A Warm Welcome

In the best traditions of Ethiopian hospitality, Toronto's esteemed East African establishment invites you to a place where good dining and good friends meet. Savor the delights of Ethiopian cuisine - a gastronomic adventure par excellence. To first time guests and regulars alike, the whole team at Ethiopian House invite you to sample an adventure in taste.

The House's Injera (bread) is an Ethiopian staple served with meat or vegetables. Often folded like a large napkin, it serves as a spongy bed for meat or vegetables - and it's a side dish as well. Small pieces of Injera are broken and with the fingers of the right hand, are used to enfold the meat or vegetables - sauce and all.

Here, meats are specially prepared for individual tastes by an experienced chef and a host of talented kitchen staff. Vegetarian dishes include spicy split peas, chick peas rich in garlic, lentils, crunchy collard greens and smooth-roasted potatoes.

There is undoubtedly a wealth of choices when it comes to African food in Toronto. However, this Ethiopian restaurant is more than just a dining room but a "house" with all the warmth and atmosphere you'd expect in such an intimate setting.

Kind words from critics and guests...

"At the Ethiopian house, a trendy restaurant at Yonge and Irwin in the heart of Downtown - the injera rules supreme. Those who get hooked on it, keep coming back for more."
Now Magazine

"Each serving occupies its own little space on the injera magic carpet."
Toronto Life

"Home away from home"
A visiting guest

More Information:
Hours: 12pm - 11pm (Thursday-Saturday) / 12pm - 10pm (Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday)
4 Irwin Avenue, Toronto, ON, M4Y 1K9, Canada

The Menu

The House is committed to using only the finest and freshest authentic ingredients. Please note that menu items are subject to availability. New additions may be made. Specials can also vary as well as wine lists. Reach out to the restaurant directly for the most current information and prices. Spices/ingredients marked with an asterix are explained in the glossary below.

Appetizers

Senig Karia

Seasoned jalapeno pepper (hot) stuffed with seasoned tomatoes and onions

Azifa

Whole lentils boiled and mashed with lemon green chilli and seasonings (served cold)

Timatim Fit-Fit

Pieces of Injera mixed with tomatoes, onions, green chillis in oil and lemon dressing

Sherro Fit-Fit

Pieces of Injera mixed with tomatoes, onions, green chillis in oil and lemon dressing. Injera mixed with dried pea flour (served cold).

House Salad

Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, with oil and lemon dressing (jalapeno peppers, onions optional). May be served with bread or injera.

Main Dishes

Fer-Fer

Pieces of Injera mixed with berbere* sauce

Quanta Fer-Fer

Strips of beef prepared with berbere or awaze* and salt and pepper, dried and served in small pieces mixed with injera

Banatu

Injera sauteed in pan fried beef with dried hot green peper topping

Tibs

Pan fried beef sauteed with onions, garlic, green peppers, tomatoes and awaze* with injera

Kitfo Special

Steak tarter sauteed with warm keebe* and a dash of hot pepper sauce to taste (served raw, rare, medium or well-cooked, with injera, aib* and kale)

Gored-Gored

Chunks of tender beef mixed in seasoning, awaze*, keebe* and sauce (served raw, rare, medium or well-cooked, as desired, with injera). Best served rare.

Bayaaynatu

"Of Each Kind" small servings of Nos.9 and 11 (Tibs and Kitfo Special) with Gomen (collard greens) and aib*

Extras

Additional Injera

Side Tibs

Side Veggie

Side Cottage Cheese

Ethiopian Spices: Explained

Berbere

A dry pepper powder, the end-product of an intricate process in which numerous spices are carefully blended.

Awaze

A paste made from small hot red peppers, cardamon, and cloves or afrinji made from red pepper.

Mitmita

A powder made from small hot red peppers, cardamon, and afrinji made from red pepper seeds, ginger, garlic, onions and black pepper.

Keebe

Ethiopian butter which is clarified. In the process, chopped ginger, garlic and onions are added along with other spices, including fenugreek, white cumin, basil, cardamon, oregano and turmeric.

Aib

Cottage cheese

Vegetables and Beef Mix

Vege Beef

Tibs (pan fried beef), Tikil Gomon (cabbage & carrots), Atakelet wot (string beans & potatoes)

Gomen Be Sega

Fresh collard green with fried beef sauteed with seasoned butter, fresh tomato, berbere, green pepper and onion

Bozena Shiro

Highly-seasoned chick peas (powder) in berbere sauce mixed with cubes of beef

Vegetarian Dishes

Served with Injera bread

Misir Wot

Lentil Stew in berbere sauce

Sherro Wot

Highly-seasoned chick peas (powder) in berbere sauce

Tikil Goman

Cabbage, carrots, potatoes, cooked in turmeric sauce

Goman Wot

Kale or collard greens in mild sauce

Yekik Alicha

Yellow split peas in mild turmeric sauce

Kit Wot

Split peas stew in berbere sauce

Misir Alicha

Split lentil stew in thick mild sauce with seasoning

Atakelt Wot

Mixed vegetables - string beans, carrots, potatoes - cooked in tomato sauce

Vegetarian Bayaaynatu

"Of Each Kind" small servings of the above vegetarian dishes

Specials

Weekend Special (now available weekdays)

Chicken Stew (Doro Wat)
Chicken legs marinated in lemon juice, then sauteed in butter and seasoned with garlic, fresh ginger and fenugreek, then coated with barbere sauce and cooked gently until tender. Served with hard boiled egg, aib (cottage cheese) and injera.

Meat Lunch Special (12-3pm)

Bayaaynatu
Small servings of tibs (pan fried beef), kitfo (beef tartar or cooked), collard greens, cottage cheese and served with injera (bread).

Vegetarian Lunch Special (12-3pm)

8 small servings of vegetarian dishes served with injera (bread).

Veg and Beef Lunch Special (12-3pm)

Small servings of tibs (pan fried beef), tikil gomon (cabbage & carrot), atakelt wot (string beans & potatoes) and served with injera (bread).

Drinks

House Wine

1/2 litre or 1 glass

White Wines (750ml Bottle)

Chardonnay (v) (South Africa)
Reif Estate Winery (Ontario)

Red Wines

Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot (South Africa)
Reif Estate Winery (Ontario)

Domestic Beer

Molson Canadian
Budweiser
Coors Light

Premium Beer

Upper Canada Lager

Imported Beer

Heineken (Holland)
Corona (Mexico)
Stella Artois (Belgium)

Cognacs 1.25oz

Cognac V.S. (Courvoisier)
Remy Martin V.S.
Cognne Hennesy V.S.

Whiskies 1.25oz

Black Label

Liquors 1.25oz

Rye
Vodka
Gin
Rym

Beverages

Tea (Spiced with orange peel and other flavorings)
Coffee (strong or light)
Soft drink
Milk
Juice (orange, apple, cranberry)
Cappucino
Cafe au Lait
Espresso
Mineral Water
Iced Tea

The Story

As experienced guests will no doubt know, vegetables play a crucial role in Ethiopian cuisine. Dishes are deceptively filling because they are served with generous helpings of delicious Injera bread. This means even vegetarian diners often find themselves unexpectedly satisfied after a seemingly light meal.

Naturally, the team at Ethiopian House place great emphasis on the quality, freshness, and preparation of each vegetable dish and side. This unique approach, in a culinary industry that often overlooks the "small" details, is a defining part of the restaurant's ethos in food.

Indeed, the courteous staff are always willing to dispense advice regarding options and the best suited condiments for vegetarian diners. Rest assured, there is something for everyone.

This food comes from a place of love -- we love it and we're sure you will too. So please stop by and give it a try. You'll soon see the Ethiopian House difference!

The restaurant is nestled between Church and Wellesley & Yorkville, respectively. The Ethiopian House's reputation was painstakingly built over decades in the community.

These days, not only does the city's large diaspora come out to enjoy the flavor. Locals of all backgrounds appreciate what the team has to offer and the restaurant welcomes all.

Coffee Ceremony

Planning to have a coffee after your meal? Be sure to order ahead to allow ample time for preparation.

The House's specialty Ethiopian brew is no ordinary coffee. It takes 30-45 minutes to prepare. So if you would like to partake in a traditional coffee ceremony, please let staff know when ordering your meal.

After your meal, relax and enjoy the aroma of frankincense as your host handroasts and grinds the specially selected beans. Then it's time to savor the strong beverage. Many Ethiopians drink it with a pinch of salt or clarified butter. Please let staff know which you prefer.

Did you know that the original coffee plantations were in a place called Keffa, a province of Ethiopia? In fact the word "coffee" itself came from the province where it was first grown.

Ethiopia is famous globally for its rich coffee heritage and for the quality of its raw output. However, the cultural role of coffee is perhaps the most distinctive element of what makes coffee special in the country and among the Ethiopian diaspora.

The experience is one to be savored and enjoyed in great company and as a perfect conclusion to a traditional meal. For those in a greater hurry, regular coffee is also available on request.

An authentic Ethiopian coffee ceremony experience is as much about the experience as the delightful coffee itself. Coffee-drinking rituals are important in Ethiopian culture. It facilitates bonding and aids in the digestion of a delicious meal.

Get There

Ethiopian House | 12pm - 11pm (Thursday-Saturday) / 12pm - 10pm (Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday) | 4 Irwin Ave, Toronto, ON M4Y 1K9, Canada | +1 416-923-5438

Final Words & Disclaimer

The "House" was born from the simple desire to bring the delicious and unique flavors of Ethiopia to the city of Toronto. Nothing is more important to the staff than fresh produce, fantastic preparation, and quality in everything from service to taste. The chefs have spent decades perfecting the recipes and techniques used in the restaurant today. The whole team invites you to visit and see for yourself.

Please note: this website strives to offer helpful resources to visitors and assist them in making informed plans. However, our content is provided on an "as is" basis and no representations are made regarding its accuracy, completeness or applicability.

Please address queries regarding your dining plans to restaurant staff.

Thank you and stop by soon!