280 Fox Street, Maboneng Precinct, Johannesburg, South Africa
Cuisine:
African, Ethiopian
Good for:
Breakfast/Brunch, Dinner, Lunch
Little Addis Cafe
3 Visitor Photos +
REVIEWS
2 Reviews
Expert Review
This charming little Ethiopian restaurant is tucked between hip stores and cafes in Joburg's trendy Maboneng Precinct. It can be easy...
This charming little Ethiopian restaurant is tucked between hip stores and cafes in Joburg’s trendy Maboneng Precinct. It can be easy to miss if you’re not paying attention due to its small size, but once there you’ll find a few outdoor tables and six indoor tables waiting for you.
When we arrived (we had a reservation), we were seated immediately at one of the tables. The waiter noticed the wine we brought, and brought a cork over, for no fee. (Little Addis doesn’t serve alcohol and is BYOB, so it’s best to come prepared.) Inside, the decor features pinkish red clay walls (much like you’d see in Ethiopia) along with large black and white portraits of famous Ethiopians, like Haile Selassie.
The menu is quite simple with no more than 10 dishes to choose from. We were in a group so decided to sample several things, including the Yebore beef stew, vegetarian platter and beef tibs. Everything was delicious, but the Yebore was by far the standout in terms of flavor profile and level of heat. It comes with some Ethiopian cheese, but we had wished there was a bit more to tame each bite. All dishes were served with injera, and it’s some of the best I’ve ever had. The texture is perfect, not too soggy, and not too heavy where you can’t finish your meal. It also lacks the tart and sour flavor that some injeras have, which is a plus in my opinion. The vegetarian platter came with eight different items, including beet root, spinach, chickpeas, mashed carrots and potatoes, spicy tomatoes and several combinations of lentils. The potatoes were the first to go. The beef tibs, while good were somewhat lacking in flavor compared to the other dishes, but still have plenty of punch compared to say, a hamburger.
Service was friendly and prompt the entire time, and we didn’t feel rushed at all. Overall it’s one of the best bang-for-your-buck Ethiopian spots in town.
Tips: Be prepared to bring cash, since they don’t take credit cards. We ended up walking to the nearby ATM, leaving one person behind, to get the cash. There is no bathroom here either, so try not to chug too many bottles of water beforehand (however, if you must, you can walk outside to the public toilets). Be sure to call ahead if you don’t want to wait, as it obviously gets full easily.
Expert Review
Johannesburg is the most cosmopolitan city in Africa, home to people from just about every country on the continent. All...
Johannesburg is the most cosmopolitan city in Africa, home to people from just about every country on the continent. All the different cultures that have formed communities in Joburg contribute to its varied cuisine. With about 150,000 Ethiopians calling this city home, there are some fantastic Ethiopian restaurants where you can find traditional food straight out of Addis Ababa.
One is Little Addis Café in the hip Maboneng area, a precinct on the city’s eastern edge taken over by artists and young trendy types choosing life in the city over the suburbs. The café is by no means fancy: it features minimal décor, a concrete floor and plastic tablecloths over the six small tables. What it’s all about here is the food: authentic, delicious – and cheap – dishes.
Ethiopian owner Kassahun Gebrehana has filled the small menu with traditional Ethiopian favourites of meat and veggie stews (known as wot), all served on metal plates with injera, a spongy flatbread (not too unlike a big bandage), for eating with instead of cutlery. I’ve eaten injera before at other Ethiopian restaurants but haven’t been overly impressed with its slightly sour flavour and spongy texture, but the injera at Little Addis was much more palatable, being made mostly of rice flour instead of the traditional teff.
The most popular choice on the menu is mahberawi, a veritable meat and veggie feast of chicken, beef and lamb stews, red lentil lentils, butternut in berbere sauce, beans, cabbage, spinach and chickpea gravy. I opted for the vegan choice: beyaynetu, which turned out to be wholesome and delicious, with a colourful combination of lentils, beans, chick peas, spinach, a sweet-spicy tomato, carrot and potato stew, pickled cabbage and beetroot. The half portion was more than enough: at just over $3 this is surely one of the most filling, budget-friendly meals around.
There’s no alcohol served at the café (Maboneng’s bars are only a few steps away outside though), instead wash down your meal with a cup of Ethiopian tea, strong coffee or spris – a mix of tea and coffee.