I love Ethiopian food and have eaten at every restaurant in Little Ethiopia on Fairfax and I always order the vegetarian combo so that is how I making my comparison. The food at T&T Lifestyle is bland, just completely lacking in spice and flavor and doesn't taste like authentic Ethiopian food at all. My friend and I ordered the Eat the Rainbow platter and the tacos. I was completely underwhelmed with the blandness of each of the 4 dishes (kale, cabbage, red lentils and yellow lentils). The tacos had lentils and potatoes inside but the consistency was weirdly mushy and firm at the same time and they tasted like wet cardboard to me. Why call this place Berbere when they don't even put that in the food? I would recommend making the extra drive to Fairfax and eating at one of the places in little Ethiopia for some authentic cuisine instead (my favorites are Meals by Genet, Rosalind's and Lalibela). In addition, we ordered one scoop of ice cream to share but the waiter brought two different dishes of ice cream for each of us. I thought they had split up the scoop but he charged us for both. Also as I was packing my food to go, I asked for some extra Injera. Each small half roll cost a dollar ... they don't charge at the Fairfax restaurants so that further put me off this place. read more

Berbere - Small injeras $1 each - Vegan Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Luckily this was a short walk from my cousins place so we came here for dinner. I love Ethiopian food so I was excited to try it. My cousin is vegetarian and had been here before and liked it. We decided on the well wishes combination platter with feeds 2 and was a great variety of lentils, squash, cabbage, pumpkin. One of the items was spicy. Definitely filling for two! Overall it was good but it lacked the umami flavor that I have experienced at other places since I have eaten the non vegan versions. read more

Berbere - The well wishes: fit for 2 - Vegan Near Me - Santa Monica, California

I first heard about Berbere while I was buying some sage and books from a nearby store. They said, "The adjacent restaurant sources organic and fresh ingredients from the daily farmer's market." Intrigued, I felt compelled to go over and try it for myself. I was warmly welcomed by TT, and the exceptional service alone had me hooked. I decided on the rainbow dish and a lavender latte. The flavor was unbelievable, it was delightful and played joyfully with my taste buds. The atmosphere was inviting and everyone seemed content. I would absolutely suggest Berbere to anyone. I am eager to go back and discover more of their menu. Thank you. read more

Berbere - Eat The Rainbow Day - Vegan Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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The gluten-free Blueberry Black Seed (Teff) Pancakes are the most delicious breakfast food I've ever tasted. The flavor and texture are incredible. It's a little crunchy / crispy in the best way. Its not the typical mushy pancake. The syrup Is perfect--not overly sweet, but mild and smooth, with just a little bit going a long way. The pancakes are served with Roasted Potatoes and Tofu Scramble, and the flavors were unbelievable. The customer service is top-notch. Berbere is one of those hidden gems. I can't wait to go back and eat the tacos. It's a solid 10 out of 10 for me, and I'm giving them a well-deserved 5 stars. Thank you, Team Berbere Be a Proud American Peace/Love read more

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FOREWORD: It's important to consider restaurants like Berbere for their attention to sourcing and preparation. I liken Berbere to be a more health conscious version of traditional staples as they only use avocado, coconut or olive oil while many of the ingredients are sourced from local farmers market. Everything is organic and vegan. It is also my experience that patrons can overlook these painstaking details as lacking because we are so accustomed to highly salted and heavily oiled food to begin with. Plently of my go-to Mexican, Thai and Mediterranean spots are great but there's no denying their use of seed oils and excess salt. Berbere is a lifestyle concept and should be given due appreciation as such. ...With that being said, I am not the most versed on Ethiopian cuisine and still highly recommend this restaurant. The flavor is exceptional and the menu offers a variety of options. They play piano music for a soothing ambiance throughout; perfect for the local or visitor alike. My favorite is the Americano w/ rue, sugar and teff tortilla tacos-the more lemon the better; I've also had the teff pancakes, burger, sublime confection, shai tea, lentil meatballs, and breakfast burrito (onion heavy). One side is perfect as an internet cafe for the remote worker or finer dining experience on the other side. Nestled in downtown SM and accessible to a lot (meter parking only). Staff is lovely and the owner, T, took the time to say hello on my first visit-*yes, Chef* read more

Berbere - Americano with rue and sugar (steep the rue in your coffee for a few minutes or leave in) - Vegan Near Me - Santa Monica, California

This place is fire! It is definitely more expensive than most Ethiopian restaurants around town, but whenever I am in Santa Monica, I try to come here. Unfortunately they are closed Friday evening/Saturdays, which seems to be when I'm often in the area. The tacos are to die for, I just wish the portions were bigger... because I can't ever get enough! read more

I've never been to Ethiopia, but I have been to every Ethiopian restaurant on Fairfax. Does that make me an expert on Ethiopian food? No. Absolutely not. But I have had a lot of Ethiopian food here in LA, and Berbere is as good as any of the places in Little Ethiopia, if different. To be fair, all of the restaurants in Little Ethiopia are different from each other, but Berbere has Ethiopian tacos, which I've never seen on Fairfax. The tacos were fun, but I preferred the Taste the Rainbow, which is a vegetarian combo platter with red lentils, turmeric garbanzo (I'm guessing this is a shiro wat, but with turmeric), purple cabbage with potato, sautéed greens, and injera. The flavors were great. I especially liked the turmeric garbanzo. They could have been a little more generous with the injera... (I ended up ordering more injera.) The decor is cute, and the service was friendly. Oh, Berbere is vegan. I'm not. But I didn't notice or care that it was vegan. The food tasted good and I was happy. As long as you're not rampantly carnivorous, you'll probably be happy here, too. Berbere won't replace my trips to Fairfax, but it's great to have an Ethiopian option in Santa Monica. If you've never had Ethiopian food, this menu is very approachable. (In addition to the tacos, there are sliders, burritos, and burgers with an Ethiopian twist.) And if you like Ethiopian food but find parking on Fairfax to be annoying, Berbere is close to several public parking lots. If you're shopping on the Promenade, Berbere is a very easy couple of blocks away. read more

Berbere - Tacos - Vegan Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Owner is so sweet! It feels like such a neighborhood-y place. It's a vegan spot (without the grunge, which I really appreciate) They try to source all organic ingredients and have relationships with the farms. In the cafe side, the beans are sourced from Ethiopia. They clearly care about the ingredients and the quality really shows up in the food. I got the taste the rainbow and I live it's actually 4 different colors. The lentils were AMAZING! Definitely will be back! read more

Berbere - Vegan Near Me - Santa Monica, California

I stumbled across Berbere while driving in Santa Monica and was kind of surprised to see an Ethiopian restaurant in the area. So of course, I had to Yelp it to see what it was all about. It had great reviews and sounded like a modern twist to traditional Ethiopian cuisine staples so I was excited to give it a try. I ended up getting takeout but was actually impressed with how modern and trendy the interior was. Definitely a place I could sit down and have a nice lunch or dinner. The staff was friendly and attentive when I picked my order up and made sure I had everything I needed. For food I ordered the tacos and a nice Ethiopian style hot coffee which had cardamom and orange rinds in it. I've never had a taco without a protein in it so I was a little skeptical, but they were actually very flavorful and filling. I liked it a lot and wouldn't change a thing about it. Overall I'm looking forward to trying their other menu options and will be returning. read more

Berbere - Et Twist Tacos Day - Vegan Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Berbere is not just for me... It's for everybody!! This "unusual" Ethiopian plant-based cafe kitchen restaurant brings the flare in their ambience, aesthetic, A+ service and all around amazing cuisine. Chef T has put together an outstanding menu with great top chef's picks including the Twist Tacos (awaze, cilantro, lentil, mushroom, potato, and tangfaye sauce), Twist Sliders and Taste the Rainbow appetizer. When you walk in you feel the warmth instantly, smell the food pleasantly and groove to the music effortlessly. It's a lofty space with minimal yet wonderful decor, long bench table seating along the walls with the perfect amount of space to enjoy your visit in for brunch, lunch or dinner. They pour an excellent cup of coffee with super fresh natural ingredients like their entire menu. You can also other great refreshing beverages such as smoothies, desserts or a dessert. For small plates you can't go wrong with the Injera rolls or wrap as well as the baked cauliflower. The beetroot hummus and french onion grilled cheese are on my list for next time... So many dishes to try! Can't rave enough about the Sloppy Sub, recommend Twist Tacos (which like a lot of dishes can be made gluten free) and that amazing Oyster Mushroom Flatbread... So much good food and when sharing with friends, family, significant others, potential significant others, great co-workers or yourself you can wild indulging in the decadence that it Berbere by T&T. Being in Santa Monica parking is mostly street metered or local garage with very little directly in front of or next to this new favorite restaurant. If you know someone how loves this spot... They also have gift cards for purchase and a thirst quenching bottle of Topo Chico water for that stroll back to your car, big blue bus, expo line (on Colorado between 5th and 4th) or ride of choice. Swing in from 11 AM to 3 PM Monday through Friday or 6 PM to 9 PM Monday through Thursday. They close on Saturdays, but open Sunday from 11 AM to 4 PM. At Berbere they treat all customers like friends and family so expect nothing but kind-hearted care from the moment you walk in til the moment you pay the bill up front and realize you can't wait to come back. read more

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What an amazing experience. This was my first visit here and I'm not too knowledgeable about Ethiopian cuisine but the waitress was SO incredibly kind and gave me some suggestions. Everything was fresh and delicious. The restaurant is bright and light and airy. Street parking was easy, it was metered parking across the street. I would definitely be back and I highly recommend if you're looking for vegan/vegetarian food with savory flavor and exceptional customer service. 100/10 read more

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Can I give 10 stars?? Wow. As someone on the healing path from chronic illness, it is so challenging to find a place that can accommodate my lifestyle necessary to heal. I'm blown away by not only the cleanliness & quality of ingredients used but also by the taste AND customer service. They get their produce from the farmers market, for crying out loud. People such as myself are often stigmatized as it can be an inconvenience for many merchants who are not informed on healthy eating to accommodate us. I'm so grateful by how BERBERE accommodated my friends who are also on the MM healing path. We shall return! read more

Berbere - Vegan Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Super delicious ethopian I used to eat at their pop ups and finally made it to their location. It's such a big spacious beautiful space. The waiter was sweet . I enjoy every bites of it. Next time I will have to dine in to eat it fresh fresh! read more

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We visited during the holidays which was great for less traffic. We went for lunch. We've only ever had Ethiopian food once before. We enjoyed our food. The ambience feels almost like you are in someone's older house. It's small. The woman helping us (possibly the owner) was nice. The food was cooked quickly. Some things were oily and some were not. A unique cuisine. read more

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INCREDIBLE food! I saw a picture of the tacos a few days ago and have not been able to stop thinking about them. I ordered the tacos and injera rolls for delivery and the were incredible. That flavors were insane. Everything was so fresh and filling. I cannot wait to try more items. read more

Berbere - Et Twist Tacos Day and injera rolls - Vegan Near Me - Santa Monica, California

We had been disappointed when Berbere initially opened that there wasn't a wider range of actual Ethiopian dishes on the menu, but I am so glad my husband heard recently that they now offer this because we don't have to battle traffic to get to Fairfax any longer when we have a craving! We went last night and had the Wish Meal, which is basically like what other places would call a veggie sampler and it was fantastic. Everything was super fresh and well spiced. At the end of the meal we couldn't decide which dish was our favorite because so many were so good. The portions were very ample, and one Wish Meal fed two adults and a toddler perfectly. I hope they get their liquor license soon, as a cup of honey wine is the only thing that could make the experience better! I would especially like to commend them for bringing in a guest server to keep up with the Valentine's Day rush. She was so kind and brought our son some injera to munch on while we waited to order and get our food. Super appreciate that little touch! read more

On Friday, my Private Chef friend, who makes some of the best Vegan soul food around, took me to lunch at Berbere Ethiopian restaurant in Santa Monica! It's Vegan, Plant-Based & a whole lot of flavor! Simply writing about the food brings back memories of each mouthwatering dish! ET Twist Tacos: Flavorful, colorful & wildly delicious in every single bite! These tacos are a winner! Had me saying OMG w/nearly each bite & new flavor I tasted! The amaze sauce & the secret house-made tangfaye sauce are everything! The tacos are something special...absolutely incredible! Pumpkin Dish: Amazing & not on the menu quite yet; will appear at some point in October! Also, ties w/the Twist Tacos as my favorite dish! Insanely delicious & scooping it up the sauce with the Injera bread takes it to a whole new level! Yum & then some! Sinig: Stuffed jalapeño! Spicy deliciousness w/a surprise crunch! Customer Service: It was wonderful to meet the stunning chef & her husband, the other owner! She was friendly, genuine & smiles often. Her husband even gave my friend an extra piece of Injera to scoop up the remainder of the sauce from the new dish & was just as friendly and genuine as well! Overall: We loved it! Plus, it was a great part of my birthday celebration! Each dish is presented in such a beautiful & colorful way! The explosion of flavor gave me an exciting feeling of goodness & healthy vibes surging through my entire body from head to toe, no joke...it's a beautiful feeling! I'm already thinking about my next visit! read more

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beautiful foof and flavors- place smelled terrific from either incense or spices or maybe both. my food was delicious. It came out to $7/piece of my 4 pieces I realized with tax and tip...I would never pay this much except for opportunity to try something new with friends. I am glad for the healthy ambiance and intake and that is worth it. the food had flavor and some may have been to spicy with heat for me, so I was pleased with the mushroom flatbread (or whatever it was. I forget one week later. I spent $8 to park nearby. read more

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What do you get when a carnivore, a vegetarian, and a vegan (plant - based diet) walk into a restaurant? If the restaurant is Berbere, you'll have three happy diners! Whether you love Ethiopian food, plant-based foods, or incredibly delicious food in general, this is Santa Monica's newest casual dining spot. They have a great menu that can cater to someone that is craving a breakfast burrito, someone else wanting tacos, someone else on a juice cleanse, or someone else that wants some injera. All of us were super happy with our meals as the healthy menu can quench and satisfy a hunger for a fabulous lunch. Definitely check the hours as they don't do weekend dinners and are closed on Saturdays. I guess that's part of the allure of this place right? They have both indoor and outdoor seating along with the nicest customer service. Enjoy! read more

Berbere - Et Twist Tacos at Bebere - Vegan Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Louie is wonderful! My wife and I had our anniversary dinner here and we had a blast. The food is amazing and great for those of us with allergies, the restaurant is spacious and pretty, and the service was phenomenal! You can tell our server cares a lot and works hard (thanks again Louie, what a sweet guy!) Also, the ginger turmeric ice cream is genuinely the best ice cream I've ever eaten. read more

Berbere - The Wish Meal - Vegan Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Have been wanting to try this place since they opened in Santa Monica and was finally able to talk the fam into trying them for delivery. It was delicious, and delivery was prompt. Grilled cheese sandwich from the kids menu: My daughter gave this 5/5 stars and said she would get it again. Shockingly, she ate the entire sandwich! (Normally she just peels off the cheese and leaves the bread behind.) She also ate most of the potatoes and declared them delicious. Et twist tacos: My husband tried to order the tofu tibs but they were out, so they called him and suggested this as a replacement. It was quite tasty and filling. Lots of flavors going on there. Eat the rainbow: This was what I ordered since it seemed most aligned with traditional Ethiopian food, which I love. All of the dishes were tasty and had a distinct flavor, and I was even able to get my daughter to try a bite of the injera with the turmeric garbanzo stew as well as a small taste of kale. My one criticism is that nothing was spicy, not even the red lentils. The kale was surprisingly good, I have to admit - normally curly kale is not my thing, but it was perfectly cooked and seasoned. I don't understand the people who were complaining about portion sizes - there's never enough injera to eat with everything, but I had a lot of leftovers to put away. Would definitely be willing to try this place again! So nice to have an Ethiopian option on the Westside read more

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Perfection. Every time I think about this place,I get so excited. This is my Vegan Heaven. I adore Ethiopian food for sure but having it all plant based is such a pleasurable experience. I have been here twice,brunch time. Started with their T&T Ethiopian coffee,so flavorful with rue. Best coffee I've ever had so far. Berz-is their healthy version of OJ it has turmeric and ginger. Another good choice. All the other food in the menu are all delicious. The pancakes,the rainbow,burrito,etc. are definitely the must-order dishes. Staff are wonderful. The outside seating is another plus. Parking in the building or side street. Coming here around 1030-11AM would save you time. read more

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Ethopian food in Santa Monica? No way! And it's Vegan? Okay, that makes more sense now, lol! I love that BERBERE is located exactly where it is bringing inventive food to the masses. I've had my fair share of Ethiopian food --- but not like this. So many twists and turns, creative dishes having rich & deep flavors delighting my senses with every bite. The space is beautiful with high ceilings, airy and bright. Is there a level of service that is even higher than above & beyond? Because this is what my group received here. So kind, so patient (as we were there over 2 hours!), offered so many things, made so many special concessions for us...just above 'above and beyond' excellent staff! Made for such a beautiful meal. We all started with their T&T Buna Coffee ($6). Oh. Em. Gee. Can I get this to go in the future!?!?!?! Cardamon, rue and orange peel...this stuff was the best coffee I've had in awhile. Every dish that came out was bright and beautiful, clearly only using the freshest of ingredients and perfectly paired flavor medleys. I kept thinking to myself...how can it be THIS good but also be healthy!? These are some magical eats. ~The baked cauliflower ($15) is a must get starter! It was perfectly flavored with berbere and parmesan, I fell in love. I should side note to say Berbere is not only the name of the restaurant but also an ingredient in many of the dishes - an Ethiopian spice mixture that brings a tiny bit of heat but mostly insanely good flavor mixing tons of ingredients into a lush enhancement item. ~Injera Rolls ($15) are such a cool new way of doing things. Various flavors inside of soft injera made for a delicious small plate, some bites with chickpeas, some with beets - a lot of fun to be had with this dish. ~For my main, I had the Oyster Mushroom Flatbread ($19) that had red onion, purple cabbage, cilantro cream sauce, and that magical berbere. When I told my friends I had this, they said wait! You don't like cilantro OR onions...but you liked this!? I sure did! I do not know what happened here but I was obsessed with this dish despite it having ingredients I don't typically gravitate towards. It was so darn delicious - loved it and highly recommended! Start to finish, impeccable meal with friendly staff and the best vegan food I've ever had! If you want to bring a meatatarian (like myself) to a Vegan spot that will blow their mind, this is it. They'll be saying - Meat who? Meat what? You do not miss it, at all. I've already texted my Vegan cousin that when she comes to LA next time, we will be going here for an amazing meal. read more

There were too many lentils dishes and the kale & red cabbage dishes weren't very easy to eat or palatable. Kale was cooked and tough to eat, also not chopped well for easy eating, same with red cabbage, huge chunks and were slightly sautéed, not much flavor. Their cauliflower dish was amazing. Service and ambiance very pleasant. But I was dissatisfied with the food. read more

SERVICE - located in Santa Monica near the metro station - street parking available nearby - lots of indoor seating near doors or in upstairs loft - servers are super friendly and helpful in recommending dishes, bringing water, and even warning us when they would run the juicer - food served relatively quickly - there was an Ethiopian tea ceremony happening when we went where a lady was roasting coffee beans and boiling it in a pitcher to make fresh coffee if you ordered it. It takes a while so be patient if you would like to taste it MENU - Ethiopian inspired dishes - all vegan - gluten free options marked - slightly pricey ($20 per entree) FOOD - black seed blueberry teff pancakes (7/10): 3 teff pancakes with nigella seeds and whole blueberries mixed into the batter served with tofu scramble and roasted potatoes. These are not your typical sweet pancakes. The nigella seeds give this a savory feel as they have an herbaceous flavor while the teff has a very earthy note. It tastes best when covered in maple syrup and eaten once the syrup soaks in. They are a good size for one person or to share between 2-4 people. The tofu scramble had no flavor. The berbere potatoes were fantastic; I could have ordered an entire dish of just those. - buticha (9/10): chickpea scramble with 6 pieces of crispy rosemary flatbread. This was my favorite of the dishes we ordered as it tasted to me like comfort food. The chickpea scramble had a blend of warming spices that paired well with the freshness of the rosemary in the bread. There is just the right amount of bread to chickpeas. It makes a good disk to share with a group. - eat the rainbow (8/10): 3 injera rolls with sides of kale slaw, potato cabbage sauté, yellow lentils, and red lentils. The kale slaw did not have much flavor but when mixed with the rest of the dishes it provided a fresh relief. The potato and cabbage was cooked well but also did not have any strong flavor besides the vegetables themselves. The yellow lentils were slightly sweet while the red lentils were more tangy. The injera itself was light and airy, making it easy to soak up the lentils. This is the closest to traditional Ethiopian food I have eaten in the past and would make a good meal for someone who wants a variety of dishes. - kita firfir (7/10): scrambled rosemary flatbread with sides of coconut yogurt and maple syrup. I had never seen this on a menu and was not sure if it would be sweet or savory. It is a good mix of both with the sweet syrup and the earthy herbs. It is slightly overwhelming to eat am entire plate of just this but when added to a spread with other dishes it is great to share. - hot cacao (9/10): plant based cacao with spices and topped with coconut whipped cream. The server accidentally poured an extra glass so he gave it to us for free. I really liked how intense the chocolate flavor was as it was not overpoweringly sweet. It is the same consistency as a good quality oat milk making it easy to drink with a straw. WOULD I COME BACK? Absolutely! read more

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I looked up "healthy lunch near me" after yoga at Iyengar of SM this Monday. One nice perk of yoga: it changes your cravings. I have never wanted a cheeseburger after a yoga class. I found this place (True Food Cafe expensive!) and decided to try it. "Too good to be true" could be the name of this vegan Ethiopian restaurant in a slick , modern CA setting. The menu is innovative and I was skeptical but I could eat here daily. "Eat the Rainbow" comes with four sides and that spongy bread: 1) cabbage and onion with a little potato, 2) turmeric chickpeas (this is like nectar: clearly another spice masks the turmeric) and it tastes more like a magical split pea soup minus ham hock, 3) spicy kale and carrot (I'm not a huge fan of kale and eat it because it's good for me but this was delicious), and 4) red lentil (also spicy). Never have I been more satisfied after a vegan meal that was also GF and low carb. Simply magical food. Not cheap but the portions are quite big (I was starving and finished every bite). Next in LA, trying one of the taco dishes. I hope this place survives. Will become a regular during the week (when parking is easy). read more

Berbere - Cool interior. Two levels - Vegan Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Never tried Ethiopian food before and this place did not disappoint. My boyfriend and I are not Vegans but didn't miss the meat. The eat the rainbow dish is highly recommended to try a more authentic Ethiopian dish with their bread. Each side dish had so much flavor and worked so well with using the bread to saturate the juices. The tacos though were definitely the favorite. Those spices were explosive in the mouth and will definitely be back for more. The service was excellent and food came out pretty fast. Everything tasted fresh and cooked to order. It had an intimate setting with a view to the kitchen. Highly recommend this place for something different even if you are a carnivore. read more

Berbere - Eat The Rainbow Evening - Vegan Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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let me start by saying this is the BEST vegan Ethiopian food i've ever had. i have frequented a lot of Ethiopian restaurants and the veggie platter combos just don't compare to Berbere. the atmosphere is so calming and refreshing and the ambiance is amazing. the staff were quick and efficient as well as attentive without being annoying. the food was served fresh AND hot and the flavors will excite a party in your tummy!! i went here with my mom and we shared everything. to start i ordered the et tacos and let me tell you the reviews for the tacos were right on the money. i never thought id like a taco that wasn't traditional but these made me rethink tacos as a whole. the flavors were so powerful and delicious. honestly it's just best if you're reading this to just try them. no amount of words can describe the flavors. for the main dish, we ordered the eat the rainbow with red lentils, yellow garbanzo beans, purple cabbage and potatoes, and kale. although i loved everything the KALE was the star of the show. it really surprised me how freaking delicious it was. i mean it was tangy but also seasoned just right. cooked to perfection if i do say so myself. to drink we both ordered the blackberry (could've been blueberry not sure?) mint lemonade and it was refreshing. i didn't feel guilty drinking it at all. for dessert i ordered the sublime confection and it was superb!! it's an interesting dessert to describe but it had banana and chocolate and ice cream and that was enough for me to order. the banana was not overwhelming either. i ended off dinner with a hot cacao and i burned my tongue so badly but it was so good i didn't even mind it. the cacao was so rich and thick. it was a nice treat to end a wonderful dinner. all in all our experience here was everything and more. i cannot wait to go back soon because it's right near my job two blocks away. side note: it is on the pricier side but i promise you won't feel robbed or cheated the portions AND the flavors are worth every damn penny. berbere is a 10000/10. read more

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- Service 5/5 We came a bit late so it went past closing time by around 20 minutes by the time we finished eating, but they were happy to let us in early on. Tons of water as well as a small amount of napkins were given. The Wish Meal Combo is going to involve a lot of hands, so luckily there's a pretty clean restroom that's very fast to access if you get too messy. - Atmosphere 5/5 The place is nice and bigger than expected. 2 stories, clean tables with a flower in the middle, lots of decorations (pillows, plants). Plants are used to block places you shouldn't walk past, which I think is pretty cool. Nice quiet music. I was just here with a friend, but I'd imagine it's a good place to take a date to. - Food 5/5 Amazing. We got the Wish Meal Combo, and the Oyster Flatbread (4 pieces). -- Oyster Flatbread 5/5 We destroyed the Oyster Flatbread like.. within seconds. So much flavor and really easy to eat (didn't have to worry about the toppings falling off). -- Wish Meal Combo 5/5 So this one's a bit interesting. You wanna basically grab the Injera, and grab pieces from each section and place it on. So it was fun figuring out what combos were good. The red lentels were the only ones we were not a fan of, so we skipped that. The turmeric garbanzo was meh on its own, but when mixed with the others, it resulted in a really amazing taste. So just mix and match a lot until you find the flavor that fits you! Eating The Wish Meal combo was fun, filling, and delicious! -- T&T Buna Coffee 4/5 This coffee starts out kinda meh, but as you drink it more and more it tastes really good! So I started out extremely slow, but eventually I was able to just gulp it down within 30 seconds. Will visit again! read more

Berbere - T&T BUNA (COFFEE) + the flower - Vegan Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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I REALLY enjoyed the food. The service was really gracious. However, for an order at the front kind of place, I was disappointed by just how long it took to get our food and hot teas. There were only two employees working. During lunch. While also accepting carry out orders. So I understand that they were a little frazzled. However a better breakdown and delegation of tasks may have been helpful to them. For example, the cook was responsible for the food AND making the teas. Perhaps the front counter attendant could have made tea? Or just have another staff member altogether? Regardless, the food was very healthy and yummy. You'll just have to be patient. read more

Came here FINALLY for lunch and tried a couple items with friends: Eat the Rainbow...5 stars!! A must order - comes with red lentils, turmeric garbanzo, purple cabbage with potato, and sauteed greens. If you've had Ethiopian cuisine before, this is a solid, traditional choice and rivals the flavors of those served in the Fairfax district. The injera is tangy and a great compliment to the four dishes. Very fresh too. T&T Caesar salad...2.5 stars Comes with romain lettuce, parmesan, roasted garbanzo beans, lemon zest, and croutons. For a similar price, it didn't live up to the variety and complexity of the other dish. The saltiness and amount of croutons overwhelmed the other flavors of the salad. Setting: 5 stars Two servers helped us with our order and at the table to ensure all was well. Tables include two stories inside, as well as outside seating. It's such a cute and modern space. If I could make a suggestion for outside, consider leveling the tables because they are quite slanted near the curb. Will def come back to try more of their menu! read more

Berbere - Eat the Rainbow! 5 stars - Vegan Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Below average rating based on one visit and one meal. Introducing the "Oyster Flat Bread." Included ingredients supposedly are: Obviously, Oyster mushroom, followed by red onions, purple cabbage, cilantro and micro greens. When the dish's name is Oyster something, I'd suggest to the chef to make sure there is some hint of oyster that can come through. There were no sight of it and no taste of it. 90% of the taste was basically red onions. Maybe it's a kind of a dish to help people exercise their sense of imagination. It's possible. As in, imagine there are oysters and mushrooms in the dish. Flowed by imagine what it would have tasted like in an ocean of grilled red onions. Hmmm. Maybe, imagine not over grilling the Injera so it won't break into 5 pieces when someone lifts a piece of the "Oyster" flatbread to their mouth. read more

I ordered the Superfood Combo through Postmates and the food arrived within a half hour. The prices are a bit steep and even more so with the inflated Postmates pricing, but I was really craving Ethiopian food and I'm glad this hit the spot. - Red Lentil: This was a bit too salty and the lentils were a tad hard and undercooked, but overall I was happy with the flavor. - Garbanzo Beans with Turmeric: This was my favorite!!! It was flavorful, delicate, and perfectly seasoned. - Purple Cabbage with Potato: This was really good. The cabbage was cooked perfectly (crisp yet soft) but the bigger pieces of potatoes were too raw and crunchy for my taste. - Kale/Spinach/Carrot salad with Ethiopian Salad Dressing: This was perfect but a bit too salty. I'd definitely order an extra roll or two of injera next time and I can't wait to try their sliders and tacos! read more

I was so delighted with my meal!!! The waiter was so pleasant to interact with, he was very polite and smiled very nicely. We ordered The Wish Meal, the Healing Thyme soup, and the Hot Cacao. I loved the Wish Meal, it was delicious. When it came, the waiter went over each part of the meal and described all the different ingredients in each component, which was so thoughtful. Every single part was delicious too!!! If you come here, I absolutely recommend getting this meal, especially if you are unsure of what you might like. The portion sizes for each component was perfect. The Healing Thyme soup was nice, but not the best lentil soup I've had. I wouldn't order this again, it was just a standard lentil stew. The flatbread you get with it was pretty great though! Lastly, the Hot Cacao was divine! They serve it REALLY hot, so be careful, I burned my tongue hahaha. But totally order this drink, it was a perfectly spiced hot chocolate and just lovely to drink with my meal. And the whipped cream on top was not overly strong in coconut taste, which was a happy surprise. read more

Berbere - The Wish Meal - Vegan Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Let me start by saying that I typically maintain a pretty meat-heavy diet. It's rare that I come across vegan options that hold my taste buds captive, but Berbere has the flavor in pounds. Seriously didn't anticipate to leave wanting to place another order of the tacos to go, but I came extremely close. I had the pleasure of speaking with one half of the owning couple and could easily tell that this restaurant is a passionate project as much as it is a business. Really want this place to succeed and I'll be looking for it upon my return to the LA area. read more

Berbere - ET Twist Tacos. Potato, lentil, mushroom, cilantro, awaze, Ethopian salad dressing, tangfaye sauce, microgreens - Vegan Near Me - Santa Monica, California

I came here on a weekday around 2:30 and had the place to myself! Likely because the lunch crowd was long gone and they were closing at 3 pm until dinner time that day. Even so, they didn't rush me out. The place is cute, with a bit of loft seating as well. Anna greeted me right away and was so sweet. I decided on the plant burger, but I was curious about the clay pot garbanzo stew, so she kindly brought me a sample of it so I could have an idea of the spices they used. It was really delicious and spicy, but more of a thick soup than a stew. The burger was beautiful and huge and came with a generous side of berbere spiced roasted potato wedges and yummy dipping sauce. The burger patty was made of butternut squash, carrots, red onion, flax seed, and cabbage and had a creamy cilantro sauce and micro greens. I loved all the flavors in both the burger and the potatoes. It's so nice to have a burger that is homemade and not the typical fake meat served in most restaurants. They have filtered water on the counter that is flavored with lemon and mint, I believe. I'm looking forward to trying out the brunch menu! read more

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ambiance is relaxing service is prompt food was DULL and boring and the yellow turmeric gorbonzo was closer in FLAVOR to baby food then ethiopian cuisine read more

What a delightful and delicious surprise! Berbère makes "eating the rainbow" a truly decadent experience. Don't miss this healthy and flavorful dining experience. read more

One of the Ethiopian best meals I've had. Incredible flavors, generous portions and all with friendly service. We ordered the Wish Meal and it had a nice sample of everything while filling up two hungry people. I loved the purple cabbage and potatoes and my husband liked the Azifa. Paired with some Shai (their spiced hot tea) was perfect. The ambiance is sweet and starts the moment you walk in with smells of cloves and incense. Heavenly! Will be coming back regularly. And if you haven't been here, definitely try it! Too good! read more

Berbere - This was the sampler plate with tons of items. Great for two to share! - Vegan Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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What a great spot! The staff are incredibly nice, and the food is delicious (I was a big fan of the blueberry teff pancakes). I can't wait to go back and try more! Everything is vegan and most of the items are also gluten free! read more

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