Best Ethiopian restaurants in New York. The city is home to over 20 Ethiopian restaurants, and here are the top ones.
As you probably know, Ethiopian food is delicious, and the reason this cuisine is popular is because of its flexibility.
In New York, eateries are plenty, but any Ethiopian ones? Yes, Queen of Sheba, Awash Ethiopian Restaurant, and Massawa are some of the popular eateries mentioned in this guide.
So, if you’re planning a trip to NYC, check out these places for some Ethiopian food.
Ethiopian Cuisine
Ethiopian food has flavorful dishes often served communally on injera, a spongy flatbread, and this is a delicious cuisine.
It includes spicy stews, vegetables, and meats that reflect diverse regional influences.
Because of Ethiopia’s incredibly rich ethnic groups, you will find dishes particular to Amhara, Oromo, Somali, and more.
Chef Beimnet notes that Ethiopian cuisine often gets generalized in Western countries, with restaurants labeled simply as “Ethiopian.”
She explains that a “Westernized” version with milder tastes exists, and she suggests relying on Ethiopian reviews for authenticity.
Inexperienced restaurateurs may lack the passion of true chefs, affecting food quality.
Overall, Ethiopian food is definitely worth a try, and the good news is that there may be a restaurant near you.
Ethiopian Restaurants in New York
Ethiopian restaurants have gradually started popping up all over the city, starting in the 1980s, and this has to do with the homeland.
In the late 1980s, Ethiopia faced a severe famine due to drought and political instability exacerbated by the government’s controversial resettlement policies and civil war.
The international community responded with massive humanitarian aid efforts, including Live Aid concerts, to alleviate the suffering of millions affected by food shortages and conflict.
So, in the process, millions of Ethiopians left their homeland and scattered throughout the world, including in New York.
Around 10,000 Ethiopians have settled in New York over the decades, which is why a growing number of restaurants have opened for them.
Today, the city is home to over 20 restaurants, including traditional and modern ones.
All of them are affordable, and here are some of the best Ethiopian restaurants in New York.
Massawa
Massawa is a pioneering Eritrean and Ethiopian eatery in NYC since 1988. This restaurant presents natural, fresh cuisine with varied flavors.
This restaurant’s menu offers a variety of options. Appetizers include Sambusas (pastry shells filled with spicy minced chicken or savory green lentils).
You will also have an option for Ful (fava bean dip with onions, tomatoes, jalapenos, and yogurt).
This African region has historical vegan dishes, and at Massawa, you have plenty.
You will have dishes like Timtimo, which is red lentils stewed with berbere and ginger.
If you love red meat, expect beef options like Zegini (beef cubes in a thick stew of onions and berbere).
Lamb dishes include Tsebhi Beghe, spicy chunks slow-cooked with onions and berbere.
Of course, popular poultry entrees include Tebsi Derho, which is chicken breast cubes sauteed with onions, tomatoes, and berbere.
For seafood lovers, there are options like Salmon Tebsi, which is wine-glazed salmon cubes sauteed with onions, tomatoes, and herbs.
So, Massawa isn’t just the oldest on this list, but one of the best Ethiopian restaurants in New York for all those reasons.
Awash
Awash Ethiopian Restaurant is booming with three locations. Manhattan Valley location is at 947 Amsterdam Ave, East Village is at 338 E 6th St, and Cobble Hill is in Brooklyn at 242 Court St.
Why wouldn’t they? The food is delicious!
Awash presents a diverse Ethiopian menu, including appetizers like Azifa and meat Samosas, along with entrees such as Doro Wat (chicken) and Tibs (beef).
Plus, they have vegetarian options like Key Sir Alicha (red beets) and Gomen (collard greens) to give you ample choices.
The menu also features combinations like Combo 4, which is a Doro Wat with four vegetables.
So, with dishes cooked in traditional Ethiopian butter and seasoned with authentic spices, Awash gives you a taste of Ethiopia in New York City.
The owners of Awash, who founded the eatery in 1994, wanted to present Ethiopian cuisine in New York that focused on tradition and accessibility.
And they succeeded because the Awash brand owns some of the best Ethiopian restaurants in New York.
Queen of Sheba
As the name suggests, this restaurant celebrates the legend of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon, rooted in Ethiopian culture.
Queen of Sheba, which is on 650 10th Avenue, opened in 1999 as the city was going into a frenzy over the Y2K drama.
Today, this popular spot serves diverse stuff. You will find Ethiopian dishes, including lamb, poultry, beef, seafood, and vegetarian options.
Lunch specials at Queen Sheba will have you drooling over dishes like Awaze Tibs (lamb) and Doro Wot (chicken).
Dinner options include Avocado Salad, beef dishes like Bozena Shiro, and Seafood Dishes like Assa Goulash.
Cocktails, Ethiopian wines, and other beverages are also available.
Ras Plant Based
Ras Plant Based is led by Chef Romeo and Milka Regalli, and this is a popular restaurant that blends Ethiopian cuisine with plant-based cuisine.
And the chefs say their goal is to enrich lives through nourishment, guided by values like integrity, love, and teamwork.
Ras Plant Based has a lovely menu, including bowls that feature a base of brown turmeric rice with homemade hot sauce, injera crumble, and cilantro topping.
Options include the Arada Bowl with red lentil stew and the Bolé Bowl with soy protein crumble.
You will also be able to order the Langano Bowl with sautéed seitan and the Kazanchis Bowl with brown lentils.
Plus, each bowl comes with various vegetable sides and avocado salad.
For vegans, this is one of the best Ethiopian restaurants in New York.
Makina Cafe
Okay, this is distinctly New York City! Eden G. Egziabher blends Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Italian cultures in her NYC food truck.
She’s serving unique “Habesha” cuisine, and future plans include nationwide expansion and community philanthropy.
Makina Cafe’s menu features dishes like Fossolia, a ginger-infused mix of string beans and carrots, and Tikel Gomen, cabbage with carrots and potatoes.
There are also Misir, red lentils with berbere spice, and Tibs, grilled chicken or beef.
Injera acts as the base with three sauce options, honoring Ethiopian culinary traditions.
Final Thoughts
Ethiopian cuisine has a variety of flavorful dishes typically enjoyed together on injera, a soft flatbread.
As I said earlier, these dishes include spicy stews, vegetables, and meats.
So, the restaurants noted in this guide are diverse, and they share different aspects of this cuisine.
I hope you enjoy visiting them!
AJ Paris is a travel photographer based in New York. He is the editor of Caravanzers.
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