My second tasting of ethiopian food was at a Friday night team dinner at the African horn. What looks like a tiny restaurant has a narrow corridor leading down to a seating area of five to six tables and an outdoor seating area for groups and another seating area that sort of looks like a lounge room with a bright pink armchair. The group seating area has hanging plants and a set of drums out in the front. The tables are of different sizes. The lounge room looking like area has a massive tapestry of a lion and that's also where the toilets are. A big flag of Ethiopia adorns the wall. The serviettes are red, green, and yellow - the colours of the ethiopian flag. They turned on some ethiopian music for us but shut it off as the restaurant got busy. The menu has variety with seafood, lamb, goat and beef as well as a large selection of vegetarian dishes. The drinks menu consists of four types of ethiopian beer, ethiopian sparkling water called ambo, ethiopian coffee, cider and wine. The desert menu is scarce with only two items. As a group, we ordered the banquet option consisting of entree and mains for $28 per person. Pretty good value. The entrees we received were 1. Fried injera bread with hummus topped with some chilli paste and flavoured with some unknown spice - loved the fried injera bread and the spicy hummus 2. Beef samosa served with a tomato chutney - pretty average and chutney didn't seem to go with the samosa 3. Foccacia bread The main consisted of a platter served with three meat curries, a salad, two lentil curries and a cabbage carrot curry laid on top of a massive injera bread. Th inner bread is quite rubbery and has a slightly sour taste but goes well with the curries. We didn't know which meat we were eating and the service staff didn't introduce any of the dishes. I found this quite disappointing. No one could guess the meat. Even the black lentils tasted like mince meat. The food can be quite spicy for some. Even the salad had spice in it but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I do not like not knowing what I'm eating though. My colleagues quite liked the ethiopian beers. the ethiopian sparkling water tasted quite sweet. The chai latte was actually just chai brewed with milk in a teapot. Service was very very slow. We were all on time and waited almost an hour for drinks and my colleagues sparkling water was the last to arrive. We were the first group too. read more

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The Horn of Africa is a great little spot to go in a group to enjoy some seemingly authentic (so a taxi driver told me) Ethiopian cuisine the way it should be eaten - with your hands. The place was heaving and is quite big (they have a big courtyard out the back), way bigger than you might think from the outside. Perhaps because of this, the service was a ropey in parts. Extremely friendly when the waitress was there but she was run off her feet. The food also talk a long time to come out. Yet despite these little things I just couldn't help but to have a good time here. The atmosphere is just really warm, the food is tasty and they have a wide range of Ethiopian beers. There wasn't any live music whilst we were there but I'd definitely be back on a night when there is. It surely would have to be the perfect accompaniment to an already relaxed vibe. read more

The Horn - African Near Me - Collingwood, VIC

The Horn is a bit like dining out in your cool and eccentric African Grandmother's townhouse (for those of you who don't have an African Grandmother just pretend). As such don't be surprised if you are ignored as you walk in the front door and made to weave your way awkwardly through a bunch of children who quite probaqbly live upstairs - you are pretty much entering their house remember. Also expect to have to remind staff that your table needs service a number of times if you do indeed want service. If you are incapable of seeing this kind of thing as part of the experience then this place is definitely not for you and you should read no further. If you find this kind of experience endearing upon occasion, then read on. The Horn is a fantastic place to dine or have a few really tasty Ethiopian beers. The food is rustic and tasty. I tend to enjoy the slow cooked/saucy dishes most - served up on a plate of the Ethiopian bread/pancake 'Injera' which you tear off and use in place of cutlery (such utensils are not the done thing in Ethiopian cuisine). The food is also of a very high quality - with fresh tasting ingredients and free range chicken on the menu. The vibe of the Horn is very relaxed and a great place for a large group to meet for some drinks and food. They also have regular live music of the reggae, African and Ethno-music variety. I personally love this place - but be warned it is not to everyone's taste. read more

The Horn - African Near Me - Collingwood, VIC

The Horn Cafe is an Ethiopian restaurant with a lot of flair and something different. It's very authentic where they have bands playing cool jazz, funk and hip-hop on Sunday nights. The food is great where it comes out on a big crepe that's filled with the yummy food but don't order the same as someone else on your table because it will come out on one big plate and they don't tell you. It was a little annoying but the food is good so can't complain too much. Great for groups and children where they have a really nice courtyard setting for when those balmy night arrive! read more

The Horn - African Near Me - Collingwood, VIC

Ethiopian food? Check. Ethiopian beer? Check. Live music? Check. This place ticks all the important boxes, the food is good and if you've never tried Ethiopian you should do yourself a favour and check it out. As mentioned in the other reviews the service can be a bit slow at times but this doesn't really pose that much of an issue. Recommend coming here with a group of friends and sharing so that everyone gets to try everything. The cuisine caters for vegetarians with no problems and leaves everyone full and content. Give it a shot. read more

Came here for dinner/drinks with a group of 10 friends or so. Had a great time. Cool little spot, with indoor dining/smoking outdoorish area out back, friendly staff, a large variety of excellent share plates and reasonably priced wine and beer. I love Ethiopian food and it was one of the first time's I'd been taking out for some in Melbourne, and it was great. We spent 2hrs here ordering, drinking, laughing and having a great time and the whole evening felt effortless and just right. I'd definitely recommend and come again. :) read more

Quite enjoyed dinner at The Horn. The injera (bread) is well made, and the dishes all tasted good. They've also got a decent selection of Ethiopian beer. I highly recommend the goat dish and the bean and carrot dish. The godin tibs special (lamb) was also quite good. In case you've never eaten Ethiopian food before, the main dishes are basically stews that are served on a bread called injera. You tear pieces of the injera and use that to pick up and eat the stew. Injera looks like a large pancake and has a slightly sour taste. read more

Ethiopian Johnston Street favourite The Horn is a truly expansive restaurant/bar/music venue serving a menu of traditional Ethiopian food from within the colourful confines of a cavernous old Victorian building in Collingwood. I found myself at The Horn on Friday night and shared two starters, the Zil Zil - or sesame battered chicken - and a serving of beef samosas, along with a main of curried lamb served resplendent atop a giant traditional Ethiopian Injera - or pancake. The food was great - if not quite as tasty as it looked - and service was slowish but very, very friendly. The decor itself is all African artifacts, brightly coloured woven wall hangings and mismatched furniture with potted plants and giant hanging baskets adorning the semi-outdoor seating at the back. A nice - and interesting - if unexceptional place for a meal. The Horn is definitely worth a visit if you're a fan of Ethiopian culture and food and fancy a bite to eat somewhere relaxed in Collingwood. read more

Amazing. Love it. The best restaurant ever. The owners r AMAZING. You'll b disappointed if u don't go. LIVE MUSIC ON THURSDAYS AND SUNDAYS. best music you'll ever hear read more

Indoor and outdoor seating, amazing food, authentic African flavours. Service is a bit slow