Mesi's Kitchen in Islington

Authentic Ethiopian Cuisine & Great Hospitality! This was the second time I tried Ethiopian cuisine, and it did not disappoint. We visited Mesi Kitchen as a group of 22, and the experience was fantastic. Since Ethiopian food is traditionally shared, we split into smaller groups of four to enjoy the meal. Our group ordered a sharing platter for four, along with lamb tibs and doro wat. The food was flavourful, well-prepared, and truly enjoyable. I definitely recommend having a sharing platter, as the portions are much larger, and I feel you get more variety. A couple in our group shared a platter for two, and it seemed much smaller in comparison. We had a few Ethiopians in our group, and they were really happy with the food, which is always a great sign of authenticity! The staff were incredibly friendly and easy-going, even with our large group moving around to chat. They were helpful and patient, which I thoroughly appreciated. One thing I’d recommend for the future is avoiding a single large bill at the end. Unfortunately, I forgot to mention this in advance, and it made splitting the payment quite tricky. If one person makes a mistake, it can leave others trying to figure out who owes what, which can take away from an otherwise amazing experience. The owner did mention that they could have handled it differently had we informed them beforehand, but for large groups, it would be helpful if the staff gave a polite reminder about this option in advance—it would definitely save a headache when it comes to paying. Overall, Mesi Kitchen delivered an excellent Ethiopian dining experience with great food and welcoming service. Highly recommended for anyone looking to enjoy authentic Ethiopian cuisine in a friendly and relaxed setting!

Quality food packaging i like it , real traditional Indian food . Im Jamaican so i like quality food , Indian is my favourite second culture food .

Delicious and affordable. Lovely service. Authentic food - two vegetarians with interesting, delicious and varied options. Cannot recommend enough!

I came here twice and it was a very pleasant experience both times. The staff were friendly the food tasted amazing (feels like mommas food)

My friend and I had a delicious meal at Mesi’s! We were the only people eating there (as it was a very early dinner) and Mesi treated us with such warmth. The food was all homemade and delicious cooked by Mesi herself! We felt so at home. I had a vegan dish and my friend has a meat dish. They were both great.

A friend and I came in at 5pm on a Sunday, half-an-hour early for our booking. We were welcomed so warmly by Mesi herself. She was the only staff member in the Restaurant, and she gave us wonderful service and the food was delicious. We certainly shall be returning and spreading the word! Thank you Mesi.

We shared a delicious meal with my twin sister after an Arsenal match. We had a great time, the two waitresses/cooks are adorable and the service is quality 👍 my sister is vegetarian and there was plenty of choice. Ethiopian beer is also delicious (Habesha I think)🍺 I highly recommend!

Delicious food for great value, service was great and I’d definitely go back!

We love everything! The food was delicious, and customer service was amazing!

lady was soooo nice to us and drink was on the house. everything was just perfect

Delicious fresh and healthy food, very helpful staff and a great experience

Mesi is a warm, wonderful queen running this restaurant. My husband wants to go constantly but I have to rein it in. Always fresh and tasty - we’ll finish a platter beyond what our stomach’s can handle. We’ve brought friends in from the States who say it was their favourite meal when visiting London. :)

beautiful food. one of the best places to dine in London!

Excellent food and a wonderful hostess!! 😋 Must visit spot for some authentic Ethiopian meals. 👌🏻

Fantastic flavours, very clean restaurant and welcoming staff. Having tried several Ethiopian places in London, this is the most consistent for both vegan and meat dishes. Service is not added to the bill but bring cash if you want to tip.

Masi hosts and cooks like everyone is a friend and guest in her home. The food was absolutely delicious and she kept bringing more until we couldn't eat another bite

Mi esposa y yo siempre habíamos querido probar la comida etíope y mientras nos alojamos en Londres aprovechamos para visitar la cocina de Mesi en Holloway Road. Estábamos impresionados por la comida; Mesi nos preparó una fantástica comida compartida para dos que era vegetariana. Sin duda volveremos.

I've been to Mesi's Kitchen with my family more than once and she never disappoints! She lets us experience the best of Ethiopian foods and her menu is very vegetarian friendly too :) Every time we are in London from Malaysia, we always have to have one meal at her restaurant or our trip won't be complete!

Food was registered as delivered but no one came to the house. We were left to make sandwiches. Ridiculous. We will have to wait for a refund too.

Delicious food! Friendly owner and staff - they make you feel at home!

Interesting food but it was delicious 😇 kitchen needs a better ventilation.

I am not even vegetarian (meat eater over here) but wanted to try something new and healthy. I ordered a vegetarian platter which came on injera, the tradisional bread of Ethiopia, and it was surprisingly flavorful, delicious and very filling. The assortment of cooked vegetables on injera bread were very colorful and beautiful textures. The waitress took time to explain the dish to me. I washed it down with a cold Ethiopian beer. The service was warm and attentive. Felt like I was dining in a neighbor's home! I cannot wait to return. Highly recommend.

Ethiopian food often gets overlooked. The flavour combinations is something else and everything tastes fresh. You're missing out if you don't try out this place!

The food is amazing but it is the hostess that makes the whole experience all the more special. Can’t wait to go back!

The food was the best we had during our stay in London - and the host made our evening.

We had the vegetarian set meal, it was AMAZING. I already can't wait to go back and have recommended this restaurant to everyone I know. The food was delicious, and atmosphere very cosy and comfortable. Thank you Mesi and team!

What a warm and welcoming little restaurant with exotic and tasty fare, all very reasonably priced. I'll be back to explore more of the menu.

Today was my first time visiting Mesi's kitchen . I love ethiopian cuisine. I came her with for a early mother's day treat. The restuarant environment is warm and welcoming. I have awaze tibs and my mum had doro Tibs I also had tried the beers here too habesha and st George. It was very nice refreshing. I definitely recommend this restuarant if you it's first time trying ethiopian cuisine. Also the owner Mesi is absolutely lovely

Amazing food but small portions

I paid for an extra injera which was missing

Amazing food and service We had a sharing vegan plate. There was a great variety of dishes to try. All were so good. The food also tasted very fresh . I would definitely go back. As a vegan, I can definitely recommend trying this place.

Where do I start…delicious food, the vegetarian platter was outstanding. Friendly and welcoming from start to finish. Brilliant service, couldn’t recommend Mesi’s highly enough!! Thank you for having us 🤗

Wonderful dinner. The veg and meat platter for two was outstanding. I loved talking with the owner/staff. Very friendly and welcoming!! The tea was also delicious.

My first time trying Ethiopian Food and it’s one of the best cuisines I have discovered service is also spectacular

Excellent food and amazing staff! The special vegetarian dish was exceptional! I highly recommend to visit this place!!!

Food is to small amount and way to expensive also not tasty.

To all friends and family this place is extremely good and clean.the owner is an amazing person that cook her traditional food from her heart she add lots love in ur the food.taste is so good u will be coming 5 days week I recommend any one to try the foods special kinds of flat bread ingera.please try it.price wise it good and quality is in ur plate and quantity is enough for the value u pay.god bless Messi's kitchen

Mesi’s Kitchen is an oasis of authentic delicious food and wonderful kind caring and excellent welcoming owner. The portions are perfect. The sphere is amazing and the coffee ritual is healing.

An amazing place: greeted with such a friendly smile and served delicious food, almost as if we were eating in someone's home. We also tasted four great Ethiopian beers and had a wonderful Christmas tea. A truly warm and fulfilling experience.

Gəldim yemey yedim cox gözəldi ellerine sagliq.restoran cox təmizdi her kes gəlib rahatlıqla yeye biler

What a fantastic place 🤩 Service is quite incredible. They treat you like a friend! And food is a dream. We ordered hummus that was a little bit spicy and so good. Also, we tried one option to share and try almost everything, which is delicious. 😍

What an amazing find for 3 vegetarians looking for some really good food in Islington. The food was absolutely delicious. Mesi herself was hugely welcoming and helpful in explaining the menu. Brilliant experience.

If you are looking for Ethiopian food - look no further! This place is a real gem 💎💎💎 The food is delicious and the service is incredible. Come and see for yourelf

Tolle vegane Speisen. Die Inhaberin ist bezaubernd. Ich würde immer wieder kommen.

Delicious food full of flavour! Lovely service! Highly reccomend

Mesi’s has fantastic home cooked Ethiopian food. Mesi is incredibly friendly and it’s not even expensive!! You can get Ethiopian beers too. We go there all the time. The only slight criticism is that we wish some dishes were a bit spicier on her Mesi platter - but still incredibly tasty

Extremely happy and grateful. Called to get a table 30mins before they closed and they were kind enough to serve us their vegetarian platter and stay open 20mins after closing. Amazing food and great service. Will definitely come back!

Absolutely delicious, lovely service.

Delicious food, excellent honey mead, friendly service

Mesi was the loveliest host and it was a wonderful experience to have dinner at her restaurant. I haven't had authentic Ethiopian cuisine like that before and I loved every bit of it. My platter was filled with different vegan options and every bite was a highlight. Thank you Mesi for being that welcoming and spreading such a warm and positive energy.

incredible food, and mesi is an incredible host. we make a point to visit every time we’re in london, one of our favs!

The vegan platter was delicious and it was fun using the injeera bread to eat with. Mesi is such a kind person.

A really good selection of vegetarian & vegan dishes - we loved it!

Great tasty food. Great price. And a good change from your typical Asian or Italian london restaurant.

Lovely atmosphere, super authentic Ethiopian food, and outstanding service.

Food is great and the staff is very welcoming.

Firstly, the food at Mesi's was excellent, the range of options for main dishes, vegan and veggie as well as combo platters for those of us who are less familiar with the cuisine is beyond brilliant. Upon arriving my friend and I were greeted by a lovely warm host, who made us feel instantly at ease and welcomed in the charming restaurant. There's a lovely atmosphere, loads of wall art to look at and talk about as well as lovely music. We chose the Mesi combo platter which was divine, a generous portion of injera as well as good sized portions of all the flavoursome and varied toppings available - would recommend. We tried some Ethiopian beers which were cold, delicious and well priced. And then honey wine (traditional drink) as a dessert which was also lovely. Next time in London I'll definitely be returning. Could not recommend it more highly !!!! Thank you Mesi (from the girls by the window on Saturday afternoon!)

This spot was amazing. Definitely the best food I’ve had on my trip to London and Paris combined. Hostess a doll super sweet to my whole family. My mother has a gluten allergy and she attended to it with care so she didn’t grow sick. Again an incredible meal and would definitely recommend

Really amazing food, will definitely order again

The food here is amazing and really great value for money, I come here regularly and I enjoy it every time, thank you so much!

I absolutely love this place. I've taken all my friends here and told everyone about it because the food is so good. The vegan platter is always delicious and leaves me with some to eat the next day :)

Absolutely delicious and beautifully presented food. Very friendly. Highly recommended!

Been wanting to try Ethiopian food for a long time, and I can honestly say I really wasn’t disappointed. Great food, great service and lovely atmosphere. And good value for money Definitely will come back. Thank you

Absolutely amazing spot i will forever come back to, introduced multiple friends and family to this place and not a single complaint. Food is delightful aswell as amazing service!! a must try.

Lovely food, great service and awesome atmosphere. Would 100% come back. Best part - no cutlery needed at all. Just pinch the injera with you fingers and choose from a wide selection of dishes. Icing on the cake was the Ethiopian beers 😍.

I went to have dinner on Saturday at Mesi's restaurant for the first time with my habesha friend. I was really happy with the service provided by the owner and ofcourse had amazing food too! 😋 highly recommended! 👌

"Why isn't this restaurant awarded a Michelin Star? It truly deserves more than a perfect rating of 10/5. Ethiopian food is one of my favorite cuisines, and this restaurant serves the most soulful food along with great homemade wine. I tried the "Mesi's combo for one person"; however, the portions were generous enough to satisfy two people..! The aroma and the first bite immediately transport you to Ethiopia :D Every dish had a unique taste and flavor, and even for those who aren't fond of veggies, this experience will make vegetables your go-to dish. I also loved the chicken and fish dishes. Additionally, the staff was kind and warm! I must say this will be my go-to choice for comfort food all the time. I can't wait to bring my friends along!"

Absolutely delicious Ethiopian food. Well priced and super friendly service! They also have gluten free injera

One of our favourite places to come to eat is Mesi’s kitchen. We have been coming here for the past two years and it never disappoints! We always get the Mesi Combo and varying side dishes (we recommend ayib be gomen) and we have to say, this is hands down the best Ethiopian place in London, considering we have tried quite a few different places over the past few years. Mesi’s service is amazing and she makes everyone feel welcome and so comfortable! In addition, the ambiance is spot on every time we have been to Mesi’s. There is a plethora of artwork on the walls which captivates your attention, and the soothing, traditional Ethiopian music is the perfect accompaniment to a hearty meal. Always so comforting to eat at Mesi’s Kitchen. Adam and amani :)

Such a wonderful experience. Everything was excellent: the delicious food, the Ethiopian beer, the atmosphere and, of course, the host. Highly recommend! 👏👏👏

Excellent and authentic Ethiopian food! The owner Mesi was also incredibly lovely and provided great service

Amazing food it was worth the price. 1 off my favourite restaurant in London

Delicious, authentic Ethiopian food with lots of vegan and vegetarian options

Lovely food good sized portion very delicious and tasty and very filling! Will order again

This is extraordinary place. The lady owner is so welcoming and immediately made us feel like at home. We had a late lunch and, due to an odd time, we were the only guests. It added to the experience because we had full attention of the host. The food was so delicious that we cleared each plate before the next one arrived. Even my picky teenage niece commented on how delicious everything was. We shared a meat combo and had fish, which tasted incredible. All the atmosphere is very authentic and recommend this place to everyone. A special thanks to the lady host who shared some interesting anecdotes from her life in Ethiopia. A truly wonderful place!

Incredible place, can’t wait to dine there again next time I’m in London. Super tasty and very different food than I’ve had anywhere else.

Great atmosphere, amazing service. Headed in after the Arctic monkeys gig last week, had a few glasses of wine, nice food, a bit of a song and left with a smile. Thanks all

We had the vegan menu for 2. It was an extraordinary experience. The love and the quality of the food and the way is cooked, it all comes through in the food. Mesi is an amazing host and lovely woman. Thank you! The food is so abundant we couldn’t finish it, so she put it in a box for us! Definitely come and have your food here!

Mesi is fantastic and has very welcoming attitude. The food mmmm just go and see yourself it’s 10/10. Ps if it’s ur first time trying injera just kindly ask her to pick it for you as she always services the best

Wonderful authentic Ethiopian food ! Service was equally amazing !

Amazing food and a special atmosphere that makes the food seem even more authentic. We visited from America and were happy to find such a lovely, authentic local spot so close to the Emirates Stadium.

Fantastic spot for delicious Ethiopian food with great vegetarian options as always and great service. The lady running front of house was one of the most friendly and welcoming people you can meet, genuinely lovely and smiley. Food was delicious and excellent value. Restaurant is relaxed, bright and had great vibes. Would definitely come back when nearby!

I get my original Ethiopian food during my stay in London in this restaurant. This restaurant is very comfortable, and members are very welcoming.

I have been in Mesi’s Kitchen with my partner who is allergic to milk, Mesi was super attentive and advise on what to order. We had a Mesi Mixed Combo prepared separately with no milk on it for my partner. I can say the food in Mesi is one of the best I tried ever !! Soon we will come back to enjoy another of the many dishes from the menu.

I don't usually leave a review but this place was so good I have to recommend it. Every dish we had was completely delicious! Left feeling very satisfied and nourished. Also it's good value, clean, and the people are really friendly and welcoming. I hope to come back many times.

Loved the food, loved the atmosphere. The owner was friendly and welcoming. Will defo go again

Mesi's Kitchen is my favourite Ethiopian restaurant in London and I'm lucky enough to live just around the corner. The food is consistently delicious every single time I've been and the staff are just as wonderful. I cannot recommend it enough, always an excellent meal!

Great food, amazing service, so happy that I happened upon this place!

Lovely authentic Ethiopian food at a good price

I loved the food.. the hostess was great and very courteous.. the Ethiopian beer was very nice.. the presentation was really authentic and the food was incredible value for money.. the portion sizes were really generous and the flavors were very authentic and exotic The only concern was that I had to wait for a little while for the food to arrive... But I will definitely return and highly recommend to anyone who's looking to enjoy an Ethiopian meal in London!!

Great place, friendly and great food My friend and I we had awaze tips and lega tips and Walya beer. Thank you.

The best Ethiopian restaurant in London…. The food is authentic and amazing …… Mesi is awesome!

Excellent food and a most welcoming and gracious service! Will visit again!!

Still not sure if the food is better than the service, or otherwise, but both are marvelous!

Incredible food and amazing staff!

Delicious food and wonderful service

We spotted this unassuming restaurant whilst staying with a friend and decided to check it out for Saturday night date night. The service was excellent with a warm welcome and an interesting decor bringing Ethiopia to me. I’ve tried Ethiopian cuisine a couple of times and have enjoyed the communal experience of sharing a plate and eating with my hands. The food when it arrived was delicious and the sourdough flatbread that it was served on was easy to tear and scoop of the various dollops of lentils and vegetables (we’re vegetarian). The price was very reasonable and this is definitely one to come back too.

Delicious food and the most wonderful warm smiles from the incredible Mesi!

Hands down Mesi serves the best kitfo I’ve ever tasted in London. I’ll be back again soon.

Best Ethiopian in London! Gluten free injera bread too which is incredible.