The best restaurants East

In an old Italian building south of the city center on the road to Harar, this restaurant is the most popular in town, as much for its setting as for its cuisine, especially its lasagne. Ethiopian specialties and grilled meats are also on the menu. It's hard to find other well-known addresses in this not-at-all-touristy town, where you sometimes have to make a stopover for train or plane reasons. The place may be a little tired, but the dishes are nonetheless acceptable.

This restaurant serving traditional Harari cuisine is a little out of the way, but well worth the detour. You'll appreciate the layout of the outdoor terrace in the garden, with canopies to filter the sun and a soft ambience. Note in particular the pretty solid wood chairs framing the tables with their checkered tablecloths. At this typical address, you can enjoy steamed goat's cheese, locally roasted chicken or the region's signature fennel soup. The tibs are served over a sizzling charcoal burner.

Fresh Touch is one of the city's most popular and busiest hararis addresses. It moved a few years ago, but it's still as central as ever. You can easily make it your canteen for a few days, as everything is so good and prepared for a handful of birrs. Between Ethiopian dishes, grilled meat, pasta, fantastic pizzas and desserts, the choice is varied. To make matters worse, the setting, in a tree-lined courtyard, is most pleasant. What's more, the service is friendly. They even serve draught beers.

On the main street, within the walls of the Jugal (the walled city), this little room that doesn't look like much is nevertheless an authentic place for breakfast, a freshly squeezed fruit juice, a homemade pastry, a spicy pizza or even a colorful salad with raw vegetables (avocado, carrot...). You can eat here at any time, in a very local and lively atmosphere. It's also a good opportunity to check that Harari coffee is one of the best in the world, served here as espresso, latte...