Ethiopian Meal for Groups in Dakar: Building the Table

An Ethiopian meal lends itself naturally to a group: the dishes arrive on large injeras in the middle of the table, and everyone helps themselves from their own side. At Ge'eza, for four people or more, the simplest approach is to combine shared platters: the beyaynetu, which comes for 1, 2 or 3 people, and the Ye Fisig Beyaynetu at 7,000 F for 1, 10,000 F for 2 and 16,000 F for 3, then add a few meat dishes, drinks and a coffee. The restaurant is at 656 avenue Birago Diop in Point E, Dakar, open Tuesday to Sunday, 8am to 10pm.

Why Ethiopian suits a group

The principle of the Ethiopian table is sharing. A large plate of injera, sauces placed in mounds, bread for everyone. You eat by hand, and the gursha gesture, offering a mouthful to your neighbour, brings the table to life. Nobody needs to agree on one dish each: you compose.

Another advantage: diets mix easily. The fasting dishes are vegan and made without butter, which lets a vegetarian or vegan guest share the same meal as the meat eaters. For people who avoid gluten, the menu presents the injera as naturally gluten-free: tell the team in case of coeliac disease.

The shared platters

The beyaynetu. Seven fasting dishes on one large injera: Shiro, Misir, Fosolia, Gomen, Key Sir, Tikil Gomen and Alicha Ater Kik. It is ordered for 1, 2 or 3 people, from 7,000 F for one person. The prices for 2 and for 3 people are to be confirmed with the team when you book. The dish is detailed in beyaynetu.

The Ye Fisig Beyaynetu. For those who want both worlds: three fasting stews and one meat stew of your choice, gathered on one large injera. The menu calls it the bridge between fast and feast. Prices: 7,000 F for one person, 10,000 F for two, 16,000 F for three.

A useful calculation: per person, the Ye Fisig for two comes to 5,000 F, the Ye Fisig for three to about 5,333 F, and for one person it is 7,000 F. For a group, the platters for two are therefore the most economical.

Worked examples

The figures below are calculated from the menu prices, drinks excluded, using only platters whose price is stated.

• Table of 4: two Ye Fisig Beyaynetu for two, 2 × 10,000 = 20,000 F.
• Table of 6: three Ye Fisig Beyaynetu for two, 3 × 10,000 = 30,000 F. Or two for three, 2 × 16,000 = 32,000 F.
• Table of 8: four Ye Fisig Beyaynetu for two, 40,000 F.
• Table of 12: six Ye Fisig Beyaynetu for two, 60,000 F.

You can then enrich with shared dishes: a tibs at 8,000 F, a doro wot at 8,000 F, a lamb wot (mouton wot) at 9,000 F, a kitfo at 9,000 F, or sambusas as a starter, 2,000 F for a portion of two with meat and 1,500 F with lentils. For a group with several vegetarians, add a shiro wot or a misir wot at 5,500 F.

Drinks

For a group, drinks are ordered as you go.

• Bissap, bouye, ginger juice, 1,500 F each, homemade.
• Birz, 2,000 F, the alcohol-free Ethiopian honey water.
• Tej, 3,500 F, the traditional honey wine, for celebration.
• Casamance water, 1,000 F small, 1,500 F large.

For six people, a round of six juices at 1,500 F comes to 9,000 F.

Coffee, as a group

The Ethiopian coffee ceremony is a very good finale for a group. It costs 5,000 F per person (Abol 2,500 F, Tona 2,000 F, Baraka 1,500 F and dabo 1,000 F can also be taken individually), and lasts about 45 minutes. For six people, count 30,000 F. It is ideally booked 24 hours ahead, especially for groups, and confirmed on WhatsApp. More information on the coffee ceremony page.

Booking for a group

A few tips.

• Book ahead, for evenings and weekends, on the booking page or by WhatsApp at +221 78 660 07 07.
• State the number of guests, diets and allergies.
• If you want a kitfo, it must be ordered 24 hours ahead.
• For the coffee ceremony, warn the team 24 hours ahead and wait for the WhatsApp confirmation.
• The Senegalese dish of the day, Tuesday to Friday at lunch, at 5,500 F all included, remains an alternative for a group lunch.

And to hire the venue

If your group needs the venue to itself, for a meeting, a private event or a cultural team-building session, the house offers exclusive hire of its spaces: gallery lounge, glass-roofed room, terrace. Capacities and hire rates are discussed by quote: the team replies within 24 working hours. All the information is on the spaces page.

A few landmarks

An Ethiopian meal unfolds without haste. Allow time if you end with the coffee ceremony, which lasts about 45 minutes. Dishes arrive as they are ready, and the injera at the bottom, soaked in sauces, is kept for the end.