Letena Ethiopian Restaurant, nestled in Washington, DC, has quickly made a name for itself as a must-visit destination for authentic Ethiopian cuisine. Diners rave about the standout dishes, particularly the “Letena Journey” meat sampler, which showcases an array of flavorful options like kay siga and doro wot, all served on the traditional injera. This communal dining experience fosters a warm, inviting atmosphere, ideal for sharing with family and friends. Guests frequently commend the exceptional service, with staff going above and beyond to ensure a memorable experience. One patron highlighted the impressive catering service, noting its seamless execution and stunning presentation. With an emphasis on freshness and authentic flavors, Letena’s dishes like Asa Tibs and the Shrimp Gulash are beautifully crafted and well-received. Desserts, such as the indulgent tiramisu and the melt-in-your-mouth banoffee pie, wrap up meals on a high note, offering delightful finishes that encourage repeat visits. However, the standout aspect of Letena lies in its ability to marry traditional Ethiopian hospitality with delectable, home-cooked flavors. Overall, reviews reflect a consistent theme—Letena Ethiopian Restaurant is a culinary gem that delivers on taste, service, and atmosphere. It's a perfect spot for those seeking an authentic Ethiopian dining experience.
Amenities and More
Accessibility
Has wheelchair-accessible car park
Has wheelchair-accessible entrance
Has wheelchair-accessible seating
Has wheelchair-accessible toilet
From the business
Identifies as women-owned
Service options
Offers kerbside pickup
Offers delivery
Offers takeaway
Serves dine-in
Highlights
Has fast service
Has great tea selection
Has live music
Good for watching sport
Popular for
Popular for lunch
Popular for dinner
Good for solo dining
Offerings
Serves alcohol
Serves beer
Serves cocktails
Serves coffee
Serves happy-hour drinks
Serves small plates
Serves spirits
Serves vegan dishes
Serves vegetarian dishes
Serves wine
Dining options
Serves brunch
Serves lunch
Serves dinner
Has catering
Has counter service
Serves dessert
Has seating
Amenities
Has bar on site
Has toilet
Has Wi-Fi
Free Wi-Fi
Atmosphere
Casual
Cosy
Trendy
Crowd
Family friendly
Good for groups
LGBTQ+ friendly
Popular with tourists
Transgender safe space
Popular with university students
Planning
Accepts reservations
Payments
Accepts credit cards
Accepts debit cards
Accepts NFC mobile payments
Credit cards
Children
Good for kids
High chairs available
Parking
Paid parking lot
Photos
Reviews For Letena Ethiopian Restaurant
Bethlehem Getaneh
Jun 3,2025
We stopped in for a quick dessert and it was amazing. We got tiramisu and banoffee pie. The tiramissu tastes so great. They made it just like the way we make it in Ethiopia, so delicious. The banoffee pie was to die for. We also got coffee, and they surprised us with jebena buna. Will definitely come back!!
Tegeset Mackert
May 14,2025
We had an absolutely amazing experience with Letena Ethiopian Restaurant's catering service! From ordering to pick-up, everything was seamless and stress free. The staff was incredibly helpful, ensuring every detail was perfect. The food was outstanding fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. I highly recommend them for any event!
Ahmed Madhi
May 2,2025
My sons and I treated my wife to a Mother’s Day dinner at Letena’s and it was incredible. Great service, intimate atmosphere, lovely music, and above all, delicious food. We went for the unmistakably best dish there, took the “Letena Journey”, listed under Meat Sampler as #3 and devoured every bite. Tasted like the best homemade Ethiopian cooking I’ve had in years. Our server, Meron, was the definition of excellence in hospitality and made us feel so very well attended to! Thank you for making our day special. We highly recommend Letena’s to anybody seeking authenticity in culinary fares and atmosphere!
Heleen Raes
May 1,2025
I had my first experience with Ethiopian food here and loved it. The staff was very friendly and happy to explain everything. My party ordered a meat dish and the vegetable sampler and we couldn’t finish all of it, it was so tasty but also very filling. The prices are also low for DC, but you truly get amazing dishes!
Jay Shen
Apr 6,2025
Probably my favorite Ethiopian restaurant in the entire United States as of now, especially because this place has amazing food, excellent service, and a totally gathering-friendly atmosphere and pure cleanliness. I cannot find a single factor that I wanted tp provide constructive comments about. My entire experience was extremely positive. I really loved the fact that they had a meat sampler that allowed me to have a bit of everything, so I got that, and managed to have a combination of kay siga (beef stew in spicy berbere sauce), goat wot (braised goat stew), gomen besiga (seasoned collard greens cookied with beef), mushroom dulet, and timatim salad, all placed on a gigantic piece of injera ready to be feasted! And then of course, the classic doro wot (chicken stew) and alicha siga wot (beef stew in mild curry sauce) are just plain hits, really tasty. The kik wot added a very nice plain flavor that would lower the spice level of both the alicha siga wot and the lamb. Together with some injera, it was simply perfection. I also have never come across the kategna before! Toasted injera coated with berbere and seasoned butter! I have never had injera cooked that way because it was almost like the Ethiopian equivalent of our rice: never eaten alone. But man, it tasted amazing! I would really commend everything! Absolutely amazing food!
Anyka Chakravarty
Mar 28,2025
We got veggie sampler 3 and Ethiopian coffee - so delicious! We loved the lentils, collard greens, mushrooms and chickpeas as well as the super soft and fluffy injera bread. Even though we came a couple of minutes after closing in the pouring rain, they made sure to accommodate us. We had the sweetest server as well (thank you Meron!!). Note that we got four servings for the five of us, but ended up filling 4 takeout boxes of leftovers after stuffing ourselves. Wholeheartedly recommend!
Devon Murphy
Mar 11,2025
Best Ethiopian hands down. Not even close. Fantastic value and the bread is not too sour at all. Coffee off the chain as well!!
Alexa Szombathy
Feb 10,2025
Just had an incredible meal here! Service was really wonderful, the ladies working were all so sweet and engaging! Everything we ate was really delicious. We started with their samosa, texture was very crunchy on the outside with a mouth watering filling. I could have just eaten that the entire meal. Then we had the meat sampler #2 which was a fantastic variety of dishes. I thought I wasn’t very hungry when I arrived and was surprised we almost ate everything. Lastly, we got the tiramisu, it was not too sweet and had a great balance of flavors. 100% recommend checking this out!
Reviews For Letena Ethiopian Restaurant