We were staying in an AirBnB across the street and I'm so glad for that reason alone so we could go here. I got the Gomen Wat with cottage cheese and my husband got a lamb dish (no. 27). Both of ours was slightly spicy but overall just delicious. Even my husband dug into my serving as he admitted the veg food tasted that good! It's definitely some of the best Ethiopian food I've had in the UK. The waiter was very amenable as well and provided loads of injera for the meals. Great Amharic background music as well. read more

Blue Nile Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Birmingham, XWM

Every time I go to my local, Lord Clifden, I peer through the window of this place of mystery with absolutely no idea what Ethiopian food maybe like. Finally, I persuaded a few girlfriends to come and check it out with me, as part of my occasional 'foods of the world' evenings where we try something a little out of the mainstream. On an early Thursday evening, the place is quieter compared to how busy it always seems on Friday and Saturday nights. But it is early and the other customers seem to be regulars who new exactly what to order. We were perplexed and needed quite a bit of help from our waitress but with main courses starting around £6.50, it's worth taking a little risk. All the girls ordered fairly safe dishes with rice and their plates were almost empty. I had a more filling beef dish that came wrapped in a blanket of a pancake like rice bread and I barely got through half of it as these are big portions. The highlight for me was being offered the coffee ceremony (a big coffee fan). Amazingly only 2 out of the 6 of us drink coffee so more for us. The fabulously patient waiter bought us out the roasting hot coffee beans, I presume to smell and then went away and made coffee for us. This arrived with espresso sized cups on a specially made tray that held the pot on a side shelf. It tasted divine and we didn't even get charged the normal £10 for the coffee ceremony. Great service and worth going back just for the coffee! read more

Blue Nile Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Birmingham, XWM

Firstly I ought to state - I am not an expert in Ethiopian cuisine and I wouldn't normally choose it so the Blue Nile already had an uphill struggle to impress me. When we visited, the restaurant was nearly empty and the atmosphere was somewhat lacking. I must say that our waiter was really helpful and the service was quick too, so that side of things was a-ok. We ordered a sharing plate which was a really good and affordable way of trying a whole host of dishes. The flavours weren't for me but it was certainly fun tasting something totally different. Give this place a shot if you want to try something new - it's certainly got a really strong local reputation for being top dog of Ethiopian cuisine. I'd say - a good place to go for a bit of a food adventure with friends or if you're a fan of Ethiopian food and looking for somewhere in Birmingham to have your fill. read more

Very nice restaurant, friendly service, great food, nice atmosphere. We also followed the recommendations and had some of the best Ethiopian food I have ever tasted (and I have tried a few places). Not expensive at all and very child friendly as well. Great place! read more

Great authentic Ethiopian restaurant, situated just 10 minutes walk from the City Centre. We went on a Sunday and it was very busy! Relaxed atmosphere and no fuss decor. Only seemed to be one waiter but the service was still good! Not sure it was my favourite food, but I'm glad I tried it! Good fun! read more

I have not tried Ethiopian food prior to this experience so this review may be limited. However, the staff were friendly and explained each dish to us. We followed their recommendation and ordered a mixed main course of different dishes on a pancake type bread that was flavoured with lemon. The portions were large and although it was tasty, we could not finish our meal. They even kept the meat dishes separate from the vegetable dishes after I explained that I was vegetarian. It's definitely worth a visit if you have not tried Ethiopian food before. read more

Visited Blue Nile for the first time on an early Thursday evening. Bit worried by the lack of customers but we had a really great experience. The food we had was cheap and delicious along with sweet ethiopian wine. The portions were large enough that I couldn't finish and the service was friendly and unobtrusive. A find! read more

I had never tried Ethiopian food before coming here and all I'd heard is a warning about the spiciness. Don't worry though, this won't be a story about how I went in all cocky and came out with burnt insides. It wasn't half as hot as I'd expected and the food was so delicious! I was going to go for the 'Yebeg Alicha' but the waiter kindly pointed out that for only 50p more you can get the 'Misto' which is a smaller portion of my chosen dish alongside another small portion of 'Yebeg Keye wot' so I would get to taste both. They are both tender lamb dishes seasoned in a traditional East African way the latter was a little spicier and had more of a sauce and the 'Yebeg Alicha' had a thin sauce and was cooked in garlic. The rice side and salad were really well presented and my dad's vegetarian main was the envy of the table as it came out served on a platter with the traditional Ethiopian bread Ingera. We washed this down with Ethiopian red wine which was like no other wine I'd tasted before but a really good accompaniment. The service was modest and friendly and I quite liked the atmosphere inside the restaurant. If you haven't tasted Ethiopian food before I urge you to visit this place. It's not expensive at all and you'll give your palate something new and exciting. read more

Fantastic food! Vegan and vegetarian (as well as meat)!!! I've eaten at several Ethiopian restaurants in the US and Canada and this place was on par with my favorite one. My partner had never had Ethiopian food and he was excited about it! It's now his favorite food. It's also my favorite food. We had a nice evening at the restaurant. It's nothing fancy decor wise- but is nicely decorated with pictures and grass baskets. We were comfortable in the restaurant. Service was friendly, welcoming, and you can definitely tell he was used to answering questions and helping people choose their dishes. For vegans and vegetarians, Ethiopian is a delicious, healthy treat. I've never had their meat so can't speak to that. We are on vacation so unfortunately can't eat at this restaurant again, but we would if we could! People of Birmingham: you are lucky to have this gem in your city! read more

I didn't know there was an Ethiopian restaurant in Birmingham until I saw a social group I'm a member of had booked a table. As I love food I figured it was worth checking out and I wasn't disappointed. Although it was a Wednesday evening and the restaurant was quiet it had a nice friendly atmosphere and the waiter was very welcoming. This is a great restaurant for a relaxed group meal. A few members of the group chose to buddy up and go with the sharing platters as it meant we could try more dishes. We went with the Blue Nile Special, which allows you to sample 8 of the dishes (laid out on one large platter). It came served with Injera, a spongy pancake-like bread, which we were told had been fermented for several days before baking. This had a slightly sharp taste which contrasted well with the meat, vegetable and lentil dishes. There was also an interesting slant to the meal as you eat with your fingers, using the Injera to scoop up the dishes. The only down side to ordering the platter was that even though we asked the waiter what each dish was at the start, we had forgotten what each dish was as we ate round the platter, so I will struggle to pick my favourite off the menu to reorder next time. I had been slightly wary about the menu mentioning hot pepper sauce for a fair few of the dishes on the platter but I did not find them too hot (and I'm not a huge fan of very spicy food) but more flavourful. In fact there were lots of appreciative comments from the group as they sampled the different dishes. With the drinks, most people ordered the Ethiopian beer, which I am told was good. I worked my way through sampling the Ethiopian wines, trying two different reds. The first, the Gooder, myself and another drinker classed as "interesting" but the second glass of the sweeter red was much better. The whole table also sampled the Tej (a homemade honey wine). Overall the wines were worth trying and fitted well with the food. Towards the end of the meal we were asked if we would like a coffee ceremony. Not knowing what this was we thought it sounded like a fun idea, "When in Rome" and all that.... The sizzling coffee beans were brought out to the table and passed around for everyone to get a waft of the scent. Then a little while later the waiter brought out a tray with a clay coffee pot and tiny shot-sized bowls and saucers for the coffee. The tray also had Frankincense burning which we were told was for good luck and added to the ceremonial feeling. The coffee was the perfect way to end the meal and worth going back for in itself. Overall, a fantastic meal, and even better considering that with more food than we could finish, about 2 beers/wines each and the coffee ceremony we still had change from £20 per head. Definitely worth a visit. I will definitely be going back. read more

Friendly service, delicious food and a great atmosphere. Suprisingly affordable too! We went twice in one month, and 2nd time, the waiter remebered us, and gave us 'our table'. Would definitely go again. Well worth a visit! read more