Large groups flock to this Ethiopian bistro, drawn by the prospect of feeding so many people so well and so cheaply, while couples on dates gravitate here for the soft-lit ambience and mixed drinks. At prime time, the mood and the mix give Yared Tesfaye’s place the air of a trendy lounge, but the cooking–under the direction of his mother, Tiwaltengus Shenegelgen, the grande dame of the local Ethiopian restaurant scene–provides the soul-warming satisfactions of great diner food, from the crusty tibs (a stir-fry of cubed lamb or beef, onions, peppers, and chilies) to the rich, warming wats, all spooned atop a big sourdough pancake called injera. Etete may come on like an up-to-the-moment spot, but it offers something ancient and enduring.
Also good: Sambusas; yebeg wat (lamb); doro wat (chicken and hard-boiled egg); kitfo (beef tartare); kik alicha (split peas); gomen (collards); azifa (green lentils).
Open daily for lunch and dinner.