Ethiopian cuisine is a classic of the dining scene in Washington, D.C. With traditional fare like beef tibs, doro wot stretchy, Zenebech, Beteseb, Dukem, and sour injera etc. D.C.’s legendary Ethiopian stalwarts like to continue to set up many restaurants.
Ethiopian cuisine has a very distinct flavor profile. It combines flavors that are pungent, earthy, spicy, tart, and sour. A mixture of spices known as Berbere is a base seasoning that is used in a wide range of flavorful and spiced Ethiopian dishes.
Trying to find some traditional Ethiopian fare while in Abu Dhabi? Well, discover the best Ethiopian dining options in Abu Dhabi by reading on.
Traditional Ethiopian Cuisine: What is it?
Ethiopian cuisine focuses on vegetables and extremely spicy meat dishes. This is typically served as wat, a hearty stew, which is topped with injera, a large sourdough flatbread made from fermented teff flour.
The experience of eating traditional Ethiopian cuisine has to be among the most unusual in the entire world. It is a cuisine that is both unique and delicious and eaten entirely by hand. We have compiled a list of the dishes you must order on your first visit to an Ethiopian restaurant in Abu Dhabi.
- Kitfo- Similar to beef tartare but made with minced raw beef
- Tibs- Ethiopian beef stew
- Doro wot- A spicy, long-cooked chicken stew
- Genfo- Savory porridge, made from barley or wheat flour
- Injera- Popular Ethiopian flatbread
- Azifa- meat stew with a vegetable dish
- Enkulal fir-spiced scrambled eggs and
- Shiro- a garbanzo bean spread
Berbere, a potent Ethiopian spice blend made up of up to sixteen different spices including chilli powder, cardamom, fenugreek, cloves, nutmeg, coriander, and cumin, is one of the most frequently used ingredients in Ethiopian cooking.
Top 7 Ethiopian Eateries in Abu Dhabi
Ethiopian food has recently gained some well-deserved international acclaim for its fiery, flavorful, and filling dishes. There are lots of vegetarian, vegan, and even gluten-free options in Ethiopian cuisine.
Meals are traditionally served over the pervasive injera on a large communal plate with a variety of dishes. This is how many Ethiopian eateries in the UAE serve their food, making for a distinctive dining experience.
Sheger Restaurant
Sheger, the brand-new Ethiopian restaurant features a spacious interior and a corner for traditional coffee ceremonies in an Ethiopian setting. Select their incredible breakfast selections such as fish cutlets and world-departing key wot. They are the one-stop shop for all hungry souls out there.
The restaurant’s sincere service and the enticing aroma of food will leave you wanting more. You can fill your heart with anything from their delectable starters to the divine fir first at Sheger.
Address: Mina Al Madeena Supermarket, Navy Gate, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Average cost: AED 75/ 2 persons (approx.)
Hours: 9:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Phone: +971 2 676 3443
Bonne Annee Restaurant
If you’re looking for a lunch spot in Abu Dhabi, try this restaurant with top-notch food. It’s vegan-friendly and the food is rich in texture and color. All dish’s flavors blended incredibly well, while being presented beautifully and served quickly.
The serving sizes are appropriate—neither too large nor too small. For Abu Dhabi standards, the prices are excellent. Vegetarian sharing cuisine on the customary Shiro (red chickpea paste), cutlery, doro wat, tibs fir-fir, and tomato-based beef stew with Ethiopian chilli etc. are popular here.
If you’re unfamiliar with Ethiopian cuisine, order the Bonna Annee special shown in the photo and savor it! Pull the bred scoop apart, then take off!
Address: Salam-street tourist club area, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Average cost: AED 70/ 2 persons (approx.)
Hours: 11:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Phone: +971 2 491 2128
Lazeez Koshari
Lazeez Koshari offers a variety of dishes, including Koshari, Egyptian, and Arabic. Their most popular dishes are custard and liver kosher. Koshari items available at Lazeez coshari are mini original koshari boxes, mini mix koshari boxes, mini custard boxes, mini mix sweet, and mini rice with milk boxes.
Their most selling foods are mini original koshari and small liver. Rice and Milk Vanilla Flavored is cooked to perfection and has the perfect amount of sweetness. If you want to try something new, go for it.
Waiters at this eatery provide welcoming and friendly service to the customer. The restaurant also delivers food to Abu Dhabi Gate City, Abu Dhabi Hills, Al Aman, Al Bahya, and Al Etihad.
Address: Hamidiya Roastery, Mussafah Shabiya, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Average cost: AED 70/ 2 person (approx.)
Hours: 10:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Phone: +971 2 562 0644
Kitfo Ethiopian Restaurant
Kitfo offers excellent, delectable, and amazing food and might be among the best that you have visited while in Abu Dhabi. This quaint eatery in Abu Dhabi has a fantastic menu with something for every palate. When choosing dishes, try one of the delicious Kitfo dishes. The injera is also fantastic!
The staff is wonderful and welcoming, and the restaurant is immaculate. Mehari the waiter extends a sincere welcome to the guests. People shared their experience of receiving helpful guidance and recommendations from Méhari!
Address: Al Khalidiyah, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Hours: 11:00 AM-11:30 PM
Average cost: AED 100/ 2 person (approx.)
Phone: +971 2 678 0018
Al Habsha
Al Habsha has been operating in the United Arab Emirates for more than 20 years and was the first Ethiopian eatery. They aim to prepare genuine Ethiopian food with the freshest ingredients.
Berbere (a hot red pepper paste), nitre kibbeh (a spice-infused butter) and injera are staples of Ethiopian cuisine. Teff, a locally grown grain that is also available in Ethiopia, is used to make injera that gives a deliciously light and airy texture and mildly tangy flavor.
You can experience the well-known classical coffee serving known as Jabana bound at Al Hasbsha. The service providers do everything to make the visitor’s experience special. At the Al Habsha Restaurant, savor spicy stews and discover Ethiopian flavors!
Address: Opposite Fatima Supermarket, Tourist Club, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Average cost: AED 95/ 2 person (approx.)
Hours: 9:00 AM-11:00 PM
Phone: +971 2 677 0014
Abyssinia Restaurant
You are warmly welcomed to this Ethiopian restaurant to get genuine and distinctive flavors. It is an ideal, affordable and lovely Ethiopian dining option in Abu Dhabi where you can sample hot drinks in a pleasant setting.
Abyssinia Restaurant offers a fresh and delicious menu for vegetarians and vegans alike, this is a recommendation from us if you’re looking for a nice restaurant close to your home.
The restaurant has a sizable terrace with stunning views of the city. You can visit there whenever you want to enjoy the ambience and valuable chic of the location where Asian decorations are displayed. Be sure to sample the cocktails!
Address: Value Billiards and Snooker, Mussafah Shabiya, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Average cost: AED 95/ 2 person (approx.)
Hours: 9:30 AM – 11:00 PM
Phone: +971 55 630 1168
Aflatoon Refreshments
Aflatoon offers chicken and beef using a lot of vegetables as well. You can sample various types of food on a single plate in the cosy setting of the restaurant.
Highly recommended for families with young children and individuals seeking the best Ethiopian cuisine. This authentic Ethiopian cafe-restaurant has vibrant colors and drinks prepared with the finest ingredients.
Injera here is very wholesome and tasty. Chef Saba is always ready to offer you the best dishes from her repertoire. They make use of their incredibly special recipes, which were created and handed down from mothers to daughters in Ethiopia for countless generations.
Address: 12 Nabash street, Musaffah, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Average cost: AED 25-50/ person (approx.)
Hours: 10:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Phone: +971 50 278 1390
Conclusion
Ethiopian cuisine utilizes a unique variety of uncommon spices that give it an unmistakably striking dimension. Some Ethiopian restaurants offer parties and make sure that everyone has a well-planned, unique, and enjoyable time.
Even if you are unable to travel there, you can still get a sense of Ethiopian culture by sampling its mouthwatering cuisine at any of the Ethiopian restaurants in Abu Dhabi. All of these restaurants cater for the greatest secret in the world of Ethiopian cuisine.
The restaurants offer vegetarian and vegan versions of many Ethiopian dishes that traditionally use meat. So, don’t delay, bring your loved ones and visit any of the restaurants above to enjoy yourself greatly.
