I ordered only the vegetarian dishes at Cafe Romanat, and everything was excellent. The flavors were rich and comforting, and each stew tasted fresh and well seasoned. The injera was exceptional. Soft, tender, and perfectly tangy, it really made the meal. Service was warm and attentive. The space itself is modest and a bit worn, but the food and hospitality easily make up for it. A great spot for authentic Ethiopian cuisine.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lauren Phillips
Had a fantastic meal at Cafe Romanat! My friend and I enjoyed the sambussa and the veggie and meat shiro combo. The staff were lovely and the food was delicious! I’ve been curious about this spot for years and I’m so glad I finally tried it. This is now my go to Ethiopian spot in Oakland. Can’t wait to go back!
K
Service was great! The food was SO good. I don’t know what is in that hummus but it is the best we’ve ever had. The spiced tea was nice and warm and loved the cozy lighting inside.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nick Ottley
Awesome food and awesome vibe.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Febs
Had the honor of checking out Cafe Romanat over the weekend, and it was such an experience! As soon as you walk in, the owner Adey greets you, & makes you feel like home! It doesn’t feel like you’re stepping into a restaurant, but like a family home! Great, attentive service, along with amazing drinks, & food! To anyone who would love to try traditional Ethiopian cuisine, with a side of great service, & drinks, check out this place! You’ll be telling all your friends and family to stop by for a bite to eat!
Great food and service. My family and I loved it. Their Injera is nice and fluffy and the Doro Wat was my favorite but both veggie and meat dishes there were great.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Naj B
Undefeated in East Bay, this place is always delicious, the service always friendly and the atmosphere calming and warm.
I highly recommend the veggie and meat combo with doro derek tibs! And a super seed smoothie!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Daniel W
I ordered seven injera and waited for almost 30 minutes while the order status showed “preparing order.” Since the wait was unusually long, I called the restaurant and spoke to a man around 7:26 p.m. today (November 7, 2025). He assured me that the order was ready and that they were just waiting for the driver to pick it up.
However, about 10 minutes later, when the driver arrived and asked for the order, they told her the item was out of stock. The same man who earlier told me it was ready then said, “Sorry, the item is out of stock because we were busy.” Clearly, they had my injera packed and decided to sell it to other customers who came in afterward.
To make matters worse, they refused to cancel the order themselves and asked me to cancel it so they wouldn’t have to pay the cancellation fee. That’s completely irresponsible. When I contacted Uber support, I was told that I would be charged a cancellation fee even though the situation was entirely the restaurant’s fault.
Because of this, my family’s dinner was ruined. After preparing our wot, we had to order other food instead.
I will never buy anything from Café Romanat again. Honesty matters. Imagine selling an order that was already placed and confirmed, after keeping a customer waiting for nearly an hour. We would have ordered from another Ethiopian restaurant, but they were the only ones offering gluten-free injera. Lesson learned.
If you try to get this comment removed, I'll provide every text message, receipt, chat with the drivers, etc. to Google.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
James Fowler
Delicious
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Neer C
This place is great. Staff are super friendly and the food is amazing.
Cuisine it's absolutely delicious it's exactly what is expected from this beautiful country top tier excellent I personally had the Yebeg Tibs which is basically sauteed lamb with onions tomato and jalapenos. Over their native flatbread Injrea ❤️🤌💋
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
ANNETTE S
A friend suggested we meet here for lunch and the food and restaurant did not disappoint! Everyone in our group enjoyed the food. The restaurant has a very welcoming feeling. I plan to return here again to try other dishes on the menu
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
J K
I wasn’t previously familiar with the Ethiopian game, but that lamb hit me so deep down in my soul I wanted to cry easy five stars
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
HCMex
I love how they have a dedicated menu geared towards vegan offerings. The samusas are my favorite starter and I usually go for the veggie platter to get everything. I leave here feeling so stuffed and nourished.
The plates are also very unique as their plates are more inspired by a smaller town in Ethiopia so you can get more of a local cuisine taste
Updated from previous review on 2025-07-22
Pavel Ivanov
Nice place, delicious food, super friendly staff work here!
I ordered only the vegetarian dishes at Cafe Romanat, and everything was excellent. The flavors were rich and comforting, and each stew tasted fresh and well seasoned. The injera was exceptional. Soft, tender, and perfectly tangy, it really made the meal. Service was warm and attentive. The space itself is modest and a bit worn, but the food and hospitality easily make up for it. A great spot for authentic Ethiopian cuisine.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Had a fantastic meal at Cafe Romanat! My friend and I enjoyed the sambussa and the veggie and meat shiro combo. The staff were lovely and the food was delicious! I’ve been curious about this spot for years and I’m so glad I finally tried it. This is now my go to Ethiopian spot in Oakland. Can’t wait to go back!
Service was great! The food was SO good. I don’t know what is in that hummus but it is the best we’ve ever had. The spiced tea was nice and warm and loved the cozy lighting inside.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Awesome food and awesome vibe.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Had the honor of checking out Cafe Romanat over the weekend, and it was such an experience! As soon as you walk in, the owner Adey greets you, & makes you feel like home! It doesn’t feel like you’re stepping into a restaurant, but like a family home! Great, attentive service, along with amazing drinks, & food! To anyone who would love to try traditional Ethiopian cuisine, with a side of great service, & drinks, check out this place! You’ll be telling all your friends and family to stop by for a bite to eat!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Veggie Combo, Vegetarian Sambussa
Great food and service. My family and I loved it. Their Injera is nice and fluffy and the Doro Wat was my favorite but both veggie and meat dishes there were great.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Undefeated in East Bay, this place is always delicious, the service always friendly and the atmosphere calming and warm.
I highly recommend the veggie and meat combo with doro derek tibs! And a super seed smoothie!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I ordered seven injera and waited for almost 30 minutes while the order status showed “preparing order.” Since the wait was unusually long, I called the restaurant and spoke to a man around 7:26 p.m. today (November 7, 2025). He assured me that the order was ready and that they were just waiting for the driver to pick it up.
However, about 10 minutes later, when the driver arrived and asked for the order, they told her the item was out of stock. The same man who earlier told me it was ready then said, “Sorry, the item is out of stock because we were busy.” Clearly, they had my injera packed and decided to sell it to other customers who came in afterward.
To make matters worse, they refused to cancel the order themselves and asked me to cancel it so they wouldn’t have to pay the cancellation fee. That’s completely irresponsible. When I contacted Uber support, I was told that I would be charged a cancellation fee even though the situation was entirely the restaurant’s fault.
Because of this, my family’s dinner was ruined. After preparing our wot, we had to order other food instead.
I will never buy anything from Café Romanat again. Honesty matters. Imagine selling an order that was already placed and confirmed, after keeping a customer waiting for nearly an hour. We would have ordered from another Ethiopian restaurant, but they were the only ones offering gluten-free injera. Lesson learned.
If you try to get this comment removed, I'll provide every text message, receipt, chat with the drivers, etc. to Google.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Delicious
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place is great. Staff are super friendly and the food is amazing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Cuisine it's absolutely delicious it's exactly what is expected from this beautiful country top tier excellent I personally had the Yebeg Tibs which is basically sauteed lamb with onions tomato and jalapenos. Over their native flatbread Injrea ❤️🤌💋
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
A friend suggested we meet here for lunch and the food and restaurant did not disappoint! Everyone in our group enjoyed the food. The restaurant has a very welcoming feeling. I plan to return here again to try other dishes on the menu
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I wasn’t previously familiar with the Ethiopian game, but that lamb hit me so deep down in my soul I wanted to cry easy five stars
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I love how they have a dedicated menu geared towards vegan offerings. The samusas are my favorite starter and I usually go for the veggie platter to get everything. I leave here feeling so stuffed and nourished. The plates are also very unique as their plates are more inspired by a smaller town in Ethiopia so you can get more of a local cuisine taste Updated from previous review on 2025-07-22
Nice place, delicious food, super friendly staff work here!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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