Gonder
Several locals recommended this newish place for traditional Ethiopian food and while we couldn't quite see what all the fuss was about, it does serve up…
Must-see restaurants in Ethiopia
Harar
The speciality of this popular Muslim restaurant is hanid (goat; you pick which part – the feet, ribs and head are the most popular) served on rice pilaf…
Arba Minch
This unassuming restaurant (charging much higher faranji prices than it used to) has made quite a name for itself with its mouth-watering grilled fish…
Bahre Negash International Resort
Northern Ethiopia
Easily the best place to eat in town, the Bahre Negash has relinquished the best views to the bar upstairs but the food (mostly European, with a few…
Southern Ethiopia
Step into this trendy, shady and airy spot for an escape from the busy street. Get things going with well-presented salads, soups, pasta or pizzas. There…
Northern Ethiopia
A cut above the other places to eat in town, the lobby restaurant of Debre Markos' best hotel does the usual melange of pastas, burgers, salads and, what…
Northern Ethiopia
This attractive restaurant is a good place to break up the Aksum–Mekele journey with a good mix of Ethiopian and European dishes. When things are busy, it…
Gonder
This bamboo-walled restaurant, a short walk from the Royal Enclosure exit, is a good place for lunch, with grilled fish a speciality, but it also does…
Southern Ethiopia
This is usually where tourists have lunch after visiting the markets. It's a modest affair, with a very limited menu featuring a few Ethiopian dishes and,…
Arba Minch
Near the main roundabout in Sikela, this quick-eat establishment is safe for a sandwich and a mixed-fruit juice. It also has a tempting array of sweet…
Harar
This woman makes what are probably the best samosas (sambusa in Amharic) in Harar. Find her and her deep fryer sitting street-side across from Harar Gate.
Eastern Ethiopia
If you’re in an injera mood you can’t do better than this spot on the main road, though the menu is only in Amharic. It also churns out pasta dishes.
Dire Dawa
This lively eatery specialises in one thing and one thing only: roast chicken. There's an agreeable terrace with plenty of shade.
Dire Dawa
A little corner of tranquillity, Elga Café is a great spot to refuel over coffee, pastries and snacks.
Harar
It’s the hyenas, not the food, that makes this a special night-time dining option. The animals usually arrive around 8.30pm to scavenge the nearby…
Western Ethiopia
The wood panelling and calf-skin decor give this a lived-in vibe, and if you’re at a loose end you can watch the satellite TV in the bar while munching on…
Simien Mountains National Park
Just up the hill and opposite the bus station, this simple cafe does excellent breakfasts, including ful (an Egyptian staple of broad bean and butter…
Bahir Dar
You take your life in your hands climbing the rickety spiral staircase up to this 1st-floor pizzeria. Once there, as long as you’re not in a hurry, join…
Northern Ethiopia
Formal in an Ethiopian kind of way, this hard-to-miss place on the main drag in the heart of town has a large crowd-pleasing menu of European and national…
Western Ethiopia
The faranji food here is quite good (if you remember you’re in Ethiopia) and more varied than elsewhere – think an OK cheeseburger with cold fries. The…
Bahir Dar
A popular lakeside spot for an afternoon drink, this rundown place is usually packed with local students and families, though the pelicans that once…
Addis Ababa
Supersized burgers are the obvious highlight of this place, which is a cross between a fast-food joint and a pavement cafe, but pizzas and other dishes…
Addis Ababa
We wouldn't cross town for it, but New York, New York has a vaguely diner-like feel to it (although it's more Addis than Queens) and does pretty good…
Lalibela
The partners behind this restaurant used to work in other restaurants before striking out on their own. Both the pastas and the tibs are tasty and the…
Addis Ababa
This slick modern cafe speedily serves pastries, pizza and sandwiches to a fashionable, young crowd; canoodling local couples hide in the shadows upstairs…
Aksum
Locals swear that the Abyssinia does Aksum's best cakes. That's probably true, although they're OK rather than oh-my-God. In the morning, everything's…
Western Ethiopia
Its shaded terrace vaunts the best selection of cakes in Jimma. It’s popular with students, who flock here for the juice and coffee. There are a couple of…
Rico’s Restaurant, Pizzeria & Bar
Addis Ababa
A brightly lit place serving everything from Moroccan kebabs to minestrone soup, plus the oddly named ‘farmer’s wife’ steak. Rico's also does a handful of…
Arba Minch
Althought small, it’s the best-stocked grocery in town and has a few exotic items like peanut butter and imitation Cocoa Puffs.
Southern Ethiopia
On the main roundabout, this is a basic place where you can fuel up with tibs and other Ethiopian staples.
Rock-hewn Churches of Tigray
In this centre of Hawzien, this basic eatery does decent Ethiopian food that's popular with a local crowd.
