I have been to plenty of Ethiopian restaurants around the country and by far this is the worst. I ordered the zil-zil tibs, which the owner recommended and it was just straight terrible, and to make things worse one of the side dishes was spoiled. I am sure this is a good spot to grab bagels, coffee and etc but def. not Ethiopian food. The food tasted like it was fresh out of the microwave. Please stay away from this place for any sort of Ethiopian food. read more

From the outside this place is easy to pass by, but don't! Amazingly friendly service. Delicious food. Great for groups!

Wow! They serve they best Ethiopian veggie combos. Always delicious and great customer service.

Delicious food and delightful staff! Vegetarian sampler is outstanding and baklava is the best I've ever had! Love love love this place!!! It's always a warm and welcoming spot, especially on a cold day. read more

tasty, different, cheap. the last minute take out dinner trifecta.

Friendly. Delicious fresh... I am a big fan of Ethiopian / Eritrean food, and I've sought out places in every city I visit from Oakland, CA to Cleveland to Tampa to Denver. Quite frankly, until now, I've been surprisingly underwhelmed by what I've tried in Phila. so far. While Almaz may not have the most expansive menu, the food here is just about the freshest E/E that I have encountered anywhere. It was delicious, and I received a generous portion for lunch. Further, oftentimes the sides are mostly an afterthought; at Almaz, they deserve equal billing with the main course, again the best word to use is "fresh", along with descriptives like flavorful and very satisfying. Service was also exceptionally speedy (definitely rare for E/E) and friendly. In fact, several people popped in "just to say 'hi' because I was passing by" That tells me that Almaz has fostered a loyal following with his easy-going approach and fine food. I will definitely be back soon and often. read more

Amazing food!!!So delicious!!!Would recommend to everyone!!! The staff was so friendly they make you feel like family. Between the kindness of the staff and the authentic tasting food I can definitely say we will back!!Thank you for the amazing experience!! read more

I love this place! I've been in twice so far. The first time I played it safe with a turkey wrap which was super fresh and huge. I was so impressed with the woman that was working there. She was running everything by herself. Cooking, cashing people out, running platters up the steps, and refilling waters. She even took the time to ask my name and thanked me by name as I left. I went in with a friend today to give Ethiopian food a try for the first time. Loved that she remembered my name when I came back a week later. We ordered the chicken and vegetable platter. It was enormous and yummy. The chicken was flavored perfectly. I work in the restaurant business and I never cook so I dine out pretty much every day and I was very impressed with Almaz's food and service. This is my new Tuesday spot. Next week I'm going to try the chicken stew. Also, a great place to stop for a coffee, cafe mocha, shake, or even just a banana on the fly. I mostly love how much pride they take in their product. I definitely recommend this place! read more

Friendly atmosphere, Ethiopian style eurotrash with heart. Good zilzil tibs. Nice smoothies and ice coffees. A place to go.

Tiny little spot near the lovely Rittenhouse Square. The staff were all very nice and helpful. The vegetarian combo platter was delicious with a good variety, but not as much as I usually see at Ethiopian restaurants. I will definitely make it a point to stop here anytime I am in the area! read more

Came here w/ 2 other people and sat in the upstairs area, which was super cute and cozy. My boyfriend and I got the veggie combo for 2 and our friend got something w/ lamb. The veggie combo was ok- some part of it were good and others just ok, none of it was awesome- the injeera seemed kind of stale and cold. We love our Ethiopian food and this was just alright. The service was good and the overall experience was pleasant but didn't make up for meh food. The search for a good Philly Ethiopian spot continues- read more

One word- gastroenteritis. My dad and I went over the holidays and both of us have had upset stomachs since then. Now, I have to take antibiotics... Great :/ read more

So, I must write an update to my previous 5-star review. After going back a second time with my family, we all enjoyed a big, communal lunch followed by some dessert-like smoothies. Everything was delicious; however, 3 out of the 4 of us had some unpleasant gastrointestinal issues not too long afterward. I don't know the exact cause was, but when 3 out of 4 people (who live in different houses and don't share any other food) have tummy trouble after a meal, I get suspicious. I haven't completely crossing this one off of my list, but I'm not ready to go back for a while. read more

The owners are very nice and accommodating. I had a craving for Ethiopian food after dining at Abol in Silver Spring MD. I got the dorro tibs. It was delicious, nicely seasoned. The lentils, cabbage and ground meat sides were all tasty. I was slightly disappointed that they had more American dishes like chicken wrap than Ethiopian dishes on the menu. It's worth a trip to CC. read more

I love this place! The food has never disappointed me (I particularly love the Doro Tibs); the injera is the best I've ever had; and the owner (? The woman who works there) is super sweet and friendly. I've never gone when the place is packed, but it's never taken too long to get our food either. read more

The owner of this cafe is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. Bring a bottle of wine, jam out to voodoo music, and share a combination platter w/ your best bud. Afterwards sit back, enjoy a latte, and be pleased with yourself because you just had pretty decent Ethiopian food in center city! read more

Under the guise of a Rittenhouse coffee/smoothie/sandwich joint is a gem hidden in plain site. Open the tri-fold menu and order off of the third page: Ethiopian specialties. Almaz Cafe is my favorite Ethiopian restaurant in Philly. Everything has a fresh quality, is flavorful and never cooked to mush. The kitfo is deeelicious - hands-down the best in town. read more

Amazing Amazing!!!! The fodd is sooooo good! And the owner is always so nice. We go frequently to Almaz and love all their menu!

This place was okay. I think my expectations were a little too high because I've had better Ethiopian food in my neighborhood (Era). The injera was too tangy for my taste. The food in general was good but I think i'll stick to my neighborhood spot. read more

I've been to this place twice with my husband and have always had excellent service and great food. Would definitely continue to return when we are in the area. read more

I love this place and stop in any time I'm in the area and craving Ethiopian food. I always get the vegetarian platter, but the sandwiches look good too. The owner is super nice. read more

I stumbled upon this place a couple of years ago and thought that it was finally time to write a review. Every time I come here, I have an amazing meal and experience. I always get the vegetarian combo, which is out of this world. The Enjera is rich and thick at Almaz and the lentils are spicy and delicious. If you happen to be stopping by on a weekend, the pastries and coffee are also excellent! I have introduced several of my friends and family members to this place and I can't wait to come back soon :) read more

The food is excellent and they are always so friendly! Very delicious coffee drinks and a great place to hang out/bring a first date. Great location, lovely upper loft seating, cute interior decorating with interesting/funky lamps. Small and intimate casual dining area. read more

First time having Ethiopian food. The American and coffee selection looks great as well, but we were more adventurous. Beef stew is incredible and filling, and the vegetarian combo is flavorful and a great sampler for first timers. As or more flavorful than traditional Indian food. And the service was excellent to boot. Decent sit-down prices, but I might shy away from here for take-out. Incidentally, they had very nice music selection in the background as well. Will be coming back! read more

This is one of my favorite cafés in Philadelphia. The atmosphere is great, their free internet reliable, and it always works well for a chat with a friend or a less formal date. The owners are great people as well, who are always up for a chat. If you like the taste of cappuccino done right, then I highly recommend Almaz Café read more

I went here with my girlfriend for dinner on a Monday night. It was mostly empty (only one other couple) but the food was very good. We split the vegetarian sampler as an appetizer, then ordered the fir fir and the chicken stew. It was a lot of food. There only seemed to be one woman working, but she was very nice and fairly attentive given the circumstance. She also gave us a free chocolate chip cookie. (Yay!) The yellow peas and the lentils were probably my favorite part of the dinner, and the cabbage was very good, too. I didn't love the collard greens, but I don't normally like those anyway. The Ethiopian bread (I forget what it's called) is spongy and sweet--unlike anything I had ever tasted before. We brought a lot home. We also tried the chocolate cake.... very good but nothing special. Next time, we'll just order two dishes and skip the appetizer. But I'm sure we'll be back. Very reasonable prices. read more

Didn't enjoy the food that much. Ordered Vegetarian combo. Only the lentils were OK but left the whole spinach and cabbage in the plate. They were just boiled vegetables with some basic spices . Being an Asian , the dish was a let down. Eaten better things than this. read more

Veggie platter was very good. Beef was over cooked/tough and tendons made it difficult to eat. Casual dining space with good service. Overall a welcome addition to center city dining options. read more

This place is awesome! The staff/owners are so sweet! The food is excellent too, best Ethiopian food I've had. The smoothies are awesome too! I've asked the owner to make a smoothie in a way I wanted and she was happy to do it without any complaint. Great place. read more

We had an excellent Ethiopian meal here last night. The dishes were deliciously flavored with rosemary and wonderfully prepared in all respects. A quaint and very casual, tiny place, a friendly and helpful owner. This restaurant is better than those that I raved about in Washington DC, but definitely the best experience in Philadelphia. Loved it and I am already thinking about the next visit. read more

You wouldn't necessarily know it by walking by the restaurant, but this place has unbelievable Ethiopian food. I have been to some of the top Ethiopian restaurants in New York, and this place is just as good, if not better. The Doro Tibs is amazing. I get it every time, and sometimes will share multiple orders of it. They also have great non-Ethiopian food as well, and can satisfy your cravings for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The grilled cheese sandwich for lunch may be the best one I have ever had in my life. The staff is friendly and inviting. The Ethiopian coffee is great, and the perfect pick-me-up any time of day. read more

I love this place. Food is authentic and the owner is such a nice guy. Love the veggie combo (get to try lots of stuff) and the coffee is super. Can't recommend this place enough. read more

A bit of a weird spot, but apparently they can't get by if they stick to Ethiopian food only. The owner of the place (Almaz) is a really fun lady. Plus, they have a BYOB policy and didn't even charge the $5 cork fee! read more

What can I say about Almaz Cafe? This is "home restaurant" for me. I love Ethiopian food and came here several times a week when I lived in Philadelphia. It's byob and a homey atmosphere - I love coming here with good friends and/or my boyfriend because it's the perfect place to dig into a great conversation over wine. Almaz and Solomon, I miss you already! read more

My husband and I live a few blocks away from this great little, unassuming place. We love Ethiopian food and moved from D.C. where we had our own favorite ethiopian restaurants and were hoping we would find one in philly. We were very happy to have found Almaz, especially when we tasted the vegetable sampler w/ beef. The strawberry smoothie is great and refreshing in the summer. We also like to go there to study while drinking some coffee. The place is quiet with great eclectic music playing and has Wi-Fi. The owners are fantastic, very nice and are great at remembering their repeat customers. The service is impeccable and the food is great, it's definitely one of our most favorite places in philly, and we've been to A LOT of restaurants in philly. read more

This place is golden. Truly a hidden gem and here's why. As my profile states my favorite meal is brunch. On days when I get a late start, I will insist of having some kind of breakfast food even if it's later in the day 1, 2 p.m. Recently I moved out of the area that Almaz is located in. The day after my move out I had to clean out my old place but being exhausted and fighting a cold, I got a late start. It was 11 am before I even thought of food and what I wanted most was breakfast food. I had planned on going somewhere else far more expensive but as I came up 20th street I saw Almaz and decided to save some money. I had had a late brunch there a few weeks earlier--excellent low carb omelette cooked exactly as I'd asked --and decided to pop in again. The guy remembered my face and also remembered how I had taken my omelet. Again, it was made to perfection. Additionally, the coffee-- with free refills if you're staying-- was one of the best cups of coffee I have ever had. It rivals the most celebrated coffee establishment in Center City located just off the square-- it's that good. And on top of all this the cost of my entire meal, including coffee, was about $11-12 or so. It can be hard to find a place that serves brunch past 2 let alone all day, that is low key and unpretentious in Center City. If you are looking for a place that isn't too expensive, serves breakfast all day, takes care to remember what customers like and makes one of the best cups of coiffee around this is the spot for you. read more

Mizzle; a combination of drizzle and mist.... My girl was uncomfortable b/c it was mizzling out, a bit cold, and windy - out in the middle of may. I told her her it wasnt so cold out and dinner at this lil ethiopian restaurant would be cool. Now we'd alreadt walked a few blocks around the Almaz and I couldnt find the place. But as it turns out, we had walked right by it, even with our eyes were peeled. So we get into the cafe, see the only dude behind the counter, go upstairs and take a 4-top. Mind you there are only 2 four tops upstairs and a few stools for the mostly quiet internet cafe surfers/loungers - Some rasta kept playing his tunes out loud w/o headphones until the barista/server/host asked him to chill. Downstairs where the entrance is there are 3 four tops and more stools. Once we got the menu we had to decide: chicken, lamb or beef, and what vegetables. Well, me being the taste glutton that, I am coerced my girl to ordering the chicken and beef dishes with vegetable sampler to join. The food arrived and we were stoked. Conversation halted and ethiopian bread stuffed with lentils, cabbage and chicken sent me into my much desired food euphoria. So all in all I suggest dinner for two, at min, get the vegetable sampler (until you've decided on a favorite veg dish), and the chicken (if you're a meatarian). The beef was good just didnt hit my spot like the pollo did. Next time I go which will be soon, I'm getting the lamb and I'll report back. Post meal I also had an espresso......ever had a greek coffee? Well, I think Ethiopian coffee is a term that should be coined- that espresso picked me up from my food coma and sent my right back into study mode. Groups are okay if you call ahead and arent larger than say...6. The barista/host/waiter dude couldnt be nicer. read more

slightly different flavors in a few dishes compared to other Ethiopian places but still pretty good.