Addis Ababa Restaurants

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Ethiopia is a vegetarian utopia. The majority of people here are Ethiopian Orthodox and ‘fast’ 2 full months and sometimes one day for the rest of the year. Fasting here means no meat, or diary products (i.e. egg, butter, milk, and cheese). Because of this ALL restaurants have vegatarian dishes. Lots of dishes and they are served in a variety of sauces and styles. One of the most popular is called ‘Alicha’ and its served in its only little simmering pot which is brought to you table with injera. This dish can have several variations.

Some other vegetarian dishes include:

Aterkik Alitcha - split peas prepared with light sauce
Atkilt Wot - cabbage, carrots, potatoes simmered in sauce
Atkilt Salata - boiled potatoes, chilli peppers mixed in salad dressing
Buticha - chickpea dip mixed with lemon juice
Inguday Tibs - mushroom sautéed with onions
Fasolia - string beans and carrots sautéed in caramelized onion
Gomen - collard green cooked to perfection with spices
Misir Wot - pureed split red lentil are simmered berbere sauce
Misir Alitcha - pureed split red lentil are simmered in mild sauce
Shimbra Asa - chickpeas flour dumplings & cooked in wot
Shiro Alitcha - mild split peas are milled together & slow cooked
Shiro Wot - split peas are milled together and slow cooked
Salata - Ethiopian salad, dressing: lemon, chilli peppers & spices
Timatim Selata - tomato salad, onions, chilli peppers & lemon juice

Please note: Spellings vary wildly on menus.

Tomoca coffee-bar is the oldest coffee bar in Addis Ababa. The place is very small and without tables, and the interior and the coffee machines are old. The Etiopian coffee is served black with sugar, but you can drink a variety of different coffees there.

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Elephant walk / restaurant in Bole road is on of my favorite places for eating. They have western and Ethiopian food, and it taste good and very cheap. And the location in Bole road is great. It's easy to get in touch with the friendly people sitting next to you. Ethiopian beer is good!

The Ethiopians put grass on the floor to welcome people.

Located on Nambia Street, near Select Pub & Restaurant and Blue Drops Café & Restaurant. They have a musical band which starts at 10 o’clock. The seating inside is very nice and the general atmosphere is very good. Drinks are expensive. The worst thing in this Restaurant is the toilet which is really horrible.

Favorite Dish: I ordered the local dish, Ferfer and lamb. It was mild and tasty.

Located on Bole Road in front of GTU Commercial Center. The place is visited by both the locals as well as the tourists. There is a large TV screen which shows music video clips. Beggars gather in front of the main gate watching the tourists inside. Despite the name, New York Café serves local food more than American or International meals. It’s a good place to have a drink and watch the beggars dance.

Favorite Dish: Their Spaghetti with tuna is not bad but not too good either.

This is another Yemeni restaurant which serves Middle Eastern food. It’s located on Ethio-China St.,and not very far from Ibex Hotel. Near to Al-Mendi restaurant, there is a chain of Middle Eastern restaurants such as Al-Ruha Restaurant, Sudan Restaurant and Lebanese Restaurant.
Al-Mendi is less expensive and less crowded than Sanaa Restaurant in Meskel Flower Rd. It’s much brighter and homely. A plate of rice and chicken will cost you around 85 bir (7-9 $). This will be enough for two hungry persons.

Favorite Dish: Their rice and roast chickent is delicious. Don't miss it.

This is a Yemeni restaurant located on Meskel Flower Road and provides traditional Yemeni dish like Mandi (rice with chicken or lamb chops). It is very crowded with Moslem Ethiopians and is difficult to find a seat. A plate of mandi will be enough for two or three persons. It includes rice (large portion), lamb chops, curries in small bowls and a piece of bread. They donot serve drinks ( beer or wine).One meal will cost you around 85 bir (7 $ ).

Favorite Dish: The rice with lamb chops is great. You must be hungry to finsih the whole plate.

It is located on EU Road, near the Green View Pastry. The restaurant provides Lebanese food; shish kebab, lamb chops, chicken tikka and many more. It is popular with the French tourists and diplomats. Here, the Ethiopian waitresses even speak Arabic in Lebanese dialect. It is a very expensive restaurant in that area, for a simple chicken tikka with humus will cost you around 180-220 bir (15-20 dollars)

Favorite Dish: Their Chicken Tikka is good. Order it with Hummus and some Lebanese pickles..yammy.