Merkato

Fantastic customer service and friendly staff. I was impressed by how accommodating they were—when I asked for plain food with no spice at all, they kindly prepared it exactly as requested. The food was tasty, with decent portion sizes and reasonable prices. The environment was relaxed and chilled—perfect for a casual dinner. I will definitely go back.

This is such a good spot to have a meal before or after doing an escape room at ClueQuest. They're so close together and its a great meal to have in a big group. A group of 4 of us came here on Sunday at 4pm. V quiet so no need for a reservation. Had some Sambusa which I think is essentially a Samosa. You get three of them and they're decent. Very crisp but could have used a little more filling. Didn't fully understand the menu at first glance but after a moment its clear. I went for the combo that included the fish curry, the vegetable dishes, and the meat curry. Unfortunately they didn't have the fish curry so got the chicken stew instead. All the vegetable dishes were lovely and delicious. Think I would specifically go back for the lentil dish and the cabbage one. The chicken stew was pretty good as well. I think I just didn't order enough. I was sharing with someone and you get a lot of the injera but not too much of the meat especially when you're sharing. There was only one really nice lady serving so it just takes a little more patience to get things like the cheque and to order some more. I have to mention that when I was there the bathroom was not in the best state. I don't normally care but the door didn't lock, the tap was a bit busted and the hand dryer wasn't working. I have to give it 4 stars. I was just expecting a little more flavour from each dish. To their credit there's a shaker of salt provided that we didn't use. It's good to go to if you're in the area and doing clue quest but I wouldn't tell anyone to go out of there way.

The food was excellent, so tasty and at a really good price for the amount you got and the location you’re in! The staff were so lovely and attentive, we were a group of 10 and it was very quick and easy with such a nice atmosphere. Highly recommend

The service was very friendly and the food was delicious. We chose a meat combo and a vegan combo between 6 of us at there was plenty of food! We also tried an Ethiopian beer and Tej (honey wine) served in traditional wooden cups. The experience felt very authentic. Be prepared to get stuck in eating with your hands! We were especially grateful that the restaurant provided a sparkler for our friend’s birthday cake. A thoughtful touch!

We had an amazing work team dinner here tonight! We were greeted with such warmth and attention by our server. You need to try the hummus! The sharing platters are also really good, both the veggie ones and the meat dishes. Great dining experience and the ambiance is super cozy!

Fantastic food - we shared a meat combo between 3 and it was plenty. Such incredible flavours! And the staff was so kind. Overall highly recommend!

The service was great, lovely interior and view. This was my first time trying Ethiopian food paired with the honey wine which were both delicious and authentic

We had a lovely meal here! The service was great - the lady that runs the restaurant was very friendly and attentive. My friend and I enjoyed Beyaynetu (vegan platter), shiro and tibs. All very fresh, and served piping hot with very little waiting time. The injera was fresh and just the right consistency. I’m Ethiopian and having lived there for some years, it’s so nice to have a piece of home in the local area! Thank you.

We really enjoyed our visit to Merkato. The staff were lovely, friendly and welcoming and the restaurant had a really relaxed vibe. The food was really delicious-excellent choice for vegetarians as well as meat eaters. All in all, a great experience!

Amazing food! Loved the shiro--sweet atmosphere and good honey wine as well. Would recommend!

Adore this place! I became a huge fan of Ethiopian food during my visits to LA - my boyfriend moved there for work and was living a stones throw from Little Ethiopia. Since he moved back we hadn't been brave enough to try a place in case it didn't live up to our fave place in LA! Whenever I got back from a trip, I'd always rave on about Ethiopian food to my parents and my enthusiasm rubbed off and they were desperate to try some! Back story over - my Dad had his birthday last month and requested going to an Ethiopian place. After much research I decided on Merkato and I'm so glad I did! The food was on point. We got the seasoned injera to share between us all and was so tasty!! For the main, we opted for Dorowot and beef tibs (these were mine and my boyfriends favourites in LA) - these did not disappointed! The veggie dishes we got to go with the meat dishes were great too, lots of flavour and so moreish! One thing that I hadn't experience before was the coffee ceremony - they burned frankincense and walked around with it to every table then left it on the tray with the coffee, such a lovely experience! The lady serving was great too - my Dad had a million and one questions about what spices were used in what dish, how they're cooked, how injera is made etc, and she answered everything! Such a nice little place to go to. If you've not had Ethiopian food before this would be a good start!

Really friendly staff and very tasty food. Between two of us we ordered samosas, a meal for two and two side dishes. We couldn't eat it all as there was so much but tried our best as it was so good. I've never had Ethiopian food before but I'd recommend it. Loved the traditional way of eating it without cutlery and using the pancake to pick the food up and eat it (although this means you eat even more and fill up quickly). We had a taste card do the food was 50% off - a bargain when it's already reasonable prices anyway!

Authentic etheopean food at reasonable prices with a very good service. It is definitely a good experience to try.

To correct the past negative reviews below about the poor service from last year...it's been rather resolved since. The service was graciously attentive, and the language barrier (if any) was minimal. There are also numbers on the menu if you should feel the need to go that route. Coming from LA--land of amazing Ethiopian options, I'd say it is quite comparable. Definitely authentic, definitely hefty portions, and definitely coming back.

This is my favorite Ethiopian restaurant in London. It has the tastiest, most authentic veg combo and honey wine. Plus it's full of Ethiopians which is always a good sign. Highly recommend!

With only a couple of days in London my husband & I made time for our favorite Ethiopian restaurant - which was unfortunately, closed as they're on holiday. Merkato was the next highly rated that was local to us. We called to see if they would seat us (it was getting late & we didn't want to just walk in while they wanted to close up) & they said they would take us. We literally ran there from Kings Cross & the place was packed. A very disgruntled young woman grabbed 2 chairs & a table and put us into a back storage area where 4 other women were cramped. I really appreciated her making room to accommodate us. It was about 30 minutes before we were acknowledged & offered water & at that point my husband & I debated leaving but we didn't want to be rude as they had gone through the effort to make space for us and they were closing soon. Our dining options were very limited as it was getting late. As the front area cleared out, the young woman offered us a regular table that we gladly moved to. We were finally able to order (an hour in already). A traditional variety platter and one dish. We ordered their honey wine that ended up being "fizzy" (shouldn't be) and watered down. (Disappointing.) The food finally came out a little after an hour after that. The young woman who served it apologized profusely saying that when our order was made she had already been closing the kitchen and she had to chop everything fresh new for the plate, etc. I felt bad that our being seated really did inconvenience her. She probably wanted to go home. I believe the only reason we were taken was not because the owner wanted to accommodate diners with a good meal but to get some last minute money from a couple of tourists who probably wouldn't be back and what would we know anyway? The staff barely paid attention when we attempted to ask for water or more honey wine (we thought maybe we just got a crappy serving of the wine so we'd give it another shot) & it was quite clear that the young women there were agitated & wanted to go home. Despite their supposed closing at 9PM while the yuppies streamed out into the night, floods of Ethiopian men came in and sat down & the servers were told by their boss to serve them. It was very uncomfortable. Another couple that was wrapping up their meal asked about getting some coffee & the "head honcho" told them the machine was broken. Interestingly enough he was quick to make some coffee for his friends who started coming in. It was just so slanted and quite frankly, rude. When the end came, we were just eager to get out. We saw that throngs of yuppie locals seemed to really enjoy it there and perhaps so because they were seated at a regular time. But I wish when I had called they were honest & had just said that they weren't taking any more customers. In conclusion, the food was seriously underwhelming (& we have never had a disappointing Ethiopian dinner) and I felt like the wait staff was made to stay & because they weren't "into it", their disappointment was projected onto us. We tipped our server well (we always tip because service is not an easy gig) but we will -never- return to Merkato. When we do return to London, we'll call Kokeb in advance to make sure she's open. Her food & service are STELLAR. Merkato was just awful on all levels. Sorry.

Visited with a friend and it was the first time we had tried Ethiopian food. We loved it. Got a meat a d veg combo to share, with honey wine and coffee afterwards. The food was very tasty, especially the injera and lamb stew. The food comes warm enough to handle with your hands, so don't expect it to be piping hot. It was a very relaxed atmosphere, so enjoy the slow pace of things. Would recommend a visit to anyone.

Went last night with a couple of friends for dinner. Server was really friendly, and when we asked for some dishes to share he ran through what he reckoned would suit us best. Food was excellent, we went for a veg side mix, beef stew, and lamb stew, washed down with some Eithiopean beers. Nice, friendly and unpretentious place, ideal if you want to escape the tourist traps around Kings Cross station.

I loved this place. Friendly staff and excellent food. I hope to visit every time I visit London.

Merkato is a cosy little Ethiopian restaurant tucked away in the forbidden lands north of Kings Cross. This was my first time up this far North and I can't say I would have ventured there if not for it being one of the best Ethiopian restaurants on Yelp. If you are waiting for friends or dining companions, there is a pretty cool pub just down the road called The Driver, but more on that in another post. We started off with a round of beers and, in order to stay true to form, asked for typical Ethiopian beers. Merkato had two on offer: Castel & St. George. Naturally, we couldn't decide and ordered both. Despite all my years of beer drinking experience, I have to admit that I couldn't tell much difference between the two (and thankfully neither could the bartenders in our group). The Castel was slightly hoppier and the St. G slightly sweeter but both are light lagers that go down quite easily. We also chose a bottle of Tej which is like a slightly alcoholic (3-4%) tropical fruit juice. It's a refreshing beverage but don't expect it to get all by the lightest of weights drunk. We kept with the game plan and ordered 5 of the 6 starters (we opted to avoid the salad) which consisted of samosas, spring rolls, a spinach and cottage cheese dip, and, my personal favourite, bits of the typical sour bread fried in a spicy butter. The samosas were fairly tasteless and the spring rolls unmemorable so I'd advise giving those a miss and looking to your nearest Indian and Chinese takeaway to satisfy your craving. The spinach and cottage cheese dish (apologies as I couldn't spell the actual names without a menu in front of me) was tasty even though I'm not the biggest fan of cottage cheese. The spicy bread bits I could easily snack on at any time. For those that are a bit worried, they aren't very hot but rather with a good mix of spices that give a good depth of flavour. When in came to mains, we asked for a selection of traditional dishes and ended up with a variety of meat tibs (dry stir fried style) and w'et (curry style), a trio of lentils (think dal), and a minced beef that reminded me of a keema curry. My favourites were the house special tibs which had a delicious chargrilled crust containing tender juicy meat with a robust seasoning and the minced beef dish which had a rich meatiness although it was a tad oily. Definitely get the extra bread but make sure to save room to eat all the bread in the main dish that will be soaked with the juices and sauces of each dish as you eat. It's by far the best part of the mopping up segment of your meal. By this point, we were far too stuffed to even consider dessert and the 30 min bike ride home was a daunting challenge. The food coma was quickly setting in and for once I was damn happy it was freezing cold outside. Overall, it was a tasty meal with great company so a definite win. I would note that the bathrooms are pretty dodgy and dirty but it kinda adds to the authenticity of the whole thing. Price wise, it's damn cheap with what was essentially an all you can eat and drink (we must have had 3-4 rounds of beer) for just 18 squids.

This review is almost an adjunct of Grant T's review below, as it isn't any use repeating what he said but I can add to it. IMHO: 1 star for service, 4 stars for food, 3 for price. = 2. Let's start by saying this is truly an Ethiopian locals place, where people come to chill out and have some food and drink in a relaxed way. However, in my book relaxed does not mean waiting 50 minutes for a starter to be served (which was never served)....despite me asking twice. Also took ages to get a fork, asked twice and then had to get up, go to the bar and request one. Note: I asked for the fork for the side salad, not the main which is meant to be eaten with your hands. Staff were lovely and polite and nice. But it annoys me to have someone serving who has no concept of what you are saying or asking. Sorry, this is an English speaking country! That all said, the food I had was excellent. Was impressed especially in contrast to the lame service. Everything was fresh and flavorful.The tofu and spinach main-- which I was slightly dubious about--- was remarkably tasty. As Grant implies, poor Hazel's Tilapia looked like Robinson Crusoe had fallen asleep at the fire and left it to burn. Luckily the portions are big and the rest of us easily shared our dishes with Hazel so she didn't go home hungry. I'm somewhat sad to give this eatery 2 stars because they were very friendly, the menu is priced fairly, and the food was lovely (except for the fish). But the service was so poor and utterly annoying I can't give it a 3.

Amazing food, great service and really nice people. Would definitely recommended. Atmosphere is very organic and the hostess is very helpful

A warning to begin with: I don't know anything about Ethiopian cuisine. No idea what Ehtiopian food is supposed to taste like. Therefore I can't tell you whether this was truly authentic food. But it was extremely tasty, flavorsome and (very) well-seasoned. If you're into that kind of food (e.g. Indian cuisine) you should like Merkato. Staff is very friendly, eager to explain (repeatedly) the different dishes and give advice as to which dish might be to your taste. Choice is big, mainly meat dishes (beef and lamb), a few chicken and fish dishes and a decent selection of vegetarian ones. Most (all?) of them are served with Injera, spongy, sour flatbread which is used to scoop up the dish (no cuterly is used). Mains are around 7-8 pounds. Our favorite was the vegetarian spciy lentil dish Miser Wat. Is rich earthy and peppery flavors were a perfect match with Injera. Finish with an Ethiopian spicy tea of coffee. Certainly a place to come back to!

I'd never had a bad Ethiopian meal in my life until this place. Service was horrible, it took over an hour to get our food, and then the food was just not good when it arrived.

One of the true gems of London dining, this little Ethiopian has been there for years and continues to serve amazing food at great prices, and with a friendly and attentive staff that can actually make your dinner even more pleasant. An amazing place for an introduction to Ethiopian food, which will definitely bring you back for more experimentation. One of my overall fave London joints. It's just a pity it's so far from where I live in West London :-(

I had a great time at this seemingly authentic Ethiopian spot (it was my first time eating Ethiopian food so my knowledge of authenticity is limited, but the food was amazing here!) My friend and I started by having their Ethiopian beer, then their cottage cheese/spinach dip and pieces of seasoned injera for starters. By the time we finished those I was already starting to feel full because of the enormous amounts of injera they provide, but I was willing to plow through my main course of tender pieces of stewed chicken, char grilled lamb, steamed vegetables, and flavorful peas in the name of a real Ethiopian experience. Overall, I truly enjoyed this place. We sat outside in beautiful weather, stuffed our faces and stumbled home to a cozy bed. Perfection. My only complaint is that the food was a little slow to come out. But let's just blame that on the amount of time and attention it takes to prepare the best Ethiopian meal a newbie could have :)

Great food and service, and we also really enjoyed the location and atmosphere. I looked for several possible places to take my wife for an Ethiopian meal on her birthday while visiting London, and Merkato fit the bill very nicely.

Tried the Ethiopian cuisine the first time, and it was excellent, and served in a very unusual way too, see photos. That flat thing that covers the dish is a special bread. It gets mixed with the sauce from the meat and salad, and that mixture is delicious.

They say that their hours are open until 12:30 am. I just walked in and 10:30pm and they said that they were closed and done serving for the night. Hard to give a good rating to a restaurant that closes 2 hours early.

Absolutely perfect! i have been to Ethiopian restaurants in the US, Canada and Uk, but nothing comes close to Merkato! Located on Caledonian road, it does get some competition from other Ethiopian restaurants, but with it's price range and quality of food, it definitely blows them all away. At 30 quid for lunch for two ( really decent ethiopian beer included), you really can't complain. Now that brings us to the most important point...what to expect at an Ethiopian restaurant, if one has never been there? 1. No silverware/cutlery. You will have to use your hands. 2. No separate plates. Everyone eats from a common plate. 3. Injera: a really sour but amazing fermented bread, which forms the carb base of Ethiopian diet. 4. mildly spicy dishes, most of them spiced with something amazing called berbere. ( yup,its google time) 5. An elaborate coffee preparation ceremony, in case you do order the 10 pound special coffee at the end. 6. Brilliantly delightful service. So stop reading, and either go taste Ethiopian food for first time or satisfy your craving for some good shiro and injera.

Nice is my verdict, albeit a little greasy. As a first timer, Ethipian food seemed very much like Indian food, but the subtler flavours emerged during my subsequent visits. The vegetarian dishes were good, and so was the ambience. The staff was friendly, my only complaint was that the lighting was so dim I could barely see what I ate!

Oh Merkato, you were my first experience with Ethiopian food, and I was hoping for so much more than what you gave me. In all honesty, the food was pretty damn good. My partner and I split a dinner for two that consisted of cubed lamb, some sort of spicy wet chicken and some vegetables and lentils. Everyone else's food looked amazing as well, except perhaps poor Hazel's tilapia. The food was really tasty, even though there was only one chicken leg and an egg and a pile of sauce. The African flavors were really the type of things I like: A lot of heat and spices. The pancakes are sourdough, and they really were sour. A bit too sour for my liking. For the spicy food, it was fine, but the blander vegetables and lentils really took a hit from the sourness of the pancakes. But what really killed it for me was the service. It was absolutely horrible. There were six of us (one arrived very late due to a last minute appointment). The restaurant was half full, and half of that was us, so it's not as if there was an overwhelming number of people. At first, we ordered drinks. There were three of us, and I ordered a bottle of Tej for two of us (which ended up being two glasses at the end), and Isabel ordered a tea. And I ordered tap water. So our drinks arrived. With no tap water. So I asked again for tap water. The waitress said "Yes!" and never brought the water. Then Vanessa arrived. She ordered a drink and we ordered some Hummus for the table to snack on while waiting for others. I ordered tap water. Vanessa's beer arrived with no tap water. My partner ended up ordering tap water. And he got it, but no one else did, and he asked again for tap water for everyone. (It finally arrived about 20-30 minutes later). Hazel arrived and ordered a drink. Then we ordered food. Then when the tap water finally arrived, Vanessa asked about the Hummus. The waitress said "Yes!" and we went back to our discussion. Later, Vanessa again asks about the Hummus. We were told 4 minutes. By now it's been about 45-50 minutes since we ordered it originally. Finally, our mains arrived. But no hummus. Our meal for two was put down, and I looked at it and realized it wasn't what we ordered. I asked if it was what we ordered. "Yes!" The start serving Isabel and it looks strangely like our food. Are you sure this is ours? "Yes!" Finally the chef who is out at this point helping serve looks at it and says, "No that's something else" and we had to swap with Isabel because she had our food. It was a nightmare getting anything. So yeah, for me having bad service is a reason to not go back. I'd definitely be down for Ethiopian food again, but not from here. Not from a waitress who just says "yes!" to everything you ask because she doesn't understand what you are saying. Seriously, that's not okay.

I went here last week and it was a truly African experience. The food was bold and flavourful. The staff was lovely and friendly (though they seemed a bit understaffed). But the waits were long and you should not be squeamish about bits of things floating in your water and not being given napkins at a restaurant where you eat with your hands. Overall though I thought it was great. I love Ethiopian food and what was served was fantastic! Very affordable too.

Really tasty Ethiopian food. The teff injera bread is darker than the ones I have had elsewhere in the world, and I think it is possible that this is because it contains more teff than wheat flour (Which is a good thing- it is less costly, I think, to blend these flours rather than use 100% teff- so most restaurants will use a blend). But I didn't ask. Maybe another yelper can weigh in. Anyway, the tibs and dor we't (fried lamb pieces and chicken in pepper sauce) sharing platter for two was really nice. There were tons of sides all around the injera late : marinated hot cabbage, two kinds of lentils, a boiled egg, and some kind of green bean and carrot mix side. It was delicious! The one side note to share is that we went on a Sunday and everything in the street was closed. It is less nice if a neighborhood to be eating in when all the stores are gated shut with metal. So, lower rating for ambiance. It is also a hike from Kings Cross station, so I would recommend wearing some good walking shoes for this night out. Lastly, The servers were attentive and kind. The pricing of the menu is reasonable.

Excellent food. The veggie dishes served on the Injera were delectable. The taste was awesome; the quantity was more than sufficient for a dinner, and the price was reasonable. The service was good and the waiter was polite and understanding of our needs (we were vegetarian). The waiting time was slightly on the longer side though. We were also treated to a fascinating coffee ritual and were served exotic coffee from fresh beans. Must have in this place! The only downside is ambience and aesthetics. A few tables were laid outside and people in those tables were smoking. The fumes were especially choking on a hot day. The shop could do well with some refurbishment and more colourful advertisement and branding.

Merkato is nothing much to look at from the outside and the neighborhood was remarkably quiet on the night that we went. Once you get past those things, Merkato is a great restaurant. My party of 3 ordered three dishes and 2 sides and our stomachs hurt even coming close to finishing everything(and it was a great bargain as far as London goes). If you're looking for good ethiopian food and don't mind trekking off the beaten path a bit (20 minute walk from King's Cross), check it out.

Just had a wonderful evening at Merkato. The food was remarkable, rich, spicy & exhilerating. But it was the unassuming charm of our host that made the evening special. From taking the order, preparing each dish and serving, the individual needs of each in our party of six were met with care and a sense of pride in being able to provide food that allowed us an insight on Ethiopean culture.