Eethuis Lalibela

The oldest Ethiopian restaurant in the Netherlands, still tearing injera nightly on the Eerste Helmersstraat.

The oldest Ethiopian restaurant in the Netherlands sits on a quiet stretch of the Eerste Helmersstraat and has been feeding Oud-West since before half its current residents were born. The drill: order a couple of stews, a doro wot if you know what is good for you, and everything arrives on one giant injera, the sour spongy pancake that doubles as plate and cutlery. You eat with your hands, the room smells of berbere and clarified butter, and the painted walls have watched thousands of first dates figure out the tearing technique. It is family-run in the literal sense, a couple who have been at it for decades, and it shows in cooking that is patient and deeply spiced rather than dumbed down. Mains hover around twelve euros, vegetarians and vegans eat as well as anyone, and a table of four sharing one platter is the correct way in.

Get the Deblek combination for the table plus a Doro wot speciaal, and say pittig unless you scare easily. Small room, so book ahead for weekends.

Photo: Eethuis Lalibela