This was another Ethiopian restaurant that I went to in Toronto. I love Ethiopian food, so I definitely wanted to get some on my vacation. I got the Doro Watt, which is like a savory chicken stew on the Enjera bread. A lot of Ethiopian cooking is hardy sauces, and stews to be eaten with the bread . This one even came with a hard boiled egg . The service is always nice at Ethiopian restaurants. They're not typically packed, but they are a niche style of dining, so when they have customers the weight staff are typically extremely friendly and it feels like you're eating at somebody's home. read more

Got the meat combination for 2. The dishes were decent, though below average. The spicy dishes were very spicy. The chicken was almost inedible. The decor is quite nice. read more

See all

Used Group on Voucher to get there platter and it was worth it! Both Lamb & chicken were so tender and loved my beets, cabbages and carrots as well. Would like to come back for other single dishes next time to elevate experience! read more

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

See all

The good ? If you go weekday Monday-Thursday you can buy a groupon to get a discount. They have GF injera. Yup most injera you eat is cut with wheat flour. Teff is GF. It's an extra $4 but it ends up being $8 more cause the place the food on injera too. The bad- like everything else it's gone up in price. But I suppose that is just business now This is the first time I've had a meat and veggie combo. I usually order the veggie platter I have been back so it's hard not to come back especially with the groupon deal. Once you order the food comes out pretty quick. read more

See all

Great spot! The meat is halal from what I'm told and the food was really good, flavourful and not really spicy. I really recommend the doro wat read more

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

If you've never eaten Ethiopian food this is a great place to go. Very reasonably priced and full of locals. You eat the food with your hands there is no cutlery. In the picture it is a platter for one. There's meat and vegetarian options. read more

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant - Lalileba platter - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Finally got a chance to have a Ethiopian meal curry lamb was impressive. And the way of eating it is special : use the flatbread (injera) to wrap ingredients and all are done by hands I enjoyed the meal and will try other dishes next time read more

See all

A decent Ethiopian restaurant clustered amongst a number of Ethiopian and Eritrean restaurants by Ossington and Bloor. Service was quick, and there is a good variety on the menu. Compared to my previous Ethiopian meals, found this less spicy, and somewhat more muted in flavour. Would consider going again, but I don't think this was the best Ethiopian experience I have had in Toronto. read more

See all

Had the yewaze tibs and a veggie platter for 1 - shared amongst 2 people. Food was flavourful and good, great portioning. The staff was great too. Seating was comfortable, however, ambiance could be better as there was a light that kept flickering on and off which was distracting. This may have been out of control of the staff in the moment, but overall great experience! read more

I love this place for Ethiopian food. It's addictive everything, so flavorful and fresh and the food comes out really quick.

Nice place to try Ethiopian food. Their combination plates give you the option to taste several different items.

Stopped by for some Ethiopian food. Veggie platter had plenty of veggie options. Service was quick from ordering to receiving order. I'm used to having the injera rolled up then cut into small pieces as opposed to flatly laid out on a plate. read more

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant - Veggie platter. - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

August 25/2022: This is more like a 2.5-star vs a 3.0-star. The service was very slow. It took 45 minutes for us to be served the main course. There was only 1 server that we could see. She mentioned that the so called Heineken came from the restaurant beside us! She also made a order error...it wasn't Heineken. The lentil soup was virtually tasteless. Hot but almost zero taste. The main "Meat Platter for Two" was partially cool as well. It all tasted & looked good but certainly not great as I had hoped. The Meat Platter for Two was more then enough food for us both. Reasonable priced as well at $29.67. Unfortunately this is not good enough to be a do over from my side. read more

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant - Lentil soup. - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

See all

Bumped into this place by accident during my visit to Toronto. I must Say I was pleasantly surprised by the food and service! I would definitely visit again. read more

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant - Food and service was wonderful! - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

See all

Great traditional Ethiopian food. The food takes long but it's worth the wait lots of unique flavours. I got one of the platters for two and added lamb tibs which was more than enough for 3 people. read more

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

While waiting for our chance to check out the christmas themed bar nearby, we popped in here to try skme Ethiopian food. It was my first time trying it and I was happy woth the food! We ordered the lalibela special and honestly didn't really know what to expect. There were lentils with different flavors, chicken, lamb, and other vegetables. My favorite was the lamb. It was so tender and flavorful. We ordered one teff injera that's gluten free, and it tadted more sour than the regular one so safe to say i'd rather have the regular one :D read more

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant - Lalibela special with extra teff injera - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I never knew I would appreciate and get to love a regional cuisine so much until the time I tried partaking the Ethiopian fare here at Lalibela. I was here with several of my dearest Ethiopian & other East African friends, and it was one of the most memorable dining experiences I have had. The food platter with all its colourful & appetizing selections is such a treat to look at. Combine the above-mentioned visual with actually handling the morsels with the injera (sourdough flatbread) and you have the recipe for a perfect feast. There is a lot of culture to be had when dining here as well. Setting-wise, the restaurant's decor is well curated with East African patterns and images. The menu is also properly stocked with authentic Ethiopian selections. "Tej" which is Ethiopian mead or honey wine is something available for order, and they come served in flasks. Lastly, the Ethiopian coffee ceremony is a good exhibition to witness for anyone wanting to really get the full Ethiopian immersion. For any group wanting to try something uniquely exciting, breaking bread here is a must-try. My experience here was a rich cultural and culinary spectacle, and I am highly recommending everyone to go out and experience the same. read more

See all

Was excited to try this restaurant. Ordered 3 veg and 2 meat dishes with injera on the side. Staff was very friendly and only 10 mins behind scheduled pick up time. When I got the bill I was shocked- $80 plus tax- $20 per meat dish - buy I was optimistic the portion would be healthy. Staff piled up all 5 dishes in one bag - couldn't tie the bag up top. On the ride home realized the bottom dishes were getting destroyed and there was all kinds of liquid coming out. Got home and saw the results of poor packing and very soggy dishes which was quite dissapointing. Meat dishes were not healthy portions for the price and both tough from being overcooked. The flavour of the dishes was good, but the execution and attention to detail for that price tag was unsatisfactory. I unfortunately will not be ordering from this restaurant again but will venture over to the other options in the area. read more

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant - Lamb dish 50 percent liquid - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

See all

Great food. First time there in March 2023. I have videos of the food. But it wont let me upload the videos. I must say it was better than i expected. We ordered food that i have never tried before and i loved it. read more

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant - Coffee ethiopian style - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

*BE PREPARED TO BE WAITING MOST OF YOUR MEAL TIME* We visited the restaurant on a Monday night around 7pm, the small restaurant is packed already with a 20min wait. They won't take reservations until 15 or more, so better come early and expect to wait 30mins. There's ONLY 1 server and 1 busser running the whole dining room, we sat for 10mins and we didn't even get menus until we asked or drinks. ONLY the server can take orders, we tried asking the busser to order 2 items, she would not take our order, she would only tell us, "I'll grab the server." So we waited for another 15mins because the server was busy serving other tables and running food. We order a platter for 2 to share with a guava drink. The drink took 15mins to arrive. I really enjoyed the drink, you can taste the residue from the fruit itself, it's not sweet like it came package, you can tell it's fresh. Our platter took over 30mins to arrive which was quite ridiculous. The taste and flavor I would say was good, nothing too outstanding, just average Ethiopian food. We also ordered the baklava which took 10mins as well, clearly it doesn't seem made in house and they just heated it up to order. When we got ours, WE FOUND A FLY DEAD on it!!! *FOUND A DEAD FRUIT FLY!!!!* That's so disgusting, and makes me wonder that there's more of that in the kitchen. We told our server immediately and she said she would bring us a new piece. As most restaurants do, it will get void off the bill. However when we got our bill, she still did charge us for it. Since we got a Groupon, when the bill came, I showed her the voucher and she just took my phone away, WITHOUT asking or saying anything! HOW CAN YOU JUST TAKE SOMEONE'S PHONE WITHOUT PERMISSION! Been waiting and waiting for table, for food, for service all night and got an extra fruit fly with my dessert. Just a very disappointing night at this restaurant, definitely would not come back even with Groupon! read more

See all

Best quick take out in the West End. Absolutely delicious and cost-effective. I get the veggie plate for two but for one, all for me! Somehow it tastes even better the next day? The owners, servers and chef are all wonderful people too. read more

Very nice vibe. My views on the food are mixed. My son had lamb and said it was a bit dry and bony. I had the vegetarian platter. Some of the food in it was amazing and I would definitely order the lentils and other items on their own. I had enough injera by the end of the meal as the part that is under the food on the platter gets pretty wet. They kindly brought another plate of it to us though, so I was only a little messy by the end of the meal. For those who haven't tried it, you use the injera, which is a large flatbread, to pick up the food. I'm not wonderful at it but it's fun and slows things down which makes it amazing for sitting and chatting while you eat. Service was very gracious and the drinks are reasonable. You get a huge portion of food for the price. It's a fun place to go with a group. read more

We got the lamb is was phenomenal. It's a huge portion for $15 and it was plenty of food for two people to eat and be very full. The servers are friendly and pretty quick the only part about this restaurant that leaves something to be desired are the bathrooms. Neither of the stalls in the women's bathroom have locks on them. Other than that this place is amazing the food is delicious I highly recommend it. If you're dry Ethiopian for the first time this is the place to do it at. read more

See all

I've heard great things about Ethiopean food but I've never had it before. I wanted to give it a try, and so I purchased a groupon deal for Lalibela. I got the vegetarian platter and tibs as recommended by the owner. The vegetarian platter came as a variety of peas, lentils, and veggies laid on top of injera. We were also give one extra injera on the side. The injera had the consistency of a spongy and soft crepe. The owner was super nice and taught us how to eat this dish. You eat this dish by tearing off a piece of injera, grabbing some of the vegetables with it, and eating it. It is very different from dishes I normally eat; I found it really interesting and fun to try all the different textures and flavours of the vegetables! Give this place a try if you've never had Ethiopean food before! read more

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant - Vegetable platter and tibs - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Open late Owner Azeb helped us choose the food all freshly prepared. Beer dejection was adequate but the menu was excellent Place is warm and welcoming read more

I got the lamb platter which was a great variation of lamb with other vegetarian curries with the Injera bread. I also used a groupon here which was great value. The food tasted healthy and flavourful, what a great combination. The platter can definitely be shared between two people. Next time I'd love to do a coffee ceremony. If you are using a groupon it will be for the lounge section. read more

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I have been to this location quite a few times over the years. I had been travelling to the west end because I never knew they had a sister location on the east side! My recent visit was a happy fluke. My work team of 12 had a reservation at La Cubana. Due to the items I was interested in trying but they were sold out at noon, I ended up drinking water. So on the bus ride up to Ossington station I realized I would be near this restaurant! Yay! And as usual, I had a lovely dining experience. The staff are always so polite, friendly and warm. The food is always spot on. I'm never disappointed. The price vs quantity is fantastic. So if you're ever on the west side, give them a try! read more

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant - Veggie platter for 2 - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Incredible food, amazing value, horrendous service. Let's start with the good. I came here on a Wednesday afternoon to grab some lunch. We were seated quickly and got our menus right away. We ordered the Lalibela Platter for Two, which came with a mixture of vegetarian and meat dishes. When the food arrived, all the negative was forgotten as the flavours "dance" on your palate. For $26 dollars, the dish was also of incredible value. The Platter came with eight different dishes and was served with two injeras. We could not finish the fold and more than half of it was taken home. Now let's move on to the bad. The concept of service does not exist in this restaurant. At one point, we were the only customers inside and the waitress still did not seem to bat an eye at our requests. After we got our menus, it took at least 25 minutes to get her attention and order the platter. The food took at least 30 minutes to arrive. Afterwards, it was another 30 minutes to get the bill. When asked to split the bill, the waitress entered it in the machine and left--leaving me to complete the rest of the transaction by myself (good thing I have POS experience). When we asked for a takeout box, we waited another 20 minutes. If you have three hours to spare on a meal, go ahead and waste it here. I will be returning for the amazing value and the food, but I'll make sure to leave any expectations of customer service out the door. read more

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

See all

I love this place and have come twice. Their vegetarian platter is awesome and perfect for sharing. The injera bread is unforgettable in its spongy sourdough glory and it is so much fun sopping up the sundry sauces with your hands! The injera is gluten-free as it is made from the teff grain. From cabbage to potato to salad to lentils and beets, all the sauces are flavourful and filling. Om nom nom. Really affordable and authentic cuisine. There was a smell of incense in the restaurant and I heard they do a coffee a ceremony? Just a heads up, as for many Toronto restos, the washroom is in the basement (you WILL need to wash your hands before and after as it is a hands on experience). Would love to go for a spicy platter next time. Come here! read more

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant - Veggie platter (look at all the beautiful sauces on the fluffy injera!) - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

We loved our meal last night! The four of us ordered the vegetarian combo for 2 and a meat combo for 2 along with an extra order of lamb. Everything was delicious and we had more than enough food. The service was great and extra injera was delivered when needed along with water refills. Flavor wise there was a nice mix of spicier dishes and different textures. We asked about honey wine which was not on the menu and were pleasantly surprised to be offered a homemade version! We ended up polishing off 2 bottles, and rolled onto our next stop with no room for desert. The restaurant was very full so I'm glad we thought to make a reservation. Looking forward to our next visit. read more

See all

I've recently grown to like Ethiopian food thanks to restaurants like Lalibela and African Palace. The vegetarian platter for 2 at Lalibela is filling and delicious. I still struggle with the whole "eat with your hands" thing when it comes to stuffing my little piece of injera bread with veggies, but I'm slowly getting there :) I honestly cannot say anything bad about this place. The food is amazing, tasty and more importantly - healthy. Especially, if you get the gluten-free (or teff) injera. What I found surprising was that on a weekday like today (Wednesday), the place was full yet they only had one server working the entire floor. That's unacceptable for a restaurant with so many tables. As a result, you have to wait for your turn and people need stuff all the time (e.g. replace a drink, bring a napkin, bring this or that...). You can't serve so many tables with just one person. I would not be surprised if some customers got disappointed at long wait times. Having said that, when it comes to taste and food itself, you can't go wrong with Lalibela. I'm saying this, while several years ago I would not even consider going to an Ethiopian restaurant. I had my preconceived notions about it and avoided Ethiopian food like some kind of weird food not in line with my taste buds. Now, I love it. I hope you will like it too. :) read more

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant - $21 - Vegetarian Platter for 2. Incredibly tasty and filling. - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

See all

I ordered 2 vegetarian platters to go with gluten-free Teff injera (which truly was GF, so a point for that). Two more pros for a reasonable variety of vegan dishes in the platter -- beets, green beans,collard, spicy red lentil, yellow split pea, mild green lentil and cabbage/potato/carrot -- and for the fact that this is one of the least greasy Ethiopian restaurants. The cons were that none of the 3 legume dishes were thoroughly cooked, but crunchy. This is both unpleasant and indigestible. The green beans were more greyish and limp and were obviously previously frozen with absolutely no flavour or even onion to help out. Besides undercooked legumes, the overall flavour was just not there. This is not Rendez-Vous, where every dish tastes excellent. All the vegetable dishes were terribly under-seasoned; I don't expect everything to be spicy hot, but I do expect the proper spices to be used with a skillful hand to create nuanced flavours in each dish. Collards and beans should be a bright, fresh green. Both were greyish. If beans are not in season, add more cabbage instead (but also some turmeric and ginger!) This was just bland. Very similar to Ethiopiques in quality. I won't be returning. It's not like the Ethiopian restaurants on Danforth east. read more

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant - Vegetarian platter to go on GF Tef injera - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I've eaten in quite a few Ethiopian restaurants in North America and I would call Lalibela a 'sort of' Ethiopian restaurant. The starter course was spring rolls and samosas, that they probably bought from the nearest Asian grocery. There was a big pile of green salad in the middle of the dinner platter. And the dessert choices were baklava and carrot cake! Worst of all was the big screen with new news that I couldn't help seeing from my seat. Who wants to see Donald Trump's face when they are eating? read more

We came here for a dinner one weekend evening. I had tried ethiopian food before at a different restaurant, so I was excited to eat this type of cuisine again. We also found a groupon for this place online, so we thought why not give it a try? When you arrive at the restaurant, there's also a more casual lounge with the same name next door, so don't be confused. We were seated at a table for two almost immediately. This happened to be our luck, because as the night progressed, the line up continued to grow but the staff didn't seem to really be attentive to those waiting for a table. We also found that it took a while to be able to order our food. Heads up if you do come here: The service is dismissive and slow. You certainly need to plan according if you have things to do afterwards. We ended up ordering the LALIBELA PLATTER FOR TWO $25.00 (Combination of Vegetarian peas, lentil, cabbage, Collard green, split peas, doro wat, Lamb or Beef dish arranged on the platter). It was really disappointing that the quality of the food was so poor (was pretty cold too). The worst thing was that I had food poisoning! I won't be back here again. read more

Really missed Ethiopian food so on the hunt to find a good location in Toronto. My boyfriend gave me a sweet surprise by bringing me to this location on a Friday night. Location was packed but there wasn't a lineup, only filled tables and great conversation with a family friendly ambiance. That said, the interior decor is a tad run down and washroom had a moldy smell. Place is located on the corner of Bloor & Ossington, with free street parking along Ossington after 6 pm on certain stripes. Would have given a 4 star for the food, but they put me on a seat that was a completely drenched couch and advised me after I sat down, so ended up eating dinner with a wet bottom. Lovely childhood memories in bed lol The variety of spices with a hint of lime always is a surprise to my tastebuds, but so flavourful and pleasant. The chicken is phenomenal. Plenty of variety and flavours that each stood out on its own. The presentation is so warming and eye catching with different colours and aromas that mingle and dance with each other on the main platter. There's something about eating with you hands with company that makes the experience so much more personal and because your hands are oily and messy, you're completely focused on the food and your company and not your phone; unless you want to add some spice and aroma to your smart phone screen. Price is reasonable at approximately $30 for two and a filled belly that makes you think you're impersonated Santa. Definitely a go if you're not into the interior decor or ambiance, but for the food, would love to come back. My only disappointment is I don't live closer! read more

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant - Interior - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

See all

I can barely breathe as I write this review because I am sooooo full. Recently, we've been dedicating our weekly takeout meals to support local Black-owned businesses. Today, we decided to order some Ethiopian food. The Lalibela platter for two was probably enough for four people. In addition to that, we ordered the Dero Wat (which was delicious) and some Special Yebeg Tibbs (lamb cubes). All of it was amazing. If I had another stomach, I'd totally finish it all. I'll definitely order from here again! read more

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant - Lalibela platter for two and Dero Wat - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

On a street that is filled with several different Ethiopian restaurants, Lalibela stands out for its larger menu and more casual atmosphere. The fish goulash and vegetarian platter were tasty! read more

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant - Fish goulash and vegetarian platter - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Went here with one of my bridesmaids for a Christmas dinner for 2017. I love Ethiopian food and she has never tried it. I looked up this place and seems like they had a fairly good reputation in Toronto for delivering authentic Ethiopian food. Let's face it. Trying to convince someone who is not very experimental with their food to try Ethiopian food was so hard. I so glad we came here. My bridesmaid loved the food and so did I. This made our night even better! I honestly couldn't stop eating. It came to the point where my stomach started to hurt, but it was such a sin to let all that food go to waste. It was also not expensive at all. My friend and I shared a plate that had a variety of meat and vegetarian dishes. The ambiance I'd say was authentic with the colors and art used. If it's your first time visiting an Ethiopian restaurant you must do the coffee ceremony. It's fun and of course delicious. This is a place you bring your family and friends to introduce them to Ethiopian food. You can't go wrong here. read more

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I came here with my bf and another couple. It was our first time trying Ethiopian food so we were really excited. We got a meat platter and added a few other meat dishes for them to throw on. Everything was delicious and there was a ton of veggie stuff too but the meat portions were pretty small. That spongey bread was AMAZING though!!! We ordered coffee to end the meal with and we're excited to experience the coffee ceremony. About 10 minutes after we ordered we asked when it would be coming. The waitress then came by with this burning stick thing that smelt like burnt coffee, interesting. After a few more times of asking our coffee finally cake like 20 minutes later. We hardly even wanted it anymore at this point. I'm not sure if this is typical that the coffee takes so long to set up but if that's the case they should give a heads up. There were also only 2 girls working and they were pretty busy. Guess we'll have to try another Ethiopian restaurant on danforth east where they all seem to be! read more

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I really want to be able to give a better review for Lalibela. I want to put it out there that in no way is this score reflective of the staff and that I have visited two locations multiple times and have had similar experiences. Just to reiterate I thought the staff were very good when it came to dealing with the issues we had and were pleasant and nice. My one critique of the staff came to them understanding how groupons work (so beware if you are going there with one. Make sure you tell the staff well in advance of your groupon and that your expectations of it and their understanding of it are reflective before you order) and the other issue came with them being able to make recommendations or substitutions. I don't think there was a language barrier but I don't think they are used to doing things outside of the box. Everyone was great though and eventually things were figured out. One of my issues with Lalibela is that they don't seem to understand the appeal of their restaurant to vegans. One of the locations has seating made from cowhide. It is rough leather and actual skin (with hair) form the cow. If this is something that might be unappealing for you as it was for me you might want to consider somewhere else. I understand that Lalibela isn't primarily a vegan restaurant it's things like this that can wind up pushing people away that would embrace them. For those not in the know Ethiopian food is something that you will be eating with your hands. Especially if you order an injera bread plate. The couch seating can make this a bit of a messy fiasco so be warned and prepared. If you can sit at an actual table you'll likely have a better time. I have to say the food is very tasty but on multiple occasions we had issues with either the wrong order, cold food or one time we found gravel in our dish. The staff were very impressive with how they handled these matters but the consistency with the issues is more concerning to me. While I would say the food is authentic and tasty the overall experience fell short for me every time and so I am unfortunately reluctant to recommend them especially after giving them multiple opportunities. read more