The Open Guide to London: the free London guide - Differences between Version 6 and Version 5 of Menelik Ethiopian Restaurant, N1 1EF

• Phone: (0)207 700 7774
• Address: 277 Caledonian Road, London N1
• Locale: Islington / Barnsbury
• Nearby tube stops: King's Cross Station / Caledonian Road Station
• Bus: 17, 259, 91 from Kings X (stop outside Caledonian Rd. Baths then 5 min walk), 274 from Camden Town.

Menelik Ethiopian Restaurant

Where else can you arrive with 6 people, be treated like best friends, get served amazingly delicious and interesting food, hear great live music, drink yourself under the table and pay �40 for everyone.

I'm not even sure I should be sharing this wonderful news because it might spoil it.

Layout

Newly decorated upstairs restaurant section with low tables and carved wooden seats also normal seating available. secret bar downstairs, very cosy, lined with seating but space to dance in the middle when things kick off at about 4am.

Lunch

I've never been there for lunch. I'm not sure they serve it. Best go to Kigi for lunch. Phone and check maybe.

Dinner

Amazing.

How it comes

Ethiopian food is really interesting. You get this massive plate of 'injera' bread, like a kind of sourdough pancake, but huge. Then if you order well, you get a series of spicy, meaty and incredably flavoursome curries which are tipped over the bread. Eat with your right hand (and wash it first!). Probably best to go with people who aren't big fat pigs because they'll munch it all before you get a chance.

What to order

Every time I've been I've ordered this, or a combination. The only time I deviated I got a big plate of raw beef, so be warned.

• Doro-Watte - A piece of chicken in a rich runny curry sauce with a boiled egg. Very nice and drippy. Not hot.
• Derek Tibs - dried cubes of lamb, baked with chilli. Hot if you eat the chilli. Absolutely delicious.
• Ye-Tsome-Beye-Aynetu - A selection of hot and cold salads. Red lentil paste, Green lentil paste (both delicious), A gorgeous bean salad and some other stuff. A large dish and nice on it's own if you're a veggie. Spinach salad too.
• Ricotta cheese and Spinach - good if you're not ordering Ye-Tsome-Beye but want something to break up the meat

Ask for

• Ethiopian Coffee - you get this incredible ceremony where they roast the beans and shake them under your noses.
• Honey Wine - sometimes you can get this amazing homebrewed honey wine (free... it's not exactly legit) but you have to engratiate yourself I suppose. In any case, it's delicious.

Entertainment

On Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays there's live music. The place is totally quiet until about 2am when it *really* kicks off. There's this guy who plays the double decker synth and does some amazing cheezy classics (the entire repertoir of Lionel Ritchie for example) and then later on starts doing this mad ethiopian synth-pop. Then there's usually a brilliant singer who scats over the top in Amharic. Not to be missed. You may need to learn this kind of shoulder popping dance... difficult to describe but it's kind of like chickens sizing up to each other for a peck fight. You'll see.

Directions

Equidistant on Caledonian Road between Kings X and Caledonian Road station. 5 mins from either. On the left if you're coming from Kings X, on the right if you're coming from Cally Rd. station. It's got a big green illuminated sign.