Ghion Cafe

The section of North End Road along which the street market runs has long been a sort of suicide corner for brave young start-ups- perhaps because of high rents and a less affluent foot-fall. Ghion Cafe, a bijoux gem of a family run Ethiopian restaurant- however has weathered the storm and gone from strength to strength. This is because it has solid support from both the Ethiopian as well as the local community. For me personally, love of Injera bread (the Ethiopian delicious soft, slightly sour, steamed bread that's ideal for mopping up curries) meant that I was anxious Ghion should survive. It has not only survived but is better than ever and has succeeded in keeping down its prices.
As a South Indian, I love idli and (Gurjerati) dhokla- injera bread has the same texture as well as an arguably superior 'umami'- i.e. a delicious savoury taste that complements the spicy Ethiopian dishes which are certainly better than the average curry house offering- not to mention the Supermarket product.
The eat in experience at Ghion is quite unique because of the traditional way of serving the food- a bit like Morrocan cuisine and, in time, I expect Ethiopian cuisine too will establish a high end presence on the High street. At present, those like me who are on a budget, find Ghion's prices ideal. I use the takeaway atleast once a fortnight. I ask for 2 extra injera bread and pay about 8 pounds for the spicy lamb. One injera and a meat or vegetarian dish is a filling meal. The extra injeras can be kept in the fridge and used up with pesto or other savoury sauces over the next few days. I don't know whether injera bread is low cal or not, but it's filling without making you feel heavy.
Ghion is a very nice family run and respectable place. I don't drink coffee or eat confectionary myself- but they seem to go down great with locals.

Altogether,you can't go wrong with Ghion.