Merkato

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.

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.

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 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 Unilocaler 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.

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 :)

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!

An absolute gem of a place. Plus the woman who runs the place is an absolute delight. I will definitely go back.

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.

La verdad es que la gastronomía no es el punto fuerte de Londres, así que lo mejor es probar esos restaurantes internacionales que tiene que tan difícil es encontrar en ciudades más pequeñas como Sevilla. Nunca antes había estado en un etíope y la curiosidad me podía, así que me encantó que una amiga eligiera este sitio para comer.
Es un lugar tranquilo, aunque el servicio también es tranquilo pero de manera excesiva. Siempre te atienden con una sonrisa y una palabra amable, eso sí, pero se toman DEMASIADO tiempo. Esa es la razón por la que no tiene más estrellas, porque la experiencia culinaria es bastante curiosa y todo estaba muy rico.
Tomamos algunos entrantes como un paté de berenjenas, hummus, unas espinacas con queso… Todo muy apetecible. Los platos fuertes eran unos guisos de carne o pescado bastante especiados y con salsas espesas. Los servían sobre una especie de tortita grande y porosa y se comía sin cubiertos, cortando un pedazo de la masa y haciendo pinza con los dedos. Si volviera me limitaría a los guisos de carne, que estaban bastante más ricos que el de pescado.
Para beber probamos el tej, una especie de vino medio dulzón medio picante, de sabor bastante extraño pero muy refrescante y muy rico. Todo un acierto. Si encontrase tej en cualquier lado, lo pediría sin dudar.

Hmm oui… J’aurais beaucoup aimé adorer ce restaurant, mon premier repas éthiopien, mais force est d’admettre que ce n’a pas été un vrai coup de coeur !
Côté cuisine, rien à redire, je né connais pas la cuisine éthiopienne et j’ai trouvé ça plutôt bon, relevé, original. Malheureusement je n’étais pas trop dans mon assiette ce soir là et entre la bière, l’alcool local et la galette à partager avec un goût presque acide, mon estomac a eu du mal à apprécier totalement le repas. Pourtant les différentes sauces et plats avaient vraiment du potentiel.
Ensuite si je dois être honnête… ce qui m’a vraiment déçue et ce qui fait que je n’y retournerai pas, c’est le service. Sympa, souriant mais trèèèès, trèèèèèss lent. La propriétaire (?) semblait être seule à prendre les commandes, servir… et cuisiner ! Sachant que nous étions plusieurs tables ce soir là, le repas a très vite duré des heures, et mon estomac n’en pouvait vraiment plus!!!
Autre bémol majeur: un petit tour par les toilettes a fait pencher encore plus la balance… Vieilles, pas très propres, des murs peu ragoutants et un passage devant les cuisines pas forcément engageant… Je suis désolée, mais ça né m’a pas donné très faim pour la fin du repas !
Résultat: 2 étoiles pour le lieu et 3 étoiles + pour les plats, donc un petit 3 étoiles au final. Sorry !
NB: Par contre de mémoiré niveau prix, c’est très économique, surtout pour Londres !

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 Unilocal.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.

It was pretty solid. Not sure why it has the great reviews. But it was good. They coped well with ten of us.

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.

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.

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.

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 :-(

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!