Addis Ababa
Next to the National Museum and a favourite haunt of locals, expats and museum-visiting tourists, this bright and airy restaurant with alfresco garden…
Must-see restaurants in Ethiopia
Addis Ababa
This simple outdoor restaurant receives high marks from locals, expats and tourists alike for its quality Ethiopian fare. The yetsom beyaynetu (variety of…
Dire Dawa
Besides the usual European dishes and some token Ethiopian ones, this venture inside Samrat Hotel concocts delicious Indian dishes (the chef is Indian)…
Aksum
Decorated with bamboo and crafts and with traditional low-stool seating, this restaurant is calm, peaceful and a great spot to dig into shekla tibs, with…
Bahir Dar
Right by the water and affiliated with the Kuriftu Resort, this fine place does excellent Ethiopian dishes with all the usual suspects – tibs, firfir,…
Southern Ethiopia
With few exceptions, the lunch stop of choice for tours passing through is this lively restaurant with an attractive courtyard, on the Arba Minch road…
Addis Ababa
Watch chefs manoeuvre airborne dough while you wait for your thin-crust pizza – we reckon they're Addis' best. There are two-dozen pizzas on the menu –…
Southern Ethiopia
This restaurant-cum-cafe serves pastas, burgers and excellent Ethiopian fare – among the 15 or so local dishes, we recommend the kwanta fir fir (strips of…
Addis Ababa
If Addis has a vaguely ‘boutique’ pizza place then this is it. It’s small, warm and welcoming, with thin-crust pizzas popping out of the pizza oven to…
Rock-hewn Churches of Tigray
The main reason to come here is not the large and loud TV screen in the dining room, but the roast goat served with rice – it's a great meal and easily…
Southern Ethiopia
On the ground floor of Hawassa Lakeview Hotel, this buzzy eatery is a great choice for a quick bite in modern surrounds. The generous chicken wraps and…
Addis Ababa
Come dinner and lunch, this local option sees few tourists and is alive with action. Tables spill onto a large courtyard topped by flowering vegetation…
Rock-hewn Churches of Tigray
Opened in 2016, this friendly place is a good, simple choice. It does all the usual Ethiopian staples, as well as sandwiches. It's not signposted: take…
Addis Ababa
Having moved to a tranquil location in the grounds of Addis' Alliance Française complex, this classy Mediterranean eatery does a creative menu of Beirut…
Bahir Dar
This popular restaurant really makes the most of its long landscaped shoreline. Both the habesha (Ethiopian – try the fish firfir) and faranji (foreigner)…
Southern Ethiopia
Right on the main drag, this popular place has won accolades for its eclectic menu, which includes Ethiopian classics – think shiro (chickpea purée) and…
Addis Ababa
If you’re craving something sweet or sour, this central Chinese restaurant, just around the corner from Meskal Sq, is the most convenient place in town…
Addis Ababa
This Indian-run restaurant specialises in tandoori dishes – with more than 150 menu items to choose from, it's difficult to know where to start, but…
Bahir Dar
Out in the west of town, far from the main tourist trail, Misrak Special Food has a lovely traditional setting on the 1st floor and excellent Ethiopian…
Makush Art Gallery & Restaurant
Addis Ababa
Containing vivid paintings and woodcarvings from the 70 artists this gallery-restaurant supports, and staffed by attentive waiters and your genial host…
Southern Ethiopia
Caribbean cuisine in Shashemene? Yes, it's possible at the Bolt House. Run by a Jamaican couple, this colourful eatery about 100m off the main road (it's…
Aksum
Dimly lit and with a nightly 7pm show of traditional music and dance on stage, Antika is a welcome addition to Aksum's culinary offerings. It does some…
Bahir Dar
Down a rough dirt track and right by the lake, Lakeshore looks a little past its prime, but still serves what some locals claim to be the city's best…
Aksum
An awesome, down-to-earth breakfast spot with excellent ful and ‘special fata’ (bread firfir with yogurt and egg). Complete your meal with a juice from…
Aksum
Under new management but still a great place to eat, Empire does excellent Ethiopian food – its doro wat (chicken stew) is a cut above the average. There…
Southern Ethiopia
This attractive option slap bang in the centre of town is high on atmosphere, with an attractive compound and a verdant setting. The menu covers enough…
Aksum
Slightly cheaper than some of the other traditional restaurants around town, Lucy has low wooden stools and attracts a predominantly local crowd who come…
Gonder
With an agreeable garden setting (there's a more formal dining area inside), Lodge Fasil in the hotel of the same name does a good mix of Ethiopian dishes…
Southern Ethiopia
Towards the southern end of town, the Ziway is the lunch stop of choice for those on their way to or back from the south. It serves juices and draught…
Harar
This unmissable spot on the main avenue in the new town has a wide variety of cavity-inducing pastries, as well as excellent fruit juices and acceptable…
Southern Ethiopia
If the cakes in the ground-floor pastry shop don’t sidetrack you, head upstairs to a very faranji (foreigner)-friendly menu. Specialities include ravioli…
Western Ethiopia
For a fine view of the bus station, a cold beer and some cheap eats, stick to the hotel's roadside cafe. For shish kebab, chicken Maryland and grilled…
Lalibela
We don't recommend staying here, but it's a popular lunch spot where travellers enjoy the leafy, bird-filled terrace. It does the usual mix of local and…
Addis Ababa
In an unpromising building by the side of a busy road, Backyard surprises with its softly lit interior, light pastas and salads, and with the steaks for…
Gonder
Although it serves food all day, we rather like this spot for breakfast and for people watching. When it comes to the former, it serves good ful (an…
Mekele
Tucked away up a side street off the main road, this surprisingly stylish place has a casual open courtyard popular with local couples and a more stylish…
Southern Ethiopia
A stylish cafe popular with young Awasians. Coy couples come here to giggle under the patio umbrellas and share luscious fruit juices and plates of fries…
Gonder
While the menu doesn’t break the mould, it does offer a few meals not often available in Ethiopia, such as curry-spiced noodles, as well as the usual…
Southern Ethiopia
One of the best spots to chill in Awasa, this lively eatery near the main jetty boasts an attractive setting, with a large, shady courtyard. Foodwise, the…
Harar
This trendy cafeteria does a roaring lunchtime trade in sandwiches, burgers, salads, pasta dishes, cakes, pastries and fruit juices. Breakfast is also…
