Ethiopia Restaurant Tips by sachara Top 5 Page for this destination

Pastry shop in Debre Birhan

If you like to have a quick lunch, you can go to a pastryshop. We did in Debre Birhan, after we had some delay because a blocked road caused by an accident north of the town.

You can order different types of coffee and soft drinks and snacks like pizzas, bread and cakes.

I liked the colourful neighbour house. It was like a painting. You could hardly recognize, if the window and door were painted or real.
So far I can remember, the window is real and the door is painted.

Address: Debre Birhan

Comparison: least expensive

Directions: At the mainroad.

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 3

Theme: Bakery

In restaurants or invited at someone's house: Coffee ceremony

After a meal in a restaurant or invited at a family's house you will for sure experience a coffee-ceremony during your visit in Ethiopia. Your host sits on a stool with her charcoal stove. To create a good ambiance there is mostly also incense burning and freshly cut grass scattered on the ground.

First of all the coffebeans are roasted at a iron plate. When it starts to smoke and smell the host will draw it towards you, so you can inhale its flavour. Next the beans will be ground with a mortar and brewed up with water.

When the coffee, called buna in Ethiopia, is ready, it's served in tiny cups with lots of sugar. You have to drink three cups at least. The last one is the blessing cup or berekha.

Rating: 5

Theme: Local

In almost every restaurant in the country.: Try the Ethiopian injera

Injera is the national staple, serving as a base for a meal. Injera, made of the local cereal tef, looks like a thin pancake and tastes a little sour.

The food like vegetables, meat, sauces is heaped on top of this pancake. Also the injera can be served rolled up beside the food. Anyway tear of a piece of the injera and wrap it around the food, using the injera as ''spoon''.

Injera is served at a communal tray at a mesob (mushroom-shaped table). Use always your right hand and avoid touching your mouth or licking your fingers. Take the food only from your side of the communal tray.

Comparison: least expensive

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 5

Theme: Local