Lalibela

Bohemian Ethiopian restaurant with unique rituals and relaxed ambience.

Forget knives and forks, eating with your fingers is the way forward at Lalibela. Encouraging a truly hands-on approach, the food in this Ethiopian eatery is designed to be enjoyed. The menu is divided between vegetarian, meat and fish dishes (with the latter arguably the best) but the advised approach is to order a combination of different dishes from each menu and to tuck in and taste them all. Expect delicious, heavily marinated dishes accompanied by mash, split peas, rice and warm bread, perfect for dipping and dunking. The service is excellent - jovial, relaxed and knowledgeable, which is important as the menu is a tad confusing and needs careful deciphering from someone who knows what they?re talking about. Split over two levels, with a fairly noisy bar and art gallery area downstairs and more relaxed dining area upstairs with low stools by large windows, this has become a very trendy spot, despite its off-centre location. Ethic knick-knacks are prevalent throughout the bohemian building, as is the delicate musky smell of frankincense, the presence of which becomes all too clear when you order coffee... First the beans are brought ceremoniously to your table, roasting and steaming away in a small pan. They are then removed in order to be ground only to return minutes later in a delicate teapot with dinky cups and a glowing, warm nugget of frankincense. It?s not expensive either.

Best for:
Finger-licking and finger dipping, Frankincense scents, knick knacks, coffee ceremonies and low stools.

Did you know?
Lalibela is a small town in the middle of the Ethiopian highlands.