Queen of Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant

I found this restaurant by chance while walking around before a show at The Forum. I had always wanted to try Ethiopian food and this was quite exciting for me.

The service was undeniably slightly slow (not very), but this sort of played into the relaxing ambience that this place provided. The waitor was very friendly and helped us make a decision. The food arrived about 20 minutes later and was possibly one of the best meals I have had in years! It was so tasty I found myself eating more than I should of! The Ethiopian Tea was also really enjoyable! I think I have found myself a new favourite cuisine to add to the list.

They were quite slow in bringing the bill and it was quite apparent that they needed more than 1 waiter. It did not matter to me though, I was more than happy with the food and prices for that to make a difference to the experience. It was clearly a popular place with quite a few people needing to queue for a table, so do get there early!

If you are looking for fast service, quick food and a "get out of here after 45 minutes" attitude, then go elsewhere. or a place to relax and eat excellent home cooked meals, do go to Queen of Sheba!
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B. Sing
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, September 04, 2008

Fantastic! I visited this restaurant last night with 5 friends. The food was outstanding - so tasty.

I love Ethiopian food as it's got such a different flavour to other cuisines and Queen of Sheba's food is right up there with some of the best I've eaten.

The service was warm and friendly - the lady who served us was fantastic and there was lots of friendly banter. The atmosphere was great and although it was quite busy everyone was having a great time. Whenever I looked around all the tables were smiling.

I'd definitely go back for more and my friends were really impressed as it was their first experience eating Ethiopian food.

I'd recommend Queen of Sheba to everyone :) I'm hungry just writing this review!!!
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stebradandish - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Friday, August 22, 2008

I am a big big fan of Ethiopian restaurants, this being the fifth I have been to and I'm sad to say the worst by a long way. The lady who served us was a little too rude for our liking and quite literally shouted one of the girls in our party out of her choice of dish and into sharing the platter with us. Guess abrupt is her way. Sad as it was my boyfriend’s birthday and we wanted it all to be perfect.

Many of the foods on the mixed platter tasted bland and the same. The food lacked the spice and the beautiful mixture of flavours Ethiopian food is so known for. The Queen of Sheba was also too commercial for me. I miss the Banana and Palm nut beer served in coconut shells to be found at others.

I would not return here and would advise people that if they fancy a friendly dinner full of flavour not to visit.
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Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 5
Thursday, July 31, 2008

Good food and authentic atmosphere. Our big party shared their big "chef's special" platters, which looked & tasted lovely. I personally haven't been to Ethiopia, but the restaurant certainly did have a special feel to it, with local music & great coffee to compliment the food.

The service, though, was a joke. First we waited 30 minutes to order anything - waiter only arrived after we called him more than a few times. Then we waited 1.5 hrs for the main dish, or 2 hrs since entering the place (I booked the table the day before, so this was not a surprise to them that a big party was coming). Each time we had to request drink top-ups, literally yelling our orders across the room. On top of that we waited something like 20 mins for the bill, nearly missing our tube as a result of that.

Mixed feelings, overall. Without a few bottles of Ethiopian beer my patience would definitely be exhausted pretty quickly.
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P
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 6
Monday, November 05, 2007

We have eaten at this restaurant quite a few times with family and friends and keep going back and taking new people with us, our friends and family are amazed at the quality of the food and fantastic flavours. if you've never eaten Ethiopian food, YOU MUST.

The only downside being the narrow wooden benches you have to sit on.

The two proprietors and mother are absolutely delightful and add to the visual beauty of the place.
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Kevin N
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Saturday, October 06, 2007

Wonderful food and great friendly service. Super good value.
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Alan
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Monday, June 04, 2007

First taste of Ethopian food and not disappointed. This is somewhere I'd easily bring a few friends for something different. The format is one of a very informal family-run restaurant.

The food was very interesting - we opted for a mixed platter (because we didn't know what to choose) and it was a visual and gastronomic feast.

Service was a tough call though. We had some frustratingly long waits. 30 minutes per course wouldn't be an exaggeration. But they clearly took a pride in their restaurant and this showed.

We'll be back, but probably earlier (in the day) than before, to account for the waits involved.
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Alan Ingham - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Sunday, May 27, 2007

Unique dining experience, very popular. We couldn't fault the food but inerja (Ethiopian bread) can become tiresome as it appears to be served with everything. This wont stop us returning as the food is delicious and very good value.
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Miss Diane King
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Saturday, March 31, 2007

This place is a gem. If I didn't live miles across town, I'd certainly be a local regular at this cosy little ethopian. We were greeted by friendly staff, and the African art and gentle incense made it really interesting place to eat. And the food is yummy, had strong and spicy lamb with spongy bread. They do this memorable coffee ceremony with fresh roasted beans and sweet incense, sounds weird but it smelt and tasted lovely. Good vibe. Would definitely recommend this place!
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Rachel
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Sunday, November 12, 2006

I have been to queen of sheba several times the food is fantastic the service is great .Keep up the good job .
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ruth
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Wednesday, July 26, 2006