Guide | London | 27 October 2026
London has Ethiopian restaurants in almost every corner of the city, so you rarely have to travel far for a plate of injera. Some of the restaurants below have been feeding the city for more than twenty years, others started as market stalls and small family kitchens, and all of them are places where sharing a big tray with friends is the whole point.
This guide covers eight Ethiopian restaurants from our London city page, grouped by area. Before adding each one, we checked that it is still trading at the address shown, using the restaurant’s own website, the Food Standards Agency hygiene register or recent coverage in the London press. Opening hours change often, so please call ahead or check the restaurant’s own website before you set off.
King’s Cross, Islington and Finsbury Park
Half of the restaurants in this guide are in north London’s N1, N7 and N4 postcodes, along Caledonian Road, Holloway Road and Blackstock Road.
Addis Ethiopian Restaurant, King’s Cross
40 to 42 Caledonian Road, N1 9DT. Addis is a family owned and family run restaurant that has been trading in King’s Cross since 2001. It says it cooks everything on the premises, from the injera to the sauces and desserts. Time Out’s review highlights vegan dishes such as misir wot, a spicy red lentil stew, alongside kitfo, and suggests the Addis Special for two, a mixed platter of chicken, lamb and vegetables, if you want to try a little of everything.
Marathon Ethiopian Restaurant, Caledonian Road
193A Caledonian Road, N1 0SL. Marathon has been serving Ethiopian food on Caledonian Road since 2004, according to its website, and it hosts live performances on Friday and Saturday nights. The Infatuation describes it as a place made for lingering over large sharing platters, glasses of honey wine and strong coffee, and recommends the mahberawi, a feasting platter with kitfo and misir wot. Bring friends and plenty of time.
Mesi’s Kitchen, Holloway
128 Holloway Road, N7 8JE. Mesi’s Kitchen is a family run restaurant at the corner of Holloway Road and Drayton Park, established in 2014, with Mesi herself running the dining room. Meat, vegetarian and vegan dishes arrive on large trays lined with injera, and the kitchen offers gluten free teff injera. The Infatuation recommends the Mesi’s Combo, a mix of meat, vegan and vegetarian dishes, and notes the homely, living room feel of the place.
St. Gabriel Ethiopian Deli, Finsbury Park
12 Blackstock Road, N4 2DW. This small deli and cafe is listed on the Food Standards Agency register as a restaurant and cafe, and Islington Council last inspected it for food hygiene in March 2025. Diners who reviewed it on its map listing in 2026 mention generous vegetarian sharing platters and a coffee ceremony, which makes it a relaxed stop near Finsbury Park.
Kentish Town
Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant, Fortess Road
137 Fortess Road, NW5 2HR. Lalibela has been serving home style Ethiopian food since 1993, and its dining room is decorated with artwork from Ethiopia. The restaurant says on its business page that it recently reopened under new management and uses 100% teff injera. Its menu covers meat, vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options, and guests on its website single out the traditional coffee ceremony as a highlight.
Central London
Gebeta Ethiopian Kitchen, Farringdon
51 Leather Lane, EC1N 7TJ. Gebeta began as a catering kitchen in 2014 and traded from market stalls before settling on Leather Lane, and it still caters private events and festivals. The menu runs from kitfo and tibs to a vegan combination of lentils, split peas, greens and beans. The Infatuation calls it a go to for a casual dinner in central London, with murals and hand woven baskets inside, and recommends the Gebeta special for a mix of everything.
South London
Zeret Kitchen, Camberwell
216 to 218 Camberwell Road, SE5 0ED. Zeret Kitchen is a neighbourhood favourite in Camberwell with a long menu of lamb, beef and vegan dishes. Start with kategna, a freshly baked spicy bread topped with homemade chilli sauce that The Infatuation singles out, then share the Zeret Surprise, a platter for two that combines beef wot, chicken tibs and several vegetable dishes. Vegans can order a selection of misir wot, shuro wot, alecha and azefa for one.
West London
Abugida Taste of Ethiopia, Fulham
457 North End Road, SW6 1NZ. Abugida serves meat and vegan dishes cooked with spices it sources directly from Ethiopia, along with Ethiopian coffee. The Infatuation describes it as a calm, unhurried spot away from the bustle of North End Road and recommends the Abugida Special, with highlights including the shiro and misir wot. It also likes the doro wot, a thick, spicy chicken stew that can be added as an extra.
A few tips for first timers
- Most restaurants serve dishes together on one large tray lined with injera, a soft, slightly sour flatbread. Tear off a piece and use it to scoop up the stews.
- Sharing platters are usually the easiest way to try a range of dishes, and every restaurant in this guide serves vegetarian dishes such as misir wot.
- If a restaurant offers the traditional coffee ceremony, leave time for it at the end of the meal.
Find more Ethiopian businesses in London
Our London city page lists Ethiopian restaurants, churches, mosques, community groups and other services across the city. Know a restaurant we have missed, or spotted a change at one of the places above? Tell us and we will update the guide. Own an Ethiopian restaurant in London? List your business for free.
More guides: Best Ethiopian restaurants in Washington DC and Best Ethiopian restaurants in Seattle.
Sources
- Addis Ethiopian Restaurant website (history since 2001, cooking on the premises, address): addisrestaurant.co.uk; Time Out London, “Addis”, review by Paula Akpan, 3 December 2025: timeout.com
- Marathon Ethiopian Restaurant website (since 2004, live performances, 193A Caledonian Road): marathonrestaurant.co.uk; The Infatuation, Marathon Restaurant review: theinfatuation.com
- Mesi’s Kitchen website (dishes, teff injera, address): mesiskitchen.com
- Food Standards Agency food hygiene rating record for St. Gabriel Ethiopian Deli, 12 Blackstock Road (Islington, inspected 28 March 2025): ratings.food.gov.uk
- Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant website (since 1993, artwork, address): lalibelarestaurantuk.com; Lalibela business page on Yelp UK (reopened under new management, 100% teff injera): yelp.co.uk; Tripadvisor listing (dietary options): tripadvisor.ie
- Gebeta Ethiopian Kitchen website (catering since 2014, market stalls, events and festivals, menu): gebetaethiopianrestaurant.com
- Zeret Kitchen website (menu, address): zeretkitchen.co.uk
- Abugida Taste of Ethiopia website (spices sourced from Ethiopia, meat and vegan dishes, address): abugida.co.uk
- The Infatuation, “The Best Ethiopian Restaurants In London”, 7 July 2025 (Zeret Kitchen, Marathon, Mesi’s Kitchen, Gebeta, Abugida): theinfatuation.com
Last updated: 27 October 2026. Listings were checked on 27 October 2026. Ethiopialist has no commercial relationship with any of the restaurants in this guide.
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Featured image: Marathon Restaurant and Bar on Caledonian Road, Islington, photographed in 2009. Photo: Peter McDermott, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (Geograph Britain and Ireland), cropped.