’s Kitchen, Mesi herself runs the show. She warmly greets, kindly fusses, and brings her eponymous Mesi’s Combo to your table. This mixture of meat, vegan, and vegetarian dishes comes with caramelised and frazzled zilzil tibs, ye misser wot, tekil gomen, and yebeg wot, to name a few. It’s nourishing, comforting cooking that suits the living room-like atmosphere of the restaurant. There’s a fully stocked bar too, so it’s a decent spot if you’ve come to watch Arsenal next door.
Off a busy main road in Maida Hill, Mosob is a low-key Eritrean and Ethiopian restaurant that’s good for hunkering down over a comforting, saucy plate of ye’doro wot. Between folding napkins, friendly servers check in on your samosas (hotter than lava, with tasty, minced lamb and a ferociously hot dipping sauce) but otherwise leave you to it. Endearing touches-dangling lanterns, woven fans-make this a snug spot to spend a couple of hours.
Gebeta, a slow Leather Lane spot with a steady stream of regulars, is a go-to for a casual dinner in central. Sit out front for grimy London charm meets alfresco dining and you’ll overhear conversations between local shop owners about their plans for the evening, while you pull apart at soft injera. Inside, beautiful murals cover the walls and decorative handwoven baskets are hung all over. Friends sit on the lime green banquette seating and couples take the window seat while they work their way through the satisfying platters. Order the Gebeta special for a nice mix of everything-the tender lamb tibs is particularly good.
The first thing you’ll notice about Blue Nile is that you’re surrounded by people who definitely aren’t on their first visit to this Ethiopian and Eritrean restaurant. On a busy stretch of Seven Sisters Road near Finsbury Park, regulars wander in to wordlessly pick up their go-to order and older gents share family gossip and a steaming combo platter in a quiet back corner. Follow their lead and request the refreshingly gingery alicha kik and tongue-zapping doro wot as part of the meaty injera-loaded platter. When the sun’s out in full force, the little pavement terrace out front turns into its own buzzing scene.
With an energy so laid-back it’s almost horizontal, D’afrik is ideal for a casual in-the-area dinner. The Ethiopian and Eritrean spot in Shepherd’s Bush is big enough to host a serious catch-up with anyone you haven’t seen for the past six months (there’s an extra bar area downstairs), and the vegan- and halal-friendly menu means you can cater for most dietary requirements. The portions are massive and the servers don’t take questions, so order the bebiaynetu ahmilti, a mix of their vegetarian dishes, plus the awaze tibsi beef. From the vegetarian platter, the shiro and the timtimo are particularly good.
Rhoda is a gloriously cluttered vegan spot in Oval where, on mismatched antique-looking chairs (which are all the wrong heights for the tables), groups make a mess of silky tablecloths as they tear into tangy injera and scoop up tender tangles of fosolia. It’s laid-back and familiar, and the radio crackles in the background as popcorn is handed out with coffee and glasses of honey wine. The shiro wat-savoury, silky smooth, and warm with spices-is one of the best we've had.
Despite the chaos of North End Road outside, any urgency is left at the door after you enter Abugida. This restaurant in Fulham is a slow spot where the music is low, catch-ups are intimate, and the Abugida Special will cause complete silence as everyone's focus shifts to tearing rolls of injera and scooping satisfying misir wot. Highlights include the nutty shiro which tastes great alone and even better scooped with injera, alongside any of the other stews.
Merkato’s menu system is not for the faint-hearted. It’s a dizzying grid formation with no less than eight combinations of injera, wot, and tbsi, 24 arrows, and flashbacks for any perennial snakes and ladders loser. Still, pretty much any route you go down will end in button-popping satisfaction. This Ethiopian spot on Caledonian Road is much more straightforward than its ordering style suggests. Mesob baskets with injera and stews come quickly and are piled generously, and every table in the tight-knit, bric-a-brac-filled restaurant is happily tearing and scooping. All of the food is solid. Don’t be surprised to see a birthday celebration happening under the twinkly setting of fairy lights and umbrella chandeliers. A round of crispy St. George lagers and a few communal platters are perfect for a celebration or a long overdue catch-up with all your mates.
Restaurant Details: Wolkite Restaurant
Wolkite Restaurant is a family-run Ethiopian restaurant known for its authentic flavours, warm hospitality, and traditional home-style cooking. Just a short walk from Emirates Stadium, we offer a cosy and cultural dining experience with a variety of meat, vegan, and gluten-free options.
Address: 82 Hornsey Road, London, N7 7NN
Hours: Tue-Fri 5:00 pm-11:00 pm
Payment options: AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Getting to Wolkite Restaurant
By Train/Underground: Take the Piccadilly Line to Holloway Road Station (recommended). Exit the station and walk straight along Holloway Road for about 5 minutes. Turn right onto Hornsey Road. You’ll find Wolkite Restaurant just ahead on the left side, number 82.
By Bus: Buses 29, 253, 254, and others stop near Holloway Road or Hornsey Road. Get off at "Holloway Road Station" or "Hornsey Road / Seven Sisters Road".
Additional Information: Beer, Cafe, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, High Tea, Takeout, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine
Wolkite Restaurant Reviews
Wolkite Restaurant reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.
Overall rating: 4.4 based on all time ratings
- Food: 4.5
- Service: 4.4
- Ambience: 3.9
- Value: 4.6
Notable Reviews:
- "Recommended by a friend as a fun, delicious and relaxed dinner spot. Loved the vegetarian set menu. Flavourful, generous portions and great value. Be sure to try the honey wine."
- "Very nice place to eat Ethiopian food. Staff is happy to advise on the different a meals. Good value for money"
- "Nice meal and a lot of interesting selections. Good variety of vegetarian and meat based options. Staff very friendly and nice cafe style/community ambience."
The food was absolutely delicious (made by his sister). A real tastebud explosion. Only slight downfall was the long wait for the coffee at the end but that's nothing compared to the great evening we had. Thank you!
Such a lovely place with amazing food and attentive and genuinely kind waiters. Absolutely recommend it to everyone.
I went there for dinner. It is a small basic restaurant with the decoration giving some Ethopian feel to it. Service is very friendly. The food is basic, but good and I enjoyed my meal there. Prices are also very reasonable.
Fantastic Ethiopian food with friendly and helpful staff. Will definitely return!
Food Rundown
Vegan Combo With Lamb Tbsi
Merkato’s vegan combo comes with a variety of lentil, yellow pea, and spinach stews. There are hits of berbere from the war and nice jolts of ginger too. The lamb tbsi is a little chewier than other varieties but its amaze sauce has a creeping, welcome kick to it.
Price: £25 and under
How to make injera starter/ersho naturally without yeast
| Restaurant | Location | Cuisine | Special Features | Price Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zeret Kitchen | Camberwell | Ethiopian | Highly rated, authentic dishes | £15-£25 |
| Wolkite Restaurant | Holloway | Ethiopian | Family-run, near Emirates Stadium | £20-£30 |
| Andu | Dalston | Vegan Ethiopian | BYOB, affordable | £10-£20 |
| Merkato | Caledonian Road | Ethiopian | Generous portions, lively atmosphere | £20-£30 |
