Tsehay Ethiopian Restaurant And Bar

Absolutely devoured the food here, it was so delicious. I got the vegan platter and it was well worth it, a good tasting of all of their vegetarian dishes. I would definitely come back again, especial... Read more

Absolutely devoured the food here, it was so delicious. I got the vegan platter and it was well worth it, a good tasting of all of their vegetarian dishes. I would definitely come back again, especially to share with a bigger group. The flavors are perfect and bring out each individual piece. Ambience is such a beautiful and calm space and the service is pretty quick. Read less

Very good food here. It was my first time ever trying Ethiopian and I'm so glad I did. We tried a platter with injera. The spicy one was so so rich and flavorful and went perfectly with the chees... Read more

Very good food here. It was my first time ever trying Ethiopian and I'm so glad I did. We tried a platter with injera. The spicy one was so so rich and flavorful and went perfectly with the cheese crumbles. We also tried the habesha beer. I'm not a beer person but this one was actually very nice and refreshing. Our server was AMAZING. We had a younger child with our group and she was extremely accommodating and sweet. Food was kind of pricey but it was worth it. They also seated us in the traditional room upstairs which was a very cool and unique experience. The walls were lined with Ethiopian newspapers and publications and we were seated at a small table with stools. Please come, everyone must have the opportunity to try delicious food like this. Read less

With numerous Ethiopian restaurants to choose from in Washington DC, do yourself a favor and choose this one. The owner Selam carries on her mother‘s tradition of authentic cooking with wonderful flav... Read more

With numerous Ethiopian restaurants to choose from in Washington DC, do yourself a favor and choose this one. The owner Selam carries on her mother‘s tradition of authentic cooking with wonderful flavors and textures. She made it a point to visit our table and check in with us, and is an absolutely delightful person. We were met by Ted our server, and his energy was infectious. He put us at a table right in the window, where we could watch the eclectic mix of DC residents pass by in this section of town filled with ethnic restaurants. Be prepared you will be eating traditional Ethiopian style, so no utensils. I personally would not want it any other way. We started with orders of the beef and lentil Sambosa. The pastry was light, flaky and perfectly crisp, the lentils wonderfully seasoned with just a hint of heat from the jalapeños, and the beef savory with a rich hearty flavor. For beverage, I highly recommend the Ethiopian spice tea if you like a hot tea, or the Keshir mocktail, a combination of Ethiopian spice, tea, ginger beer, and cane sugar, if you prefer an iced drink. For our main course, we ordered Denich Be Siga a rich and savory beef and potato stew, and the Ye Beg Wet, Australian lamb in a chili sauce with Ethiopian spices. The stew was savory and cooked the way it should be, slowly to allow all of the spices and flavors to permeate. The beef, wonderfully, tender, and the potatoes surprisingly firm. I like heat, and the lamb had the right amount, though if you like it spicier, as I do I highly recommend taking Ted’s recommendation and getting a side dish of the Awaze for added heat and a fresh burst of spice. Both dishes were served with homemade Ayeb, a light cheese that looks like Feta but has a flavor more like Ricotta, and provides a cool counterpart to any dish with heat. We finished our meal with a cup of Ethiopian coffee, and the Mushabek, a crispy fried dough that is dipped in sugar water. A wonderfully crisp and sweet counterpoint to the heat of the meal. The atmosphere is intimate and warm, my only recommendation would be to turn down the music a little when there aren’t as many people in the room. While we were eating, however, a large group of people started arriving, it’s obviously a popular place, and the music level would not have affected them at all. We will definitely be back Read less

Charming little Ethiopian restaurant in Adams Morgan. The food was delicious and the service was friendly and attentive. My only suggestion would be to offer more flexibility with the lunch special, s... Read more

Charming little Ethiopian restaurant in Adams Morgan. The food was delicious and the service was friendly and attentive. My only suggestion would be to offer more flexibility with the lunch special, such as allowing patrons to choose two vegan options for those with dietary restrictions. Read less

Incredibly warm and welcoming Ethiopian restaurant. Due to an unexpected flight cancellation, I found myself in DC with 24hrs to fill and so many places I wanted to try. Tsehay is situated on an incre... Read more

Incredibly warm and welcoming Ethiopian restaurant. Due to an unexpected flight cancellation, I found myself in DC with 24hrs to fill and so many places I wanted to try. Tsehay is situated on an incredibly charming street in a very lively neighbourhood (lots of local hangouts and a great indie bookstore just up the road). The food is, simply put, incredible. Tasty and warming - you can tell the owners really put the love into their cooking. I got the beef tib & shiro combo along with the gluten free injera (I was so thrilled to see they had gf options!). It came with a side salad that had this tasty mustard seed and vinegar dressing. The owner stopped by to check in and was so friendly. After talking a bit, he insisted on giving me a little sample of the Ye Bere Alicha (which was divine - the turmeric beef stew was the perfect thing for an overcast rainy day). When I find myself in DC, this will be one of the first places I come back to visit and I will be recommending any friends who are visiting the area to make the trip up to this delightful restaurant. Read less