We kicked it off last night with a visit to Cafe Lalibela for African food in the heart of Footscray, Melbourne. It doesn’t get more authentic than eating with your hands. They served their dishes up on huge ‘pancakes’ of traditional, sour injera bread. You tear pieces off and use them to scoop up the tasty, spiced stews that are set in the middle of them.

Everything on the menu costs $12. They have some of the best vegetarian cuisine around – and we definitely recommend the vego dishes over the meat ones. The dishes were very filling, especially when you factor the bread into it.

Grab yourself an Ethiopian Beer while you’re there for a tiny $5 (Cafe Lalibela imports it into the country themselves!), and let the wait staff recommend to you their favourites… they definitely know what they’re on about.

Cheap as metaphorical chips, you won’t be disappointed and you’d be hard-pressed to go too far over your $30 budget. Take your own wine if you like, they don’t sell it there (Remember: it doesn’t count in the budget if you already had it in the house!).

Cafe Lalibela
91 Irving Street, Footscray (Melbourne, Australia)
Reservations Recommended! (03) 9687 0300