According to the owner, Addis Ababa was the very first place to introduce Ethiopian cuisine to Adelaide. Since then, there are still only a few places that offer Ethiopian food, with each place having similar offerings. At Addis Ababa, there are 5 vegetable (vegan) dishes, 5 meat dishes and 3 house specialties. Customers get the choice of several mixed platters or the banquet, which is a combination of the main dishes.

The place is decorated like a straw hut and looks deceptively small. Surprisingly, there are over 60 seats if you include the outdoor seats in front of the entrance.

My favourite Ethiopian dish is the Doro Wett, however, I was told the place requires 24 hours notice for this dish to be prepared.

Instead, I ordered the Meat and Vegetable Mixed Platter which consists of 2 vegetable and 2 meat dishes served on a platter of injera. From left to right, the vegetable dishes were Yekik Alicha and Spinach. The two meat dishes to the far right, I’m not quite sure what they were. The meat dish to the far right was my most favourite as it had lots of heat. All the other dishes were well flavoured, and the dish as a whole was quite filling, particularly with the spongey delicate injera bread.

A few people in the group went with the banquet which has a bit of everything from the entire menu.

The staff were friendly and the service was good. The atmosphere was relaxed and the pricing was reasonable. The cost my platter was $22 which was good considering the portion size and quality of the dish. For $28, you get the banquet, and that includes as much as you can eat.

If I can think of one issue with this place, it would have to be the ventilation. As soon as you enter the place, you’re captivated by the beautiful aromas of Ethiopian food, however, when you leave, the smell goes with you. One of the members of the group, who originates from Melbourne and has had Ethiopian cuisine over there, commented about the lack of variety on the menu. While this place is very good for Adelaide, it’s not the best in Australia.

WHERE: 462 Port Rd, West Hindmarsh