I had never tried Ethiopian food before, so this was a completely new experience for me. The reason I finally decided to give it a try was because I work in the same building and would often catch the aroma drifting through the hallway--warm, rich, and incredibly inviting. Every time I smelled it, I told myself that I have to try it. When I finally stopped in, I was not disappointed. It was flavorful, comforting, and it actually tasted like Thai food a bit. I honestly don't even know the names of the dishes I tried, but I enjoyed every bite. This first visit has definitely made me excited to come back and explore more of the menu. I can't wait to try my next dish! read more

Cafe Romanat - Ethiopian Near Me - Oakland, California

Go for the food and service, not the ambiance. The food was amazing. I'm not an expert on Ethiopian cuisine, but I enjoy it and would not hesitate to go back to Romanat. In fact, it would be at the top of my list if I was hungry for Ethiopian. Service was friendly and attentive. Helped guide us to a platter for our small group and it was the perfect choice. It's not a beautiful restaurant, but the food is the star and the reason to go. read more

So this place is Ethiopian cuisine. Not many of those around these days. I've only been to the one other one before this one. But it's got all the flavors and bread that I had at this other place that belonged to the Queen of Sheba. I think the food was great. That 'bread' was sour and also tasted as expected, which was yummy. All the meats which were chicken and beef were very tasty. And so were the veggie option which was made out of eggplant. This eggplant was not oily but still tasted very good and not strongly bitter. Service was very nice and friendly. They gave us an extra samosa bc they wanted everyone to have a piece. And the place is very cozy and well decorated. We had a party of 9 and they fitted us. Prolly bc we reserved ahead of time. If you want this type of food, I'd would recommend it. Until I find something Mediterranean or more similar and better. read more

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Just great food. I've gone to many Ethiopian restaurants in east bay. Many are good. Cafe Romanat is just consistently the best.

I have been loving this place since coming here in 2017 when pregnant. Always loved their freshly made food. We realized that we friends who have glutten sensitivities or veggie or vegan lifestyle, ethiopian food is just very easy for everyone so we now always bring friends here. We typically always order the veggie platter since we usually share with veggie and vegan friends / family. Love the food last time we came just before the holidays we ordered extra injeera that we didnt end up finishing so we took it to go. We loved having leftovers af home with almond/ peanut butter or cream cheese and roll it up. So yummy. Will now always pack extra injeeral to bring home Place is always clean and so community oriented. Bathrooms are clean and staff if friendly and courteous. Food comes out pretty quick read more

Cafe Romanat - Ethiopian Near Me - Oakland, California

Cafe Romanat has been here for over a decade+.decor is bricks & paint with a few pics & drawings on wall. Single server doubles as the chef. Greeted eventually upon entering. Ordered. Food came in 20ish minutes. Offerings (Ethiopian): vegan, meats, combos, drinks, appetizers... Sips: Ethiopian coffee (3) -small pour, robust flavor. No creamer, skipped sugar. Brewed to order. Bites: mitten shiro vegan combo (21) -atakilt: cabbage, carrots, potato sautéed in garlic, onion, tumeric, & ginger. Flavas blended. Tastes bland. Small portion. -gomen: homemade braised collard greens, onions, tomatos, garlic & jalepenos. Small portion. Veggies felt, not tastable. Slightly spicy notes. -injera: lots. Goes good with mitten shiro. -mitten shiro; housemade chickpeas flour, mixed with berbere spices, garlic. Ala thick curry. Has potent hot spicy kick. The main event. -buticha: Ethiopian chickpea flour mixed with greens. Jalepenos, olive oil, water, lemon juice, onions. Refreshing, tasty.. 4ish stars. Semi-worthy:YMMV. Guality: good handmade ingredients. Quantity: injera, buticha mitten shiro plentiful. Gomen, atakilt small portion, not so flavorful. read more

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My husband and I came on a Saturday at noon. It was pretty empty - just one other couple there. We waited by the door for close to 10 minutes before someone came out and told us to sit anywhere. We ordered the veggie combo for 2 ($38) and a superseed smoothie ($5) to share. We finished the combo between the two of us and were full afterwards. I felt like there wasn't enough seasoning or spice. Also the portions of the individual stews were kind of disappointing given the cost. We really enjoyed the misir wot the best. The superfood smoothie was pretty good too. Very earthy and nutty, if you're into that thing. Total bill for two people was $55 not including tip- veggie combo, smoothie, one beer. Parking was pretty difficult given the farmers market. read more

Cafe Romanat - Ethiopian Near Me - Oakland, California

We had a large group, which gave us the perfect opportunity to try most of the items on the menu. We ordered every vegetarian dish, along with the buticha and the doro wot. Every single item was outstanding. The flavors were authentic, rich, and beautifully balanced. The service was just as impressive as the food. Adey, who is the owner, was warm, welcoming, attentive, and incredibly prompt throughout our meal. She made sure our large group was well taken care of from start to finish. If you're looking for excellent Ethiopian food in the Bay Area, Cafe Romanat is an easy recommendation. Delicious food, outstanding hospitality, and a wonderful dining experience. We will definitely be back. read more

This place is still consistently delicious and my favorite spot for Ethiopian food. Veggie combo and doro tibs are both delicious. Buticha is addictive and tastes great with everything. The sambussas still hit the spot. Was definitely busy on a Sunday night which I'm happy to see! read more

This is hands down my favorite Ethiopian restaurant in life. Although I live in Southern California, there are days where I am tempted to take a flight just to go here. And I recommend it to anyone I know who is in Oakland area or going there, just so I can live vicariously through them. Patience is a virtue, though. The food does take time to be prepared and brought out to you, but it will be worth it! read more

Went for dinner last night (Tuesday) evening with husband and daughter. It was quiet enough for good conversation. We had a medium veggie sampler platter and a lamb dish with turmeric. Everything tasted amazing, so many flavors. Best Ethiopian meal we've had in years! Service was good too. read more

My partner and I are regulars here. Service is great. We absolutely love the spicy beef tibs highly recommend

Very visible as you enter the freeway. But, the mystery has been for years is how do you get to this restaurant. Today was the day to figure that out. Instead of getting on the freeway you turn right after the restaurant and park on the side street or drive around the block like we did and park in front. Parking and getting here is very tricky. If you are stumped park on Grand Ave and walk up the street. There is no private lot so it's all street parking with meters. We ent after 6pm so the meters weren't charging and there was a single spot in front waiting for us. There are 2 Ethiopian restaurants down the street from each other and we choose this one as it had more stars. Let me start with, I've had Ethiopian food before, so I know I like this type of food. I'm familiar with the food, but not that familiar with it that i know what to order on its own. I usually just order the standard/classic meat and veggie platter. A little bit of everything. It was delicious we licked the platter. My favorite dish was the lamb ribs. It really stood out from everything else. I also liked the collard greens. Those were my two favorites. I'd come back and order the lamb tibs as a dish of its own and the veggie platter for two and split it. read more

Cafe Romanat - Menu - Ethiopian Near Me - Oakland, California

Ww regularly drive from Pacifica for their delicious good! The buticha and mushroom tips are our favorites.

Great local spot for our group of five girl's night out dinner. We loved the combo options, we got one veggie for our vegetarian friends, and the meat shiro veggie combo for three. Injera was soft and pillowy. Service was very friendly and accommodating. My favorite had to have been the seed juice (mix of different seeds), it was so delicious and I dream about it. read more

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Very delicious food! Ordered the veggie combo (as pictured). Everything tasted really fresh, healthy, and packed with flavor. Also ordered the seed combo smoothie which was fine and my guess it was more so not my cup of drink vs it being poor tasting. My friend is obsessed with their buticha (similar to hummus) for the appetizer and it was really really good. Said it reminds her of her mom's cooking and the only Ethiopian place in the Bay she says does that. read more

Cafe Romanat - Veggie Combo - Ethiopian Near Me - Oakland, California

In the Grand Lake area and decided to step out of my comfort zone by trying Ethiopian food for the first time. When we arrived, there were only two other tables being served, so we were seated quickly. The restaurant had just one waitress working, which seemed sufficient given how quiet it was. After asking a few questions, we placed our order. My friend opted for a combination plate, but we weren't informed that it was a portion for two and priced accordingly--essentially double the cost of a standard entrée. While my friend enjoyed most of her meal, she was surprised by the size and cost of the dish. I found the food to be just okay. I tried an Ethiopian beer, which was a nice touch, but my friend's iced tea never got refilled. Once the food arrived, the service became almost nonexistent; we had to flag down the waitress to get her attention. The decor is simple, but for the prices they charge, I expected a bit more in terms of both food and service. Unfortunately, I don't plan on returning. read more

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Service is good, food was good the first two times but our most recent visit had cold injera and a very neutered misir wot - which also had a weird after taste. The restaurant is under renovation so the already raw and spartan ambiance has been worsened. So as of now, this place has been struck off my list! read more

SO good. We came without a reservation with a huge group (12 of us) on a Saturday night, and they were able to accommodate all of us and remain friendly! Our side of the table got a veggie platter and mushroom tibs, and it was SO GOOD. I'm sad that we don't live in the area, or we'd be here all the time. The veggie platter has the typical portions of Misir Wot (red lentils with spices), Kik Alicha (yellow pea stew), Atalkit (cabbage and carrots), and Gomen (collard greens). And the mushroom tibs -- ahhh so tasty! They also provide a bunch of injera to eat with everything. Fantastic. Also got a spiced tea which really hit the spot. read more

A very lovely neighborhood spot. The Doro (chicken) Tibs were delicious. Very moist and flavorful. The side salad that came with it was fresh and plentiful, and there was also a lot of extra injera to go around. (We probably didn't need to order the starter salad, but it's always nice to have extra greens on hand.) I would definitely add this place to my rotating list of regular spots. read more

Cafe Romanat - Doro (Chicken) Tibs - Ethiopian Near Me - Oakland, California

Love this restaurant! Only thing was that the front door would not open. We kept pulling/pushing really hard and we were like is the door locked? We could see people inside. We tried knocking but nobody noticed us (not staff nor customers). I called and they picked up immediately and they let us in. I hope they fix that door soon because later another man was experiencing the same thing. The food was really good. I love Ethiopian food and it was cozy inside and all the staff was really kind. Will come back! read more

Cafe Romanat - Veggie Combo & Meat - Ethiopian Near Me - Oakland, California

If I could eat one thing for the rest of my life, it might be the kik alicha. It might be the simplest thing on the menu - just mellow yellow lentils, with the salad, and the buticha. Every single thing is just my favorite thing on the plate. I could do this every day. read more

Café Romanat is near Lake Merrit. My friend took me here because she loves their Buticha (Ethiopian hummus with chickpeas, garlic, jalapeños and onions). It came on the vegan platter and also came with the Vegetarian Sambusas. The vegan platter was super fresh, delicious, and we love that they plated in such a way that we each had our own side and even portions of everything. The Buticha was so delicious and creamy. I get why my friend wanted to go just for it. The Sambusas were crispy and spicy but the Buticha helped to mellow out the heat. Their enjera was so spongy and fresh. They also offer gluten free enjera which is awesome. The decor is simple and they have lots of seating options. We sat by the window and got some sun on us while we ate which was lovely. Parking is really tough in this area. That's really the only downside. Service was ok, except they never refilled our enjera though I'm sure we could have asked for more so we just made due without. read more

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I've had some good Ethiopian food in my time, but Romanat is next level. The mushrooms in the tibs are always well-cooked and not too many jalapenos. The injera is soft and chewy with excellent flavor. The misir wot is delectable. And my favorite, the doro wat, is deep, rich and beautifully counterpointed by the egg. Best of all, the combination is a symphony of flavor that always leaves me wholly satisfied. Be advised that the order form on Yelp is illusory - if you want to order online, you have to go DoorDash, as they're no longer on GrubHub. read more

As someone who had access to the amazing, authentic Ethiopian food scene in DC, trying to find good places in CA has been.....a challenge. This place hits what I've been looking for AND it gave me a bonus level in the form of the creamiest hummus (get the buticha, don't over think it, life's too short to skip good food). The Doro tibs are what we came for and they did not disappoint. Pro tip - get the honey mead. Pro tip for non alcohol drinkers - get the spiced tea. read more

Cafe Romanat - Buticha - Don't skip this, you've never had hummus this good - Ethiopian Near Me - Oakland, California

Went to Oakland and I heard that there's a lot of Ethiopian joints - Romanat was one of the recommended ones. I'm not an expert on Ethiopian food as I've only had it a few times, but Romanat was great. Much better compared to other places I've been to. 1. Buticha: think hummus Ethiopian-style but much better. Fluffy, silky smooth, and wonderful. Garlicky in the best way. Came with some injera to scoop up all that goodness. A perfect starter. 2. Meat and veggie combo platter for two people: great flavors, especially for the meat dishes. Only complaint was that they were a bit stingy with the meat and it didn't come with much of it - mostly sauce. Very very generous with the injera though. 3. Also got an Ethiopian coffee. Nuff said. Ethiopian coffee is always amazing. Strong, fruity, and acidic. Overall, Romanat is a great Ethiopian joint worth going to if you find yourself in Oakland. read more

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So I wish I could give this infinite stars. I had a spiritual experience here. It's been 5 days and I can't stop thinking about the meal. How did I not know about this place? What the heck have I been doing? My cousin took us and she just kept saying..'you'll see.' And I do. I see the light. First we ordered the Buticha. That's when I lost consciousness and woke up in a dreamland. It's kinda like hummus but better. It's so creamy and earthy. There is a salad on the plate and the citrus dressing mixed with the creaminess of the dip with the best injera I've ever had...made the perfect bite! I couldn't stop eating it. None of us could. And there's a spicy red sauce that is on the side that has a nice heat and fantastic flavor. It pulls it all together. Warning don't fill up on this like we did. The injera expands in your tummy like nothing else. And then you won't have room for the other goodies. We also got the vegetarian Sambussa which are like an Indian samosa. They are very hot inside so wait a bit for them to cool. The filling was meaty but there was no meat. So crispy and perfect for dipping in more Buticha. The 4 of us shared the veggie and meat combo and it was huge! We got two of everything. We couldn't finish it. The collard greens really stood out and I also loved the Lentil and the split peas. Everything was great. Chicken was moist, lamb was delicious and the beef was tender. I got an iced tea which was different for me. It had the taste of allspice, but subtle. Really good. Service was at a nice pace. You are meant to sit and enjoy and relax. I loved every second. I will go back many times. And the I found out they had a Michelin award! Of course they did. The only issue was parking. We parked blocks away in the residential area. But we were so full we ended up walking up and down Grand and back to the car to work it off. Bathroom was clean and there is an extra sink outside to wash your hands since you eat with your hands. Enjoy!! read more

Cafe Romanat - Injera - Ethiopian Near Me - Oakland, California

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This place is a hidden gem. The food is so so so good. I could eat here every day of the week and honestly if I did I'd probably be a lot healthier. The staff is incredibly friendly, warm and welcoming. read more

Stumbled on this place and was pleasantly surprised. The food was great and I will be back. I recommend the veggie meat combo since it gives you a taste of a lot of different items. read more

I had the Doro wat. It was hot spicey and delicious. The honey wine is so tasty. The waitress was so nice. Went back for the combo vegan plate. Yummy. I just wish they had live entertainment. That would really set it off.. read more

Our new go to Ethiopian spot. Not only are the prices the best in town but the portions are huge and they give you tons of injera, unlike a few others where you always need more. Veggie Combo is more than enough for one person. Perfect meal for 2 is one combo and add the mushroom tibs. Sooo good. Meat combo is amazing too. Cant really go wrong here! Always has the perfect level of spice too. Not bland, not burning - just right. read more

Cafe Romanat - Veggie Combo - Ethiopian Near Me - Oakland, California

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We had two of the vegan dishes, the lentils and the split peas. The lentils were amazing! The split pea is really mild and yummy. They're great together, and they came with a nice salad that went great with them. Delicious. Bonus points for making gluten-free injera on request!! read more

Absolutely amazing spot! Hidden gem near 580 freeway. Ambiance is so chill and cool, service was quick but without feeling rushed and the food was incredible! Everything was so tasty! We initially thought we ordered too much but the food disappeared so quickly because it was just that delicious. Highly recommend read more

This beautiful restaurant was such a lovely experience. Adey was so kind and such an incredible host! This authentic Ethiopian food was very delicious. The veggie sambussas were amazing! I could eat here again and again. Thanks for sitting with us in a traditional coffee ceremony. read more

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Cute ambience! Friendly waitresses! Authentic food! Loved the Shiro wot! My fav vegetarian dish ! It was the first time for my lil kids to try Ethiopian and they loved it too. Highly recommend the place. read more

Tasty and delicious!! The Sanbusas were fresh and crispy on top of their pickled lettuce packed with so much flavor. The veggie combo platter was perfect for sharing for 2 people maybe even 3. Second time coming here and will definitely be back again not just for the food but for the friendly staff! read more

Cafe Romanat - 4 Piece Vegetarian Sambussa - Ethiopian Near Me - Oakland, California

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The last time I got food here the container was pretty scant on food. I got the meat sampler plate and got home, and one of the compartments was empty. Great taste, but the portions are getting much smaller and prices higher. I wouldn't say this is worth $20. read more

Cafe Romanat - Meat Sampler - Ethiopian Near Me - Oakland, California

We stopped in after watching a movie at the beloved Grand Lake Theater. There were four of us, and we ordered a combo platter for four. It was delicious and the engera bread was generous and really good, which is not always the case at Ethiopian restaurants. The restaurant is spacious, and there is one outside table. read more

Cafe Romanat - Vegetable Combo platter for 4 - Ethiopian Near Me - Oakland, California

Ended up going with the meat combo, the meat dishes them selves are quite good but the injera here is quite purely done. I think they go a bit hard with the flour and light on teft without full time to ferment as the injera was thick but not super spongy. The coffee was also incredibly acidic Decent place but better options out there read more

Cafe Romanat - Meat Combo - Ethiopian Near Me - Oakland, California

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Delicious! We got the veggie platter plus the Bozena-shiro, a dish which we hadn't had at other Ethiopian restaurants. Everything was very good! Mr. M liked his flaxseed drink even better here than at our other favorite place. read more