In a crowded field, this smartly appointed dining room has quickly risen to the top tier of Ethiopian restaurants. Some of the area’s best vegetarian eating can be found here.
The easiest way to sample the vegetable stews and sautés is to share a generously heaped platter on a round of injera, the sour bread that takes the place of silverware. Supplement it by starting with two of the most vibrant dishes on the menu–butcha, a cold mash of chickpeas, and azifa, made from yellow lentils and perked up with jalapeños. The kitchen is sure-handed with meat too, turning out a superlative yebeg wat, the aromatic lamb stew, and very good beef and lamb tibs.
Also good: Fosolia, a mix of green beans and carrots; shimbra asa, chickpea dumplings in a spicy sauce; doro wat, a chicken stew.
Open Tuesday through Thursday for dinner, Friday through Sunday for lunch and dinner.
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.
