Although spoilt for choice at Old Spitalfields Market, I decided on Merkamo: 100% Vegan traditional Ethiopian food because I support specialist vegan eatery whenever possible. Ethiopian is a particular favourite of mine so I was willing to waiting the long line, and am so happy I did. It was truly delicious; like actually beyond expectation (remember that long line; makes sense now, right.) I was planning to eat half, to sample elsewhere; well clearly that didn’t happen. Open between 11.30am – 5pm, they combine traditional East-African cuisine, with a variety of original herbs and spices to create fresh (and mostly gluten-free) tubs that are easy to take back to the office or eat in the food court. I got the Injera wrap filled with spinach, roasted soya and lentils and as well as a samosa and coconut dumpling. I’ll definitely try their other options, but would happy have the wrap again and do recommend you give it a try.

First time to have Ethiopian food was totally mind blowing!! I had a large traditional for £9 It has a clean tastes but at the same time so many flavours. It becomes a go-to place while I am in London. Thumbs up.

Big portion of everything! It was delicious, it was great to have tasty vegan food in London. My parents loved it too. Sadly I don't live in London, but I hope to come back some day! :)

I've been going to Merkamo for 4 years and it's my favourite in Spitalfields Market. I always get the traditional with a samosa. I can get it multiple times a week without feeling bad about it since it is so healthy. I recommend it to everyone.

Ha ha! I went with my Ethiopian friend who is the best cook and she laughed saying this is NOT Ethiopian food! Most of the dishes are only quickly mixed with olive oil and the cooked ones have not a patch of the flavour they should have if cooked like Ethiopian. We realised it is only made to make money. The red lentils mixed only with tomato paste is a joke! Sorry, this is only busy because it looks colourful but anyone who knows proper food will think this is no good at all

honestly I ate their special about 6 hours ago and im still high off of it. am I changed for life? why did it taste so good, its so confusing. do they have access to secret herbs and spices I dont? I feel disorientated in my life from how much I enjoyed this meal

Delicious Ethiopian food, all vegan so loads of options! Extensive gluten free options too - the brown injera is gluten free.

I was positively surprised. I had bought a meal via TooGoodToGo, and received a portion of their mixed box/Merkado Special (with everything). Very tasty. Best Vegan meal I have had in a long time. The waiter was not particularly friendly, and London prices are generally scary, but the food was good. I don't have enough experience to say whether the food is culturally authentic, or not.

Love this place... honestly the food is absolutely amazing. It’s tasty and authentic Caribbean food. Believe me, I’m of Caribbean descent and know when food taste good!. The beautiful thing is it’s also vegan... the portions are just right. I recommend coming here! You won’t be disappointed!! Love it!!!

Amazing as usual, never thought a total vegan meal could be so tasty

Make a point of going here. Food is well worth the journey. The person who runs this establishment is a breath of fresh air. A sincerely nice man.

Great little place. Absolutely brilliant vegan meals. I'll definitely come again

I stumbled across this place by accident and was delighted to find it vegan. I had a very delicious lunch meal. The owner and staff were very friendly and welcoming.

My girlfriend treated me to lunch from here. It's the best food I've ever tasted. Incredible xxx

Nice food stall with Ethiopian food. Very friendly service. Came here with anti food waste app 'Too good to go'. Some of the tastes were a bit bland though, it could use some more herbs/spices.

I was very excited to try this but sadly the food had no flavour, an d was more cold than warm... :S

Wonderful, fresh and beautifully presented food. We had their special for £9.95 and it was perfect to share for a healthy lunch. Do try it!

Your email find attached the following URL Ad flashover and I am not sure what to do the best of the best of luck for your email address to the best of the o the heart of us will always be the first to bottoms you can do it sasuke you are not understand why the hell out a very happy to do it and my favourite

Merkamo is a true standout from Spitalfields. Ethiopian is one of my favourite cuisine, and Merkamo do it justice! I had their large full special, which included a bit of everything they serve, injera, and a samosa. All for £10.99. Everything on the plate is really taste, and the portion is a really good size. The staff is super friendly and helpful. There’s really no flaws I can point to Merkamo, except maybe the queue that forms at peak lunch times, which is yet another testimony of how great the food there is.

Amazing food for lunch- very friendly owners made me feel right at home and I truly enjoyed the vegan spread!

Love the simple yet so tasty vegetarian food. So different in taste than all the other offerings in the market and feels so good after eating. One of my go to places in the area. Wish they have shops on other parts of the city too.

Delicious. Lots of variety. Good portion size. Friendly service.

The gentleman really took care over every aspect of the food he served us. The excellent and nutritious meals taste even better for the respect with which they are given. Go there!

I was looking for a "healthier" lunch option in Old Spitalsfield Market so was glad I came across this place. The Merkamo Special with the hot sauce is definitely the way to go. You get a little bit of all the dishes, each with its distinct flavor/textures, plus injera, my fav! The green peas and beans were I think my favorite. Service was lovely and the food was well-plated.

The vegan influencers were not wrong about this place! Every bite was beyond delicious...especially the okra (who knew it could taste soooooo good). Slight disappointment with the lentil samosa but I won't let that deter from returning when next in Spitalfields - the Ethiopians know their pulses and their flavours!

Highly recommend for authentic Ethiopian food. Reasonably priced & very tasty. Everything seems homemade. Also 100% vegan which is a bonus.

Ordered the Traditional and wow it was sooo good!! Clean tasting, hot and comforting, mix of so many tastes and flavors!! Had to resist buying another bowl

Incredible Ethiopian fare, super deep flavors and great variety of pieces to the meal options, a must have for any plant-based eaters when visiting the markets.

Nice eatery in the Old Spitalfields. Everything is nicely displayed so you can see before you order. More food pictures on blog.

Absolutely beautiful food. Tasty, healthy, comforting vegan food and the staff are lovely too.

the food is soo clean and tasty. green plate pictured. i eat here once a week as a bare minimum. the team are a joy, i definitely go there for the interaction as well as the food and have introduced many friends and family and hope they open a restaurant and go worldwide. great for babies the elderly and everyone in between. i need Merkamo to cater my future wedding.

Medicine in a bag. Ezekiel 47:12.

Food and service is different class. 100% worth visiting 👌🏾

Amazing food!

Genuiely incredible food, lovely staff. Absolute gem of a place in Rotherham

Tasty and fresh - such a good choice if you’re after a mix of legumes with a nicely spicy sauce!

This is one of my favourite places for super healthy super tasty food in London. Whatever you order, it’s delicious!

My favorite Ethiopian in London…. Tasty, filling, clean, friendly people … Edit: it’s also the best place to eat in Spitafield market and shoreditch/Liverpool street area too

I absolutely love this place! The food is always so tasty. I love the variety of beans and grains they use for the dishes. I also always get the spicy version, it is not an overpowering spiciness so you can actually enjoy the dish completely till the end.

Took a chance and was so well rewarded! For £10 I got a full special and a drink, was so tasty and filling, and the amazing woman serving me explained what some of the food she was serving was which was really kind! Thank you so much, highly recommended!

Delicious, nutritious food, beautiful portions and lovely service! I had the original (pictured).

Absolutely delicious food - tasty and not greasy at all. On top of that, they are incredibly friendly and helpful. Tip: get there early for lunch (12pm), as locals and non-locals love it!

Wow wow wow, amazing ethiopian food!Fresh, delicious, with perfecrly balanced, on point flavours! Even my partner, who is a die hard meateater, could barely stop himself from constantly taking 'one more bite' from my meal.

Delicious, very well prepared & presented Ethiopian food 😋 great value, good portions

Super fresh food and the staff is so friendly! Will definitely come back!

Had the traditional one. Medium spicy was too mild, but all around absolutely delicious food.

Came here for a quick dinner, lovely there was a GF option too, the food was delicious and so filling and nutritious which you can often miss from eating out!

This has become my favourite lunch spot in the area. Huge portions of healthy food at very affordable prices. If you visit, I recommend to try the Injera Traditional plate (see photo) which comes with a great selection of different veggies, olives and the traditional rolled “pancake”.

Wonderful food, kind knowledgeable staff! I think it's safe to say this weekend has started off right!

Great food!

(Translated by Google) Delicious eaten and 100% vegan :) (Original) Heerlijk gegeten en 100% vegan :)

Colourful and healthy. A favourite lunch time haunt.

(Translated by Google) Great I am "non-vegetarian" and I was fascinated. In addition, the workers are very kind. (Original) Buenísimo. Soy “no vegetariano” y me fascinó. Además, los trabajadores son muy amables.

Food was great and the people were very nice and very helpful. I expect to ho back many time in the future! You should try it too!

Merkamo is good, not expensive especially compared to the other options in the area, and the people are very friendly. Delicious and ethical lunchbreak in Spitalfield market, highly recommended!

Love this place! The food is so well made and the nutrition is on point. Their coconut dumplings and samosas are amazing.

Clean Tasty vegetarian and vegan food

(Translated by Google) Delicious food! We ordered a mixed menu out of curiosity and were thrilled with the taste experience. Very friendly staff! (Original) Sehr leckeres Essen! Wir haben uns hier aus Neugier ein gemischtes Menü bestellt und waren begeistert von dem Geschmackserlebnis. Sehr freundliches Personal!

Absolutely brilliant and healthy food. Try the low carb option

Delicious, healthy and very filling. Also the food looked absolutely beautiful!

So filling and flavoursome!! Best vegan food

Amazing food and staff. The merkamo special is so filling and nourishing.

Yes! £7.5 for the Special "a bit of everything" plate: a beautiful and big nutricious mix of vegan food!

Brilliantly plant based Ethiopian food! Was a splendid lunch.

Was disappointed in the food - it looked better than it tasted. With such high ratings I was expecting lots of flavour but my three sauce wrap was quite bland. The injera was also not sour enough. I had to mix in the hot sauce just to add some interest and I don't eat spicy. The coconut dumpling is also not worth the extra 50 pence. It was on the hard side, very doughy, and not as sweet. Maybe if it was cooked right then and there it would have been good but mine had been sitting for a few hours at least. Great service from the lady though.

Friendly service and colourful food. Would wish it could have more flavours but still it’s good.

My first foray into Ethiopian cuisine and I must say it won’t be my last! Such a great blend of flavours, colours, and not to mention it’s vegan - the triple threat! Good price for Spitalfields, food in picture was £6.50, including coconut dumpling.

Delicious food boxes with an unusual mix of Ethiopian flavours. The fact it's completely vegan is great, but the food is so tasty that it would appeal to anyone looking for something a bit different for lunch. The tricky choice is whether to get a samosa or dumpling on the side.. maybe both!

Absolutely delicious! One of of the best food vendors within Spitalfields market. Each dish comes with lashings of vegetables and pulses, all deliciously flavoured and very reasonably priced. Would personally recommend the low carb high protein dish, it's fantastic

Very nice food

Amazing food as always. Best Jamaican /ethiopian in the UK. Thanks and praise

Authentic, wholesome, tasty real food. Only place in Rotherham that is worth getting a takeaway from. Love it every time!

The food here is amazing and the staff always brighten up my day. Any time I'm working in Rotherham I make sure I stop here for their mixed lunchbox deal. Be sure to try the dumplings!!

Best take away in rotherham hands down. Fresh food cooked daily with the best ingredients. Medicine

First time here, never done vegan before. For the biggest part really enjoyed it, not sure about the dumpling but that's down to personal taste. Will visit again, highly recommended

Where to start? Absolutely brilliant food and service from a man who is passionate about good food and well being. Myself and my wife came by here today and we were blown away with how welcoming and full of life this place is. Thank you so much, we will be back!

wonderful ethiopian- one of the best we've had!! £6.50-7.00 for a big beautiful (vegan!!) plate of food. the staff also are incredibly sweet, go here!!

Found this cool little place with an amazing app called Dines!! I love Vegan food and would totally recommend this place. The fact you can use this great app to secure an instant discount makes it seem like the biggest no brainer ever!! It’s so easy to use the app as well ❤️❤️❤️

great vegan food

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this place!! Amazing food, great atmosphere and the friendliest, most down to earth man running it. Perfect sized portions and very healthy. More places like this in Rotherham.

Tried Ethiopian food for the first time in my life at merkamo and it's worth it. Large portion and very much value for money.

Reasonably priced and so delicious.

My 2nd time back here in 2 days, and I'm not even a vegetarian/vegan. Great flavours, lots of variety, amazing value, friendly service. The lentil dishes are quite mildly flavoured but that's what the hot sauces are for. And I've been dreaming about those hot sauces!

Super!

Bright, colourful vegan food. Plenty of variety ...but not traditional Ethiopian food! Worth a try.

I can see how really this would really appeal to vegans/vegetarians with the bright colours and variety of dishes. But the dishes lack the depth of real Ethiopian flavours - onions, garlic and ginger... and, of course, kibe (non vegan). Cute little injera but again, lacks the authentic finger food experience. Give it a go if only for the friendly service!

Great food and generous portions. Excellent service

Small hidden diamond in the heart of the Old Spitafield Market. The whole Foodcourt stands out anyway, by London standards, but the Merkamo stand is the highlight. Freshly prepared, vegan food like from Ethiopia. You don't eat that every day!

(Translated by Google) I went past the Old Speedfields Market and found it. Ethiopian food is unfamiliar, but it is delicious and well suited to Korean tastes. (Original) 올드 스피탈필즈 마켓을 지나가다가 찾은 곳. 이디오피아 음식이라니 생소했지만 너무 맛있고 한국인 입맛에도 잘 맞음