This Ethiopian restaurant is located in the heart of the Malasaña neighborhood on a street (& neighborhood) that is filled with many other tantalizing dining options. And with so many restaurants to choose from, why try Nuria? Well, the simple answer is that the food is good: it's fresh and varied, with an excellent selection of vegetable, chicken, lamb and beef dishes prepared, of course, in the traditional Ethiopian way with dense, spice-filled sauces. Some dishes are quite spicy and others not at all (you can also ask for additional spices on the side; the main three are listed on the menu), though make sure to ask before ordering if you're not fond of the hot spicy stuff. All dishes are served on and with the traditional, spongy, slightly sour Ethiopian bread (ingera), and are brought to your table in a large colorfully woven basket (mesob). The food is very tasty and it is, for those unfamiliar with cuisine from this part of the world, exotic.
But...if you are looking for the most authentic Ethiopian restaurant in Spain, this is not the one. I'm just not a fan of the atmosphere of this restaurant: the strange, grayish lighting, the standard tables and chairs with traditional silverware, the large open space, spartan decor (some pictures and decorative items on the walls from native land). That's me though, and it's true that I can be a real pain in the butt about space and atmosphere cause it affects my overall experience. I also really didn't care for the service. Maybe it was an "off" night at Nuria, but the waiters were noticeably displeased when we did not order appetizers and dessert. First, we did not order appetizers because based on our past experiences ordering the vegetarian platter and the chicken (or lamb or meat) platter in other Ethiopian restaurants, that it's more than enough food. In fact, they also normally give you so much spongy bread (used to scoop up the food that is served and then eaten because it'll be most wonderfully soaked with the delicious sauces) that by the end of the meal you are completely stuffed. So, when we passed on the apps, our waiter scowled. And when we received our respective platters... well, we also scowled because the portions were very, very small (this isn't an exaggeration), especially considering the price. In the end, we did not go hungry, but that was entirely due to the bread. Like I said, the food is very good, but the portions were not on par with the cost. Consequently, we also passed on dessert, which upset our waiter, again.
So, sadly, we all left disappointed (they did not even say goodbye to us!), which was a real shame. My recommendation is if you decide to try Nuria, go ahead and splurge, order the apps, the tea, the desserts and it's possible that they will be pleased and give you fair portions. read more