Zigni House
About Zigni House
The chef and owner of Zigni House, Tsige Haile, is revered in her native Eritrea as the author of the first Eritrean and Ethiopian cookbooks. Here she presides over the kitchen of a vibrant East African restaurant and bar that is a place of pilgrimage for those who love this cuisine. The decor is a blending of authentic Eritrean and modern London, with imported, authentic art objects. There’s a bar/lounge where you can enjoy a drink before your meal, then the dining room is a space of two halves, the smart restaurant area and the slightly secluded, proper family area with its circular seating and more intimate ambience. Many people pass by the a la carte menu in favour of the superb buffet, which features a variety of stews, zigni are the spicy ones, alichi the milder ones, of various ingredients, as well as the injera, a sort of pancake that complements the stews. Authentic salads, yoghurts, and sautes are here too. You won’t want to miss the Eritrean beer or the traditional coffee ceremony, where beans are roasted, ground, and boiled before your eyes. You’ll want to linger.
Full a la carte
Starter
- Soup of the Day (Delicious soup made daily from chefs selection of ingredients) £2.50- Qulwa Cavulo (Pan-fried cabbage in olive oil with onion, tomatoes, and a hint of garlic) £2.95
- Alicha Anyne-Ater Fit-Fit (Peas slowly cooked in a mild curry sauce, and tossed with injera) £2.75
- Bite-size Shiro (Layers of injera topped with Asmara Shiro sauce) £2.95
- Timtimo Rolls (Injera rolls covered in Timtimo sauce) £2.75
- Couscous (Delicious side dish prepared from semolina grains, vegetables, garnished with olive oil and herbs and spices) £2.95
- Falafel (Ground chick pea, split broad beans, fresh vegetables and herbs, fried briefly in vegetable oil and served on a bed of mixed leafy green salad with a choice sauce £3.45
- Mixed Platter A selection of samusas, chicken nuggets, and potato wedges served with dip (perfect for 2) £5.95
Salads:
- Green Salad (Leafy green salad prepared with special Zigni House dressing) £3.95
- Feta Salad (Mixed salad with chopped Greek feta cheese prepared with tomatoes, olives, herbs and olive oil dressing) £4.20
- Azifa (Brown lentil with mustard, olive oil, onions, tomatoes, vinegar, lemon and home made dressing) £3.95
Main Course
- Zigni Derho (A famous East-African chicken casserole dish slowly cooked in a rich and well seasoned Zigni sauce) £6.75- Alicha Derho (A delicious chicken casserole slowly cooked in a rich and mild curry sauce prepared with boiled eggs) £6.75
- Derho Fit-fit (Spicy chicken casserole tossed with injera) £6.75
- Derho Qulwa (Diced chicken fried in spiced ghee butter, onion, green chili and traditional spicy chili paste) £7.20
- Alicha Derho with Veg (Roasted chicken legs with roast potatoes and mixed vegetables) £7.20
- Zigni Be’gi (Tender cubes of lamb casserole slowly cooked in a rich and spicy zigni sauce) £7.00
- Alicha Be’gi (Lamb pieces on the bone casserole slowly cooked in a rich and mild curry sauce) £7.00
- Qulwa (Lamb cubes fried in spiced butter with onion, rosemary, green chili and well seasoned with traditional spices) £7.20
- Awaze Qulwa (Lean lamb cubes fried in spiced ghee (purified) butter, onion, green chili, and traditional spicy chili paste) £7.45
- Zil-Zil (Grilled shreds of lean lamb, specially prepared in onion and spices marinate) £7.45
- Zigni House Special Qulwa (Shredded lean lamb, slowly grilled in charcoal with onions and aromatic spices) £8.25
- Alicha Minchet Absh (Minced lamb casserole slowly cooked in a mild curry sauce) £7.00
- Quanta Fit-Fit (Smoke-dried shreds of lamb prepared in a rich zigni sauce tossed with injera) £7.45
- Kitfo (Finely chopped, tender lean beef, seasoned with traditional spiced ghee (purified) butter and very hot and spicy paprika powder) £7.50
- Kitfo Special (Finely chopped tender lean beef, seasoned with traditional spiced ghee (purified) butter, very hot paprika powder, home made cottage cheese, and spinach, served raw, medium or well done) £8.75
- Zigni Minchet Absh (Minced lamb casserole slowly cooked in a rich and spicy zigni sauce) £7.00
- Zigni House Beef Qulwa (Lean cubes of beef, fried in spiced butter with onion, rosemary, green chili and well seasoned with traditional spices) £7.20
- Assa Qulwa (Specially grilled shreds of cod, marinated in onions, green chili, and a hint of garlic, garnished with tomatoes and green peppers) £8.75
- Zigni Assa (Cubes of cod in a rich zigni sauce and specially selected herbs and spices) £8.25
- Alicha Assa (Cubes of cod in a mild alicha sauce with turmeric and traditional seasoning) £8.25
Family Feast:
- Non-Vegetarian (A mixed platter of non-vegetarian dishes) £20.00
- Vegetarian (A mixed platter of vegetarian dishes) £15.00
- Asmara Shiro (Finely ground chick peas prepared with mixed spices, chili powder and garlic, cooked in onion and olive oil) £5.90
- Timtimo (Red lentils/beans prepared in a rich zigni sauce cooked in olive oil) £5.75
- Alicha with Veg (Mixed vegetables of cabbage, potatoes, courgettes, carrots, with a hint of garlic and green chili, cooked in olive oil) £5.75
Hamli (Homemade cottage cheese mixed with chopped spinach and well seasoned with traditional spices) £5.50
- Ajbo Hamli (Homemade cottage cheese mixed with chopped spinach and well seasoned with traditional spices) £5.75
- A mixed platter of vegetarian dishes
Pastas:
- Spaghetti Bolognese (Delicious minced meat Bolognese sauce and spaghetti, topped with cheese and served with side salad) £4.99
- Macaroni and Cheese Bake (Macaroni, mixed with cream sauce and topped with cheese, served with side salad) £5.50
- Mince Meat Lasagna (Layers of lasagna pasta prepared with minced meat sauce, topped with cheese and served with side salad) £5.99
- Vegetarian Lasagna (Layers of lasagna pasta prepared with vegetables and tomato sauce, topped with cheese and served with side salad) £5.99
Side Dishes:
- Rice (A choice of plain boiled or spiced rice that goes great with zigni and alicha dishes) £2.00
- Tabuleh (Diced green peppers, crushed wheat, onion, tomatoes, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, oriental herbs and spices) £2.50
- Humus (Puree chick peas, lemon, tahini sauce, olive oil and garlic) £2.00
- Yogurt (Ice cold yogurt with chopped cucumber, mint and a hint of garlic) £2.20
- Chicken Wings (Roasted chicken wings, marinated in sweet soy, sesame oil, ginger and garlic) £2.75
- Onion Rings (Slender rings of onion covered in batter) £1.50
- French Fries (Chunky fries deep-fried for a crisp and mouth-watering taste) £1.50
- Injera (Traditional pancake - style sour bread made from a selection of grains and rice baked on a traditional clay oven) £0.70
Dessert
- Fruit Salad (A cocktail of delicious fruits served in syrup) £2.75- Cheesecake Classic (Classic European cheesecake) £3.25
- Classic Royale (Delicious layers of blackcurrant sorbet and clotted cream on a crunchy biscuit base, served with whipped cream) £2.95
- Chocolate madness (Luxury chocolate fudge cake served with chocolate ice-cream and topped with whipped cream) £4.25
- Ice-Cream (Selection of various flavours: vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry) £2.95