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Vegan
Delivery
Take-out
Gluten-free
African
Ethiopian
Fully vegan restaurant specializing in Ethiopian cuisine. Menu includes samosa, sharing paltters, injera, and more. Bookings for traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony available. Open Mon-Sun 12:00-22:00.
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42 Hanbury St, East London, England, E1 5JL
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- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 07 Jul 2025 by martinlugton
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Added by ultraviolet.gomez on 20 Oct 2024
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36 Reviews
First Review by ultraviolet.gomez
EatsRoutes&Leaves
Points +130
Not What We Were Expecting, Sadly... 😩 - Edit
I always have reservations about writing bad reviews for restaurants doing their best to provide fully vegan options, but on this occasion I feel compelled to warn others of the experience they may have if they visit on an “off day”. Other glowing reviews suggest this was perhaps just that.
Read moreWe'd past the stall in Spitalfields Market and then the restaurant on Hanbury Street last week, and so were really looking forward to being there again to have a sit down meal at the restaurant. Injera's a regular order for me, having eaten it probably 40+ times in my life so I knew what to expect, but it was new for my Chilean partner.
Our drinks were lovely so we had high hopes for the food too. Enzo had a Mango, orange and Vimto smoothie because they were out of the other three, and I had a sweetened cinnamon and cardamon tea which was delicious, so all good there. As we waited for our food, we noted the vibe was homely and inviting but the music was the same song on loop. We both found that a little jarring but quietly decided we could handle it.
We ordered the £28 Merkamo Special platter and when it arrived, everything looked great, it even came with Shuro Wot, my favourite! The injera was cooked perfectly, but we both instantly noticed that the lentils were incredibly undercooked. We tried the red and brown
lentils, then the yellow split peas, all three the same, crunchy and raw in the middle. Certainly not “slow cooked” pulses.
We stopped sampling, and to ensure I wasn’t ruining the dining experience of the couple nearest to us, I walked to the till to let our server know…where I saw her dishing up their platter out of canteen-style containers, the metal heated ones you have in most small food-stall kitchens. I’ve worked in small vegan kitchens, so not a problem in itself, but it told me there was no chance of a properly cooked replacement any time soon.
Our server didn’t seem in the slightest bit surprised when I mentioned the lentils were undercooked, she just asked “which ones?”. About 5 minutes later a male staff member approached our table, we assumed he was the cook because he quite aggressively started insisting that there was nothing wrong with the food, that we were wrong and that it was “exactly how it’s supposed to be”. Totally the wrong approach. My partner and I were stunned. When I explained to the chef that I’ve had injera dozens of times, he just doubled down, loudly. 🤷🏾♀️ So unpleasant.
We paid for our drinks (plus service) and left.
Pros: Warm and inviting ambiance (on the surface), Nice drinks and injera, Toilets were incredibly clean and tidy
Cons: Undercooked, inedible lentils served, Service - Rude, angry staff who argue with diners, Looping music; the playlist needs help!
Guest
KatarzynaKrol
Points +26
GREAT FOOD - Edit
Huge portions, flavourful, filling, delicious.
Read moreThe ambiance is very nice, music relaxing, staff very friendly.
Updated from previous review on 2026-06-14
Guest
JamieWoodhouse
Points +96
Delicious, massive portions, friendly service. - Edit
Delicious, massive portions, friendly service. I had take out of the "a bit of everything" option.
Read moreGuest
SinthuChiva
Points +22
Amazing Vegan Ethiopian Spot - Edit
The food is amazing, the customer service is amazing and the cakes smoothies are so so good.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-04-30
Pros: Chocolate cake, Vimto Smoothie, Injera
Guest
DavidVGun
Points +18
First time and hopefully not the last time - Edit
Randomly ran into this place where walking down the Brick lane and had Merkamo special for 2 and it was absolutely delicious. My new favorite place to eat when visiting London.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-03-21
Guest
TerenceBrett
Points +128
Amazing Restaurant - Edit
Loved the food, staff were amazing, and can't wait to go back.
Read moreThank you
Guest
Reydelmal
Points +1206
A feast - Edit
Whoa this was amazing. Had the 1 person sharing platter with rice and a samosa starter. Fantastic. The chilli sauces are great. Looks fab. Nice friendly staff.
Read moreGuest
Elarm
Points +1136
Traditional Ethiopian food - Edit
Small place, very cute inside, 100% vegan. Try it out!
Read moreGuest
MaxCHappyCowAccount
Points +155
Incredible - Edit
This is probably the best etheopean food I've ever had, and to make things better, the place is fully vegan. My only issue is that it is very expensive compared to other Etheopean places in London.
Read morePros: Incredible flavours, Friendly staff
Cons: Expensive
Guest
vegancoupletravels_
Points +755
Traditional Ethiopian food on Brick Lane - Edit
We visited for lunch back in August. Lovely location right on Brick Lane. We had the Merkamo Special (medium). Portion wise we’d say it was perfect for lunch for two. We really enjoyed it and it was very healthy which isn’t always easy to get eating out in London. It was in a lovely heart shaped dish and was presented well. We would definitely visit again. The waitress was also lovely and very helpful.
Read moreGuest
N3starax
Points +20
Unbelievably good! - Edit
Incredible flavours, reasonable price and lovely staff. Would recommend 100%
Read moreGuest
vegansheep
Points +3864
Such a nice little restaurant - Edit
I’ve visited the Merkamo stall many times so I knew the food would be good and they didn’t disappoint! Really like the decor and presentation too.
Read moreGuest
vinchau9
Points +55
Amazing Injera Merkamo Special - Edit
Order the merkamo special with Injera only, medium size for two people. We really enjoyed the curries served with the Injera, very tasty and delicious. Service was superb and great value for money.
Read morePros: Filling, Service, Value for money
Guest
AmyHolly
Points +70
A feast - Edit
We loved the merkamo special platter, medium size (1-2 people) was in reality plenty for 2 hungry adults and ideal for people like us who aren’t too familiar with Ethiopian cuisine.
Read moreYou get a great selection served on top of injeera, and the guy who worked there was genuinely thrilled to see how much we enjoyed it.
Loved it!
Guest
ChristinaAtlanta
Points +109
Too high for the quality - Edit
My meal was a good size for one person. The lentils were undercooked, and I don't mean al dente. Since I didn't eat the beans, I ordered a samosa, not knowing that it was stuffed with the same undercooked beans. The phyllo was good and the seasonings for the meal were fine. The rest was cooked like what I have elsewhere.
Read moreGuest
MegD
Points +587
Great food. - Edit
There's a range of vegan options. I went for a mix which gave you a taste of everything. It was definitely a good choice.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2025-07-26
Pros: Lots of choice, Tasty food, Good atmosphere in the market
Guest
PatiLamour
Points +1923
10/10 - Edit
Ein richtiges Festmahl; lecker und sättigend. Würden jederzeit wiederkommen.
Read morePros: Super Preis-Leistung-Verhältnis, Vielfältig
Guest
MagaliEledhwen
Points +2942
Excellent food - Edit
The food is excellent, flavourful and tasty. The staff is really welcoming.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2025-06-08
Guest
TDU
Points +32
Excellent food - Edit
Really tasty dishes. Lovely service.
Read morePros: Food, Service, Food
Guest
dropkick690
Points +38
Ethiopian delights and warm hospitality - Edit
Delicious food and very friendly people. We had the Merkamo Special, which offered a wonderful cross-section of their pulse- and vegetable-based dishes – such an amazing variety of delightful flavours. Since it was our first time eating Ethiopian food the traditional way, we also received a quick and helpful introduction to eating with injera bread.
Read moreGuest
bexgx
Points +82
Flavourful and friendly! - Edit
Love this place!
Read moreI’ve tried their food in Spitalfields but they’ve now got their own restaurant just off of Brick Lane. They’ve decorated it so nicely, lots of Ethiopian art with a modern, earthy touch.
Food was delicious and flavourful, the staff are so so so so so friendly, they really put so much love into their food and are so smiley and happy to be there.
Food was presented beautifully, I had a platter and some coconut dumplings. Just delicious.
Really recommend! So happy for you guys on opening your own place😄
Updated from previous review on 2025-05-26
Pros: Platter , Coconut dumplings
Guest
KateGM
Points +672
Delicious - Edit
My partner and I shared a medium serve with a selection of everything and absolutely devoured it. The staff were helpful and welcoming.
Read moreThe injera currently isn’t gluten free due to access to Teff being a challenge, but the team quickly let me know that they will prepare full teff injera for coeliacs with notice. We hadn’t planned ahead and so had ours with rice.
Guest
Sipadan
Points +148
A unique and special place to eat! - Edit
Very fresh Ethiopian food - a cuisine that my family and I had never tasted before. The portion sizes were large and the meal was great. 🇪🇹
Read moreGuest
flocitygirl
Points +3412
Such a cool experience - Edit
With such great food and relaxing atmosphere (not to mention the super nice decor), I'm not surprised this restaurant is very successful. I think we were lucky because we managed to have a table without a booking - but I would recommend booking just in case. They were super busy that evening so we didn't mind waiting a bit, we were just happy to experience Ethiopian cuisine in a 100% plant-based restaurant.
Read moreMy only suggestion would be to indicate allergens on the menu. It turns out none of the starters are gluten-free (and I would strongly suspect none of the desserts either, although we didn't enquire because we were full at that stage). We asked for gluten-free injeras to share. It took a while to arrive, they said it was because they were doing it gluten-free on request. It was so good, perfect for sharing - just defend your territory in case you're sharing with a quick eater! And mind the sauces, they're super spicy.
Also, it's a detail maybe but I loved that they brought us tap water in a bottle full of mint leaves😄I would strongly recommend.
Guest
Mooncakemits
Points +1649
Work just got injera-esting! - Edit
So pleased to have an Ethiopian restaurant close to my work. The couscous is fluffy, the injera is spongy , the chilli sauces are spicy and the lentils and vegetables are delicious. The restaurant feels cosy and the staff are super friendly and sweet.
Read moreGuest
HannahFleetwood
Points +22
I loved, loved, loved it! - Edit
One of the best meals I've ever had. The dumplings were divine and the platter with injera was also absolutely amazing. A lovely place and very warm and welcoming service although I arrived quite early and the owner was still getting everything ready. Go and eat here!
Read morePros: Everything
Guest
Windlekins
Points +1416
Lovely place - Edit
The vibe here is lovely. Super friendly. Explained the menu really well to us. We had the sharing meal and my hubby and I were almost racing! Totally different flavour to anything else I have tried. Highly recommend
Read morePros: Vibe
Guest
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