Food and Shopping in Ethiopia
Meals in Ethiopia are usually shared, with several dishes served together on a large round of injera. You tear off pieces of the soft, slightly sour flatbread with your right hand and use them to pick up the food. We recommend ordering a selection of dishes to share, so you can try several different flavors and specialties in one meal.
If you travel on a Wednesday or Friday, you may notice a larger choice of meat-free dishes on the menu. These are traditional fasting days for many Ethiopian Orthodox Christians, who avoid meat, eggs and dairy products. Longer periods of fasting take place during the year, particularly before Easter and Christmas, and the tradition has resulted in a remarkably varied range of vegetable, lentil and pulse-based cooking.
Ethiopia has one of the world’s oldest coffee traditions. Small coffee shops are a familiar sight in towns and cities, and traditional coffee ceremonies are still held in homes, restaurants and hotels. Coffee is prepared and served in small cups over several rounds, with guests sitting together throughout the ceremony.
Ethiopia has distinct regional food traditions. Addis Ababa has traditional and contemporary Ethiopian restaurants, Harar has its own Harari cuisine, and southern Ethiopia has dishes and ingredients associated with its different communities.
Shopping ranges from busy city markets and small independent stores to craft workshops, galleries and specialist shops. In Addis Ababa, you’ll find the greatest choice, including contemporary Ethiopian design alongside traditional crafts. In Lalibela, Gondar, Harar and other stops on your vacation, smaller shops and workshops give you a chance to see work produced locally and find pieces associated with that particular region.
Bargaining is common in markets and some smaller shops, although fixed prices are increasingly common in boutiques and established stores. Your local guide can recommend reputable places to shop, particularly if you are looking for handmade pieces or want to buy directly from craftspeople. Leave room in your luggage too: Ethiopia has an excellent choice of textiles, jewelry, basketry, leatherwork, coffee and spices, which we cover in more detail below.
Recommended Tours in Ethiopia
Opening Hours in Ethiopia
You will find most shops open from around 8:00am until 5:00 or 6:00pm, Monday to Saturday, with some staying open considerably later. Sunday opening is also common, particularly in Addis Ababa. Markets, individual shops and family-run businesses set their own hours, and public holidays can affect opening times.
Dining Hours in Ethiopia
Breakfast in hotels usually starts early, which is useful when you have a morning flight or an early departure with your guide. Lunch is normally eaten around midday to early afternoon, with dinner later in the evening. Restaurants in Addis Ababa tend to keep longer hours than those in smaller towns. Your daily plans will include plenty of time for meals rather than fitting them around sightseeing.
Paying in Ethiopia
Carry Ethiopian birr for restaurants, markets and smaller shops. International Visa and Mastercard are accepted at some hotels and larger businesses, particularly in Addis Ababa, and international cards can be used at a network of ATMs. Once you travel outside the capital, cash becomes considerably more important, so don’t rely on your card for everyday purchases.
Tax-Free Shopping in Ethiopia
Do not plan your shopping around receiving a tourist VAT refund at the airport. Ethiopia introduced a new VAT Refund Determination Directive in April 2026, but the published tax provisions do not establish the familiar tourist tax-free shopping scheme found in many other countries. Keep receipts for valuable purchases and any items that could require proof of origin or permission for export
What to Buy in Ethiopia
Start with Ethiopian coffee. Beans are grown in several regions, including Sidama, Yirgacheffe, Jimma and Harar, with differences in aroma and flavor according to origin and processing. Buy whole roasted beans if you want an easy gift to pack, or ask your guide about visiting a specialist coffee shop in Addis Ababa.
Handwoven cotton is another good purchase. Look for netela, the lightweight white shawls worn throughout Ethiopia, as well as scarves, table linens and other textiles with woven or embroidered borders. Traditional weaving is still practiced by artisans across the country.
You will also find woven baskets in many shapes, sizes and patterns. Some of the most distinctive are the brightly colored lidded mesob baskets traditionally used as tables for serving injera. Smaller baskets are easier to take home.
Look for silver crosses inspired by Ethiopian Orthodox designs, particularly the distinctive styles associated with Lalibela, Gondar and Aksum. Religious paintings and icons are also widely sold, although genuinely old religious or cultural objects may be subject to export restrictions.
Other ideas include Ethiopian spices such as berbere and mitmita, pottery, leather goods and contemporary Ethiopian jewelry. If provenance matters, ask your guide to recommend workshops, cooperatives or established shops where you can learn who made the piece and where it comes from.
Frequently Asked Questions
What traditional Ethiopian dishes should I try?
Try injera accompanied by doro wat, shiro, tibs or a selection of vegetable and lentil dishes. For beef lovers, kitfo, and leave time for a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony.
Is Ethiopian food very spicy?
Some dishes are. Berbere gives dishes such as doro wat their characteristic heat, but you will also find milder lentil, vegetable and meat dishes. Ask your guide or restaurant staff if you prefer less chili.
Can vegetarians eat well in Ethiopia?
Yes. Ethiopian Orthodox fasting traditions mean that meat- and dairy-free cooking has a long history. Order a fasting beyaynetu and you will usually receive several lentil, pulse and vegetable dishes with injera.
What are the best things to buy in Ethiopia?
Look for Ethiopian coffee, handwoven cotton textiles, baskets, spices, pottery, leather goods and locally made jewelry. Ethiopian Orthodox cross designs are particularly distinctive, with regional styles associated with places including Lalibela, Gondar and Aksum.
Should I use cash when shopping and dining in Ethiopia?
Yes. Carry Ethiopian birr, particularly once you leave Addis Ababa. Cards are accepted at some hotels, restaurants and larger shops, but smaller businesses and markets commonly require cash.
Our local expert in Ethiopia
How Finest Journeys Enhances Your Food and Shopping Experience in Ethiopia
Join a hands-on cooking class in Lalibela, learn about Ethiopia’s coffee traditions and try regional dishes as you travel. Your local guides can also introduce you to markets, workshops and specialist shops, helping you find locally made textiles, crafts, coffee and other purchases connected with the places you visit.