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Lalibela

Address:137 Fortress Road, London NW5 2HR
Tel:020 7284 0600
Price: £35.00Wine: £15.95 Champagne: £30.00
Opening Hours:Mon-Sun 6pm-12M

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Named after one of Ethiopia's holiest cities, Lalibela’s decor is a worthy tribute to the pilgrimage site: stuffed with traditional fabrics, statues & carved tribal tables & chairs, it’s reminiscent of an African Aladdin’s cave & creates an atmospheric backdrop for the rich warming food on offer. Thetour de force is the selection of fiery meaty stews that arrive in cauldron-like pots for spooning over the springy Ethiopian flatbread known as injeera. These are so filling that you probably won’t need starters, but if you’re in the mood for a blow out, try the spicy tempura-style cauliflower or zingy chicken salad. Lalibela’s cracking atmosphere & the sharing nature of the food make it a great first-date option, & the lovely serving girls go about their business with oodles of good-natured charm.

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Reader reviews of Lalibela:

Vikki P.
Reviews: 1

Vikki P. ( 30s, Female )

My friend and I stepped into here curious to try it out but we were not particularly hungry, just peckish, so we only wanted to order starters. We were served by the most grumpy and disinterested waitress I have ever experienced in any restaurant. There was no greeting, no smile, no real interest, she just showed us to our table and gave us menus, then when we only wanted to order starters she looked offended and kept asking us if we were sure we only wanted starters. I even said at one point “is that a problem?” which she just completely ignored while scribbling on her little pad. Her attitude was the worst I have ever had to deal with. The drinks and food were just dumped silently in front of us and when we automatically said thank you we were met with a scowl and a sneer. The food itself was actually lovely, and the extremely unique bread was a lot of fun and very yummy! Looks like foam and smells like salt but tastes lovely! The decor is amazing, really beautiful and with a lovely atmosphere – shame that spell was broken every time Grumpy came along to our table. We're actually planning to go back soon to try out the mains because the starters were so lovely, but we're hoping that will co-incide with Grumpy's day off as neither of us are keen to have to put up with that again. Any other staff seemed to be non-existant, apart from a woman behind the bar downstairs who we paid on the way out, who seemed nice and normal. But really, if we go there again and get served with that same bad attitude then we're certainly never going back.

8 October 2009
Overall:5
Food and Drink:10
Service:1
Atmosphere:5
Value for Money:5
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