WOW! Love the vegetarian options, absolutely incredible food!
Suzanne DeJohn
We've had several lovely dinners here. My partner loves spicy food so he loves everything! I wanted something milder, and there were delicious options for that, too. At my recent visit I had the Doro Alicha and it was wonderful. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dawn Kopel
My favorite restaurant in New Haven. All the dishes we have tried are so flavorful and satisfying, the staff always makes you feel like family, and the jazz pianist is a marvel. We are so lucky to have this establishment here!!Dietary restrictions: They have GF injera!
First time visiting Lalibela, and I should admit I will come back soon! The food was excellent, the service was friendly and quick (despite being very busy). Additionally, the atmosphere was fantastic, thanks to the man playing piano. One of my new favorite address to eat in!
Whenever I go to New Haven, CT, I never leave the city without dining at this place. I tried most of the foods on the menu and they are delicious. This is the best authentic Ethiopian restaurant I ever been. The place is clean, and the staffs are very friendly. You would not be disappointed. I wish this place was in MD.
The food is amazing! The staff is friendly and helpful. We ordered a vegetarian combo and the meat combo. Everything was so good! I've been there a few times and it is always packed but we were seated right away and food came out quickly!
Marisa Ritter
Food is the highlight of this spot!!!I really really love their tomato salad and the stewed spicy chicken and beef. Lentils and potatoes and cabbage are also my go to’s. Chicken sambusa too!!
Food 5/5 Service 4/5 Ambiance 4/5 I came here for an early dinner at 5pm with a friend. The restaurant had one other party of 2, and was otherwise completely empty. We were seated immediately. My friend, and I were a little overwhelmed by the menu, given the many choices. We asked our waitress for a recommendation and she let us know that they offer combination plates in which we get to choose 4 different things to try. This is what my friend and I ended up getting. Another thing I liked about the menu is that they offer the same things in a spicy and non-spicy option. My friend and I got a few of the same things but she got the spicy version and I got the non-spicy. Overall, I would rate the food 5/5. It was delicious and I was SO full by the end of the meal. My one disappointment is that I had ordered a coffee, which came out in this beautiful jug. I had only consumed maybe 1/3 of the coffee when the waitress came and said that another customer ordered the coffee and she needed to take the jug away. I thought she would take the jug back and pour the remainder of my coffee into a mug or a different container for me. She didn't. She took the jug away, and next thing I see is the waitress bringing that same jug to the other table. I was very disappointed that I paid for the entire jug of coffee and only got to drink maybe 1/3 of it and I was still charged the entire price for it. Knocked off one star for the coffee incident, but otherwise I would absolutely recommend for the food!
Dee E.
Do not go here if you have food intolerances and need to communicate clearly with the servers. I would give this place zero Stars if possible. I went here on 12/27/23 with my family. We were looking for a relatively quick place to stop before I got on the train to go back to New York. I picked this place because it had good reviews on the find me gluten free app. (My dad and I have celiac and my cousin is vegetarian.) When we came into the restaurant it was nearly empty and we were greeted by an incredibly young server who spoke so low that we could barely hear her. I asked her if the restaurant did indeed have gluten-free options like the reviews indicated. She pointed to the back page of the menu and indicated that the Injera bread was gluten free (which is a given because it's traditionally made with teff flour). The injera bread was the only thing labeled as gluten free, which is odd because no one would ever order that bread by itself. I asked her if anything else on the menu is gluten free and she continued to point to the injera bread and mumble under her breath. At this point, I said you know what we're going to leave, because you're telling me that the only thing gluten free on your menu is the bread and we are obviously looking to eat a full meal. My party went to leave and the server seem to panic instead of just letting us leave. (It would have been fine if they just said I'm sorry we can't accomodate you - the reviews are wrong.) At that point she backtracked and affirmatively said everything vegetarian (items 10-18) were gluten free. I thought this was suspect but we were super hungry so we stayed based on the previous reviews that I read. Additionally it seemed like there was a language barrier, so I thought maybe she just didn't understand me when I first asked the question. She did not come back for a really long time to take our drink order. After that, it took a long time for our food to come out even though the restaurant was nearly empty. When the food came out, it did not look like what was described on the menu and I think I would call it lukewarm. Additionally, the injera bread was cold and rubbery like it had been refrigerated. There is another review indicating not the vegetables are frozen rather than fresh and I'm inclined to agree that's probably the case. However, the food was otherwise seasoned alright. I would call the spicy dishes still very mild. Nothing memorable except hours later, I became ill. Around that time, my dad texted me and said he was also ill. He spent all night extremely sick, vomiting on and off. The server was clearly dishonest with us and lied to retain our business. If you come here, expect lukewarm, mild, mediocre food made with cold injera, frozen vegetables, and bad service. If anyone in your group has a dietary restriction that requires a real conversation, do not come here at all.
Ryah S.
The food is always great. The service is always nice. I have dined in and ordered before. Great for vegans! I always get the veggie combo.
Zachary Chaves
The lights were a little too bright and in the injera portion was slim but the quality of food was off the charts. Great value for the price. We enjoyed it.The most important thing to know is to try the vegetarian combo meal for two(which is not on the menu). That way you can get a variety of specialty items.Most people who appreciate ethnic food will be happy to tryVegetarian options: I recommend the veggie combo meal for two which isnt on the menu.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lentils, Veggie Combo
Anthony C.
I had never had Ethiopian food before but now I'm hooked! The food is amazing here. Literally anything off the menu was one of the best thing I ever ate. Two of us ordered the veggie platter and the meat platter. It was only $40 total and it was two full meals worth of food (and we have big appetites) The atmosphere is casual and the service is fine. The food is the real star here!!
Best Ethiopian in New Haven ? great prices and old time favorite. On Saturday nights there is live music as well!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lalibela Vegetarian Combination Sampler Dishes
WOW! Love the vegetarian options, absolutely incredible food!
We've had several lovely dinners here. My partner loves spicy food so he loves everything! I wanted something milder, and there were delicious options for that, too. At my recent visit I had the Doro Alicha and it was wonderful. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My favorite restaurant in New Haven. All the dishes we have tried are so flavorful and satisfying, the staff always makes you feel like family, and the jazz pianist is a marvel. We are so lucky to have this establishment here!!Dietary restrictions: They have GF injera!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lalibela Vegetarian Combination Sampler Dishes, Curry, Lentils, Salad
Great food and great ambience! Thank you for the hospitality!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
very good food. interesting eating
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Samosa, Lalibela Vegetarian Combination Sampler Dishes
First time visiting Lalibela, and I should admit I will come back soon! The food was excellent, the service was friendly and quick (despite being very busy). Additionally, the atmosphere was fantastic, thanks to the man playing piano. One of my new favorite address to eat in!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lalibela Vegetarian Combination Sampler Dishes
Whenever I go to New Haven, CT, I never leave the city without dining at this place. I tried most of the foods on the menu and they are delicious. This is the best authentic Ethiopian restaurant I ever been. The place is clean, and the staffs are very friendly. You would not be disappointed. I wish this place was in MD.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Samosa, Lalibela Vegetarian Combination Sampler Dishes, Yemesir Sambusa, Veggie Combo, Special TIBS, Yebeg Kikil
The food is amazing! The staff is friendly and helpful. We ordered a vegetarian combo and the meat combo. Everything was so good! I've been there a few times and it is always packed but we were seated right away and food came out quickly!
Food is the highlight of this spot!!!I really really love their tomato salad and the stewed spicy chicken and beef. Lentils and potatoes and cabbage are also my go to’s. Chicken sambusa too!!
Restaurantji Recommends
Food 5/5 Service 4/5 Ambiance 4/5 I came here for an early dinner at 5pm with a friend. The restaurant had one other party of 2, and was otherwise completely empty. We were seated immediately. My friend, and I were a little overwhelmed by the menu, given the many choices. We asked our waitress for a recommendation and she let us know that they offer combination plates in which we get to choose 4 different things to try. This is what my friend and I ended up getting. Another thing I liked about the menu is that they offer the same things in a spicy and non-spicy option. My friend and I got a few of the same things but she got the spicy version and I got the non-spicy. Overall, I would rate the food 5/5. It was delicious and I was SO full by the end of the meal. My one disappointment is that I had ordered a coffee, which came out in this beautiful jug. I had only consumed maybe 1/3 of the coffee when the waitress came and said that another customer ordered the coffee and she needed to take the jug away. I thought she would take the jug back and pour the remainder of my coffee into a mug or a different container for me. She didn't. She took the jug away, and next thing I see is the waitress bringing that same jug to the other table. I was very disappointed that I paid for the entire jug of coffee and only got to drink maybe 1/3 of it and I was still charged the entire price for it. Knocked off one star for the coffee incident, but otherwise I would absolutely recommend for the food!
Do not go here if you have food intolerances and need to communicate clearly with the servers. I would give this place zero Stars if possible. I went here on 12/27/23 with my family. We were looking for a relatively quick place to stop before I got on the train to go back to New York. I picked this place because it had good reviews on the find me gluten free app. (My dad and I have celiac and my cousin is vegetarian.) When we came into the restaurant it was nearly empty and we were greeted by an incredibly young server who spoke so low that we could barely hear her. I asked her if the restaurant did indeed have gluten-free options like the reviews indicated. She pointed to the back page of the menu and indicated that the Injera bread was gluten free (which is a given because it's traditionally made with teff flour). The injera bread was the only thing labeled as gluten free, which is odd because no one would ever order that bread by itself. I asked her if anything else on the menu is gluten free and she continued to point to the injera bread and mumble under her breath. At this point, I said you know what we're going to leave, because you're telling me that the only thing gluten free on your menu is the bread and we are obviously looking to eat a full meal. My party went to leave and the server seem to panic instead of just letting us leave. (It would have been fine if they just said I'm sorry we can't accomodate you - the reviews are wrong.) At that point she backtracked and affirmatively said everything vegetarian (items 10-18) were gluten free. I thought this was suspect but we were super hungry so we stayed based on the previous reviews that I read. Additionally it seemed like there was a language barrier, so I thought maybe she just didn't understand me when I first asked the question. She did not come back for a really long time to take our drink order. After that, it took a long time for our food to come out even though the restaurant was nearly empty. When the food came out, it did not look like what was described on the menu and I think I would call it lukewarm. Additionally, the injera bread was cold and rubbery like it had been refrigerated. There is another review indicating not the vegetables are frozen rather than fresh and I'm inclined to agree that's probably the case. However, the food was otherwise seasoned alright. I would call the spicy dishes still very mild. Nothing memorable except hours later, I became ill. Around that time, my dad texted me and said he was also ill. He spent all night extremely sick, vomiting on and off. The server was clearly dishonest with us and lied to retain our business. If you come here, expect lukewarm, mild, mediocre food made with cold injera, frozen vegetables, and bad service. If anyone in your group has a dietary restriction that requires a real conversation, do not come here at all.
The food is always great. The service is always nice. I have dined in and ordered before. Great for vegans! I always get the veggie combo.
The lights were a little too bright and in the injera portion was slim but the quality of food was off the charts. Great value for the price. We enjoyed it.The most important thing to know is to try the vegetarian combo meal for two(which is not on the menu). That way you can get a variety of specialty items.Most people who appreciate ethnic food will be happy to tryVegetarian options: I recommend the veggie combo meal for two which isnt on the menu.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lentils, Veggie Combo
I had never had Ethiopian food before but now I'm hooked! The food is amazing here. Literally anything off the menu was one of the best thing I ever ate. Two of us ordered the veggie platter and the meat platter. It was only $40 total and it was two full meals worth of food (and we have big appetites) The atmosphere is casual and the service is fine. The food is the real star here!!