This is one of my favorite restaurants in Philly. The doro wat is excellent and the lady that runs the restaurant is always nice and willing to give extra injera. read more

This is my husband's absolute favorite restaurant in the city. We live on Baltimore in West Philly surrounded by Ethiopian restaurants and Almaz is way better than any of them. The vegetarian options are numerous and delicious. Everyone that works there is so amazingly genuinely nice. Seriously the nicest staff you will find anywhere. My only complaint is the seating is not that cute - you wouldn't want to come here for anything romantic or private. I guess it was meant to be more of a coffee shop, so that's probably why. But come here casually and the food is wonderful and cheaply priced! read more

Very charming little cafe, fantastic custom roasted Ethiopian coffee. I have yet to try the actual Ethiopian food, but the ice cream and American breakfast food isn't bad (also, makes it very versatile). Regardless, the coffee is reason enough. read more

Finally found good Ethiopian in Philly. I'm spoiled, having lived in DC for almost 14 years. With reputedly the largest Ethiopian population outside Addis Ababa, plenty of good Ethiopian restaurants there with plenty of Ethiopian (or formers) at the table. Almaz approaches that quality. read more

The food was great. The atmosphere might be considered quaint bohemian. This is a coffee shop with a few tables serving Ethiopian food along side bagels and other breakfast and coffee items. The injera was moist. The lentils and chickpeas on the vegetarian combo were spicy; enjoyed all items on the platter. Chicken stew was tasty. Friendly owner and attentive service. read more

Very good ethiopean food. I just stepped out and had to leave a comment. The lentils marinated in the perfect combination of spices and the collared greens mix perfectly with the rest. read more

This is my first time having Ethiopian food but, it was amazing. I had the Zilzil Tibs, the guy there was very friendly and helpful, the service was quick, all in all it was a great place. read more

This is a cute little cafe owned by a really sweet African lady. I sat at a table outside and enjoyed a bagel with cream cheese - pretty decent for a bagel in Philly (I've been spoiled by New York bagels). Bonus: they carry bottled Maaza, only the best mango juice on the face of the earth. It came out to about $4.50 for the bagel and juice, but there's a $5 credit card minimum. Short on cash, I picked up an extra bottle of water for another dollar. Overall, not a bad place to grab a light breakfast/brunch/lunch if you happen to be in the area, though I can't comment on the Ethiopian food just yet. read more

Almaz is a great place to pick up a delicious cup of coffee en route to work or an even better place to pick up a smoothie on a hot summer day to drink in Rittenhouse Park. And I had wanted it to be a great place to get some Ethiopian eats without having to make the trek to West Philly whenever I get a craving. But I've been there a few times now, and while the food is always delicious, it makes me a bit sick in the afterglow. read more

Our experience at Almaz Café was a bit disappointing considering the very good reviews it received by Yelpers. Besides one lentil dish, the other vegetarian and chicken, meat dishes were lacking in the taste profiles I have had at better Ethiopian restaurants in west Philly and NYC. read more

How silly of me to think that I can only get Ethiopian food in University city. How did I miss this little hole in the wall? I had no idea they even served ethiopian food until my friend brought me here. I've probably walked by this place a billion times and thought it was a nonspecific cafe. The ethiopian food was GREAT!! maybe b/c I've been so deprived living in center city but it was absolutely delicious. My friend and I split the vegetarian plate with the doro wat chicken dish (so awesome that it comes with an egg). The veggies were awesome- lentils, beets, greens, potatoes and carrots. it was amazing. we were still scraping for more at the end and totally cleared the plate. now that I found this little jem, I will have to come back everyday to get my ethiopian/injera fix :) i have also so so so happy to found foul on the menu. I cannot wait to come back to get it! :) read more

If it's your first time, get the vegetarian combo for the full experience. If you only want one veg option, get the Tikil Gomen - oh my gosh it is heaven melting in your mouth in the form of cabbage and carrots. I'm salivating just thinking about it. My fav meat is the Doro Wat (chicken stew) but I've heard the Firfir is also good. I can attest to their delicious coffee and surprisingly delicious chocolate chip cookies, so grab one for dessert on your way out. I think they do a good job of mixing Ethiopian with American fare for the less adventurous customer. I do think they should take down the ice cream sign, it just confuses people. Comes with copious amounts of enjera aka sour Ethiopian hole-y bread that they will supply you with endlessly if dining in. This is epic Ethiopian food. I didn't even know what it was until a few months after moving to Philly, and I walked by the restaurant every DAY!! They should put up some pictures of the food and entice people. Also, the owners are the sweetest people. I will always come back! read more

Almaz Cafe - Veg combo - with extra Tikil Gomen on the side because I'm obsessed. Next time only getting that one. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Philly. The food is delicious and really well made and reasonably priced. The best part however is the service. It is friendly and personal. My friends and I have been meeting here once a week for the past couple months and are going to continue. It is really worth a visit. read more

What more can be said? Solomon and Almaz (for whom the cafe is named) run an excellent shop, with a mix of excellent Ethiopian fare and solid brunch and lunch standards. The service is warm and friendly, the atmosphere delightful, and the coffee is smooth as silk. read more

Tiny little place with not too much space. We had the lamb special, doro wot, vegetarian combo and chicken tibs. As food, this made for a pretty satisfactory meal. However, compared to other Ethiopian food, the spices seemed toned down for the American palate. In particular, the doro wot really severely lacked the customary kick. Something was a little off with the injera too, maybe a little too dense. A bit pricy too. read more

I have ordered their foule several times for take-out and have yet to be disappointed. Hearty, and consistent in good flavor. Once I tried the fresh berry salad and found it strange. The romaine to berry and pecan ratio was off. The gentleman behind the counter downstairs was friendly (with a genuine smile!) and attentive. Writing this review actually made me crave some of their food:) Maybe I'll try their sit down service in the near future. read more

I always enjoyed coming here for a quiet meal upstairs when I lived in Rittenhouse. The owner and his wife are very friendly and the food is excellent. read more

Awesome food, I'm vegan so it's not so easy sometimes to eat out and not spend a lot, but they did have a few choices that were amazing. Best of all the dish I ordered Shiro, had ginger as a main ingredient. I'm a ginger junkie so they definitely got my vote, I'll probably make a stop in there every time I'm in the city, even if its just for coffee. read more

I've walked by here a lot and finally went in. Coffee is great! Staff is incredibly friendly. They have a cool loft to sit at that overlooks the bar. It's also a great people watching spot. This is definitely the first of many visits. read more

Almaz Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This place is an all-around class act. The owners are absolutely pleasant to deal with and they genuinely want you to enjoy your experience, whether it's your first time or tenth time enjoying the food of their native land. I've eaten here with a vegan friend, a meat eater (like myself) and others -- all have been satisfied with the variety of flavors found here. read more

Extremely friendly, nice owners/employees! Great Ethiopian food, good breakfast/brunch, great smoothies, great wraps, great center city location, free wifi, great place to study, cozy little cafe. The owners were so nice it really made me want to come back again! I have studied there for many hours at a time (while eating breakfast, snacks, and lunch) and the owners actually wanted to make sure that they were providing me a comfortable place to study, unlike many other cafes/coffee shops that would be giving dirty looks and wanting to kick you out for staying too long. Enjoy! read more

This place is a fab little find! I've walked by so many times before finding out it was an ethiopian restaurant! They sell run of the mill breakfast and brunch foods, along with some sandwiches and wraps, but their ethiopian food is what makes them amazing. They have a vegetarian combo that is a hefty amount of food and injera (bread) for only $12! It's delicious and filling and doesn't leave me feeling sick after eating out. The best part of this place is the owner! He is SO SO nice and truly treats people like regulars, even when you aren't. He loves talking to his customers and is always smiling. He even flagged us down to offer us a bag for our stuff that we were toting around (unrelated to the restaurant). I mean, who is kind enough these days to think to do that??!!! Truly a wonderful guy! Delicious iced coffee too! One star off because some of the food gets a little salty at times and I don't love the meat dishes since I kept burping from grease after it, but I am very sensitive to heavy food. read more

Let me begin by saying that this place is hands down exceptional in the quality of whataver they offer. Besides the amazing coffee and the best ethopian food in town, the owners, Almaz and Solomon are by far the nicest, lovliest people you will ever meet. Their way of treating their costumers (many regulars) makes you realize what chains lack: personal touch, real smiles; the kind of public relations that no PR company can recreate for a non-personal business. Do not miss out. read more

Not the best Ethiopian I've had. Injera obviously diluted with too much wheat flour. Very gummy and sticky. Got the veggie combo. Usually on a plate the size of a truck tire. This one was your average plate size. Lentils were runny and spinach was cold. Service is slow. Still waiting for my check as I write this. Don't give up on Ethiopian food if this is your first experience and don't like it. There are many great ones around the country and perhaps here in Philly too. I'll try another place next time. read more

I live down the street from this place and love it. It has a rather unexpected combination of things going for it: On the one hand, they have great coffee, a quirky sense of style (see: weird industrial-looking light fixtures, steel ceilings downstairs) and a good atmosphere for sitting and studying (not a lot of seating, but if you can grab one of the tables or bar stools, it's a nice hide-away during finals week). On the other hand, they have GREAT Ethiopian food. Like, my favorite in the city so far. I don't eat meat so I can only vouch for their vegetarian dishes, but their tikil gomen and misir are so good...and their injera is always so fresh. For two non-meat eating people, order the vegetarian combo and the foule and you'll be happy campers. The thing that really makes me love this place the most are the owners though. They are so incredibly nice, and the service is amazing...I would still go there even if the food wasn't as good as it is. read more

Almaz Cafe was not as delicious as I expected considering the great reviews on Yelp. I tried the doro wat dish (chicken stew) and two sides (cottage cheese and cabbage). It was filling but the seasonings did not fit to my likings. The injera on the bottom of the chicken stew was a bit hard as if it were a few days old but the two injeras I received on the side were much softer and fresher. I usually like to eat the injera on the bottom of the stew once the seasonings have soaked into the bread but I didn't this time because the texture wasn't what I expected from good injera. However, service was good. The woman serving me was very nice but the food isn't worth a second visit especially for a $15.00 meal. I will stick to my usual Ethiopian restaurant in West Philly - Kaffa Crossing. I appreciate Kaffa Crossing's spices and flavors a lot more than Almaz. read more

The worst food I have ever ate in my life, it was so bad that I downloaded the Yelp app to review it and to let everyone know how much of a rip off this place is.. The dam waiter says you can have lamp and chicken on your plate.. We said sure... Didnt tell us it was going to be extra..... The extra was18 dollars extra! Not only that the lamp we got was the worst kind.. I'm taking about pure fat peaces of the lamp and hard lumps of "something" the chicken was like someone threw up in the bathroom This place is sooo expensive for absolutely nothing. MCDONALD'S HAS BETTER FOOD. stay away read more

This is one of our go-to spots in the city. The service is always great as is the food. You will leave very full, as the portions are pretty big and the injera will fill you up. read more

With an overpriced menu, Almaz Cafe lacks ambient charm in the middle of a buzzing Center City location. Go into West Philadelphia for better Ethiopian food. read more

I found this great BYOB on yelp and figured I'd give it a try. I've eaten at another Ethiopian restaurant in Univ. City- loved the food and hated the service. Almaz Cafe is the perfect combination of amazing food and incredible service. Almaz, herself, makes the food and lovingly brings it over. She also provides recommendations and adds her own little touch to the food. Overall, it was an awesome experience and really well priced. read more

Amid the restaurant scene of Rittenhouse Square sits this no-pretense family-run Ethiopian joint. Fantastic food at reasonable prices and BYOB, Service is great. I always get the Ethiopian dishes - veggie combo, doro tibs, firfir and lamb special are my favorites. It's the best comfort food. read more

Good food, fast friendly service, great location. Definitely worth checking out.

I LOVE this place! At first, I was a little weirded out that their menu was not entirely Ethiopian and included a lot of Western dishes. However, once I tried it, I was hooked! The veggie combo is incredible. Seriously, I order it at least once a week, sometimes more. I don't know what they do to their shiro, but it's amazing. However, if you order the shiro on its own, be sure to ask for no sour cream if you want it vegan. The people who work here are so friendly and nice. I truly love this place! read more

Very friendly, very small, very inexpensive! I'm a food lover so I don't have much complaints when the food is seasoned well and served with a smile. Great place to grab a quick healthy meal when on the run or out for a stroll. read more

My favorite Ethiopian joint in Philly! The owners are so nice and genuine. The second time I ate there they welcomed me like I was a regular (which I soon became). They take pride in the food they serve and you can tell. The portions are awesome, prices are awesome, service is awesome, and, well seating, that can be tricky depending on when you go because of the small size. They also having smoothies and coffee which are always a treat. read more

I came here with someone who had never had Ethiopian food and was impressed by the hospitality of the folks who work here/own the place. We had the doro tibs and the misir, the latter being the star of our platter. All orders come with a good helping of vegetables, all of which were fine, and the standout was the yellow lentil. Not too much seating, so I wouldn't recommend it for a large group. While we were eating, several folks came in to order smoothies, seems like they're worth checking out. Made me nostalgic for the DC Ethiopian food scene. read more

Uh oh, I'm hooked! I wrote my original review after one visit but I've been back about five times since! Now that it's warmer there are a few small tables out front which is a big plus. The food is always great and the owner/waiter/cashier is such a nice guy! The other day I had a bangin' iced coffe and on a prior visit got an ice cream cone. Tip: Although I mentioned previously that the food isn't very spicey, you CAN get some spice on the side which really gives it some punch. read more

If you are going to give this place a whirl or you come up on it by accident go for the vegetarian platter. They do a wonderful job at making foods that you probably would not normally eat and making it taste great. Try each section carefully if spicy is not your thing because some parts had heat! The enjera is definitely something different but don't fear it. If you like sour dough you will have no problem enjoying it with your entree. I was taught to keep the fork down and use the enjera as the utensil. It is great to just dive into you plate with just fingers and the pancake! I probably cannot come back to this place on a regular basis since I don't reside in the city but I would recommend it to both city dwellers and outside suburb travelers. You could share a platter but I wouldn't recommend it. More bang for the buck if you get separate platters. read more

So interestingly I wasn't that impressed when I first came to Almaz. After eating here probably twenty times-sometimes dinner, sometimes lunch, sometimes coffee-I have to say it's just become one of my favorite places. Almaz & Solomon are always so friendly and accommodating to everyone. The Ethiopian food is delicious, I especially think they do an excellent job on the vegetable combination platter. Almaz makes a homemade soup often times for lunch or you can get a very decent salad or sandwich. Please stop in, tell them Michael sent you. read more

Almaz is a great, cost-effective little gem of a place with friendly service, AMAZING food, very fair prices, and adorably funky decor to top it all off! I should also take the time to praise the free wifi they have here; unlike some places I've been to in Philly that offer wifi, the signal was strong and very consistent! Definitely one of my fave places in Center City! read more