First Visit to an Ethiopian Restaurant in Dakar: A Guide

For a first visit to an Ethiopian restaurant in Dakar, Ge'eza is open at 656 avenue Birago Diop in Point E, Tuesday to Sunday, 8am to 10pm. Most tables order dishes to share rather than one plate per person, set on a large injera that doubles as both plate and cutlery. For two, the Ye Fisig Beyaynetu, which brings together the seven fasting dishes and two meat dishes, costs 13,000 F before drinks.

Booking before you arrive

Booking is not required for a small table, but it is advisable in the evening and at weekends, and necessary for a coffee ceremony or a group of more than six. The easiest way is through the booking page, with slots offered from 08:00 to 21:00, or a message on WhatsApp at +221 78 660 07 07. For parties of more than eight, also write on WhatsApp in addition to the form. Confirmation comes by WhatsApp or phone.

For a first visit, mentioning in the notes field that you are new to Ethiopian food helps the team set a comfortable pace and talk you through the dishes as they land on the table.

Reading the menu in four groups

An Ethiopian menu can look unfamiliar at first glance. At Ge'eza it breaks down into four simple families.

The fasting dishes, entirely vegan. Seven preparations built on legumes and vegetables, cooked without butter: shiro wot, misir wot, fosolia tibs, gomen, key sir, tikil gomen and alicha ater kik, each between 5,000 and 5,500 F. Brought together on one injera, they form the beyaynetu, from 7,000 F for one person.

The meat dishes. Doro wot (chicken, 8,000 F), tibs (sautéed meat, 8,000 F), siga wot (beef, 8,000 F), mouton wot, alicha siga wot, kikil and kitfo (9,000 F, order 24 hours ahead). The meat is bought fresh in Dakar and cooked with kibbeh, the herbed clarified butter that defines much of Ethiopian cooking.

The bridge between both worlds: Ye Fisig Beyaynetu. Seven fasting sauces and two meat sauces on one large platter, built for a table that mixes diets. It comes in three sizes: 8,000 F for one, 13,000 F for two, 19,000 F for three.

The Senegalese lunch option. Tuesday to Friday, at midday only, a dish of the day at 5,500 F with water or local juice and attaya: mafé on Tuesday, thiéboudienne on Wednesday, supou kanja on Thursday, chicken yassa on Friday.

As a starter, sambusas (1,500 F for lentils, 2,000 F for meat) are a light way to begin. For a deeper look at the menu, the Ethiopian food guide walks through every dish and spice.

Ordering for two or for a group

For two people, a beyaynetu or a Ye Fisig Beyaynetu in the middle of the table is often enough, with sambusas on the side. For three or four, adding a separate meat dish, doro wot or tibs, brings in more texture. The point is not to order one dish per person as in a conventional restaurant, but to build a table that everyone shares, eating with the right hand and tearing off a piece of injera to scoop up the sauce.

The gesture of gursha, offering a mouthful to the person next to you, is part of this. It is never required, but it is a pleasant surprise on a first visit.

A realistic budget

For one person, a fasting dish at 5,500 F or the Senegalese dish of the day at 5,500 F (drink included) covers a full meal. For two people who want a wide introduction, plan for a Ye Fisig Beyaynetu for two at 13,000 F, two juices at 1,500 F and two Ethiopian macchiatos at 2,500 F: 21,000 F in total. For a longer dinner that ends with a coffee ceremony, add 5,000 F per person.

Settling in and enjoying the place

The villa that houses Ge'eza also holds a gallery lounge, a glass-roofed room and a terrace under the trees. Before or after the meal, the gallery lounge walls show work by artists from East and West Africa, including Saadio's canvas "Figures". The restaurant shares this roof with the gallery and the concept store, both open for browsing during restaurant hours.

For a broader look at the venue, the article on the Ethiopian restaurant in Point E covers the place as a whole, from the kitchen to the coffee ceremony.