Addis Ababa
Ahh, if only all cafes were like this! Coffee is serious business at this great high-stooled Italian cafe (around since 1953) in Piazza. The beans are…
Must-see nightlife in Ethiopia
Addis Ababa
Off Haile Gebreselassie Rd, tucked up an alley behind the Axum Hotel, this is Addis’ top tej bet (honey wine) and the only one to serve pure-honey tej…
Addis Ababa
This one's worth taking a taxi across Addis for. A refreshingly cool and contemporary space, Galani serves up Ethiopia's finest barista-poured coffees,…
Gonder
Serving up Gonder's best coffee, Senait is brought to you by the same people who run Four Sisters and it shows. With a small but lovely, character-filled…
Aksum
This cool little juice bar has free wi-fi, a modern feel and terrific juices. Ask for its special of the day – we loved the mango, avocado and guava – or…
Aksum
The hotel may be past its prime, but the Yeha remains the best place in town for a sundowner. The terrace faces the setting sun and overlooks the Northern…
Lalibela
Also known as Askalech, Torpido serves tej along with traditional azmari song and dance after 8pm. It gets a lot of tourists, but locals usually outnumber…
Addis Ababa
Hiding in a modern building above the Boston Day Spa and downstairs from Kuriftu Diplomat Restaurant, this plush bar possesses a cool vibe and a refined…
Addis Ababa
Another of Piazza's cool old coffee haunts, Mokarar (the sign in Amharic says Harar – it's opposite Hotel Soramba) has stand-up stools and serves nothing…
Gonder
This classic, though subtle, art-deco Italian cafe in the heart of the piazza is a throwback to the days of yesteryear – it's easily the most atmospheric…
Addis Ababa
In a quiet garden next to Addis' delightfully decaying old train station, Choche does great coffee and is for those who like to enjoy it outdoors. Service…
Addis Ababa
If you’re staying in the Bole Rd part of town (in fact, even if you’re not), then there’s only one place for breakfast and that’s this megapopular terrace…
Addis Ababa
Red Velvet. Caribbean Breeze. Vanilla Fever. Brunette. The bright-and-bubbly names and flavours of the cupcakes on sale here are highly appropriate for a…
Addis Ababa
A pulsating nightclub downstairs from Yoly Hotel, Club H2O kicks things off with a more sedate Happy Hour: 7pm to 10pm with live jazz to keep things down…
Bahir Dar
A chemistry degree from Bahir Dar University led owner Yordanos into a life of wine and she now makes her own honey, date, mango, apple and grape…
Addis Ababa
About 200m west of Bole Rd (Africa Ave), this is another of Addis Ababa’s hot spots. Cosy seats, red lights and the odd full-length mirror surround the…
Addis Ababa
If your tipple is beer then at the German-flavoured Beer Garden you can sit on a long bench and get 3L of the golden liquid for Birr181 or a 1L for Birr63…
Addis Ababa
Packed every weekend with teenagers and 20-somethings, this place plays the usual mix of hip-hop, reggae, African and other music. Beers are a hefty…
Addis Ababa
This is Addis Ababa’s most raucous club and you need to be pretty thick skinned to survive! It’s in the basement of the Ambassador Cinema. There’s…
Harar
Overlooking Feres Megala, Negeyo's agreeable terrace is a good place to catch local vibes and enjoy plenty of local colour. It has an appetising selection…
Dire Dawa
Brimming with good cheer, this large place with a modernish feel is an ideal refuelling stop after a walking tour in the area. It serves excellent…
Aksum
One of the most enduringly popular cafes along the main road, Axum No-Name has split-level seating overlooking the street and a loyal local clientele who…
Addis Ababa
One of the coolest clubs of the moment, Stockholm has a languid lounge atmosphere early in the night with the usual blend of Western (hip-hop, R&B, Reggae…
Arba Minch
For a good local beer and a solid dose of local gossip, there's no better place than this super-popular garden bar. The standard Ethiopian fare is useful…
Addis Ababa
Bored of avocado and mango juices? Then you’ll think this place, with such exotics as Energiser (banana, strawberry and yogurt), rocks. We’d even go so…
Gonder
There’s nowhere better in town for a sunset drink than this hotel’s lofty garden terrace. Besides the overpriced beers, there’s a variety of local and…
Addis Ababa
An ever-popular coffee institution that’s little more than a dark hole in the wall. For those not afraid of daylight, there’s also a few sun-grabbing…
Bahir Dar
One of Bahir Dar's best places for coffee, Karibu has low wooden stools, excellent coffee (from Birr9), tempting cakes and an overwhelmingly local…
Addis Ababa
It's painted luscious lip-gloss red and is easily the most popular of the numerous bright, modern Western-style coffee shops around the Piazza area.
Dire Dawa
Cheap beers and great people-watching. From around 6pm the footpath tables are packed with men talking politics and sipping coffee and beer.
Gonder
You’d be hard-pressed to find a Gonderian who doesn’t consider the brew here the city’s best, and we think it serves the best cake.
Dire Dawa
This ramshackle place near the bridge is a great place to relax over a cup of coffee or a delicious frappé. Food is only so-so.
Addis Ababa
A pulsating club, playing a little bit of this and little bit of that in rather plush surrounds.
Gonder
A dark and cosy modern club where the band plays and the people dance until at least 2am.
Gonder
The large outdoor terrace here is indisputably the town centre’s most popular beer joint.
Bahir Dar
Though it’s a popular drinking spot throughout the week, Friday and Saturday nights are really packed.
