Ethiopian Coffee & Food Guide

Long-form guides to Ethiopian coffee, cafe culture, fasting food and eating out in Addis Ababa, written by the Sudo Menu team.

• Cafe Hopping in Addis Ababa: A Neighbourhood Guide
  Where to find different kinds of cafes in Addis Ababa, from historic Piassa to modern Bole, plus tips for getting around and choosing a good cafe.
• Macchiato, Spris and Addis Ababa Cafe Culture
  How the Addis macchiato differs from the Italian original, what spris is, how to order like a local, and what makes Ethiopian cafes special.
• Ethiopian Breakfast: Firfir, Chechebsa, Ful, Genfo and More
  A guide to the classic Ethiopian breakfast dishes you will find on cafe menus in Addis Ababa, what is in them, and which ones are fasting-friendly.
• Ethiopian Coffee Regions: Sidama, Yirgacheffe, Guji, Harar and More
  How Ethiopia's coffee regions differ in flavour, why washed and natural processing matter, and what to ask when a cafe menu names the origin of its beans.
• Ethiopian Dining Etiquette: Eating with Injera, Gursha and Sharing
  How to behave at an Ethiopian meal: hand washing, eating with your right hand, sharing a platter, gursha, coffee etiquette and what to do as a guest.
• Ethiopian Fasting Food (ጾም): A Guide to Eating Out on Fasting Days
  What fasting means on an Ethiopian menu, which dishes are fasting-friendly, and how to order a great vegan meal in Addis Ababa on fasting days.
• Ethiopian Holiday Food: Doro Wot, Genna, Fasika and Meskel
  The dishes Ethiopians cook for Christmas, Easter, Meskel and New Year, why doro wot is the holiday centrepiece, and what restaurants serve on feast days.
• Reading an Ethiopian Menu: Amharic Food Words Explained
  A practical glossary of the Amharic words you will see on Ethiopian cafe and restaurant menus, from wot and tibs to fasting and the bill, with Ethiopic script.
• Ethiopian Spices: Berbere, Mitmita, Niter Kibbeh and Awaze
  What goes into berbere and mitmita, how niter kibbeh spiced butter is made, and how these flavours shape the dishes on an Ethiopian menu.
• Ethiopian Tea and Juice: Spiced Shai, Layered Juices and Fasting Drinks
  Beyond coffee: how Ethiopians drink tea, what goes into spiced shai, the famous layered avocado juice, and which cafe drinks are fasting-friendly.
• Injera and Teff: How Ethiopia's Flatbread Is Made and How to Eat It
  What injera is, why it is sour and full of holes, what teff is, and the etiquette of eating with injera in an Ethiopian restaurant.
• Kitfo: How to Order Ethiopia's Famous Minced Beef Dish
  What kitfo is, the difference between tire, leb leb and fully cooked, what comes with it, and a few food-safety tips before you order.
• Paying in Ethiopian Cafes: VAT, Service Charge, Tips and Mobile Money
  How bills work in Ethiopian cafes: VAT-inclusive prices, service charges, tipping, paying with Telebirr and other mobile money, and splitting the bill.
• QR Menus That Work on Slow Connections: A Guide for Ethiopian Cafes
  Why page weight matters for restaurant QR menus in Ethiopia, what makes a menu load slowly, and how to choose a digital menu your guests can open instantly.
• Running a Cafe on Fasting Days: Menus, Sold-Out Dishes and Planning
  Practical advice for Ethiopian cafe and restaurant owners on planning for Wednesdays, Fridays and Lent, marking fasting dishes and handling sold-out items.
• Setting Up QR Table Ordering in Your Cafe: A Step-by-Step Guide
  How Ethiopian cafes can move from a printed menu to QR menus and table ordering: choosing an ordering mode, training staff and avoiding common mistakes.
• Shiro: Ethiopia's Everyday Comfort Food
  What shiro is made of, the difference between shiro wot and shiro tegabino, why it is a fasting favourite, and how to order it in an Ethiopian restaurant.
• Vegetarian and Vegan Ethiopian Food: What to Order
  Why Ethiopian cuisine is one of the best in the world for vegetarians and vegans, which dishes to order, and how to ask about butter, cheese and eggs.
• How to Write a Good Bilingual Menu in Amharic and English
  Advice for Ethiopian cafes and restaurants on naming dishes, writing short descriptions, pricing clearly and keeping Amharic and English menus in step.
• The Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony: A Guide to Abol, Tona and Bereka
  What happens during a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony, why it has three rounds, and how to enjoy it in a modern Addis Ababa cafe.