Loved this place came here with the kids and they loved the food and the experience. Really enjoyed eating the food with my fingers! The three of us shared one big platter of different meat and veggies. Loved the taste of everything! Wow! Can't wait to come back again! read more

Rendez-Vous - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

One of my fav places in Toronto for supremely tasty and cheap food! I love quirky places with character and this is one of them. The decor is definitely quirky (I try to avoid the round tables as I find them awkward to sit at), but the food and people are wonderful! (The only downside is the slow and sometimes inattentive service, but it is always friendly and with a big smile.) The prices cannot be beat! The food is sooooooo good - fresh with great spicing and flavour! If you're unfamiliar with Ethiopian food, there are no utensils and you tear off small pieces of the traditional unleavened flat bread (called "injera") to scoop/pinch and eat the food. When we go we order: veggie combo platter, meat combo platter (medium rare) and shiro-wat. It is a large amount of food and good for 4 hungry ppl. You may need to order extra injera - 1 per person is what we usually get. They also do a traditional coffee ceremony, which, if you have 4 ppl who enjoy coffee, I strongly recommend you get. read more

We've ordered from Rendez-Vous about 4 or 5 times over the past few months. Our first experience was very positive. The variety and flavors of our vegetarian combo platters were wonderful, and the portion sizes were very generous! Unfortunately, as much as we would love to keep supporting this new restaurant, the last few times we've ordered take out, the portions have decreased, as well as the variety offered in the combo platters. Tonight my husband waited for over ten minutes outside with several other customers.. there was a table full of people at the back of the restaurant who were not paying any attention to the people waiting outside. Two orders were sitting on the countertop getting cold. Finally someone from the table got up and acknowledged the customers ... she was wearing a coat and wasn't even staff. She handed my husband the atm machine and finally brought out the order that he'd been looking at on the counter for over 10 minutes.. For the price we paid for our dwindling portions, cold food and poor customer service, we will take our business elsewhere. Thankfully the Danforth is full of delicious Ethiopian restaurants and we will go back to some of our tried and true places. read more

Rendez-Vous - Ethiopian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I am Eritrean and Rendez-vous is a place I go to when I want to eat authentic home like Eritrean/Ethiopian food. Portion is generous, owner and staff are friendly, service is good but slow. I would recommend it, if you want to try Eritrean & Ethiopian food and be prepare to eat with your hands the traditional way. read more

Great food! My wife and I order the veggie platter ( x2) for take-out every-time we hit up this place they never disappoint. We have been going for about 3 years now and it is by far one of the best spots for Ethiopian food in the city and THE best for vegetarian platter. Their prices have gone up rather a lot recently - I guess to help pay for the new sign - so our visits will be less frequent. read more

My first time eating Ethiopian and it was delicious. Went with a big group so we shared a large platter of food. Price was reasonable probably about 15 a person. And there were tons of food left over. We ate with our hands using the soft bread, injera. So moist and delicious. It did fill us up quickly if you don't normally eat bread since they don't give you utensils to only eat the dish. I'm sure they'll provide some if you ask. Other than that very flavourful dishes. Some of them were quite salty is the reason I'd give it a 4. The next day a bunch of us felt quite bloated. But I'm sure the sodium levels in most restaurants are pretty high, especially vegetarian dishes. I like salty so I'm okay with it once in a while. read more

The food here is dy-no-mite.. The service is a bit slow, make sure you don't have anywere to go after. It's about $14 per person but you get SO MUCH FOOD, my friend and I were stuffed. We ordered the lamb and vegeterian and they bring you extra injera, should you need it... you won't. you won't be able to move after. The lentils and whatever pured veggies were there were my favourite. I wanted to get the coffee but I didn't want to be up all night. They have a cute patio and ample seating. Come hungry. read more

Very good place to enjoy a meal here. The environment is good, put u in the exotic place to enjoy food. The food taste good and also authentic, although the hot source is not spicy enough. The restaurant opens for 16 years already and deserve have a try. Waitress are very hospitality. The only con is a little bit over-priced, otherwise, all good. Will go again. read more

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Came here for my mothers birthday, and everything was perfect. We had three vegetarian combinations, which was suitable for vegans as well, and a few meat dishes which were superb. One of the great highlights was also the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony, which if you have never experienced before, let it be at this restaurant. Service is always friendly but not intrusive, and the decor is done with style. Came on a Wednesday evening and was pleasantly surprised to see several tables full, so clearly this is a number one spot for Ethiopian cuisine in Toronto. Located just around the corner from Greenwood subway also, so it's really easy to get to as well. Thanks to Banchi, the owner, for putting together a great birthday dinner. read more

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Voulez-vous a food rendezvous in Little Ethiopia - Danforth? I hopped off the subway at Greenwood station and made my way to this small but popular restaurant. The simple signage outside is no indication of what you'll find once you open the door. The warm red lighting and spicy aromas make you feel instantly cozy and extra hungry! The decor is surprisingly resort like and ambient for such a small restaurant. The menu had a lot of items, most of them are best for sharing. Before we got to the food, we ordered honey wine, I'm not sure if it's on the menu, but the waitress recommended it. It was a light wine with syrupy notes like ice wine. A bit sweet to start, but enjoyable! Back to the food. There were so many options for vegetarians and meat eaters. Between the 4 of us, we split 3 items. We shared the vegetarian combination platter and also ordered beef and lamb. I'm don't know exactly what we consumed, it was a giant serving of stewed lentils, chic peas, kale, collared greens, and refreshing salad. The spongy injera was was surprisingly light and pleasant tasting. I've had it at other restaurants but it was more sour. I preferred the injera at Rendezvous (less sour). I broke a rule. I can only eat so much injera and I asked for cutlery so I could just eat stuff. ...They were fine about bringing me a fork! After the meal, they didn't have much for dessert but there's always coffee! For a large group, the coffee ceremony is an awesome experience. The coffee beans are heated in a iron pan and brought out to the table while smoking. The coffee is poured and served with popcorn. The coffee wasn't as strong tasting as expected. It reminded me of a chai tea because of the spices. I really enjoyed eating here! The service was personal and attentive and the food was flavourful, filling, and everything was super cheap. It was about $15 - $20 dollars each. I would definitely bring friends here to try Ethiopian comfort food. I wasn't sure if I fancied Ethiopian food, but Rendezvous changed my mind! read more

This was our first Ethiopian food experience and it exceeded my expectations! Restaurant is very cozy, clean, dimly lit with smells of incense. Service is adequate - friendly and professional, however, would have appreciated some more time spent in explaining the menus and how to approach the food when it arrived. Food was great! Ordered the veggie combo and the meat combo which was a perfect amount for 4 people to share. All the food comes out on one communal dish (as the photos show) and each person uses pieces of injera to grab and eat the food rather as cutlery. I would return. Prices are very fair and food is tasty and healthy! read more

Nice small restaurant with a lot of character and quite popular with the Ethiopian community in Toronto. The food choice is wide and the quality appears high. Went there on a Thursday evening, there was live music that covered the normal Ethiopian music. We had Doro Wat and Zignie. The latter was very tasty and spicy. Service is slow, but I guess you go there to relax, not to have a fast dinner. I really enjoyed the experience. read more

I was so excited to try Ethiopian food for the first time in Toronto. Being a big fan of Ethiopian food I opted not to try the combination platters and instead went straight to my favourite foods: shiro and doro wat. Shiro is a thick spiced chickpea purée and doro wat is an extra spicy stew with chicken and a hard boiled egg. The shiro at Rendez-vous was just ok for me. It was flavourful but just didn't hit the spot in the way shiros in my past experiences (in Ethiopia of course) did. The doro wat on the other hand was delicious. I could have more of that! My only complaint would be that it was just a tiny amount of chicken on the stew. I know, I know. The sauce is the best part anyway! Oh and mmmmm injera... I need not make comments on how good that stuff is! This place was recommended as a good date night spot. It was nicely decorated with traditional looking tables and dim red lights. However, we were seated so close to our neighbours that we might as well have been a group of six. Staff were super nice. Service was not as slow as people have mentioned. Overall a 3.5 if I could! read more

We went into our first ethiopian restaurant in toronto with high expections, as we did our research before and oh boy, we went home as the most satisfied and happiest people. The service was slow, but friendly, so no complaints here. My dinner arrived cold, but nevertheless it tasted amazing and our server was so friendly as to offer me some hot gravy which was DELICIOUS, so in the end I am kind of glad that my dinner arrived cold ;) We will return again, soon I hope. read more

My brother and I took my dad here for his birthday last night. When we walked in it was very warm and welcoming. I have never written a review on a restaurant before nor have I ever tried Ethiopian cuisine. But I must say we all thoroughly enjoyed it. Our server was extremely helpful and the setting was very authentic and made you feel like you were at home in terms of comfort. We ordered the vegetarian platter, chacha and grilled lamb tibs with onions and green and red peppers. DELICIOUS. Everything was nicely seasoned and the flavours were all very memorable in a good way. After letting our server know that it was my dads birthday, they brought over sparklers and a bottle of champagne which was nicer than the traditional slice of cake. I will definitely be back. Great food, great service and a great atmosphere. read more

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My first Ethiopian experience was Ah-May-Zing! I was at first pretty skeptical about the experience when I walked in, the red lit room isn't the most comforting setting. I'm glad I went with someone who was raised by the Ethiopian culture so I didn't walk in blindly. There are photographs of traditional Ethiopian people half naked everywhere on the walls. The counter and bathroom looked like a bamboo hut.. There are different meats you choose from a long with vegetables. We felt adventurous so we went for the combination meat and veggie plate. Minutes later, Our server brought a BIGGGGG pan with 4 different stewed meat, and 6 vegetable stew surrounding the meat. Along with a big sour dough crepe. Get ready to take your taste buds on a roller coaster ride!! All the different stews are made in different intense sauces you don't remember the taste of the lash dish. None of them were tooooooo weird where it grossed me out. I'm glad I can say I've tried and cross one more item off my adventurous eat list ! read more

This place is beautiful and the people are crazy nice. My sister and I came to have dinner here. It's really dimly lit. There is a bar area to your left when you walk in and sitting space to the right. There was a range of people from different backgrounds. Everyone is welcome. The table beside us ad a group of people having a business meeting. The other table had teens enjoying themselves over selfies. They offer wet naps to clean your hands with before and after food. The food is awesome! I've never had Ethiopian food before but this was soo worth the wait. The food range from mild to extra spicy. Be sure to ask your sever if you can't handle heat. It's most def a place I would return to without a heartbeat. OHH and a whole bunch of food for $35 tax included for three people. Ahh, what a bargain. read more

This is by far my favorite Ethiopian restaurant in Toronto and I've been to at least a half dozen around the city so far. The service is the best and that's saying a lot for Ethiopian places. More importantly, the food is also the best I've found so far. It doesn't hurt that the who runs this business make a point to engage with their customers to get to know them and once you become a regular, you are treated very well. After getting married last year, we took my new parents in law to this place and when we walked in, the owners recognized me and asked how I was doing. I showed them my new wedding ring and they congratulated me of course. What really had this establishment shine was later in the evening, they surprised us with a complimentary bottle of champagne to celebrate our marriage. The timing couldn't have been better with my parents in law being with us that day. read more

I love this little joint! The food is always incredible - I've never had a bad dish. The alcohol list is also pretty extensive, and I love that they carry divey-bar beers like Molson Ex, as well as higher end imports, depending on your mood. I find the dishes to have the right amount of spice as well - nothing overpowering, and adding to the flavour, not just hot for the sake of hot. One bonus - I took my boyfriend for his birthday. When they found out, they played a cheesy birthday song over the PA, brought us a comped bottle of sparkling wine with sparklers, on top of a tray with heart candles. It was really sweet and totally unexpected, and really made our night. It's rare to find service like that in this city. read more

It has been way too long since I've had injerra, so I may be just a wee bit excited at finding this place. Okay, a lot excited. I went with friends and their kids. We ordered the veggie combo, shiro wat, doro wat, and Derek tibs, and that was more than the five of us could finish off, although we all tried valiantly. I always order shiro wat and doro wat at any Ethiopian place. I fell in love with them when I was out there, and the Rendez-Vous does them right. In fact, everything was great. Unfortunately, we didn't have time for the coffee. Our server was polite and helpful without being intrusive. It took a while for the food to be prepared, but, you know, this ain't McDonald's. Injerra is never going to be a fast food. (Although we did joke about injerra and wat burritos...) I'm looking forward to checking out the rest of the Ethiopian places in town for comparison, but already, Rendez-Vous is a winner in my book. read more

Food was amazing, wait was a bit long but service was great. Had the Doro Wat (chicken) and veggies everything was delicious

This is my fave Ethiopian resto. Affordable, authentic, delicious - and in a repurposed Italian restaurant, so you get to ask the servers about the mosaic boot on the floor. The servers are consistently lovely, as well. read more

I travel North of the border once or twice a year. I typically eat at an Ethiopian restaurant if drive by one in the city. On this trip i found Rendez-Vous on Danforth. It was nice to have a bar option with my meal. The waitress was very pleasant and accommodating. The veggie combo was overall solid. The zil zil tips was off...i could not put my finger om it but i needed alot of water with my meal (Dry). Coffee was amazing and the service made up for the dry food read more

When craving East African food this place is my go to. The service could be a bit better 1person working a busy shift doesn't cause for enough questions to be answered about menu. The portions are small I believe they serve men a bigger meat potion then women which is not right we pay the same amount. Continue going cause I really 3njoy the flavors once in while. Open to recommendations!! read more

Very nice Ethiopian restaurant. Nice and relaxing atmosphere. The ladies that worked there were very friendly and polite. The food was excellent. Good prices. The meat platter was very delicious. The coffee ceremony was wonderful and the popcorn was so delicious. read more

This is my go to spot for Ethiopian food in Toronto. I always order the veggie platter and a side of meat. My favourite side so far is Doro Wot which is a spicy chicken in red sauce very flavourful. As for the veggie platter I usually don't like veggies but the way it is cooked and seasoned is to perfection read more

We live just walking distance to this restaurant and have on past occasions only got take-out. Eating in is a better experience. It was very busy Thursday night and they could have had one more server. Service was a bit scattered and slow. It was ok with us since we were catching up with another couple. Our friend tried to order a bottle of wine, but they said one was already open (masi) and that he could only have a glass. Didn't get the logic in this considering he ordered two more glasses and they had to open another bottle, cost us more..oh well... On to the food. The order was. Beef Tibs Lamb Stew Spicy Chicken & the full Vegetarian Platter Rice Injera When the food arrives it always looks like there isn't enough, portion control is heeded. The spices are fantastic and not to hot. The vegertarian dishes are great. I still have to wrap my head around the Injera Bread, I don't really like that bloated pancakee mushy feel. Abraham who was working the bar said they do have a bread more consistent with Naan will get that next time. Can't give you total since friends picked up tab but I would say food was about $60....booze that's another story. read more

I recently went to this place and had the Doro Wat. It was had a good amount of food and enough for 2 of us. The only problem with the place was that it was really understaffed. For a Friday evening, the place ought to have more than a couple of people handling the entire place. It took a long time for us to order and receive the food. The food was delicious, and other than the service thing, it was wonderful. read more

Recommended by someone on Chowhound who knew more about Ethiopian food than I ever will. Food was so good my girlfriend fainted in the restaurant. Very friendly staff. 10/10 - Would come back again. (Berbere chickpeas were amazing !) read more

I agree with the other reviews... it's a quaint little restaurant with lots of character. It was my first time having Ethiopian food. Although I think the restaurant is great for Ethiopian food, I think it may be the cuisine itself that isn't my favourite. Don't get me wrong the food was good and I was EXTREMELY pleased with the service. They very much so went out of their way to make me feel special (it was my birthday). Thank you! read more

It's worth the wait. Seriously. If you're in a hurry, go somewhere else, but if you're looking to have a chill time with some friends, some killer food, then come here, sit back and relax. Right out of the gate, order the coffee service for the end of the meal. It's a very cool way to end the meal. Who knew that popcorn and freshly roasted grounds were a match made in heaven? After that, be creative and communal; it's the best part of eating here. The four of us ordered 5-7 seven "dishes" with our injera and they ranged from very good to excellent, though I was most impressed with the veggies dishes. So flavourful and so different. Dinner for four was in the range of "they must have given us the bill for that table of two". Fab. read more

Best Ethiopian food I've had, period. I like their lamb dishes, but these days tend to get the vegetarian combo, which allows you to sample some 8-10 different dishes, with different textures, flavours, and spice levels, all delicious. Portions are very generous, but I clear the plate every time. They also do a lovely coffee ceremony (and yes, the coffee is excellent and strong); just be sure to notify them when you order your meal if you want to have one later. Coffee roast and incense perfume the air and give the restaurant a bit of a smoky mystique. Very friendly service, relaxed atmosphere, classy and diverse clientele, and reasonable prices. read more

The food was passable but the entire experience was depressing. It took nearly forty minutes to receive our food and we ended up leaving before we went received the last dish. because we didn't care to wait. For context, this was on a Sunday afternoon where they claimed they were 'busy'. I have eyes and it was definitely not busy. The waitress was also pretty rude and only addressed one person at our table. She also never came to check up on us so every time we needed something we had to call for her if she was at a nearby table. I won't be coming again. read more

It seems to be understood that this is the most classical style of Ethiopian cuisine in this African stretch of the Danforth. What I can say from experience, is that it is my favourite in Toronto after trying several others around town. My favorite dish is the Lamb Tibs. Vegetarians are more than accommodated for, as my second favorite dish is the vegetarian platter, which comes with a huge variety of lentils, beet root, peas, potato etc. All prepared in their own unique sauces and spices. Very chill atmosphere with dim lighting, interesting african-pop music playing in the background. read more

We went there a day ago for dinner. The food was good. The service was not. We arrived at about 6:00. Our food finally came at 7:00. The waitress was slow to take our order - in fact, I had to go, twice I think, to tell her that we were ready to order. And then the food took a good half hour to come, by which time one plate was cold. Someone we know was eating there at the same time. Service was fine. Different waitress. There are other Ethiopian restaurants in the neighbourhood. We won't go back to this one. read more

Great place: friendly service, good food and reasonably priced. Ethiopian cuisine seems quite hot, you better ask first how hot is the dish before choosing. Enjoy! read more

Good food,good portions and just a nice little relaxed place to eat. The only thing I wasn't a big fan of is how dim it is, you can't really see the food your eating because it's so dark but that's not really a big deal. Over all really nice place to eat! Me and my family will be coming back! read more

Get the chicken tibs, and the lamb tibs. Their beef was okay. Whatever you do get the chicken tibs !!

We ordered from Ubereats and the description did not match what we received. When we called they said they would change the information on the app and their website but that did not resolve the issue of not receiving what we had ordered. Really disappointing. read more

I cannot say enough good things about this place. My fiancee had never tried Ethiopian food before so I brought her here for a late night dinner. We both loved it! We tried a little of everything, our server was very friendly and helpful. The food was so flavourful and delicious, plenty of interesting spices and aromas and varying degrees of spiciness. It all seems fairly authentic, especially considering the place was packed and we were the only non-Ethiopians there. We saw and participated in lots of culture. Very pleasant and accepting place. The only thing is it looks sketchy from the outside and is super dark on the inside, but there's no need to be cautious. This place is friendly and great. We made a pact to come back here every time we find ourselves in Toronto. read more