The Best Ethiopian Food in San Jose
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The best Ethiopian food in San Jose, according to the experts: the Michelin Guide, the San Francisco Chronicle, and The Infatuation have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. LeYou comes out on top.
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Walia and Zeni Ethiopian Restaurant hold the next two places. The San Francisco Chronicle shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with the Michelin Guide next.
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Rank 1. LeYou
Ethiopian
Tables sit on burlap coffee bags pressed under thick glass, and the dining room fills with tall greenery, so the room already has a point of view before the food arrives. This is a contemporary Ethiopian restaurant where the kitchen swaps beef for tuna in the kifto and keeps a long roster of vegan dishes most spots skip. Honey wine and craft Ethiopian beer round out a meal that the San Francisco Chronicle has put on its Top 100 list.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle San Francisco Chronicle: Best Ethiopian restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle San Francisco Chronicle: #43 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Ethiopian restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle #43 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 2. Walia
Ethiopian
Ethiopian jazz plays low while honey wine arrives, and the room slows down around both. Walia is a sit-down Ethiopian restaurant tucked into a busy San Jose shopping plaza, the kind of spot where the parking lot is slightly chaotic but nobody inside seems to notice. The injera is the vehicle for everything, and the kitchen handles spice with a careful hand. Street parking is your friend here.
The awards
- San Francisco Chronicle San Francisco Chronicle: Best Ethiopian restaurants in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Restaurants In San Jose
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Ethiopian restaurants in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In San Jose
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Rank 3. Zeni Ethiopian Restaurant
Authentic Ethiopian
A thatched-roof hut stands in the middle of the dining room, which tells you this Ethiopian restaurant on Saratoga Ave is not going through the motions. The vegetarian combo arrives as a mosaic of colors on injera, and the kitfo, spiced raw beef tartare, is the thing regulars order without looking up. Honey wine comes in painted bottles. The San Francisco Chronicle named it among the Bay Area's best Ethiopian spots.
The awards
- San Francisco Chronicle San Francisco Chronicle: Best Ethiopian restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle San Francisco Chronicle: Best restaurants in San Jose
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Ethiopian restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in San Jose
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Rank 4. Kategna Ethiopian Restaurant
Ethiopian
Tucked into a San Jose strip mall between a clothing store and a tattoo shop, Kategna is a spacious Ethiopian restaurant that leans into the communal spirit of the cuisine, with traditional Messob basket tables for eating together the way the food was meant to be eaten. The San Francisco Chronicle named it among the Bay Area's finest Ethiopian spots. Cold Ethiopian beer or a pot of warm tea keeps the spice in check.
The awards
- San Francisco Chronicle San Francisco Chronicle: Best Ethiopian restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 4. Selam
Ethiopian
A cozy Ethiopian lunch spot tucked into a San Jose shopping center, where regulars sip tea and read newspapers like they've been coming for years. The vegetarian combo is the move, with lentils done two ways and a shiro with a deep, bouquet-cube savoriness that's hard to place but easy to finish. The injera has a smooth, almost elastic pull to it. Pair everything with hot tea, because that's what the room does.
The awards
- San Francisco Chronicle San Francisco Chronicle: Best Ethiopian restaurants in the Bay Area