Merkato

"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. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Jake Missing photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Food Rundown photo credit: Jake Missing 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. The sauce is a little loose for our liking and the injera is rolled very thin, so you might want some fresh rolls on the side to soak it all up." - Jake Missing

"Calling Merkato a restaurant is maybe a disservice to its vibe, so low-key and relaxed that diners could easily sink into it like injera into kitfo, a heady, melting pile of chopped raw beef in warm butter and mitmita, a spice blend of bird’s eye chillis, salt, and spices normally including Ethiopian cardamom and clove. First-timers should take a look at the fifty-fifty — which pairs hot or mild lamb, aggressively fried, with any of the textbook vegetarian dishes." - James Hansen

"Merkato is as more of a café and chill spot than a restaurant on Caledonian Road. Food reflects a mixed Eritrean and Ethiopian heritage, and the recommended fifty-fifty option gives newbies a chance to sample bits of the whole menu, mixing meat and vegetarian options like the spicy lentil-based ades, fagioli — pasta, but not as you’ve had it in Italy — and hamli sautéed greens. With home comfort drinks on offer such as meta, castel, and St. Georges beer, it’s a great place to spend some time." - Riaz Phillips