Ethiopian Restaurants in Washington, DC

“The food is wonderful. We always eat here when we come up from Richmond, VA. The staff is great as well.“

“Excellent food and atmosphere. The bartenders were also super chill and make really creative drinks. Recommend the honey wine!“

“I went to the restaurant Monday night, even for a Monday night the place was packed. My wife and I ordered the special 1 and the special 3. The food was very delicious but the service was even extra ordinary! After our server realized my wife has a hearing problem, she tired to help us order by the few sign language she knows. She told my wife “Going out for dinner experience includes ordering food for yourself so I wanted you to part of it” which made my wife so emotional. By the end of our night we taught her some new sign languages which might help her for other customers. She was so friendly and patient even though the house was so packed. I’m so happy my wife had the experience she did. I didn’t know it met so much to my wife until I saw how happy her face was. I will definitely recommend it for people who have hard of hearing or family member. It will definitely make them happy they are part of the EXPERIENCE rather than sit there while other people order the food for them.“

“Great experience. Definitely recommend combo platters to test the waters. Excellent service.“

“great food and service nice spot“

“I got the veggie sampler with four sides over injera for $18. Very filling and delicious. I purposely ordered non-spicy sides because I’m a wuss. Ater: yellow split peas in Turmeric and ginger Shiro: creamy chickpea puree Gomen: collard greens with onions and garlic Tikel gomen: cabbage, carrots, potato stew with onion, garlic, and ginger“

“I recently visited Letena while on a visit to D.C. from Israel. Amazing food! Great option for those who keep kosher...just ask the super helpful staff about specific preparations. Loved their injera! I often find injera too sour for my personal tastes, but this injera was wonderful!“

“The food was good and approachable if a little spicy. We loved the short ribs.“

“A wonderful, authentic Ethiopian restaurant/cafe with great service. I had the vegetarian platter and it was delicious. I was very touched because I accidentally left a small thing on the table and the owner had a customer rush after me to return it (I had already crossed the street and was halfway down the block). I’ll definitely eat here again and recommend it to anyone who likes delicious Ethiopian food.“

“I was rooming round in DC and saw this restaurant so we decided to go dine in, the very welcoming server made eye contact and showed us our table gave menu, come back to take our order also suggested that I should try sautéed Lamb onions, tomatoes and potato wedges with Engera or freshly backed bread I took the suggestion order Lamb. While waiting for my food I turned to see dine areas the atmosphere was great, the Lamb was cooked Beautifully and the portion was large so I asked to go parcel, definitely I would suggest this restaurant and when I go back DC I would love to visit the restaurant again.“

“Let’s simply state how uncultured and confused we were coming here (to put it mildly). One of the women who served us swiftly and politely brought us extra injera to demonstrate the proper way to wrap it and eat with it judgement-free. The menu is simple and diverse, and while the cuisine was new to us we found that our taste buds adjusted and enjoyed all of it. The vegetables were fresh and the meat was incredibly tender. The lentil was flavorful and the injera was soft and powerful when added to all of the dishes.

While we were there we came across cameramen and a crew with a mission to document individuals own experience and tastes through their favorite restaurants in dc. It was not bombarding nor was it loud, and the atmosphere remained professional and comfortable. Out of all the restaurants I would come back to in this stretch, Ethiopic Restaurant is a special gem that is first on my list.“

“I ordered a meat combo with some veggie dishes on the side. When I say I was impressed, that’s a serious understatement. This was easily some of the best food I’ve had in a very long time. It was spiced perfectly and I was able to taste the zing without burning my mouth off. The service was incredible: the workers kind, friendly, and provided a relaxed atmosphere that allowed me to feel at home. I honestly couldn’t ask for a better introduction to Ethiopian food.“

“very tasty Ethiopian dishes and very good atmosphere also excellent services!!!!“

“This place has flat out the best tasting fried chicken in town. The crispness of the breadding and the delicious Ethiopian butter with its spices, is a magnificent Ethiopian fusion combo. While I wish there would be one of these in Hollywood, California where I live, I'm always making it a point to come here while being in D.C.

I highly recommend this place. Do not miss out on this delicacy in town.“

“Go here please

The staff are spectacular, kind and efficient. The food is wonderful and the vibes are so good people would frequently pop in just to dance for a minute and leave.

The two of us shared the deluxe combo, got extra injera, and finished with a tiramisu. Overall everything came out perfect and the staff basically read our minds on bringing out more. Seriously it couldnt have been a more comforting meal.“

“Great food! Home-cooked Habesha cuisine I literally have no complaints. They waited for us to get there, order AND eat, even once they were closed. But they still wanted to serve us as guests. exceptional service. i recommend the doro wot and misir wot. you’ll thank me later 🤌“

“I haven’t tried the food yet but I just wanted to rate them on the atmosphere and pleasant energy when I walked in . It’s so hard to find great atmosphere restaurants nowadays but I know the food will be great 👍🏾 this will be one of my go to Ethiopian spots ! Great job on the customer service Amen 🙏🏾“

“This was my first time experiencing Ethiopian food, and I will never forget my first experience with Taff bread. As a southern gentleman, the guest service was a warm relief in the cold urban city scape of DC. I urge everyone reading this to eat Ethiopian and eat here.“

“For $40 you get a delicious 7-course vegetarian dinner for 2 with croaker and honey wine. The staff makes you feel at home and the owner is a wonderful host. Try it.“

“The food and service was excellent. The server helped us out with ordering our food so we didn't over order. Her suggestions were spot on. At the end of the meal, coffee was freshly roasted and served piping hot
It was a wonderful treat after indulging in such delicious food.“

“Best Ethiopian Restaurante in Town! I recomendar this place“

“This place was so delicious! The server was really great! We got the Lalibela Combinations Special with Ethiopian Style Spiced Hot Tea. 10/10 recommend and would definitely eat there again. 🤩😋😇🙌🏼 It felt like we ate in Ethiopia 🇪🇹 because of the atmosphere we were in. 😇“

“best ever!!“

“The best, most authentic Ethiopian food in DC… pour up the homemade tej from the plastic soda bottle & taste the realness 🤤“

“I stopped in with friends before a event Sunday evening. The staff was warm and welcoming. I had the lentil sambusas and a peanut-infused coffee at the staff’s recommendation. The food was fast and delicious- the sambusas were warm and spicy, and the peanut coffee was delicious! In a kind gesture, the chef sent over a sampling of sushi to our table. Fresh and refreshing, the sushi was a nice complement to my sambusas and hot beverage. I’m not on this side of town often, but now I have a reason to come back.“

“This place is a hidden gem.. can’t lie I was skeptical because there was no smell of seasonings but let me tell you the flavor profiles were exceptional!! Finally a restaurant that I can leave out of not smelling like the food I ate.. ??? I recommend this anyone that values flavor! I want to write more because the food was so good but I think I’m just gonna stop.“

“Delicious little coffee house with in-house roasted beans. The cappuccino I got had quite an exquisite flavoring. I haven’t had one like this that remember and I quite like it. There was no line when I was in there and a few people sitting around enjoying the music and mood. I’ll come back if I’m in the area again!“

“Everytime I have visited Qategna, the service and atmosphere is always excellent. This is a great place for groups or even those looking for a more private experience. Also they have great happy hour prices for hookah and drinks if you're looking to save some money. There's also have plenty of parking available.“

“The capuccino was amazing! We dont live around here so our usual coffee shops are like starbucks, etc. We tried this place because it was near our destination and it was amazing! It was what we call real coffee. The customer service was great, the workers were so sweet and gave us recommendations on what to order. Its a cute bookstore and meeting place with ethiopian food and coffee. Definitely recommend if you want some real coffee or something different than your usual starbucks.“

“As Senior Adults we received a warm welcome. The DJ played music to dance too which was nice. The tacos were tasty and filling. My 2 other senior friends enjoyed the hookah taste.

Parking: Park blocks away be prepared to walk“