Real habesha restaurant in Bristol, City of

Great food, friendly staff and, again, the food is great.

Very enjoyable… although maybe a little overpriced.

Date: 27th September 2024 Cost: £75 for three “Have we got somewhere for dinner?” Mich asked, as we succumbed to the allure of the drinks trolley on the cross-country train to visit Jez, longtime friend, mediumtime Bristolian and, as it turned out, part-time local pub and restaurant guru and guide. “Jez mentioned something about Ethiopian, I’m not sure if he’s booked or anything.” “Well text him! I want to look at the menu.” So I did. The images that appeared upon completion of our search displayed an unassuming exterior perhaps more given to a late-night takeaway, but the inside gave off the impression of eating in someone’s house - cosy, snug and intimate. Stapleton Road was bustling with other East African restaurants, late-night cafes full of people chatting over tea, and butchers, barbers and shops crammed with rugs and floor-to-ceiling stacks of crates of Miranda that all seemed to function more as meeting and gathering points than anything else. But it was quiet in the Real Habesha. And by quiet I mean we were the only ones there. It was by no means an issue that the only atmosphere was the sounds of our own laughter and gossip echoing back off the walls, but I can’t imagine it being an ideal spot for a first date, say. We ordered beers and the incredibly sweet honey wine that still gives me phantom tooth fuzz if I think about it too much, as well as the medium combination chosen on the train: a selection of veggie curries, stews, salads and, well, vegetables with a choice of meats, all served on a giant edible plate of injera. We went for keyh tshebi - beef cubes in a tomato/onion/garlic base - and added on a portion of dorho wot for good measure - chicken legs and boiled egg in a spicy gravy. This arrived in its own dish-atop-a-dish, elevated above the combination as the star of the show that it turned out to be. Spoiler alert! Sorry. Let me rewind to a few confessions: firstly, I was hungry. Not starving, but definitely in the right kind of headspace and tummyspace to put away a fair bit of food. And secondly, I don’t really like injera. It’s fine. It’s just a bit bland and sits quite heavily. Give me rice over any kind of bread with curries and stews every day of the week. But each to their own. Anyway, when the food arrived, as described above but in - to my stomach’s eye - little portions, with an additional basketful of hundreds of injera rolls to top up our overall calories-per-pound, I paradoxically felt a slight disappointment but dived in fingers first. The combination was all nice. It was all nice. But I couldn’t decipher much of a difference between the chickpea one, the lentil one, the other lentil one and actually even the beef one, except for by look and by texture. There was a serving of cabbage and green beans here and a spoonful of rice there, and it all went pretty quickly, but I wasn’t bouncing around the room at any of it. In the dorho wot, therefore, lay my last hope. Out of uncertainty how to share two drumsticks and a whole boiled egg between three without cutlery, it had stayed off to one side until we couldn’t put it off any longer, when we just tipped it into the shrinking injera plate. It was comfortably the highlight. I can remember what it tasted like, for a start: rich, as though the legs had been stewing in the same pot as all the fattier, tastier bits of the chicken, their goodness seeping oozily into into the gravy, and gently spiced with the warmth of a mix containing things like clove and nutmeg and paprika over anything more overtly hot. The meat itself was tender, and the egg was fun to eat - like everything else - using our hands. I was full and satisfied afterwards, but I do think a therapist would read into my gnawing of the leftover drumsticks as indicative of a lack of that of that elusive comestible bliss I was seeking. It’s worth pointing out that the others were both singing the praises of the food, and it would be remiss of me to mark the Real Habesha down for personal preferences, but it was probably the least impressive of anywhere we ate that weekend.

I tried Ethiopian food for the first time, it was very good.

We ordered the "Medium combination" for two people and I was disappointed by the size of the portions. These are basic recipes and their ingredients are very affordable, there is no need whatsoever to skimp.

Wallahi may God bless this restaurant for real👀 The customer service is above and beyond expectations. I am so so grateful to them for being so patient with me even though the mistake was very clearly my fault. Can you readers imagine I tried to order Ethiopian food and it took four hours to finally get it🤦🏽‍♀️. Here is the story: Firstly, the deliveroo app was not working properly and uber eats didn't have what I specifically wanted from this restaurant. So I called the restaurant directly to see if they would deliver which they agreed.They delivered very quickly. Quicker than on any of the deliver apps. So quickly that I missed them before I could even withdraw money from a cash point. Cause I knew they would want cash when they drop off. So I missed that delivery. And I carelessly left my phone at home while withdrawing money. Then I missed their phone calls twice more again because my phone was on bedtime mode so calls were silent😭😭. Despite all of this, they still delivered to my house on the forth attempt. I did not even expect them to deliver again after the first time I messed up. I am so grateful and very sorry for all the trouble caused❤

Incredible food and a lovely atmosphere, I live nearby and bring everyone who visits to eat here. A must visit for any foodies who find themselves on the East side of Bristol

delicious and interesting food. Love the honey wine. I had several visits back to the restaurant. I found there have been some changes happened. The owner(guy) is a bit rude to me. Food is still good.

Shidnee was nice but they didn't give enough angeera

I did not reveived what I ordered. This is first time rime ordering for the restaurant, so not a good expérience.

Nice food and atmosphere. I was here more times, I like their food. Please don't expect European service here. Go there with open mind and just enjoy. I felt like I am not in the UK, nor in Europe. Felt like a holiday in Africa. I will come back here again

Bought x2 too good to go on an evening Food was nice and tasty but service from the girl behind the counter was laboured and the amount of food was very disappointing if I was to pay full fare Also charged 2£ for very cheap and small takeaway containers

This was my first time trying habesha food today with my family, it was absolutely delicious. We opted for a platter, mango juice / lassi and the house coffee, which was more than enough for the five of us. The wait time wasn’t long at all and the customer service was 10/10, we were met with smiles and patience from the workers the entire time. We will 100% be returning again soon.

Perfect injera, the 2-3 sharing plate was plenty for our party of 3 but I think in future I would order more of the meat as that was the best part. All of the food was delicious, the drinks were great (I got a guava juice). The restaurant felt very homely and comfortable. I would love to eat here again!

First time having Ethiopian food so we didn't know what to expect, and we loved it. Spicy, full of flavour and generous portions. The service was also very nice.

The food was amazing and offered a wonderful experience of authentic Ethiopian food.

Lovely food Nice pancakes Nice beers Friendly service Will be back 🍀🍀🍀💅

Really tasty, healthy filling food. This is a good value, enjoyable experience and the people who run it are very nice.

Will take any excuse to eat here. I love Ethiopian food and this place does it really well. Meat dishes are delicious, but this is fantastic for vegans - their veggie plate has an incredible selection of delicious veggie stews

Delicious food in a nice setting. Also very good value. Worth booking in advance on busy nights!

Fabulous food and authentic pertinence- thoroughly recommend 😃

Great great food 🤤 food and service.

Lovely area with kind staff. Very affordable prices and it's not too busy - perfect for night outs. Went with my family and had a fantastic dinner which was (for a white person like I) perfectly spicy and tasty.

Delicious food great atmosphere and amazing service thank you real habesha.

Low key atmosphere, friendly and helpful service, big portions of delicious food at reasonable prices. Veg and meat options, good selection of drinks including home made honey wine and Eritrean beers.

Love this place . Such good food and lovely people who run it

Lovely friendly staff that were very helpful answering questions about the dishes. The food was delicious, I had the single meat and veg meal, which was a beef dish in sauce (similar to a curry) and some different veg dishes (spicy lentils, chickpeas, cabbage and kale) plenty of food for us. My favourite dish was the beef dish, it was cooked perfectly with the cubes of beef beautifully tender. The price was great under £15 for my meal and a drink. 100% will go back!

Amazing ingera, vegetariam curries were all delicious. Lovely, casual vibe, such kind staff, reasonably priced, get the fresh mango juice it is superb!! Highly reccomend

Amazing food, great service by the loveliest people and would 100% recommend! If you want authentic food then come here!

Lovely Ethiopian food. Just beware though inside is a lovely atmosphere. Meanwhile around you there will be crime going on all around. I have been there 4 times. One time a boy was stabbed a street along the road. Another time a moped rider was crashed into and another ambulance was required on a third time there seemed to be a running battle going on between 2 groups. Not to put you off the food is good but the drama is better.

Fantastic, authentic, and climatic. Delicious food and a glimpse of Ethiopian culture. Now on my favourite list :D

The food is incredible here. The owner is lovely and everytime I go. I leave full and happy.

What a place to have an amazing meal! Loved the recommendation - meat and veggie plate for two. Very kind and helpful staff.

Excellent food. Better athmostphear.

Great little restaurant. Authentic and tasty food. We will be back!

We loved this place. Delicious meal and lovely staff. Thank you!

It amazing Eritrean and Ethiopia cuisine, delicious and testy.

Delicious Ethiopian food. Cash only.

Great food, lovely injura, good value to boot.

Great food at a reasonable price. Food is served on the traditional Ethiopian bread and eaten with the hands. Love it!

Amazing food and service. Under dog restaurant.

Over priced and not enough quantity of food

Really tasty food, good veggie and vegan options too. Great for sharing a meal with friends. The honey wine is very moreish.

The food here is lovely and really good value. Have dined in before and had delivery; both are great. One of my favourite places in Bristol. Really great for vegans.

I love this place. Incredibly good value, tasty delicious food and a very welcoming, unintimidating atmosphere. It also appears to be entirely ran by one person (maybe 2 when it’s busy) but service is always friendly and quick. The best place to try Ethiopian food for the first time! Also great selection of African beers.

Delicious, authentic Ethiopian food.. Great, veggie options.. Lovely host and atmosphere and at a great price.

Nice food, pleasant people. Had the meat combo. Lamb watt, with a selection of veg dishes. Really good for one person

Lovely family run place with amazing food.

Nice place. Simple decor. Sharing food eaten with the hands. Tasty and great price.

The food was alright but not outstanding.. and it didn’t look as good/colourful as in the pictures on the menu. the curry in the middle was good and the brown lentils were also tasty - but there is room for improvement in the rest. We had a medium combination plate (for 2-3 people) and generally found that the veggies could have been better - the salad wasn’t really a salad and the whole plate was missing a bit of a tang to balance it out - there was rice, two types of lentils and some sort of traditional pancake, boiled egg.. boiled everything.. overall too much protein/carbs and not enough vitamins. PS: expect eating with your hands..!!

Wonderful experience of Ethiopian cuisine. The host was very friendly and welcoming. We ordered vegetarian food for 2 people. The food was amazing, not too spicy , it was simple yet delicious. I will definitely recommend this place for people visiting Bristol

Delicious food, very affordable, and an experience you'll remember. Friendly and attentive staff and a lovely ambience.

Very good, authentic food at this Ethiopian restaurant. Don't be put off by the rather scuzzy area (my car was fine parked just around the corner). Staff (what appeared to be father and son) were very friendly and helpful although it's important to be aware that the card machine is not working atm - so you may need to nip to the cash machine next door (fortunately it's free). We ordered a range of food from shiro, mesir and Real Habesha Special and tibs - all were really good - one of the best shiros I've tasted. The injera was really nice too. On Friday night the place was popular with a mix of people and, tbh, was only let down by the hand washing facilities - essential for eating injera - which could be a bit better - otherwise 5*

Great service and some of the best food I've ever had. Great for vegans, good beer and so much food it's value for money too

Small authentic restaurant on a seemingly well lined popular international food street. We ordered a vegetarian/ vegan sharing platter for two (£15.50). Quick and friendly service. Easy to decide what you wanted and the food came quickly. Everything on the plate was delicious. Great dinner option if you’re looking for somewhere cheap and quick like we were ! Note that there was a perfect amount of injera so that it didn’t go to waste !👍 (two rolls extra on the side)

One of my favourite places to get a take away. The food is so delicious, not over priced and very filling.

A delicious meal with exceptional service with a smile

Very authentic Ethiopian food served by a friendly host. Good atmosphere, quick service. Absolutely vegan friendly.

Nice local restaurant with friendly atmosphere. The meal was delicious.

Delicious Ethiopian/ Eritrean food. Nice selection of African beers, and traditional home made honey wine. If you're a bit fussy about communal hands-on eating ( literally), just bring your own fork and spoon. The coffee's great, too. Cash only, but there is a cashpoint nearby.

Insane food. Worth it. Still need to learn how to eat not like a super white girl. But they didn't care! The afro beer was a beautiful lager! Xx

Great food and such an amazing customer service!

Small Vege combo for 2 was fantastic. Added bonus of great tunes and lovely staff. Heartily recommend

Excellent food, fun environment, a bit different to what we usually go for but it was a great experience overall.

The place has great food honestly

Service was poor. Food was not bad, but nothing special. The portion size was not that great.

First time visit this evening with my wife and son. What a great cultural experience! Food first class, delicious and very reasonably priced, restaurant cosy and buzzing, and Tom was welcoming and charming. We're all looking forward to our next visit in the very near future.

Wow - again an absolute delicious experience. We had the meat and veg platter to share - a must have!

Consistently delicious, great value and lovely staff. One of our favourites.

Family run, loving cuisine that indulges your taste buds - you've got to try the Ethiopian honey wine!

Delicious cultural kind experience! Loved the pancake plate and Ethiopian beer. The foods on the pancake were all amazing. The guy was very kind and gave us coffee at the end - very tasty!!! Thanks!

I visited it today around 4 PM but Unfortunately it was closed today i douno if it's temporarily or permanently 🤔

Very good food, good for veggies and carnivores. Friendly staff in a real family atmosphere. Looking forward to a return visit next time I'm in Bristol. Food is served on a bread 'plate', with extra bread served separately. Take bread, dip into your selection of meats and salads and garnishes, and munch your way through great food.

Very nice food I had Keyh tbs stew. Never had Ethiopian food before but would recommend. Coffee was nice too.

terrible service from the young and rude boy

Delicious Ethiopian food. We were very happy to find doro wat on the menu. The veg/ vegan combo is about right for two people (and doesn't really need the rice).

Whether it be a takeaway or sit-in meal at the restaurant, this place never disappoints.

The food is was only okay. Compared to the other East African eateries this one is orientated and watered down towards the 'hipster' scene and is a cute date spot for English trendies complete with agreeable decor. Not necessarily a bad thing if that's what you want but don't kid yourself. Go to where the locals eat just further down the road for a more authentic, genuine cultural experience.

I was on a short trip to Bristol, and was excited to find this Ethiopian restaurant, as there aren't many in the UK. I arrived shortly before closing time, but the owner made me very welcome and in a short while I had a delicious traditional feast- a tray of injera pancakes covered with some beef tibs and a range of vegetable and pulse sides. It did not disappoint. it was freshly-cooked, healthy and tasty. For those not familiar with Ethiopian food, it is light on the chili, but full of other tasty spices, and eaten with injera- a fermented sourdough pancake that you use like a chapatti. The food is served on the injera, and you have more to eat with. The sauces soak into the 'plate' so you can eat that at the end. I'll be moving to Bristol shortly, and this will be a regular hangout.

Great food, good for sharing and for vegan/veggies. Get the Shiro!

Phenomenal selection of Ethiopian cuisine and very friendly staff - I highly recommend trying the ceremony coffee!

This place is one of my favourite in Bristol! The food is delicious and fresh 😋 the portions are generous and I have never had anything there that is not tasty. The man who works there is very friendly and the inside of the shop itself is nice. Definitely get the veg combination platter, the shiro is fantastic 😄 The cermony coffee with the popcorn is lovely and gingery, so definitely get some! The habesha beer is great too. We've been ordering food for a while and the takeout is just as nice and fresh as in-restaurant. If you come to Bristol you must not miss out on going here :)

Yummy vegan meal and very friendly staff, full of smiles. Glad to have gone out for my birthday

Not just good food, it's an experience. The food has a reasonable price, delicious and plenty but beyond that, the owner/staff take care of the presentation a lot. You can choose to be seated in a western dining table or traditional Ethiopian table, incense are served with food and coffee, coffee served in a traditional jug. The decoration is detailed with pictures of Ethiopian kitchen, cooking tool, etc. The speaker blasts Ethiopian music. £14 for two is already a good price for lunch, but for a "Covid proof" journey to Ethiopia, that's something else

Great food, exceptional. We had to bother the kitchen a few times as there weren't enough waiting staff. Great overall experience

10/10 every time. This place is the best. Delicious, authentic food and friendly staff.

Lovely food we ate in the park as sit down not available. Great mix of food good meat and veggie options. Good combination of flavour texture etc

Prices have gone through the roof and quality is really hit and miss. Made an order last week, turned up and the doors were locked. What was once a great spot to eat is now a total miss! Shame

Excellent service. I even got a call back the day after calling in to enquire about making a take away order. The food is delicious and authentic Ethiopian cuisine. I've tried many others before but the taste is almost always off. This was the real deal. The Derho was divine. I can't wait to eat in when the pandemic blows over.

A nice, authentic Ethiopian restaurant. I liked the honey wine (tej) and the three person meat and veggie combination platter was also tasty. The service is not that professional, but the staff members seemed cheerful. It would have been great if they could tell something about the dishes. The decoration could be more colourful. All in all, it was a good value for money. I can recommend it for a dinner, but maybe to order a takeaway is a better choice!

Service was good, water was missing from our table for a while though. The honey wine was interesting to try. The sour fermented pancakes were a good addition for the platter. The beef stew was tasty, also liked the yellow pea dip and the yellow potatoes. The lentil was so so, the cabbage didn't have any flavours. The prices are reasonable.

La comida era deliciosa y el personal amable. Compartimos una fuente grande y algo de carne y todo estaba bien preparado, saludable y abundante.

Esta fue una comida realmente decepcionante. Las salsas están llenas de aceite. No tenía nada de apetitoso y, lamentablemente, hubo que tirar mucho. No es mi taza de té en absoluto.

Lovely authentic Ethiopian food, filling and delicious, washed down with Ethiopian beer to boot!

There was a great atmosphere at the Real Habesha restaurant. It's the best option in Bristol if you're looking for authentic Ethiopian cuisine or just an alternative to dull chains, about 15 mins walk from the city centre. It's always busy but we managed to breeze in on a Saturday afternoon and get a table easily.

Fantastic food, really reasonable prices with staff who really care about their work. I'd book ahead if you can as it was busy. Lots of fun things to try, including traditional Ethiopian coffee

Incredible food for a great price. Try the vegan sharer and Afro beer!

Delicious food and friendly staff! We will be back

Just had a takeaway, really delicious tasty food, very friendly place, fully recommend

I got a deliveroo order from here. Arrived in 20 mins, all food hot and incredibly tasty! Highly recommend