Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant

It's my first time trying Ethiopian cuisine and it was a pleasant experience. If you haven't tried it before, give it a try. You use your hands to eat, and Lalibela offers an authentic experience. I'm pretty sure it's vegan and vegetarian friendly too.

Absolutely loved this. We each got the Specialty Platter with a four different items on the platter. Way too much food for all of us, could have shared some. VERY good, super flavorful, unique flavors. Loved this.

Just walked in today. Feels like you step into another world. Vibes were impeccable. Very nice server as well. Good food. Yummy strong flavors! 10/10 would recommend:)

I didn't expect to find an Ethiopian restaurant of such quality in New Haven. We've tried a few others, but I must say this one undoubtedly takes the top spot. The place is clean and welcoming, the staff is very attentive, and the service is impeccable. The selection of Ethiopian dishes is absolutely incredible; I was completely won over. We started with the yater fitfit. What a marvel! The shredded injera, soaked in that vibrant, spiced butter, melts in your mouth, releasing an unbelievable aroma. The texture is simply perfect, a combination of softness and a slight chewiness. It's a dish that warms the soul, true comfort food elevated to a higher level. Then there's the doro wot. The incredibly tender chicken leg, slow-cooked in a rich and deep berbere sauce, is an unforgettable sensory experience. Each bite is a delight, an explosion of complex spices that blend harmoniously, leaving a slightly spicy aftertaste that makes you want more. The alicha siga wot is a triumph of delicacy! The tender meat, stewed in a yellow sauce made with turmeric, ginger, and garlic, is a hymn to simplicity and elegance. The flavors are enveloping and comforting, perfect for those who love a gentler but no less satisfying taste. It's a dish that nourishes both body and soul. Moving on to the fosolia, I must say it was a pleasant surprise. These tender and crisp green beans, sautéed with onions, tomatoes, and light spices, offer a fresh and lively interlude between the richer dishes surrounding them. Their simplicity is their strength, a side dish that shines in its own right. Finally, the yemisir wot is a true gem for lovers of intense and earthy flavors. These red lentils, cooked in a deep and spicy berbere sauce, have a creamy texture and a flavor that lingers pleasantly. It's a nutritious and flavorful dish that shows how even a humble ingredient like lentils can be transformed into something extraordinary. In conclusion, every single dish I tasted was a celebration of the rich and varied Ethiopian cuisine. The freshness of the ingredients, the mastery in the use of spices, and the passion that shines through in every preparation are simply exceptional. If you haven't yet had the pleasure of trying this restaurant, I strongly urge you to do so. Prepare yourself for an unforgettable culinary journey!

The food was so flavorful and delicious, I give it a 10/10 worth the try!! The culture food and coffee was delicious and beautiful

Best Ethiopian food in CT. The service, atmosphere and more importantly the food was delicious. The owner Wuben personally checks in with each and every customer which I must say is quite admirable and makes the experience very hospitable. Thank you for the meal 🙏🏾

Some of the best food I have ever had, in any restaurant ever. The man who waited on us was kind, generous, and patient...and quick. Never had bad service here, or a meal I didn't enjoy. I will come back again and again, and take all my loved ones with me. I cannot praise this place highly enough, and I hope to someday try every single item on their menu. Their vegetarian dishes ARE wonderful, but don't shy away from the meat if you're a meat eater! Tender, flavorful...and their tea is lovely. 20/10

The food is very honest, very balanced in terms of spices, and you should ask for their recommendations and trust them. But what I want to stress out the most how welcoming everyone is. The owner himself asked whether I enjoyed my dinner and stayed for a chat; the piano player who performs on Saturdays has been playing there for over 20 years; and the entire restaurant exudes this warmth only a family business can have. Thanks for this lovely experience!

Absolutely delicious. I tried 6 different vegetable dishes and punctuated each bite with an, "ummmumm". It is so tasty. Not only did I enjoy the food but my two picky toddlers enjoyed their meal as well. This is going to be my new birthday/date night spot. We did take out, but we found the workers to be attentive in the short time we were there. Great choice for vegans, so much flavorful variety.

This little place is such a hidden gem. Highly recommend for both flavor and portion sizes.

Went to the food truck for lunch and it was delicious! I got the Grilled Fish with lettuce and salad. Hit the spot! The prices are definitely reasonable for new haven and the amount of food you get. The gentleman running the truck was very friendly. I'll be back again!

Great restaurant. Beautifully spiced food, nicely done injera. The space is peaceful, spacious and well decorated. My server Anteneh was kind and attentive. Would definitely come again

Absolutely delicious Ethiopian food at a great price point! The Veggie and meat combination platters are an excellent deal! You get to choose from 4 different sauces to pair with the injera. Their take on the Somalian "sambusa" was quite odd and favlorless. They also served the sambusa with hummus which I've never seen done before. Aside from that, I really love their flavorful and spicy sauces! Their wait times for take out is a bit long and I find that they often times haven't even started my order by the time I finally arrive to pick it up (maybe they're short staffed on the days that I go?). Overall, Lalibela is a fantastic staple in Downtown New Haven!

Awesome food and service. Great vegetarian options. Good music and ambience, excellent service. Three of us shared all the food. Apps: - Yemisir sambusa - lentil stuffed pastry kind of like a samosa but with a lovely flaky crust. - Key Sir Salata - chunky salad, crunchy and yummy. - Kategna - tangy, spicy mix in folded triangles, kind of like a stuffed soft thin pizza. Main: - Lalibella vegetarian combo - we chose these four toppings that were placed on different ends of the injera (reminded me of a Gujrati Thali) made with fermented teff batter, one of the healthiest grains there is - Shuro (chickpeas in slightly spicy berebere sauce), - Kosta (spinach and potatoes), - Tikel Gomen; (cabbage and potatoes cooked in vegetable oil with onions and garlic) - Yemisir Wot (lentils cooked in berbere sauce). This came with an Injera basket - spongy rolls that you could dip into the toppings as is or unroll to dip pieces. Our waitress Jano from Andhra was lovely . We had a bit of the injera and toppings left over - cut it into four and folded the bread over each topping.

amazing food! wonderful piano player. get the tea!!! its amazing & so is all the food. service is great super friendly

Such a wonderful experience at Lalibela! The food was absolutely delicious. I had the vegetarian combo. The gomen was my favorite! What made the experience even more special was the friendly and welcoming service. Authentic Ethiopian cuisine and genuine hospitality.

Food was FANTASTIC! Super rich, very flavorful. Loved this and will definitely go again. Did the specialty platter that has a bunch of items to try. Huge and loads of foods.

Food 5/5 Service 4/5 Ambiance 4/5 I came here for an early dinner at 5pm with a friend. The restaurant had one other party of 2, and was otherwise completely empty. We were seated immediately. My friend, and I were a little overwhelmed by the menu, given the many choices. We asked our waitress for a recommendation and she let us know that they offer combination plates in which we get to choose 4 different things to try. This is what my friend and I ended up getting. Another thing I liked about the menu is that they offer the same things in a spicy and non-spicy option. My friend and I got a few of the same things but she got the spicy version and I got the non-spicy. Overall, I would rate the food 5/5. It was delicious and I was SO full by the end of the meal. My one disappointment is that I had ordered a coffee, which came out in this beautiful jug. I had only consumed maybe 1/3 of the coffee when the waitress came and said that another customer ordered the coffee and she needed to take the jug away. I thought she would take the jug back and pour the remainder of my coffee into a mug or a different container for me. She didn't. She took the jug away, and next thing I see is the waitress bringing that same jug to the other table. I was very disappointed that I paid for the entire jug of coffee and only got to drink maybe 1/3 of it and I was still charged the entire price for it. Knocked off one star for the coffee incident, but otherwise I would absolutely recommend for the food!

Too salty for my taste buds. Had to drink significant amount of water to balance the salty pancake underneath and used for wrapping all the food with. Guess it must be for African food preferring to not get spoiled in hot weather and inherited such salty base.

Delicious food, cheap prices, huge portions. What more could you ask for? I ordered the veggie combo with yemisir wot (lentils), tikel gomen (spinach), and shuro (chickpeas). All of these dishes, plus the injera, were fantastic. The portion I received was immense considering the price of ~$13.

When I crave Ethiopian cuisine, I can count on Lalibela to hit the spot! The menu is very vegetarian-friendly, the ambiance is great for casual groups, and the dishes are super shareable. The combo platter is a nice way to start off if you want to try multiple stews or vegetables. If you know what you want (or if you're on the hungrier side!), you can get a bigger entree size that still comes with two smaller vegetable dishes - I ordered the yemisir wot (one of my favorites) which came with zucchini and fosolia. The zucchini was cooked in a savory tomato-based sauce and was delicious. My partner ordered the combination platter with Tikel Gomen, Siga Alicha, Shuro, and Doro Wot. We both agreed that the Doro Wot was the best! Service can sometimes be on the slower side, especially when there are a lot of people in the restaurant. The servers are very nice and knowledgeable, but not as attentive - water glasses were not refilled even though they were empty before we were halfway through with our meal. When we were able to flag down a server they were refilled very quickly. The owner is also very kind and if he's free, he will occasionally stop by tables to chat with customers - we loved learning about the restaurant and his family! He mentioned that the restaurant also has a food truck that offers lunch on Cedar St (near the Yale School of Medicine) during the weekdays, which I am looking forward to trying!

The food was delicious. Ambiance was comfortable. Service was a little slow. Only one server on. But a good experience.

Went here with my family to celebrate a birthday. They were understaffed so it took a while to get our drinks. I had wanted a gin & tonic, but they were out of tonic. ( a little annoying) ended up with a beer. We had sambusa's for appetizers, then a meat sampler platter and a vegetarian platter. The food was terrific! Definitely a different experience eating with your hands! Felt bad for our server since she basically working alone on the floor. She did her best. Would definitely come here again

Beautiful authentic ambience. Great service and food Very courteous Suggest getting the combination platter. Unique taste and bread. Will surely come again

I had never had Ethiopian food before but now I'm hooked! The food is amazing here. Literally anything off the menu was one of the best thing I ever ate. Two of us ordered the veggie platter and the meat platter. It was only $40 total and it was two full meals worth of food (and we have big appetites) The atmosphere is casual and the service is fine. The food is the real star here!!

Went with two friends for dinner on a Friday night and had a great time! Can say we were very grateful to have gotten there a little early, they were packed right after

Food was tasty but a little cold. Service slow but pleasant. Seemed understaffed. Will definitely return

Really good food, like as if your friends mother made you super delicious huge portions stewed food . We had the lamb and chicken and it came with sides of green beans carrots and another side of lentils with tomato sauce. If you are familiar with homemade Arabic or North African stewed food, this is exactly like that

Loved this meal!! Came across this food truck while walking around town. I ordered the rosemary chicken, which i believe is there doro tibs on their menu. This meal filled me right up, it had the perfect spices and the texture was amazing. I already miss this meal . I got a small squirt of hot sauce and it was just right. Definitely need to come back down and have this again!!

The food can't be beat. I am always extremely satisfied with my meal whenever I come here. The ambiance is lovely, too - last time I was there, a pianist was providing live music. That being said, the service has typically been somewhat slow for me. Not the best place to go if you are in a rush. Also, once when I was there, we were served scoops of food that were not the ones we selected from the menu. We decided not to say anything because it looked (and was) delicious. Although there are a couple of service-related aspects the restaurant needs to improve upon, the food is just so delicious it still warrants a 4-star review. This is still one of my favorite restaurants ever.

The food is amazing! The staff is friendly and helpful. We ordered a vegetarian combo and the meat combo. Everything was so good! I've been there a few times and it is always packed but we were seated right away and food came out quickly!

Food was good- service was slooooooow and not sure why as there was only one other table and they were already served. Waters not refilled- that sort of thing.

Delicious Ethiopian food. Great vegetarian options that are full of flavor. Great lunch or dinner spot

Delicious! Not super spicy and some of the best I have had for San Diego, Portland, to Kenya. Definitely coming back if end up in New Haven again!

The food is always great. The service is always nice. I have dined in and ordered before. Great for vegans! I always get the veggie combo.

Many years ago during my first visit to New Haven, someone told me that I needed to eat Ethiopian food. I'm guessing it's because there is a large Ethiopian community here, but admittedly I haven't actually independently determined that. Over the years, on virtually every trip back here I've found myself in an Ethiopian restaurant, and this most recent trip was no different. We settled on Lalibela both because of its rating and the fact that it was across the street from our hotel. Though we made a reservation during our drive in from Manhattan, it wasn't necessary since the restaurant was mostly empty (as were the streets of New Haven during the summer break of a Covid year. We spent a long while regarding the menu, as my other three companions had not experienced this cuisine before. I sipped an excellent Ethiopian beer as we waited for our food, but unfortunately will not be able to find this again because I couldn't read the label which was printed in only the native language. Our dining adventure consisted of the following: Yemesir sambusa - a puff pastry, similar in texture and shape to a turnover, filled with lentils. Light and flaky, it was a good start to the meal. Fosolia - green beans, carrots, and onions cooked in a mixed of spices and herbs. Just okay; the seasoning seemed to really take over the dish. Doro alicha - chicken cooked in butter and spices, moderately spicy even though it's advertised as mild. Quite good. Siga wot - beef cooked in a similar way to the chicken dish. Beef was tender and heat level was low, which was appreciated. This was probably the best-liked part of the main meal. Yasa wot - white fish cooked in an herb sauce. There was a mixed reception to this; a couple of us thought it was really good but others found it to be less to their liking. These dishes are served with these rolls of what is best described as an unleavened sourdough pancake sort of thing. You use your fingers to scoop up the food. In past experiences, this is usually quite sour in flavor but on this occasion it was much less so. So, a fine meal overall. If our travels take us past here again in the future, we might stop in again. I would probably try to consider the way the individual dishes are prepared more carefully to choose flavors that are a little more dissimilar so provide a little more contrast to the meal.

My cousin and I have been wanting to try this restaurant for awhile and finally got the chance. It's been around since the 90s, and anyone we spoke with who has been loved it. Our experience didn't disappoint! The staff was very nice, the piano music was lovely, and the food was, as my cousin put it, FIRE! We had all mild options because of my kids, but it was all delish! Our favorite was the beef though. Whatever combination of seasoning used was just perfection. The kids found eating with their hands fun, and even my 10-month-old was obsessed with the lentils. I can't wait to come back!

I have to stay, the Fosolia was amazing and brought back a lot of memories from Egypt. Overall the vegetarian dishes were exceptional. Felt like I went on a short trip to Ethiopia. Would recommend this place for anyone who wants to enjoy healthy and spice filled meal. Entrees were light but filling. The staff was also exceptionally busy but courteous and kind. Overall great experience and would come here again. And the ambiance was also pleasant

Food was very good. Service was great too. We tried a variety of things and liked it all.

Went here to celebrate my husbands birthday. What a nice restaurant. Food was delish! It's def a unique experience. Would go back. Clean and beautiful restaurant. First time dining out as a family since March 2020. The only reason I did not give 5 stars is the server was very dry and my water was never refilled. We only got one napkin which isn't enough when eating multiple course with your fingers. Also it to a really long time to get the check when we were finished.

Visited this restaurant at the end of a year of visiting my 100 new restaurants and this one was a fantastic one to end on. Our server was super helpful as our group of 6 order lots of different combinations of items. I also appreciated that at the beginning of the menu it offered definitions and pictures of traditional Ethiopian dishes and flavors. All of our food was delicious and flavorful. Our one complaint was that the injera was flavored slightly like lemon which ultimately balanced anything that was spicy but threw off the taste of other things. I would definitely return to try more dishes.

My husband and I are quite big fans of Ethiopian food and our search for the same led us to Lalibela. I don't think we have any other Ethiopian joints in New Haven. The place is quite big and is maintained pretty decently. There was only one lady to take the orders and as a result, we ended up waiting so long to get our food. We ordered veg combo and meat combo, both include 4 side dishes each along with fermented crepes names injera. We definitely liked our food but find it more expensive for the quantity we are offered.

Some of my favorite vegetarian food in New Haven. I find myself craving it. You can't count on everything going smoothly, but the food is delicious and made with love.

By far my favorite place in New Haven to eat. All the dishes are so well seasoned and tasty. I can't get myself to stop eating every time I come here. The wait can be a little bit longer than usual to get your food, probably because of how complex each dish is. But trust me, the wait is worth it. I've never been disappointed coming here. The only downside is I leave this place so stuffed I can't even move because the food is just that good.

Do not go here if you have food intolerances and need to communicate clearly with the servers. I would give this place zero Stars if possible. I went here on 12/27/23 with my family. We were looking for a relatively quick place to stop before I got on the train to go back to New York. I picked this place because it had good reviews on the find me gluten free app. (My dad and I have celiac and my cousin is vegetarian.) When we came into the restaurant it was nearly empty and we were greeted by an incredibly young server who spoke so low that we could barely hear her. I asked her if the restaurant did indeed have gluten-free options like the reviews indicated. She pointed to the back page of the menu and indicated that the Injera bread was gluten free (which is a given because it's traditionally made with teff flour). The injera bread was the only thing labeled as gluten free, which is odd because no one would ever order that bread by itself. I asked her if anything else on the menu is gluten free and she continued to point to the injera bread and mumble under her breath. At this point, I said you know what we're going to leave, because you're telling me that the only thing gluten free on your menu is the bread and we are obviously looking to eat a full meal. My party went to leave and the server seem to panic instead of just letting us leave. (It would have been fine if they just said I'm sorry we can't accomodate you - the reviews are wrong.) At that point she backtracked and affirmatively said everything vegetarian (items 10-18) were gluten free. I thought this was suspect but we were super hungry so we stayed based on the previous reviews that I read. Additionally it seemed like there was a language barrier, so I thought maybe she just didn't understand me when I first asked the question. She did not come back for a really long time to take our drink order. After that, it took a long time for our food to come out even though the restaurant was nearly empty. When the food came out, it did not look like what was described on the menu and I think I would call it lukewarm. Additionally, the injera bread was cold and rubbery like it had been refrigerated. There is another review indicating not the vegetables are frozen rather than fresh and I'm inclined to agree that's probably the case. However, the food was otherwise seasoned alright. I would call the spicy dishes still very mild. Nothing memorable except hours later, I became ill. Around that time, my dad texted me and said he was also ill. He spent all night extremely sick, vomiting on and off. The server was clearly dishonest with us and lied to retain our business. If you come here, expect lukewarm, mild, mediocre food made with cold injera, frozen vegetables, and bad service. If anyone in your group has a dietary restriction that requires a real conversation, do not come here at all.

I have had Ethiopian in Boston that set my standard for Ethiopian food. Took a little bit while for our food albeit we were a sizeable party of 8 and each got a combo. They forgot our appetizer which ended up o being ok since we were full. The injera (bread) that you eat with had more flavor than I was used to, it was almost lemony, which the food masked ok, but felt it took away from the food flavor a bit (which was very good by itself). My friend spilt her water on her food when we tried to have the waitress take a few epic picture and they were very quick on replacing it. Friendly staff, quiet enough atmosphere (although we went during the week). I plan on goin back.

I would like Lalibela to create a chewing gum, so I might have their wonderful flavors at any time, anywhere. Truly my favorite Ethiopian food around!

Food-wise and menu this restaurant deserves 4.5 stars. The menu is large and quite diverse with all sorts of toppings and sides. The food is delicious, flavorful, the sauces are fantastic. You can combine them in any way to eat with the Ethiopian thin bread. The Saturday night jazz pianist is good and a nice, unique touch. However, I am giving it 3-stars because this was arguably the longest restaurant wait time I've had - there was 1 waitress in charge of the whole night of about 25 customers. After sitting down, it took her 20 minutes to come and ask for our order, then another 30 minutes for the food to arrive. Also, for whatever reason, they kept the outside back door open, allowing into the restaurant a drift of 30 degree weather. That and the restaurant closes soooo early. On a Saturday night it closed at 9pm!

I got the vegetarian sampler from here after a long hiatus because I was underwhelmed from my last dining experience and somehow it got worse. For the record all the vegetarian entrees are vegan. Everything here is premade, which normally isn't bad, but the food has the quality/consistency of food that has been left in a steam bath for hours just waiting for you to order it. The fosolia was limp and lifeless, like it had been over cooked. The flavor showed promise but the texture left a lot to be desired. The yemisir wot saved the entire meal, and was just as tasty as I remember it. It is stewed lentils, so if you are not a fan of mushy food then you won't like it, but it's well seasoned and spiced. The lunch time specials have a bit more texture so that confirms my suspicious that all the dinner time food is hot-held. The most egregious part of eating out from here is that they use frozen vegetables. This shows most apparently in their greens dishes, like the kosta (spinach and potato stew), which tasted like it was prepared with freezer dried chopped spinach. The gomen wasn't much better, it was way undersalted, sour and overboiled. I threw both of these away. Injera is fermented so I expect sour notes. I love fermented foods and enjoy making them (kombucha being my big one, but I also make traditional Ghanaian fermented foods) but I did not expect heartburn or to wince while eating it. I don't remember it ever tasting this sour. It seemed like it was just a day or two away from being unusable and I threw most of it away. For $17 it was a sad meal. I used to like eating here but when you throw out 60% of your meal it's not worth recommending. Should you choose to come here, get the yemisir wot and maybe the fosolia. Skip the rest.

We went there for dinner on two days within the same weekend. The place is amazing, food is really tasty. Very authentic (decor and food). We had the vegetarian combo. The people were very kind and nice. We live about 2 hours away but will definitely go back as soon as we can. Reasonable prices. 5 stars all the way!!!

I wanted to love this place due to the lack of vegan/vegetarian options in the New Haven area. I liked it, not loved it. Visited during the lunch buffet. Wasn't busy, but service was slow. Slow to greet upon entering. Slow to get more water. Slow when we had a question. There was only one woman and she was the nicest woman but wasn't always around (Theory in my head: she was working the back of the house cooking/ prepping as well as front of the house getting/serving/bartending) The food on the buffet was delish!!! Worthy of returning! My only problem was that there were no labels on any of the food. It wasn't a real problem until I wanted something with a sweet note. So I went to take a bite of what I thought was corn, and to my disappointment it was beans.... That's when I realized that I'm really just eating random foods. Even if I wanted to return to order something, I would have no clue as to what I ate... guess I could order a dish by color! Give me the yellow stuff that looks like corn and tastes likes beans or the shredded meat with a red orange sauce.

If you've never eaten Ethiopian food before, this is a great place to go for rich, authentic flavors. The food is centered around injera, which is the soft flatbread that comes with every dish. For apps, we got the senge karya which was okay and the yesiga sambusa which was amazing! For entrees, we got the combination platter for two and chose a variety of meat and vegetarian dishes (see photos). You really can't go wrong with any of the choices! It was more than enough food for two people. We also got an Ethiopian beer and wine, which complimented the food well. Our server was very friendly and knowledgeable but it was a little slow.

Food savory, but could have steak tartare, which made me want to come back for it. The native wine, honey, and beer, blonde, were great! Service attentive and courteous. Ambiance with artwork and music but me in the mood for their dishes. My first time with this treat! Looking forward to their Jazz presentation on Saturday night...

I brought my 2 younger children and boyfriend for their first time to one of my favorite restaurants in New Haven. I ordered a combination plate with the kids so we could try different things and we also ordered a spicier beef dish. We loved all of it. You can eat with your hands by scooping up with the injera so fun for the kids and the food is so flavorful that all of us had favorites by the end. In the past service has been on the slow side so I was prepared, but our server was amazing. She made great recommendations and checked in on us and at the end the owner of 23 years thanked us for coming. For an authentic experience, I highly recommend.

This is the best food in the world. I'm not joking or exaggerating. Life-Changingly good food. Both the restaurant and the food carts have quality and consistency.

This place is so good and tasty it's ridiculous. I can't stop ordering from here. Lots of vegetarian and vegan options. There are good places to park on the street. I had lentils, collard greens and spinach. Gomen, Kosta, and after Kik. Delicious. Highly suggest this place.

just nowNEW The waitress took forever to come to the table, after 20 min waiting I had to ask for my drink that never arrived..! after 1 hour, the food came super cold ! The tables around us were very dirty and nobody to take care of it..My ice tea was soooo sweet that it was impossible to drink..After all the bill came so high. ridiculous!! What a bad experience!!! SAVE YOUR MONEY AND GO ORDER PIZZA INSTEAD!!!