Visit the Best Ethiopian

Restaurant in NYC

In Ethiopia, hospitality is key. We Ethiopians share a communal quality to consuming food and beverages. Not only do we eat with our hands, we literally feed each other with delicate gurshas—mouthfuls of food—as a sign of love. For authentic Ethiopian food in NYC, Tsion Café in the Sugar Hill neighborhood is the restaurant to see — a food and culture experience like no other!

In our culture, veganism and vegetarianism are not niches, but ways of life. Ethiopian food is a great way to incorporate flavor, nutrition and beautiful colors into your plant-based diet! At Tsion Café, we include organic ingredients whenever possible and take pride in making our items fresh daily.

Injera is an Ethiopian staple, used both as the base of many dishes and the utensil which we use to enjoy our meat and veggies. To make our injera flatbread, we have a 3-5 day process of fermentation. We serve two types of injera: gluten-free 100% teff and teff mixed with wheat flour. Read our blog to learn more about this superfood!

Ethiopian cuisine is rich with vegetables and spicy meat dishes. Our meat dishes are usually thick stews, known as wot, served on top of injera. Our wot (stews) are vegan and wholesome, with names such as messer (red lentils), shiro (chickpeas) , gomen (collard greens), atakilt (cabbage, carrot and potatoes) or kik alicha  (yellow split peas). They are all cooked to perfection in with flavorful Ethiopian spices like berbere.

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee, and wins the prize for the most precious, sweet, and savory coffee beans in the world. Tsion Café serves organic Ethiopian coffee. You can partake of a delicious espresso or an exquisite coffee martini. On special occasions, we perform traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremonies at the café. Come to participate in this wonderful cultural expression!

Whether you are vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, or omnivore… you can count on tasty choices at Tsion Café. We specialize in Ethiopian, Israeli, and Middle Eastern cuisine, and incorporate a variety of continental African cuisine as well.