Where to Have Breakfast in Dakar: Ge'eza's Menu

For breakfast in Dakar, Ge'eza serves a full Ethiopian menu from 8am to 11am, Tuesday to Sunday, in its villa in Point E at 656 avenue Birago Diop. Everything is made fresh daily: foul at 5,500 F, foul special at 6,500 F, enqulal tibs at 2,000 F, chechebsa at 4,500 F, genfo at 6,500 F, and a combo for two at 8,500 F bringing together the first three dishes. The restaurant is closed on Monday.

The breakfast menu, dish by dish

Foul, 5,500 F. Beans simmered in Ethiopian spices, fresh tomato, onion and green chilli, served with French bread. A vegan, filling dish, eaten with a spoon and bread.

Foul special, 6,500 F. The same foul, topped with a soft egg and creamy feta, or fresh avocado depending on the season. A good middle ground for anyone who wants a little more than the plain vegan version.

Enqulal tibs, 2,000 F. Scrambled eggs Ethiopian style, cooked in oil with jalapeño, tomato and onion. The fastest, lightest dish on the morning menu.

Chechebsa, 4,500 F. Crumbled flatbread mixed with berbere and spiced butter, finished with honey. Warming and fragrant, a good choice on a cool morning during the rainy season or the cooler dry months.

Genfo, 6,500 F. A thick barley porridge served with a well of niter kibbeh and berbere at the centre. It is an Ethiopian morning ritual, hearty and grounding, enough to carry you through to lunch.

Breakfast combo, 8,500 F. Foul, enqulal tibs and chechebsa together, built for two, with a solo version available on request. It is the fullest way to try Ethiopian breakfast at a single table.

Choosing by appetite and time

For a quick breakfast before a meeting, enqulal tibs at 2,000 F takes only a few minutes to eat. For an unhurried morning, genfo or chechebsa set a slower pace, best enjoyed on the terrace under the trees or in the glass-roofed room. To try several dishes at once, alone with a good appetite or with someone else, the 8,500 F combo is the most generous choice. The article Ethiopian breakfast explains each dish and where it comes from, for anyone who wants to know what they are ordering.

Breakfast followed by a visit to the gallery

Breakfast often ends with a stop in the adjoining gallery, since the house opens at 8am and the works are on view during the same hours as the restaurant. Having a foul or a chechebsa, then wandering through the lounge where the paintings hang, is a simple way to start the day without rushing, especially for a visitor passing through Dakar who wants to combine a few things in a single morning. The terrace tables under the trees, or the glass-roofed room, offer a calmer setting than an ordinary breakfast hall, which suits both a quiet moment alone and an informal conversation before 9am.

On weekdays, breakfast works well before a working day, when time is short. On weekends, the moment lends itself better to a long breakfast, possibly followed by a coffee ceremony for anyone with an hour to give to the ritual rather than a quick cup.

The coffee that follows

Morning naturally ends with coffee. The Ethiopian macchiato, at 2,500 F, is an intense espresso softened with a little hot milk: see the Ethiopian macchiato for more. For a longer moment, a full coffee ceremony at 5,000 F per person takes about 45 minutes and is best booked 24 hours ahead, especially for a group.

Booking your breakfast

Booking is not required for breakfast alone or for two, but it is advisable for a group. The booking form has an occasion field where you can select breakfast, with time slots from 8am to 9pm. For a group of more than six, or any particular request, writing on WhatsApp at +221 78 660 07 07 as well speeds up confirmation.

A breakfast that works for groups too

Breakfast is not only a solo or two-person affair. A small group, family visiting, or a team meeting early before a busier day can also sit down together, mixing dishes rather than everyone ordering the same thing: a genfo for one, a foul special for another, a combo shared by two more. The kitchen serves everything at the same pace, so a mixed table does not create delays, and the terrace or the glass-roofed room can seat a group comfortably without feeling cramped.

In practice

• Breakfast hours: 8am to 11am, Tuesday to Sunday.
• Address: 656 avenue Birago Diop, Point E, Dakar.
• Prices: from 2,000 F for enqulal tibs to 8,500 F for the combo for two.
• Allergies and diets: tell the team before ordering.