I can't believe there are no reviews on here about Merkato!! We have tried many Ethiopian…read morerestaurants in Winnipeg. And nothing compared to Massawa. Of which they closed down a while ago. It was my husband and I, our favourite place to eat. Finally when we were about to give up searching for an Ethiopian restaurant we really enjoyed, we tried one last place. And we found Merkato! Location is not amazing. But food is unbeatable! Sam is old school! He values his customers. When my husband and I come here, Sam makes us feel part of the family! I'm a hard critic but I sure give credit where credit is due. I'm telling you, if you were a die hard Massawa fan you won't regret trying this gem!

From the owner: Since it was established in October 2002, Merkato restaurant has been serving authentic Ethiopian…read moreCuisine in the city of Winnipeg.

The Injera veggie and meat purée dish is so fantastically delicious! The bread is soft. The veggies…read morefresh and yummy! And my friend liked his meat paste. This restaurant has a vibrant feel with modern Ethiopian paintings on the wall alongside 3 TVs. One had sports on and the other music videos from that part of the world. The waitress was attentive and did a good job of refilling our drinks.

The food was fresh, warm and nicely presented. Absolutely delicious. We enjoyed both the Veggie and…read moreMeat platters.

First Timer...this was an awesome experience. The server/owner(?) Was super friendly and gave us…read moresuggestions on what to order Food was delicious. Meat&Veggie combo (x2) - we're big meat eaters and honestly the veggie portions were the best part. It was all yummy but the veggie dishes stood out. Packing lots of flavour

poor quality food. Ethiopian food is supposed to be rich with flavour, this is not the case here…read more dried out chicken, dried out samosas and extremely poor customer service. do not recommend this restaurant at all

This place made me fall in love with Ethiopian food! One of the best in the city. Their vegetarian…read morecombo platter is huge and includes so many different dishes. The staff are delightful. They have a nice family/home style vibe. Remember to order your coffee at the beginning of the meal for a treat at the end. It takes awhile to make but it is worth it!

If you're in Winnipeg and looking for authentic Ethiopian food, this is the place you have to go!…read moreOr, if you're looking for a great vegan restaurant, this is definitely the best place on my list. It's great for groups with round tables and traditional large sharing plates. It's great if you're just going for a date because the service is marvellous and the atmosphere is very inviting. This place is also licensed so you can have a drink with your meal. There is only street parking and the area tends to get busy, so be prepared to walk a block if you can't find a spot out front.

I've been here twice now and enjoy the place for the most part…read more Both times I selected the veggie combo meal because I like to try many things. The veggie combo was different this time than last, which is okay. Most of the items were delicious although 1 or 2 we're kind of tasteless compared to last time. There was one main item which looks like it had a lot of lentils in it and it actually tasted like there was lamb or beef or something in it. Delicious! They give you plenty of injera bread to grab your food with. The meal was priced right at just over $10 and neither of us could finish our platter. The service although friendly is substandard for sure. Once they serve your meal you're not going to see them again until you walk up to the bar cash register to pay. I'm sure you can call from across the restaurant for more service because it is super casual. Overall I would definitely recommend this place if you like this sort of family-run small hole in the wall. Injera: Good, but not made fresh Samosas: Ordered meat and they were piping hot and delicious. Hot Sauce: looks like homemade and delicious except that it was super salty.

Best food, best service, and the people around were wonderful to talk to. shoutout to Alex!read more

Food was okay. Not the best we've had but the ambiance was nice enough. Bathrooms were not clean,…read morethey diluted the hand soap quite a bit and didn't want to touch anything in there due to everything feeing sticky and dirty. Music was a bit loud. Service wasn't exceptional but not the worst we've had. Didn't have to wait to long for the food. Coffee was fresh ground. My goodness, I'd go back for the coffee alone. Aside from the coffee we probably won't go back, there are other places that are better.