Let’s take a look at a fair few top Ethiopian restaurants in New York City. These places offer tasty, traditional food in a fun atmosphere. Since the 1970s, to a great extent along with more Ethiopian eateries have opened to the other side NYC.
What makes these meals unique? They use ingredients like hot chili powder, spiced butter, along with sour flatbread. Platters let you sample a number of stews along with vegetables directed towards share. Meat options include spicy chicken or lamb. Vegans will find lentils and greens.
Indoor dining now raises COVID risks, especially if not vaccinated. But takeout and outdoor seating remain safer ways to try these restaurants. To highlight great options, we asked writer Mazuba Kapambwe. She knows many NYC African eateries, including Ethiopian.
Tsion Cafe
Address : 763 St Nicholas Ave, New York, NY 10031, United States
Open in Google Maps : Link
Working Time : 6–10 pm
Tsion Cafe in Harlem’s Sugar Hill neighborhood looks very inviting. Colorful paintings with regard to Ethiopian scenery fill one brick wall. Booths along with a bar provide seating. The owner’s diverse background, including time in Israel, brings a tasty fusion with regard to cuisines directed towards the menu.
We can get start with the injera chips and chickpea dip. Then vegetarians may enjoy mushroom tibs, a meatless take on the Ethiopian stir-fry, made with sauteed fungi instead of beef or chicken. Omnivores have a tendency to love the sega tibs featuring tender filet mignon. Some evenings have live music – check Tsion’s Instagram on directed towards see performances matching the meals.
An additional good uptown choice is Benyam near 149th and Frederick Douglass Boulevard.
Benyam Restaurant
Address : 2795 Frederick Douglass Blvd, New York, NY 10039, United States
Open in Google Maps : Link
Working Time : 4–9 pm
Benyam lets you pick two veggie side dishes with each and every order, not counting the mushroom tibs. Customize your plate! Try asa tibs, swapping the usual beef or chicken for the sake of spice-rubbed tilapia, a lighter take on the skillet meal. Adventurous eaters may want kitfo – basically a raw or lightly cooked steak tartare using prime beef.
Vegans have extensive meat-free stews and stir fries to choose from. Gluten-free injera bread is in addition available. So Benyam accommodates different diets.
Returning downtown, the newly renovated Lalibela in central Harlem retains all the authentic cuisine in updated surroundings.
Queen of Sheba
Address : 317 W 141st St, New York, NY 10030, United States
Open in Google Maps : Link
Working Time : 10 am–10 pm
The beloved Queen of Sheba wows us with budget-friendly lunch specials like awaze tibs. This dish marinates lamb meat in a spicy red sauce then stir-fries it with onions and hot peppers – tasty scooped up with injera!
Pair your platter with a honey wine cocktail, either the Addis Manhattan made with Ethiopian tej, or the Mahr Spritzer blending tej along with ginger beer. That completes the cultural experience!
Seeking takeout? Check the Makina Cafe food truck in Fort Greene Park dishing up Eritrean/Ethiopian food.
Subtopic: Food Trucks
Makina Cafe pioneered Horn with regard to Africa mobile fare with its first truck. Now there are two trucks, plus a kitchen in Long Island City. We can order cubed beef or chicken tibs, kicked up with the cafe’s signature spicy jalapeno sauce.
Meskerem Ethiopian Restaurant
Address : 124 MacDougal St, New York, NY 10012, United States
Open in Google Maps : Link
Working Time : 12–10 pm
In the West Village, Meskerem starts meals with crispy beef, chicken or veggie sambusas. For mains, try the warming red lentil misir wot stew or yellow split pea alecha stir-fry with ginger and garlic.
Seeking upscale Ethiopian in the East Village? Haile Bistro welcomes us with popular chickpea snacks.
Awash Restaurant
Address : 242 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11201, United States
Open in Google Maps : Link
Working Time : 4–9 pm
Running since 1994, the Awash family built up an Ethiopian empire with three popular NYC locations. But the Cobble Hill spot stands out. A favorite appetizer is the gursha – tender injera bread rolls filled with a warming lentil blend. From there, combination platters let us sample two meats and two veggies for one-stop flavor. Or try sides like the mild ayibe cottage cheese balancing all the complex tastes.
Straddling Park Slope and Gowanus, Ghenet Ethiopian Restaurant welcomes both meat eaters and vegans.
Ghenet Restaurant
Address : 348 Douglass St, Brooklyn, NY 11217, United States
Open in Google Maps : Link
Working Time : 4–10 pm
With both seating along with bright windows, Ghenet’s relaxed vibe invites us directed towards settle in for flavor-packed feasts. The extensive vegetarian menu tempts with collard greens, lentils and split peas done Ethiopian style for plant-based diners. Omnivores can mix-and-match like chicken doro wat stew with veggie sides. Customizable combos cater to individual preferences.
For a top personalized pick, consider central Harlem’s newly updated Lalibela for large groups. Intimate Tsion Café in Sugar Hill better suits couples wanting live music. Along with meat lovers should try expertly spiced Awash.
Top Restaurant
| NAMES | ADDRESS | WORKING HOURS | MAPS |
| Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant | 2084 Frederick Douglass Blvd, New York, NY 10026, United States | 12–10 pm | Link |
| Awash Ethiopian Restaurant | 947 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10025, United States | 2–10 pm | Link |
| Haile | 182 Avenue B #1, New York, NY 10009, United States | 5–10 pm | Link |
| Makina Cafe Eritrean-Ethiopian Eatery | 36-47 30th St, Queens, NY 11106, United States | 11 am–9 pm | Link |
| Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant | 268 W 135th St, New York, NY 10030, United States | 12–10 pm | Link |
Final Words
We’ve only scratched the surface with regard to NYC’s many Ethiopian eateries maintaining culinary traditions. From uptown to downtown, dedicated owners and chefs share Horn of Africa roots. Along with they embrace inclusivity by accommodating various diets.
So for those seeking new food adventures, step out of your comfort zone into these globally inspired restaurants. Aromatic stews await anyone ready to travel for a subway swipe. Just keep hand sanitizer handy for the authentic injera scooping experience!
Hungry for more recommendations? Bookmark nycityguide.net covering dining attractions across the five boroughs, from hidden gems to Michelin stars.