The best bars and cafés Ethiopia

At the top of Churchill Avenue and on the corner of Wavel Street, with its 1950s-style Italian café, Tomoca is an institution. This little store, with its yellowed walls quoting Balzac, exudes the wonderful aroma of Ethiopian coffees, selected and roasted on site. Equipped with a colored token indicating its origin, you wait for the buna beverage to be prepared, then sip it from a small glass leaning against the old counter. You can also buy packets of coffee as souvenirs. A second Tomoca has opened less than 500 metres away.

We come here above all for the old-fashioned charm of the Inter Luxury Hotel and its special atmosphere, reminiscent of the Addis Ababa of the turn of the last century: the restaurant of the city's oldest hotel serves Ethiopian dishes, in particular a vegan and vegetarian buffet at lunchtime, which is a big hit because it's so affordable (but also very basic). We'd advise you to come here for a coffee or tea rather than a meal, especially if you're visiting the center, where there are few places to take a break.

Renowned for its jazz programming on Thursday night, the Blue Note Club group, this concert bar, housed in a particular house, is an address that has a soul. The atmosphere is always on schedule.

This friendly pub, where Mexican inspiration has replaced the old with typical British accents, is of the purest international style. The cocktails of the French boss, especially the "Suicide bomber", will delight amateurs.

This bar, resolutely fashionable with its lighting, decor and music, is a good step to enjoy the wide choice of cocktails, with or without alcohol. A circular veranda offers an unobstructed view on the street below.

There are three azmari bet all well filled by musicians. The beer is a little cheaper than in Kazanchis, at 2 or 3 birrs near, and the clientele a little different, younger and more noisy. A singer among all others deserves special attention: Etiénesh Wassé, a specialist in ambassel, who is very much in the blues. She is also part of the discoveries of Francis Pioneer and Cds 2 and 18 in the "Ethiopiques" collection. She happens every evening at Datsun Sefer, except when she is on international tour.

This is the chic café-bar of the new Hyatt Regency hotel in Addis Ababa, opening in 2020. In this majestic architectural setting, it's a pleasure to sit under high ceilings supported by sculpted columns, or under the glass roof that precedes the terrace nestled in the garden. The gilded sofas, tables and counters invite you to enjoy a good cup of coffee at any time of day. In the evening, the ambience is more distinguished, with signature cocktails thoughtfully designed.

Subdued red lights, comfortable banquettes and pretty murals give this lounge bar a very cosy atmosphere. The spacious, sophisticated venue is a meeting place for Addis Ababa's golden youth, expatriates and tourists alike. The program ranges from African hits of the moment (naija and amapiano) to salsa, techno and Indian pop, so it's quite eclectic, but the choices are always judicious. A good place to sip a worked cocktail (perhaps the best) as a couple or with friends.