The Abyssinian

It’s sleeves up and pretences down at the friendly Abyssinian,where the Horn of Africa’s earthy cuisine takes centre stage and traditional injera flatbread makes cutlery seem oddly formal. In a colourful room decorated with wooden ornaments,a cross-cultural crowd imbibes African beers and wraps injera parcels of lentil,meat and vegie treats. Most dishes pack a mildly warming punch courtesy of berbere,the spice mix that’s heavy on serrano chilli. The chef’s combination platter (vegetarian or meat) is a great way to sample widely;other wise picks are slow-cooked,fall-off-the-bone goat;and dubba,a winning match of sweet pumpkin flesh with berbere sauce.