Cafe Lalibela — Restaurant in Melbourne

Tucked away in Footscray, and surrounded by a couple of Ethiopian restaurants, this place is very laid back, simple, with no fuss.

Just walk in and grab yourself a table. The menu is not complicated either.

We ordered the Beyainetu - Combination serves of Ethiopian Vegetarian dish ($15), which is enough for one person, so we included Doro Wot - Ethiopian chicken stew cooked with an Ethiopian blend of herbs & spices ($15) to have enough food for two people.

The food was served on Injera, and we honestly underestimated the portion size. It was perfect for the two of us.

The food was perfectly cooked, and hardly took time to get. It goes very well with the local beer St George's ($6).

I could have given this place an easy 5 stars as the food was amazing and cheap; however, there was a slight inconvenience as they only accept cash. This is the second restaurant in Footscray that only takes cash, so I am not sure if this is a trend, but we had to find an ATM to get cash.. so that was not a very pleasant experience.

I might come back for this again, but this time with a bigger appetite and cash...

We fell in love with the cuisine the day we tried it for the first time, and ever since then, we try to find another nice Ethiopian cafe.

Cafe Lalibela is simple, family-run cafe that has created a name for itself. And the experience of dinning here wasn't disappointing either.

First thing first, don't forget to try the guava cold drink that seemed favorite on everyone's table. We had to.rder it, and it was yum. Secondly, you cannot go to a Ethiopian cafe and not have the traditional coffee. Although they say that their traditional version is fit for 2 or 3, don't be discouraged if you are the only one having, they mean 3 mini cups. Doro Wat (Chicken Stew) and Derek Tibs (Dry Lamb Roast) was ordered and served with a white and brown (red ) Injera (included with each dish). Absolutely LOVED the chicken stew, and also loved the Dry Lamb Roast (cheers and crisped bits of lamb) but this is for an acquired taste ....And went well with Injeras.

Hospitality is fast and friendly....And easy on pocket.

Wouldn't...

Cafe Lalibela is a hidden gem in the west and is one of our favourite places to eat when we head to Footscray! They serve tasty traditional Ethiopian cuisine, a range of stews and marinated meats that are served directly on top of Injera bread (spongy sourdough goodness) - you then tear the bread and dip it in. No cutlery! It’s such a great way to eat and the food is so so delicious, tender, flavourful and perfect...