This was my first time enjoying Ethiopian cuisine, and it was a unique gastronomic experience. We ordered shrimp in coconut sauce / Doro Wat (chicken with a spicy berbere sauce and an egg) & the sides they cane with were cabbage & carrots & chickpeas with turmeric. The items also come with a small salad and ayeb (cottage cheese) as well as injera. Everything arrived within about 20 minutes. The items were portioned out on a large sharing platter. The food was tasty & I especially loved the vegetables and the shrimp. The chicken was also good, but it was quite spicy and I did not have enough water. (They did not serve any tap water here & I bought a bottle but it disappeared fast!) The ayeb helped to cool down the spice a bit, but I only figured it out when I was halfway done as I did not know prior to dining that it was specifically used for this purpose. There is specific etiquette that accompanies eating Ethiopian food, but no one explained it to us. There may have been a language barrier, but understanding more about the proper manner to use injera & the rules around this particular cuisine would have been meaningful. Service was good to start, and then when we were done, it took 30 minutes to get the check. The restaurant is attractively decorated and the atmosphere is pleasant. It was full when we arrived at 8pm. The food was quite filling and we did not order dessert. It was reasonably priced for what we ordered, and I enjoyed the meal. Peace. read more

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We went on a Friday night so the place was packed. We had no idea we needed a reservation but we were able to get a table luckily!!! They had an outdoor seating area with heating in the back. The service was pretty slow due to the amount of people that were there I guess. We ordered the vegan platter. I also wanted an Ethiopian coffee and the waiter said something to me like 'it's not Ethiopian' and I was confused. Ok so no coffee? Someone else wrote they had the coffee ceremony going on. Huh. Anyways the food was excellent. Full of flavor and packed with spice. It is ALOT of food!!! This could have easily been for 3 people. The price was reasonable as well. This would be a great place to come as a group and everyone could order a different platter to try. read more

Toukoul - Vegan plate - Ethiopian Near Me - Brussels, BRU

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I thought this was going to be a nice place for a date night because the Google pictures showed a venue with nice ambiance. Sadly, the ambiance stopped at the ceiling. The tables were peeling and falling apart, and the chairs were dirty and begging for a good vacuuming. Our glasses were foggy and dirty. The service was nonexistent--my husband had to get up to ask to order after being seated 20 minutes earlier. It took another 15 minutes to get our bottle of wine. Mind you, the place wasn't packed. The place closes at 10:30, and we didn't receive our food until 10:15, an hour after arriving, because it took about 30 minutes to get any service. If you're looking for a memorable evening, look elsewhere--unless you enjoy waiting around and dirty decor. read more

Really enjoyed this Ethiopian restaurant. Decor is spot on and ambiance is great. Service is attentive and not overbearing. They have a great selection of dishes, but being omnivores we went for the "adventure" platters that had meat, chicken and vegetables to share. A serving for 2 plus a side ricotta spinach salad was more than enough for the 3 of us. All the food tasted great with the Inerja bread, favorite ones include the spicy chicken and the tumeric cabbage. Also really enjoyed the fresh mango juice and they also had ginger juices. read more

Not too bad of a place to eat. Not sure how it works out to be a music venue what with all the tables & crappy acoustics (a look around could tell me that) Shame that they were out of a key ingredient of a cocktail we ordered. Whenever a place is out of a key ingredient be it alcohol or good it discourages me slightly so minus a star for that. The food was bang on for spice level & flavour. Quantity was a bit overboard. It could quite easily have fed twice as many. I feel awful wasting food, but I did my best to leave as big a dent as possible. Not too expensive either. I prefer this place over the competition down the road, as this is non touristy. And no one aimlessly trying to sell trinkets. read more

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I came here for dinner on a Sunday night, and it was packed. I had tried to make a reservation the day before, but they had a weird message on their phone saying you needed to make same day reservations, possibly in person, and I didn't have time for that. So we just walked in, and they said they were fully booked, but they could seat us if we left in an hour. That was OK with us. The restaurant was much bigger than expected, and kind of chic/fancy in a good way. We had an excellent red wine, though I can't remember what it was. They were doing an Ethiopian coffee ceremony when we arrived, and I'd love to come back for lunch one day and try it. For our meal, we ordered a beef and veggie sampler. We received the beef/chicken combo instead, but I didn't complain, because I preferred to eat it rather than send it back and have to wait another half hour for the right order. The chicken was overdone, but the flavor was good, and everything else was excellent. I just wish any of it had been spicy. Overall, I probably preferred the food at Kokob over Toukoul. However, I'll only go back to Toukoul because of their reasonable pricing strategy. Toukoul charges a flat rate for a sampler plate, whereas Kokob charges an absurd amount per person for samplers, regardless of the amount of food. Minus one star for the weird reservation issue, the lack of spiciness, the incorrect order, and the strong smell that lurked in my coat, scarf, and purse for days. I'll definitely be back. read more

Good restaurant, nice ambience, reasonably good service (but not great if you speak English only). However the "ethiopian food" is not particularly authentic. I've had much better in Ethiopian restaurants in Milano. Overall a good dining experience for a group of friends or colleagues. I would avoid it for a romantic date (the food is spicy and aromatic and you eat with your hands... not particularly romantic if you ask me!) read more

Great place. A nice discovery.the first time I ate Ethiopian food Friendly people. The decoration of the place is fabulous. Nice coffee. Tasty food. read more

(Nl versie onderaan) Great ethiopean food, way better than kokob (from the same owners and very popular with groups). Prices are still a bit high, but you get very high quality. When it comes to atmosphere, it has nothing to do with the authentic ethiopean restaurants we did elsewhere, but it's still quite exotic and trendy at the same time. Food is great, I said it before. :) Went here two times and took the menu, which was simply great. They often organise concerts here at the same time, not too loud, just perfect. Erg leuk Ethiopisch restaurant, misschien niet zo authentiek als soortgelijke restaurants in Nederland, maar stukken beter dan het populaire, vooral door groepen bezochte, Kokob, aan de andere kant van het stadscentrum. De sfeer bij Toukoul is erg exotisch, er zijn vaak concerten (niet te luid), het eten is van hoge kwaliteit en het interieur zeer geslaagd. De prijzen zijn daarentegen, net als bij Kokob, ook aan de hoge kant. Wij namen telkens een menu, en dat beviel ons zeer goed. Vriendelijke bediening ook. read more

This restaurant is fantastic. Started with cocktails, the pisco sour was one of the best drinks I've ever tasted. My boyfriend and I ordered two meat dishes (lamb and chicken) and two veggie dishes (carrots/cabbage and lentils). They were served on traditional injera with salad and a soft white cheese. Everything was delicious, especially the lamb. The meal came with plenty of injera. The restaurant is spacious and boasts live music most evenings. The two cocktails and aforementioned meal totaled 49 euros and provided plenty of food. Couldn't recommend this place enough. read more

Toukoul - Lunch for two. - Ethiopian Near Me - Brussels, BRU

Friendly waiters, open view on the kitchen with happy chefs, nice food you can eat with your hands (you're supposed to). Live music 4 nights a week may be a bit loud for some. Reserve on time, it's a busy place. read more

Toukoul - Discovery menu with added ginger lime dish. - Ethiopian Near Me - Brussels, BRU

Great Ethiopian restaurant in Brussels! The food and service was wonderful. Dishes are flavorful and not overly spiced. Would definitely recommend a trip to this restaurant if you're craving for food that is not Belgian in origin. read more

Upscale restaurant and good Ethiopian food. We went without a reservation and were lucky to find a table. The ambiance was great. It is on the upper end of the price range. read more

A very nice Ethiopian restaurant. Lovely atmosphere, friendly service, good cocktails and delicious food. Slightly expensive but definitely worth it. read more

We entered the place without reservation and it was totally packed. The smell was too good to pass by on though, so we decided to put ourselves on the list and went for a drink somewhere else first till our table would be ready. We were with 4 friends and had no idea what to order so let the waiter choose for us and got one vegetarian plate and one regular plate. It was amazing. Eating the food with the pancakes was new for us, so quite an hilarious scene I suppose. We were seated next to the kitchen and got some interaction with the chefs as well, which was very entertaining. As said, the food was divine, up to the very last crumbs. After an also great dessert we left the place again and only outside we realised how much the smell of all the spices got into our clothes and hair, probably because we were seated so close to the kitchen..So make sure you don't have another very important meeting or date afterwards. We still went out that night and were actually very surprised we still got in the club, smelling like this...guess a nice dress makes cranky doormen loose their ability to smell ;-) We could see the fun of it though and it's still a running gag in our group that you cannot plan anything else the night you want to go out for Ethiopian food. The food is worth the sacrifice though!! read more

Nice ethiopian place in the centre of Brussels. I went a few times now to Toukoul. The last time I was actually a bit disappointed. The food didn't taste so well as before. It was more plain. The interior is really nice, you feel like in a New York style restaurant. The staff is friendly (but not always), but on average it's really good service. One annoying thing: the toilette door is close to a table. Try to avoid that table. Overall nice experience but it misses a bit of authenticity. You will find a better one in the center who's more authentic. read more

I enjoyed the experience and food here at Toukoul. I've never had Ethiopian food before, but have always wanted to try it, just never got around to it, so it was great to try it while on vacation. There were two of us, and we ordered the Shifinfin menu which we thought was a good sampler of the things we wanted to try. I ordered a Tej (Ethiopian honey wine) which was quite yummy - not too sweet. We got there right around 6pm and got a table right away, but it got crowded around 6:30. I gave it 4 stars because I think the price is a little high (I'm comparing it to the Ethiopian restaurants here in NYC). We definitely left full. We couldn't finish all the food. The injera is pretty heavy, but delicious. read more

Toukoul - Shifinfin - Ethiopian Near Me - Brussels, BRU

Literally the best dining experience I've ever had! The staff was superb and the food was absolutely delicious along w the drinks. After a very filling meal our bartender gave us complimentary creme brûlée shots that were amazing!! Definitely recommend! read more

A total scam! Few meat and a lot vegetables for a very pricy meal. They charged us extra money for the beverages and refused to revise the bill when we asked for it. We ended up paying for wine we didn't drink. The manager didn't want to hear us and claimed the fault was on our side. I will not come back there and do not recommend this establishment. read more

All three aspects of a good restaurant come together in this establishment: environment, good food and attentive, personable staff. As a restaurant owner myself, I feel that I hold restaurants to a higher standard and Toukoul exceeded even my most stringent standards. The atmosphere is organic and inviting: real wood slabs on the walls and beautifully accented with native instruments and household items. The wooden bowls on the table are an open invitation to sit down and share not only a meal, but an experience with friends and family. The food was truly beyond words. The rich variety of flavored and spices was intoxicating. Every bite transported you to another place. I truly felt "food drunk". My daughter and I felt so welcomed by the staff that we decided to spend our NYE here. It was one of the best decisions I made on my trip. We truly felt as if we spent NYE with family. The warmth of the staff was genuine. I appreciated the time they took to explain the nuances of the Ethiopian dining experience. From one restaurant owner to another: your people are first rate, I would love to steal every one of them away from you!!! read more

Toukoul - Beautifully prepared dish on pancake. - Ethiopian Near Me - Brussels, BRU

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Came here for a team dinner which was a lot of fun. The waiters were attentive and knowledgeable. The food was delicious. I will say though that the meat platter was mostly veggies. Also we were sitting by the window with the sun blazing through, but they couldn't lower the shade. It seems that since the window is enormous the shade only covers part of the window. Design fail. Luckily the sun went down not too long after we sat down. read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants in the European capital. It has it all: Excellent decorum Excellent food You eat in the traditional Ethiopian way: The different food you ordered gets on the table with Ethiopian pancakes you use to wrap everything in it. Excellent Service Smiling people, open kitchen quick to respond to customers. Excellent prices This is so good, I had my mariage diner at that place and no one was disappointed. Just Go and be surprised! read more

Friendly people working there. They give a lot of explanation about the dishes. Really cool vibe inside with Nice music. The food is really tasty never had ik before But I could recognize the taste. read more

Dining at this restaurant was one of the highlights of my vacation in Brussels in January 2018. It was recommended by a friend and it didn't disappoint. The decor was great and added to the fun atmosphere. Our waitress was very nice, friendly, and funny. We ordered a meat and veggie sampler platter and it was amazing! I love Ethiopian food and this place made me love it even more! There was also a nice selection of wines. We went on a Friday night and the place was buzzing with energy. We had a short wait which was very nice. read more

Visited here after already going to Kokob a couple of times and I would say the two are quite comparable in both taste and overall quality. I do like Toukoul better for the restaurant ambiance and decor. Food is fun (eat with the pancake-like sour bread provided as the bottom of the dish and on the side as well) and has great flavor--a bit spicy. Vegetarian options are abundant! Best to go in a group and share the meal together. Went with work, so I can't comment on price, but I do recall it was a bit on the higher end from looking at the menu. read more

The food is very good, there's always a good atmosphere and the employees are always friendly and enthusiastic. However, at peak hours, services is often slow (not to say really slow). Not a cheap dinner option neither. read more

Great Ethiopian place, which let's Bruxellians change it up from Kokob. I always enjoyed Kokob, but I do like this place even better. It has a chic vibe to it, and great food. It is perfect for a dinner with a group of friends, when you order a few of different dishes and all share. read more

Food was OK, Server was not good in explaining how platter works. Manager was rude and charge us lot more.

This is by far my FAVORITE restaurant in Belgium. The food is top notch delicious. We always go for a vegetarian platter, juices, and wine. We sit, we eat, we mingle. Though the food is particularly scrumptious and plentiful, the staff is beyond welcoming every. single. time. Our first visit was in 2015 with a rather unhappy newborn and exhausted 3 year old. Though I was hangry and thinking we were the worst for bringing children to such a hip restaurant, they were so kind and never once made us feel that our family was a burden. The gentleman serving our table spoke an array of languages and though we settled on English, it is worth noting there was no communication barrier with his help! Their genuine kindness was not a one hit wonder, we've been back and had different servers. Welcomed not just the adults in our party, but also our children again. The food never disappoints and the quality of service is why we so desperately choose Toukoul again and again. Some day when our children are older, we'll come for a more adult evening and enjoy the live music...but for now it's a family favorite. read more

This was my favorite meal in Brussels. I live in DC where there is no shortage of Ethiopian restaurants. The drinks were amazing & the staff attentive & kind. We shared a veggie platter. EVERYTHING was superb. I definitely recommend & will go back if I visit Brussels again. read more

Great Food, great place. Friendly service and sometime in house music. Speaking about prices : a bit too much.

I have had Ethiopian in the states but this was by far the worst! No siting on the floor, the hand bread was like paste, avoid!

Toukoul is a great restaurant, the atmosphere and food is just excellent. Better make a reservation though, the place is often full. The cocktails are also very good and worth the extra penny. Service is in general pretty good, here and there a hiccup can occur, but never bothering much. All in all a very nice place to go to! read more

This is the best Ethiopian restaurant I've ever eaten in. Everything we ate was absolutely first-rate delicious (we ordered the vegetarian explorer plate). The environment was beautifully decorated and thought out, and the service was excellent. We were ecstatic to find that when we took a gamble to eat here, we were rewarded in spades. read more

Very good food, service and overall experience. I loved the interior. I definitely recommend the scampi!

I really loved the food -although since it was my first time eating Ethiopian cuisine, I cannot compare it to any other one. The decor and the athmosphere is very nice. We went there on a Saturday night and there was live music, which we quite enjoyed. The kitchen is super clean -you can see it- which is something really important to me, so kudos to Toukoul for that. The service was a bit slow (maybe because they were so busy on a Saturday night) but they were friendly. I will definitely go back here and would recommend other to at least give it a try as well read more

Brilliant combination of food, service, and atmosphere. They've paired the traditional foods well with the wines. They were ready for several languages so great for tourists. You'll likely need a reservation but if there's a wait it will be worth it. read more

Worst service ever. Went inside and waitress pointed a table. They took the order and came later to demand that we move to bar because the table we were pointed was actually reserved. Waitress later told that she meant the bar but didn't bother to share that with us seeing us sitting on a reserved table. Staff was very rude after that and blamed us for it. Lost all the appetite at that point although the food was decent. read more