I'd like to be able to review the food, but after waiting 50 minutes, we still hadn't seen any of it. Well, I take that back. 45 minutes after we ordered and repeated questions about when the food was coming, they did bring the samosas we ordered. They were underdone and doughy. Yes, I understand that the service is leisurely. I'd factored that into the evening. People around us sat after we did and were served their food within 20 minutes. We were repeatedly told "It'll be here in 2 minutes". That went on for over 15 minutes. Then we were told, "It's coming right now." Five minutes later we left cash for the samosas and left. The staff could have just apologized for the snafu and given us an honest estimate of when we could expect our food. We would have gotten sandwiches at the deli and been better off. I'd have been fine, and not written this review. read more

We came here for my birthday and had a wonderful time. Food is delicious, decor and atmosphere are great, and the staff is friendly and helpful. Great restaurant and good for groups. read more

Nice ambience and well seasoned dishes. Good wines too. Injera is also very good. Problem ? Portion sizes. Chicken entree only had a single piece of a very small leg! Not enough for an $16 price tag. read more

it there is one thing that stands out about Lemat, it's the feeling of elegant relaxation we get while we dine there. Ethiopians, I'm learning, are a dignified, graceful, spiritual and hardworking people. It shows as you enter Lemat. The ceiling is at least 16' and the walls and floor are covered with polished wood. It looks spacious, clean, sophisticated and inviting. I've never been to Africa, but i imagine Lemat is channeling the best of it. The music is Ethiopian: rhythmic, cyclical and trance-inducing. There is enough noise from music and other people to provide a pleasant background buzz. But we never had to raise our voices to be heard. Ethiopian beer is something we haven't seen elsewhere. It was refreshing and had a distinctly clean finish. We always sit at the knee-high table on leather seats - like a boss. Ethiopians use a flexible thin bread to pick up their food with their hands instead of spoon and fork. Having the table lower makes this tactile connection to your food even easier. The food that we ordered was a healthy array of vegetable dishes all served on a single platter. The presentation is appetizing. None of the "dishes" were too sweet or greasy. Each had its own subtle nourishing taste. We indulged ourselves with baklava for desert. The people who serve you are friendly, relaxed and efficient. Everything arrived at our table such that we only had to think about our conversation. The owner made a cameo to make sure we felt welcome. After all this pleasure, you will be pleasantly surprised by the bill. Lemat is great place for date night! read more

See all

We walked in and waited at the host stand, but no one came over. It was busy, but there were three employees behind the bar that didn't look particularly occupied. Eventually we walked over to the bar and asked if they had a table for two. We were directed to sit at a nearby empty table. They delivered menus and took our order relatively quickly, but then the food took a full 45 minutes to come out. After dropping off the food, our waitress never came back to the table to ask if we wanted anything else (we did) or to top off water. The food was cold when it came out, but otherwise good. Not any better than the other two ethiopian restaurants within a mile of this place. The decor is quite beautiful, but given the service we'll probably just hit abesha next time. read more

Awesome place. I look forward to coming back here in the future. The meal was great. The location and ambience is awesome. The tej could be better though. read more

Delicious! Two of us split the veg combo and meat combo. Everything was well seasoned, juicy meat, fresh/ tasty veggies, and authentic injera (slightly sour which is right on). Service was great. It is a clean and open space with tasteful decor. Prices were reasonable and included beer and wine. I first had Ethiopian cuisine in the Little Ethiopia neighborhood of Los Angeles many years ago. Lemat was on par with the best of those places. Will definitely be back to this wonderful addition to the Adeline Corridor. read more

Lemat Ethiopian Restaurant - Yum! - Ethiopian Near Me - Berkeley, California

We had a wonderful dinner at Lemat. The food was excellent and wait till you taste the Teg - Ethiopian honey wine. The place is wonderfully designed and the furniture is definitely a new experience to sit down for dinner. The roundness of the basket table where the food is placed and the vibrant colored reeds that make the table and when you add the low chair made to fit it makes a rich environment in every sense. The food was freshly made and the taste is something I have to go back for. We had a wonderful Dining experience.Check it out. read more

Lemat is a hidden treasure in the city of Berkeley. Not only is it beautifully decorated but the food is AMAZING and the staff members are extremely pleasant. My family & I have already scheduled our next visit! read more

Fantastic dinner here last night. Inviting space, honey wine, coffee roasted onsite-- lots of nice touches. We had the vegetarian combo and beef tibs and not a morsel was left. Chatted with the charming owner and let him know we'd be back. read more

This place has its own slightly distinct variation on one of my favorite classic cuisines of the human species. What I liked most about this place was the wonderful feeling that's sitting in the dining room gave me end this feeling mostly came from the wonderful people who run this restaurant. read more

Love this place! Great for everyone; meat eaters/veggies/vegans/gluten free... the samosas are the best!

A new Ethiopian restaurant in Berkeley, this former karate dojo has been transformed into Ethiopia by Lemat restaurant. The Lemat team imported all the interior fittings from Ethiopia, which should tell you something about the approach to food. We've enjoyed the Lemat hospitality twice now, and found that the combination platter portions are plenty for two. The food quality id very good, where sometimes you may find Ethiopian to be very heavy, at Lemat I found it to be just a bit lighter than the competition. The restaurant is new, and it is helpful to be proactive with the servers, I found that when I told them expectations upfront, they appreciated the direction. They are all very sweet, just finding their service rhythm. The restrooms are spotless, and there is a nice patio in the back that could be good for parties during the Summer, For good value, quality Ethiopian food, with warm hospitality - Lemat! read more

This place is absolutely fantastic! It's very transporting with the lamps, authentic furniture, and honey wine. I don't normally like sweet wines, but their homemade honey wine tastes like this refreshing pear, mixed with honey nectar. Food is delicious with rich buttery flavors and well spiced. The Injera has a deep sour dough, with a hint of goat cheese funk to it. The owner is very personable, and makes an effort to talk to you and share his passion for all the details that make an authentic experience. Highly recommend anyone go and support this new place! We need more like it and glad to have it in the neighborhood. read more

We are so happy that Lemat thrives in the midst of difficulty. Their incredibly delicious food is a comfort and a constant sense of wonder at how the chef(s) get that incredible consistency of everything we have ever had. Favorite: the veggie combo, the shiro! if you've never had shiro, order this from Lemat. The mushroom tibs are amazing. I love Lemat the best of the best always! read more

Excellent, warm customer service. Feel very welcome coming in here. On top of that, all of the staff is very educated on the ingredients in their food and understands food allergies (and can clearly tell you what their food does or does not contain). Their food in and of itself is exceptional, full of flavor and has good-sized portions. And the ambiance -- very clean and nice inside with beautiful decorations. Will keep coming back again and again! read more

I have been eating Ethiopian in Berkeley and Oakland since the 80s. Lemat is as good as any of them. Great service, large portions, and deliciously fresh and spicy. The two of us shared family style a veggie combo and a meat combo. To make this even a better deal, entertained by a jazz trio. Can not wait to return. read more

I was excited to try this new Ethiopian restaurant in Berkeley. We had the veggie combo and mushroom tibs. Tasty, and portion was good. Another solid place for Ethiopian food, but with so many other great Ethiopian restaurants already in Berkeley/Oakland, the food didn't really stand out. Restaurant itself was spacious and had a homey feel. read more

Lemat Ethiopian Restaurant - Veggie combo and mushroom tibs. - Ethiopian Near Me - Berkeley, California

I was Just let down had really high hopes for the place too .The food was bland and the service was basically non-existent despite the restaurant being empty ? Idk a couple positives the decor , cleanliness, good injera?and so was the honey wine. Unfortunately that's just not enough to make me go back. read more

I found my new Ethiopian Food spot in Berkeley The food was great, hot and the atmosphere very inviting. I got the vegetable platter. OMG it was phenomenal. There is also a jazz band on Friday nights. Can't wait to bring some friends read more

Lemat Ethiopian Restaurant - The food was delicious, hot, and oh so good. You know I am an Ethiopian connoisseur - Ethiopian Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

Id say that I know my way around some veggie Ethiopian dishes and Lemat is one of my favorite spots right now! But good food isnt what gets me on yelp to write a review- I gotta say that the service at Lemat is really awesome. I like the staff and the overall spacious feel of the restaurant. Also, gotta say that the honey wine was the best I have had in the bay so far too! read more

The food is great, staff very friendly and awesome. Restaurant is beautiful and delivery experiences better than most. Thanks Lemat for being a great local experience read more

Amazing ambience, great decor, love this place for their traditional table and chair. Mouth watering veggie combo and lentil sambhusa. read more

See all

The Atakilt (cabbage and carrots) is heavenly and is my favorite of any of the six Berkeley/Oakland restaurants I've tried. Thumbs up in general for the vegetarian sampler-- not too greasy, not too salty, lovely flavors, and includes mitten shiro (Ethiopian "hummus"). Lovely atmosphere/ decorations, and popular with Ethiopians. Solid choice. read more

This is now my favorite Ethiopian hands down. Food was delicious!! Flavors are much richer than Colucci, which had been my previous go to. Portions are generous and prices are reasonable. I split a meat combo and a veggie combo. Both were great, but I preferred the meat. Restaurant is well decorated and clean. Ambience is very pleasant, but the food is the star! read more

I was able to try many of the dishes and I was very impressed with every single thing. The lentil samosas should not be missed! They are perfect and the sauce is marvelous. I wasn't expecting such greatness, but now that you know - expect greatness! Because this place is not going to disappoint read more

I have eaten here several times over the past few month ,a must go for Ethiopian food lovers ,very clean,Authentic ,delicious Dishes and a very friendly staff highly recommend this place. !!!!!! read more

Lemat Ethiopian Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Berkeley, California

lemat is one of the very best ethiopian places i have ever been to, and the neighborhood is full of amazing choices. they nail both veggie and meat options, which seems like a rarity. i would gladly eat anything on the menu, although their buticha is simply on another level. if someone offered to replace my inferior human blood with lemat's buticha, i would probably turn them down but not before making a large pros and cons list. the staff doesn't seem to feel compelled to do the common american performance of being delighted to serve you, and i have so much respect and admiration for that. it's actually very embarrassing that my sorry white butt doesn't want to eat the red lentils, and i appreciate someone who will sit with me in that shame and still let me replace them with buticha or atakilt wat. i love you, lemat!! please let me order like, a full entree-sized serving of the buticha. i understand why you charge $6.50 for a little scoop of it, it's totally fair, but i would love the opportunity to order a full party platter of it when the need arises. read more

I have never had a more memorable ethnic meal! The atmosphere and service were great and the food was superb! This is the best Ethiopian place I've been to (and I've tried a few here in the city!) Definitely worth the drive to Berkeley! read more

Wonderful. Atmosphere is wonderful for a family dinner where great food and good conversation abound. The veggie combo is delicious and the teff injera is perfect. read more

This place is amazing!! I had the lentil sambusa, beef tibs with the vegetarian sampler served with delicious injera. I also tried the STRONG traditional coffee, so delicious!! I HIGHLY recommend the beef tibs!! They were amazingly seasoned with the perfect amount of spice! MMMmmm!! The service was excellent and fast and they were even willing to charge my phone behind the counter. The traditional vibe is beautiful and the space is open, clean and aesthetically pleasing. read more

We catered from here for a party of 35 people and everyone loved the food. Everything was super tasty and delicious and many people had second or third helpings. Several guest asked for the restaurant's name and location. The owner/manager and the chef, his wife were super pleasant and wonderful to work with. Food was prepared and ready at the agreed to pick up time and they provided us with an extra dish we did not know we were getting. We won't be having as large a party for a while, but we will definitely be back to eat at the restaurant! read more

The food was amazing, authentic and super flavorful. We loved the whole cultural experience that the owner Gezu gave us beyond the food....very hospitable, warm and homely......even the fabulous Ethiopian coffee was served the traditional way with incense read more

Excellent authentic Ethiopian food. All their injera was gluten free which was fantastic. The interior is lovely and has traditional style seating. We got our food as takeout due to lots of kids, but plan to go back and hear music some night. Will return. Great range on menu. read more

Really delicious food - the flavorful and tender lamb, oh my soul, and the veggie combo, amazing. The injera here has a good nutty taste to it, I think, and it was superb. Really awesome decor and ambiance - I loved the woven baskets hanging from the ceiling. And the service was friendly. Easy to find parking on the side streets around the area. read more

Got the veggie plate. Loved the gf injera. Nice, tasty array of different dishes, but wished the food was a bit spicier. Good service, but the price was a bit high for the portion size. read more

I tried this place for the first time with some friends. There are so many Ethiopian restaurants to choose from, this happened to be new and in my neighborhood. I still prefer Cafe Colucci or Cafe Romanat. In comparison, I prefer the smaller, cozier dining area and larger portions you can find at the other places. I agree with another reviewer that the injera was not sour enough and a bit cold. The waitress was nice. read more

SO delicious! Love this place for take out. Haven't dined in but the takeout was amazing!

Good Ethiopian, all their anjira's are gluten free. It tastes amazing would definitely repeat read more

This is the best Ethiopian experience outside of ethiopia. The ambiance service and experience is exceptional. Try out the coffee ceremony too. read more

Lemat Ethiopian Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Berkeley, California