I rarely get to have Ethiopian food where I live in the States and thought this would be a good place to get some near our hotel while we're visiting. This place has a quaint vibe to it and the menu is fairly straightforward. I came with my wife and we were seated right when we walked in. We know portion sizes can be fairly large when Ethiopian food and we didn't want leftovers so opted for their veggie combo for 1. It was actually a good size for us to share and not feel too full. The combo comes with 6 items plus the mixed green salad. The items were all well cooked, I enjoyed the lentils but was 50/50 on things I really enjoyed vs though were okay but that was more of a personal food preference vs the item was good/bad. Overall, I'm glad we stopped in. read more

African Palace - Vegetarian combo for 1 - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I was walking by and noticed they had a veggie platter for $10. I hadn't thought of dinner yet, so I ordered it to go of course! It's covid right now. There were greens! Plus lots of lentils, their shiro wat was quite spicy but very flavourful. It was 4pm and they had just opened and everything was already made. It definitely hit the spot. I didn't give it 4 stars only because I found the cabbage didn't sit well with me. Now I know cabbage has a reputation but normally I don't find it bothers me I'll try it again to see. read more

African Palace - Veggie platter - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

This review is based off of one order for one item for takeout during covid, but I have nothing but good things to say about this order. I occasionally crave Ethiopian food, and while my go to has always been Ethiopian House Restaurant, I was unable to order it for delivery and I was far too lazy to walk the 20 mins to pick it up myself. Upon browsing, I came across African Palace, and they offered my go to meal - beef tibs served with injera. What a surprise that it's cheaper than what I normally get at Ethiopian House! When the food came I was even more surprised, not only was it cheaper, the portion size was almost DOUBLE what I usually get. Same amount of injera, but so much meat, the portion size was amazing for the price. So, while I can't comment on the restaurant itself, its service, or even its takeout experience (since I had this delivered from UberEats) or even any other item on the menu, I have to give 5 stars for my experience there, and I will definitely order again. read more

- tasty and portions are great - satisfying and nutritious food that is affordable - friendly service, would 100% order again an on the regular read more

Had the vegetarian platter ($11). Was just enough for one - I finished the whole plate and was a good level of fullness. The platter is kind of a small portion size but the crepe-like pancake (injera) that comes with it really fills you up. Of the different offerings that came on the platter, I especially liked the spinach, cabbage, tomato, and green lentil ones. They were each very uniquely flavourful. The injera had a nice, unexpected tang to it which I enjoyed. After the meal, we had the Coffee Ceremony which consisted of a lady bringing out a pot of roasting coffee beans to our table which filled the area with a warm and inviting smell of dark roast coffee, and the pleasant sound of coffee beans tinkling against metal. The coffee, although very dark, had an almost fruity aroma and didn't have that bitter taste I was expecting. Note: Don't drink to the last drop in your cup or you'll get all the small bits of coffee grinds which is not good. The service was fine but slightly slow. We had to wait a while for someone to come by for water refills and for the bill. Overall, I had a good experience here. It was my first time trying Ethiopian food and I really liked it. P.S. The coffee saucers for some reason had little red ants crawling everywhere. Not that I minded but those that are antsy should be aware. read more

African Palace - Vegetarian platter. I really enjoyed the cabbage, spinach, tomato, and green lentil ones. - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Dinnertime called for something warming and filling. Ethiopian was the answer! We ordered a meat and vegetable platter that came with equal portions of various salads and stews of the meat and veg variety. Bright with colour and flavour! Injera was nice and spongy for us. It's a joy to eat with your hands and the injera soaks up everything perfectly. I really enjoy having such a range of tastes before me. Getting to mix and combine things is a real pleasure. The whole place smelled amazing, like the traditional coffee being poured. Simple decor, but to the point. read more

We had not been to Ethiopian in a long time, so when a friend suggested African Palace, we were all excited to try it out! The place is convenient to get to, as it's right on Bloor street, with easy access to the subway and many Green P parking spots. The restaurant is casual with an interesting vibe - almost authentic but not quite! The menu is a mix of appetizers, platters and drinks. It also has tons of veggie/vegan options . We were 4 people and we went for the meat + veggie platter and added a veggie dish on the side as well. The idea with Ethiopia food is to make it a communal experience and to use your hands! The platter was delicious and so was the veggie dish. By the end of it we were all stuffed! We had to follow that with their traditional coffee ceremony, where they roast the coffee beans in front of you, and then once they are ready, they bring out 4 small tea cups and pour it out for the group. The food was really good, but I would also want to try Lalibela, that's just by this restaurant to compare. The service was good but the washrooms were a bit dingy. Overall a nice experience if you're craving Ethiopian, but not something I would come back to on a regular basis! read more

African Palace - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I honestly have nothing bad to say about the food or the service. The food was very tasty, albeit my chicken and beef were a little spicy. I can't recommend this place highly enough if you're into Etheopean food. This and Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant down the street are my 2 favourite Ethiopian restaurants in Toronto so far. BTW: If your diet prescribes gluten-free stuff, African Palace offers injera flatbread. Now, stop reading my review and go check out this place already :) read more

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The ambiance of this place is perfect for dates: small tables, low lighting, slow music, and very cultural decor. The service, however, was alright. At the beginning, they are very friendly and accomodating. However, they never came around to refill the waters and when our table was towards the end of finishing (still food on our plates) they came over to collect them abruptly. The meal: we ordered a veggie platter and a meat platter to share amongst 3 people. Although we all expected to enjoy the meat more, the veggies definitely took the W on this one. The veggie platter came with 6 different types, plus a salad with vinegrette in the middle. The sauce of the meat was not as spiced as we had hoped for, which was a total bummer considering Ethiopian food NEEEEDS to be spiced well. On top of that, the meat was lacking; most of the dish was served with bones. This meat platter is also served with a salad on the side. Just a heads up: although this resto closes at 23:00, their kitchen closes by 22:30!!! Sooo, if you want to come for dinner you MUUUST come by 22:15 latest. read more

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It's nice to have an alternative to Nazareth right on the same block, especially with the insane popularity of the place attracting people from all over the city now making it nearly impossible to go there without a lot of planning. Ousted locals can find their way to African Palace which recently moved from the Christie Pits area to Cleopatra's old digs. You can't miss this place. In honour of Oprah's departure of daytime tv they painted a portrait of her wearing a sash that says 'Queen of Hearts' in the window. It's pretty awesome. A vegetarian combo platter for two rings in at $17.50, a good $10 more than what you'll get for the same dish at Nazareth. The quantity is also smaller, however the quality is noticeably better. Unlike Nazareth, which really shouldn't be eaten or viewed in the light of day, African Palace's selection of wats are an impressive feast for the eyes and mouth. We had corn, lentils, collared greens, a cabbage and carrot stew, and salad. The best part is that you can order this dish for one if you don't have someone to share it and you'll get the perfect amount of food. They also have a middle eastern menu for falafel lovers. read more

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**3.5** Mr. H and I wanted to introduce our friends to Ethiopian cuisine and picked Nazareth. We got there and realized that its closed on a Sunday! Their yelp page doesn't have the open-close timings, but luckily for us there are 2/3 other options in the same location. That's how we all ended up at African Palace. Our orders were taken pretty quickly and we were served quickly too. The food by itself was very good, we ordered the meat and veggie platter for four and the quantity was perfect. It was the service that was lacking, there was just one server and one other person (chef) in the kitchen. It took extremely long for us to get refills and although we really wanted to try the coffee ceremony we were told that it would be a 40 minute wait! Needless to say we left a little disappointed due to the lack of service. read more

African Palace - Meat and veggie platter! Yumm... Sorry about the bad lighting. - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

So this was my first time trying African food, and it was quite the experience. When we walked in the restaurant we were seated by a nice lady. Right off the bat I noticed that there were no utensils at the tables, only a napkin and a wet nap. I found this a little interesting. The lady serving us knew that we were noobs because she asked if we've had Ethiopian food to which we said never. So she recommended we get some dinner platter for 2 for $23 and some samosas for an appetizer. I have heard from other places that Kitfo is an interesting dish of raw ground beef so I figured I'd enquire about it. The lady offered to put that in with our dish for $5 more (cheaper than the menu). I got Gored Gored instead because it was beef cubes rather than ground beef. The samosas came out pretty fast and they were very flavourful. They were bordering on too much spice (for me at least), but they were good. The sauce they came with was a jalapeño sauce that gave it some kick. In between the samosas and dinner was quite a long wait. I had read in other reviews that you don't get African food if you are in a rush. It may be the culture but this was true. During our down time there was a group of 'tards' (I mean some guys who just yapped the whole night away that the restaurant could hear) that bought this coffee ceremony thing for $10. The lady brought out this coffee tray with frankincense, popcorn, and coffee. The frankincense was lit and she poured coffee for everyone. The coffee smell of the beans and the frankincense filled the restaurant with a nice odour. I had never seen this before and was quite intrigued. The meal for two came out on one plate and it was served with some kind of bread (it reminded me of a chamois). This was like a sampler platter where you rip off some bread and grab the items on the dish. There were a bunch of things like beets, cabbage, spinach, some bean pastes, beef, lamb, and my raw beef cubes. I didn't care much for the bean paste things but I did enjoy these beets, cabbage and spinach. We were kind of glad the lady recommended this because it gave us a taste of a bunch of things. After dinner I asked the lady if I could get some of that coffee (without the ritual). I had wanted to see what this tasted like. She gave me a coffee (which is like an espresso shot) and brought some frankincense. The best part was that she said it was ON THE HOUSE. I was impressed with that. I was really impressed with this place because the lady went the extra mile to make sure we got a taste of African food and I appreciated that. She was very nice and charged us less than the menu price for the samosas.. The restaurant is fairly small, can only seat about 30 I think, and the one knock I have on it is that there is no A/C in there and it got a little hot. Overall the lady gave us a great first experience and I'm glad I went there. I would recommend people check it out, but only if those other tards aren't there. read more

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I would rather eat here any day of the week vs. Nazareth's!! Great quality and quanity of food!! The owner is such a lovely lady!! Nice and clean atmosphere. read more

African Palace - Beef and veg platter for 2. $21 - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

In terms of Ethiopian places, I have eaten at Nazareth (down the street), Nunu, and now African Palace. And this is how they compared... Nazareth - dim, more bar-like atmosphere. Lotsa ppl just came in to have a beer. Small restaurant is crammed and decorated with fake vines. Service was alright, but not super friendly, food was GOOD & cheap! I think it was like $8pp (or even less) when sharing a platter. Nunu - contemporary décor, bright 'n colourful lighting, I believe the owner is Caucasian. Interior of restaurant is nice 'n new, saw quite a few couples on a date while I was there! Server pushed alcoholic drinks. Service was alright, aside from owner, not super friendly. Food was good, not as good as Nazareth, but prices are quite expensive. I remember paying ~$20pp even after sharing a platter. And now African Palace - like Nazareth, the restaurant itself is quite small, but not as cramped, brighter, not as cluttery. They don't try to fit as many bums as possible. I believe African Palace would also get quite a few of Nazareth's overflow customers. Server was nice and even hand-fed us! She noticed that we finished our injera and automatically brought us more. She then showed us that we can grab more than 1 "stew" with the bread and then put it in our mouths. (I thought it was quaint, but some germos may think it weird.) Food-wise, I don't think it was as good as Nazareth. However, female server was definitely more personable. Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony was $10 for a serving of 2-4ppl. It took approx. 30mins for the coffee to arrive to the table, after we finished our food. I believe that the beans are freshly roasted. Coffee was served black with a cinnamony taste. No milk, but you can add sugar. Server also brought popcorn and burnt frankincense at the table. It was an interesting experience. If budget is a concern and you like to drink, check out Nazareth. However, if you prefer a quieter, more comfy atmosphere with warmer service, definitely choose African Palace! read more

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I was here for a reunion with some old colleagues, it was a growing group and they accommodated us nicely. The atmosphere is nice and chill with African art pieces on the wall. Most of us were new to Ethiopian food, our server recommended for me the meat/veggie combo and gave us a brief intro on how to eat with our hands. Everything came quickly and tasted fresh. The injera was delish! read more

African Palace - meat and veggie combo - on injera (the sour dough) - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

This was my first visit to African palace. Though I have always loved Ethiopian food because of it's close similarity with Indian food. My husband and I ordered a two person platter. It was sumptuous and amazing. The place is nice and the food is not expensive at all. The owner is super nice and came and personally demonstrated the way to eat Ethiopian food. Important thing you note is that they are a cash only place . read more

African Palace - A two person vegetarian platter - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

This is a great Ethiopian place in a little section near Ossington and Bloor which has a surprising number of Ethiopian places. Ive come here several times and always been impressed with the quality and the quantity of the food. We usually get the beef and veg platter with comes with a variety of chicken, lamb, chickpea and other dishes, all of which have to be soaked up with spongy Injera bread, which we inevitably run out of! Always a delicious meal and a good value as well Recommended read more

Careful if you're getting take out here, I ordered the two person platter with 8 different dishes as listed on the menu, and they tried to give me two of the one person/5 dish platters. When I tried to clarify what I'd asked for, they gave me some mumbo jumbo about how the multiple person platters were only for eat in because "they only come on a platter"....?? They can easily split the different dishes of the bigger platters amongst multiple containers so I'm not sure why they were so stubborn about it. Anyways I left pretty disappointed. Other than that, the veggie dishes were decent but the beef tibs were super dry and chewy. I miss Nazareth!! :( read more

African Palace was my first experience with Ethiopian food, and boy, was it good! We ordered the meat and veggie platter, and it was filled with such flavourful, saucy goodness. It was spicy, but tolerable (this coming from a person who is absolutely terrible with handling spice). It was also quite interesting eating with our hands and using the Injera as the food scooper. However, in the end when we all ran out of Injera and had some of the meat and veggies left, we asked for forks to finish everything up. I don't know if we committed some sort of cultural taboo, but what is one to do when there is no Injera left to scoop the meat and veggies? (Serious question.) The service was friendly. The restaurant was beautifully decorated with a serene atmosphere. I will be returning! read more

African Palace - Meat & Veggie platter - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

My boyfriend and I initially wanted to visit Nazareth but because it was closed we chose this place. The menu is not very extensive. We ordered the 2 person meat and vegetable platter (2 meats, 6 vegetables). We have been to another Ethiopian restaurant and this one was was a lot better in terms of flavour for the lentils (I'm a vegetarian!). The spinach was good but i found it way too salty. My boyfriend liked the meats that were given (lamb and chicken), however he found the chicken to also be quite salty. I would recommend but I probably wouldn't come here again, I would like to try other Ethiopian restaurants! read more

African Palace - 2 person meat and vegetable platter. - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Outstanding flavours that we've all enjoyed before in good Ethiopian food. The major difference here was that it's not oily at all. For those who have been to other Ethiopian restaurants, you'll find that at African Palace, the food tastes amazing without all of the oily soggy injera afterwards. We got the $21 beef tip and 4 assorted vegetables dish and it did an amazing job filling the both of us up. Must: try the Ethiopian coffee served with insence, and popcorn (which surprisingly works very well with the flavours of the coffee). read more

African Palace - $21 beef tip and assorted veggies dish for two people. More than enough! - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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This was my first time having Ethiopian food so I'm certainly not an expert. HOWEVER, I can say that the food here is delicious, cheap and satisfying. A group of 5 of us had the five person meat platter and it was all our first time trying Ethiopian food. We loved it. The food was flavourful and so incredibly satisfying. The injera was so spongey and light tasting! Scoping the meat/vegetables with the injera was quite the experience too. The wine and beer here is also priced very reasonably. I will definitely come here again! read more

African Palace - Meat Platter for 5. Doesn't look appetizing but sure tastes amazing! - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

popped in here to satisfy a craving of Ethiopian food (the first time I had tried it, it was at Ethiopian House in Toronto). it was self seating and we ordered the veggie platter for 2. It was bad food, but it also didn't satisfying the craving I had. The food was somewhat bland and not as flavourful as I remember Ethiopian food to be. We were hungry so we finished our meal but it was the least to say it was satisfying. There wasn't "service" we were seated, our order was taken, and we walked up to the register to pay the bill. I give this location a 3 star because of their honesty. When the bill was paid, an extra $20 was stuck together and the lady was nice enough to come back to us as we were walking out to say we OVER paid. Honestly goes along way in my books and if I'm in the area, I'd probably give them another chance. read more

I came here because Nazareth is closed, this place was an excellent alternative. The food is great, and the owner will show you how to eat the injera the proper way. We had 5 people and split a $50 5-person meat and veggie platter, and a lot of injera. It was very good, turns out to be less than $15 per person. It was very good. read more

African Palace - 5 person meat and veggie! - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Wohoo ! my second ethiopian food was just as satisfying as the first! since I've only been to one other Ethiopian restaurant I can only compare this experience than the last's. It's great to bring someone along as a date if you want to be adventurous! There's a gigantic platter of different mixed vegs and meat you dip your sour dough bread. Kind of like eating several different kinds of hummus. I love how you can have some fun by feeding each other.. and the waitress showed us how to eat it by demonstrating how they wrap it and feed it to you first. It's fun and engaging by i just hope her hands are clean. read more

Food was good. Service was lovely. I had no idea what Eritrean food was like, but by the time that I left, I had also been able to watch some... Eritrean television! My dashing companion thought his lamb was okay, a bit tough to finish eating. I'm a veg-head, and found the meal to be satisfying... that is, until I bit into chunks of lamb or beef. :P The server was so sorry. Would I go there again? At some point yes. There are many Ethiopian restaurants on this Bloor strip to try out, not to mention the ones on College st. and on Irwin near Yonge, and of course Addis Ababa on Queen X Gladstone. PS - Please try Ethiopian coffee, if you haven't already. Always a memorable thing to do w/ friends. Order it first -- as it normally takes 30 min to arrive, and can sometimes come with ceremonious offerings beforehand... No, not like with lambs - but rather incense and/or popcorn! (depending on where you order the coffee from). read more

I think I am a fan of the charm of this restaurant, the food, and Ethiopian cuisine in general. My bf was going to be around Ossignton area and we decided to Yelp for some restaurants. Out popped Nazareth as a nearby location and we had read some reviews of the insane line up's but we decided to take a chance. Unfortunately, we couldn't even see in the restaurant because of all the people waiting in line. So, by fluke, we walked up a few more steps and saw African Palace. Intro. The restaurant is quite narrow and small, but we could see the kitchen staff and it felt immediately homey. After being seated, my bf and I quickly perused the menu and decided to eat the shared plate for 2 consisting of meat (lamb and beef) and assorted vegetables platter with a side of salad and Inerja (which tasted like crepes to me!) The food was delicious, and quite spicy, so beware for those with extreme low tolerance to spice. I loved it and really brought out the flavours. I also ordered a half litre of red and quickly saw that the booze options were insanely CHEAP! A bottle of wine will set you back only $22.50. A bottle of Stella, normally priced around $7-$8 at most establishments offering "high end" exports, was only $4.50. Needless to say, both the food and alcohol will make your meal very complete. In the end, I was still feeling hungry, and decided to order the Fatoush (hope I am spelling it right) salad. I remember going to one of my friend's homes for summer bbq's and his mother would make the most delicious Middle Eastern salad ever...and I suddenly had a craving for it. Regardless, the Fatoush salad was tasty, fresh and light - sprinkled with chips of some kind which brought out the whole salad. Now, I have't tried Nazareth, but what I can say is that if it is ever busy, come to African Palace and you will not be disappointed. It is a very cozy little restaurant where you eat with your hands, chat the night away, and leave feeling very satisfied. read more

Overall a great experience. After hearing many comparisons between Nazareth & here I figured I had to try it out for myself. Originally planning on going to Nazareth's but finding the lineup looking like it would take at least 45 mins, which we didn't have we decided to try African Palace and because there was no wait. I have to admit the reviews are pretty on point. The food is just as good but African Palace is a little more expensive (about 1.5x in price depending on what you order) but still relatively cheap for a night out in Toronto. However, the atmosphere is much more original at African Palace unlike Nazareth's interesting mix between religious statues right next to beer merchandise! The service is super quick at both places, which is great especially if you have plans and are running late! So in the end, would definitely go back but I must admit I'd stop by Nazareth's first to see if the line up is too long (I like things cheap, what's wrong with that?!) read more

Spinach is good and they offer platters with veg and meat for one person, two or more. (You don't see this everywhere.) Lots of it was very spicy -- a little too spicy for me and I like spice. Service is pretty inattentive. Drinks are cheap -- all around 5 bucks each -- but they're nothing special, just Labatt's, Steamwhistle, etc. A platter for two plus two beers for him and a rye and coke for me ran to 40 something dollars. This place is decent, but it won't be my go to. read more

After signing the lease for our soon-to-be diggs, my future roomie and I set out to check out what was good in the the hood. I knew from a quick peruse of googlemaps that there were 3 ethiopian places near by, so we thought we'd try one. Our first stop was a quick run-in and run-the-heck-out again of Queen of Sheba (See my review: http://www.yelp.ca/biz/the-queen-of-sheba-restaurant-toronto#hrid:nqC7Km2BiOMgmfsjC7uP1Q) and Nazareth had a huge line, so we popped into African Palice. It didn't take long for our beautiful veggie platter to arrive, along with two small plates of a folded, flat bread like substance. It was drool at first sight, and we were pumped to dive in--until we realized that we had no idea how to eat it. Laughing, we sheepishly pleaded ignorance to our server, who responded with a wide smile and a very INTIMATE demonstration. She tore a piece off of the flat bread, called injera, and used it to scoop up several of the stewed veggetable mixtures on our platter. Without skipping a beat, she had my head back, mouth open and was placing that morsel of goodness right into my pie hole. I kid you not. And WHAT a morsel! After seeing what a kick we got out of this, she repeated the process with my friend, with good humour and with the efficent, no-nonsense manner of your own Auntie. We couldn't have hoped for a more entertaining first bite of Ethiopian. Everything on the platter was delicious: there were two portions of a spicy spread, a warm spinach mixture, stewed lentils, something similar to warm curried hummus, and a tasty garlicy salad in the middle. It was PLENTY of food for two, and we both left stuffed and happy (especially after we paid; two beers and the platter came to around $25!) Warm atmosphere, friendly service, delicious food and a price that lights me up inside. I see African Palace becoming a regular spot for this new member of Dufferin Grove. read more

As a big fan of AP at their old location, I was super happy to see they had re-opened closer to Davenport. Unfortunately, I have one major concern about the new spot. Because it is only a few doors away from Nazerath, it is only a matter of time until it becomes equally or more busy and therefore inaccessible. Food at AP is better than Nazerath (which I also enjoy) and it currently costs less (in reality it is fresher and should cost slighly more in my opinion). Portions size? Massive. Went with 2 friends and had the meat and veggie platter for 2 with a side order of Kitfo. All delicious and unbelievably fresh. I've lived in the area for years and tried most of the Ethiopian restaurants here and across the city. Since discovering AP I rarely go elseware anymore. There is something different about the food at AP, not sure what it is, but it tastes fresher and more "homeade". The owner is very friendly and clearly passionate about the food, and about ensuring you enjoy it, so it does not surprise me that she is putting more into it than others. Oh yes, forget to mention that this meal, along with 3 cold beers, came to a total of $40! My advice: get there while you can, before the Nazereth crowd clues in to it, and enjoy the best Ethiopian food currently available in TO! read more

Hubby and I have been curious to try Ethiopian food for a while, and decided to come to African Palace on a weeknight. Place is not fancy and service was a bit indifferent, but nothing that would prevent us from coming back. We ordered the vegetarian platter for one and the doro wat (boneless chicken stew with berbere spices). The curries on the platter were good and the injera was spongy and soft - perfect for scooping up the food! The chicken stew was VERY tasty, and was our favourite. I also tried the spicy tea, which was kinda of like a chai (without the milk) with black pepper. Not bad! All in all, we really liked the food and will try some more soon. read more

African Palace - Vegetarian platter for one - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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My friend and I tried this place last night and loved it. We had the 2 person veggie and meat platter. The injera was perfect and so were the wats. The service was great, they checked up on us every once in a while and they showed us how to properly use the injera to scoop up the wats. My favourite part is that we didn't feel rushed to clear out. I'm so going back there ASAP! read more

African Palace - 2 person veggie and meat platter! - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I decided to go out for Ethiopian food recently, which I haven't done as much since moving back to Scarborough, as most of the places that I used to go are either along the Danforth or downtown. I have been to African Palace 3-4 times before, always later in the evening as they are open until 11pm every night. This was the first time that I had visited during dinner hours, and they were much busier than previous visits, but I didn't have to wait for a table, although the wait for food was longer but still ok. It's usually dark when I go late, but it was also a little dim inside this time. The restaurant is thin and deep, seating maybe 30 people, with not a lot of decoration up front, mainly mirrors along the walls, with a small bar by the kitchen in the back. For food, I generally have either the vegetarian platter or meat-veg platter (which is a smaller vegetarian platter with beef tibs). The platters have small portions of different dishes on one piece of injera, with a green salad, and there is also more injera on the side. The vegetarian dishes will vary a little, but I usually get red lentils / chick peas / split peas / cabbage and carrots / collard greens, all in various spices. The meat-veg platter that I had this last time had 4 vegetarian dishes plus a good-sized portion of the beef tibs, which were tender and spicy. Overall the food is very good and very filling. With one bottle of beer, my bill was $18, cash only. read more

This place rules. Much better than the super-overrated Nazareth a couple of doors down. Our standard order is the veggie platter plus a sizzling plate of tibs, shared amongst two people. The samosas are yummy too. The lady who runs this place is motherly and sweet; you kind of wish you could give her a hug. read more

Opted for African Palace because Nazareth was good. Great little spot. Service was a little on the slow side but rightfully so as there was only a single waitress for an otherwise full house. Admittedly, I haven't had too much Ethiopian food. I had the meat platter and the flavours were great, particularly the goat. I could eat a whole plate of the goat, actually. Great for a vegetarian. The spreads aren't overly saucy so they won't completely sog the already spongy injera. It's also relatively cheap. $20 for 2? Why not. I'd return when the craving strikes again. read more

Price: SWEET. If you're a poor student like me who has a big appetite, this is the right place. 20$ for stuffing 3ppl, oh boy!=D Service: the lady was SOOO nice. She was like a nanny, showed us how to eat, and treated us like family. Funny too lol (she would doze off and bring food to the wrong table then wake up just before she let it down and say what am I doing? And move to the correct table) Food: if you like injera, go for it. To be honest, I'm one of those "can-eat-anything" ppl, but I just couldn't swallow down more after having a few slices of injera. If it were naan, it would have been better but injera, let's face it, it looks and feels like sponge! Otherwise the meat and salad were amazing. I would go back just for the lamb, yum yum. Atmosphere: it was around 4:30 when we went in, it was quiet, no blaring music, no loud customers, thought it did start to fill up around 6. Nevertheless, good place to have a quiet conversation. Half a star off for the injera... It was too cold and soggy. Sorry! read more

African Palace - 20$ for feeding 3! - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Delicious food, with friendly service. We ordered the veggie platter for three, a plate of the samosas, plus a liter of wine. More than enough food, and it was delicious! It came to $75 with a generous tip. $25 for a full meal plus 2-3 glasses of wine! It just can't be beat! Also we were able to be seated almost immediately at 7pm on a Friday, which is a nice touch. read more

I'm a huge fan of Ethiopian- I eat it in almost every city I travel to. This review is 3.5 stars - stepping in there's an overwhelming onion and spices aroma. The service and nice and quick. We ordered the meat & veggie combo for 2 people ($21). Plenty of food. The veggie combo is lentils and beans- didn't have much variety. The beef tibs and lamb was pretty good. Plenty of injera. Get their Mango juice - it's very good nectar. Not the best Eritreian / Ethiopian but it was good. I'm curious to try other places in town read more

1. The food is divine. We (three of us) ordered platter for 2. It was enough for us. We finished it all. 2. Service is good, sometimes slow. But, no big deal. 3. Lamb is great! 4. The TV is annoying. This place is for socializing and catching up with friends. Yet, the sports channel is on and the TV is big. It is a distraction. read more