Marathon Restaurant, Islington
If you’re bored of the typical Indian or Italian meal out, maybe it’s time to go Ethiopian. East African food is quickly establishing itself as a meal of choice in London – and Marathon Restaurant & Bar on Caledonian Road is the place to go for an authentic taste of East Africa.
Not only does the food taste exquisite, but eating it is an experience in itself.
For starters, you can get a choice of traditional lamb and chicken filled samosas for £3.50 a portion – but the main is where the fun really begins.
In authentic Ethiopian style, everyone at the table gets to share injera, the country’s staple flatbread, smothered in curries of your choice – think of it as a bready plate.
The idea is that everybody shares off the same plate, and uses only their hands and bits of torn bread instead of knives and forks.
Typical dishes, like Doro Wot, Bozena Shiro, Alicha Fir Fir and Mahiberawi, are either chicken or lamb based, and cooked with onions, chillis and other spices, ranging from mildly spicy to super hot. If you’re lucky you’ll find a boiled egg thrown in there too.
Although the menu is pretty difficult to get your head around – I had no idea what I was ordering – it’s guaranteed to be absolutely delicious, and very reasonably priced. Dishes average around £8, and guarantee to leave you stuffed. Wash everything down with a Meta – the traditional Ethiopian Beer. It’s only about £15 for a more-than-you-can-eat culture fest.
You can even get an Ethiopian-style souvenir of your fantastic night on the way out – for some reason they’ve decided to have a gift shop by the exit.
Marathon Restaurant & Bar
193 Caledonian Road, London N1 0SL
Tel: 020 7837 4499
Open daily 12pm – 11pm
