Addis Ababa is an object lesson in impermanence. The city vibrates with change. You can look up and forget where you are, taking a route you’ve taken for years.
It’s a city where you might tell someone to turn right at the shop, then left at the restaurant, then straight past the beg tera where they sell the sheep for slaughter and then, the next day, these landmarks are irrelevant because there is no shop or restaurant or beg tera.
There is, in fact, no road—a new road is being built with a four-lane sidewalk and accompanying bike lanes.
The restless pace of change can be disorienting; people lament, but they also accept things as they come and give thanks for one more day of good health and the simple grace of coming and going in peace. This is the resilience which, more than anything, characterizes Addis for me.
One thing that hasn’t changed is our intimate, grounding relationship with coffee. People might have two or three hustles, but they’ll stop for coffee—whether at home or their neighborhood dembegna who brews it traditionally with the jebena, or their local Tomoca, where they take their coffee standing before dashing back to work, or at one of the lovely cafes here, where one might meet a friend or come with their laptop and stay a while.
Aster Bunna
Aster Bunna is so cozy, you might find yourself sharing a small table with a stranger. This happened to me on one recent afternoon.
I could only study the painting above his head for so long; soon I found myself leaning in to better hear his question over the gentle din, and a conversation unfolded over one macchiato (his) and one spris (mine). We talked about how Ethiopia exports its best coffee and how, with all our renown as the birthplace of Arabica coffee, locals typically don’t have access to the cream of this crop.
“Isn’t that sad?” I asked the stranger.
“It’s not sad,” he said stoically. “A beekeeper’s children may not eat the honey he harvests, but they benefit in other ways. Exporting our best coffee allows dollars to flow into our economy.”
I was impressed by his perspective and the irony of our conversation given the excellence of the coffee in front of me. Here I was at Aster, having some of the best coffee you’ll find anywhere in the city of Addis.
Owned by the eponymous woman behind it all, Aster Bunna has roasted and distributed high-quality Ethiopian coffee for local consumption and export since 1998. In this ever-changing city, Aster leaves a lasting impression. This place has been a destination for locals, for travelers, and for those in the coffee trade for nearly 30 years, and for good reason.
Moyee Coffee
Moyee is special to me, in part, because it’s the first place my best childhood friend introduced me to when I moved back to Addis from New York City. Moyee became a touchstone in my growing blueprint of Addis, as I began finding my way again in this once familiar, now foreign city of mine.
Of its four locations, the Bole Medhanialem one is my favorite. I would describe the vibe as warm industrial; the earth tones, plants, leather sofas, and generous natural light warm up the space and contrast beautifully with the exposed pipes and steel rafters.
Moyee serves food and drink, though it’s best known for its coffee. My favorite thing to order is the tsom macchiato, which is typically made with creamer instead of milk, giving it a richer, faintly nutty finish.
Moyee’s black coffee itself is a treat with its balanced dark chocolate notes; the espresso is also quite smooth. This is another cafe doing coffee in Ethiopia at an international level, but clearly grounded in Ethiopia’s ancient coffee culture and heritage.
Moyee aims to reinvest a portion of profits back into communities through reforestation, women’s health programs, and infrastructure development. “The farmer is not an island,” the company states. “The health and wellbeing of their community directly affects their own quality of life.”
Mamokacha
Mamokacha is another place I discovered with my childhood friend soon after moving back to Addis. It’s where she had the best macchiato of her life, in her own words.
I took a sip and though it was a bit strong for my taste, I couldn’t argue—it was basically perfect.
Next to the black coffee brewed in our jebena (occasionally with a touch of milk), the macchiato is arguably the quintessential Addis Ababa coffee drink; it was popularized during the Italian occupation of the late 1930s and early 40s, though some say it made its way to Ethiopia as early as 1900. And it’s the specialty at Mamokacha.
Baristas here usually ask if you want your macchiato strong, light, or “normal”—but even these qualifiers have no real standard. Ultimately, you end up with a bespoke macchiato that may not be technically accurate, but is almost certainly deeply satisfying.
Of Mamokacha’s five locations, the Atlas and Bole Bulbula ones are my favorite. The cafes serve food and smoothies, and the company is expanding into wine and dairy.
CaffeOl Coffee
I discovered CaffeOl after about two years of living in Addis post-return. I was still (re)discovering many places at that point, and this was one of those tucked-away gems I felt lucky to find.
CaffeOl is sandwiched between Sishu, one of the best burger joints in town, and Shega, a handicraft store of local leather, jewelry, home decor, and textile wares. I go to CaffeOl when I’m craving an oat milk caramel iced latte; the cafe has great vegan options, both for coffee drinks and baked goods.
Considering the vegan croissant is made without butter, its texture and flavor are quite impressive—but the pain au chocolat is outstanding in its perfect flakiness and its buttery, rich chocolate flavor.
Aesthetically, I love how well-curated CaffeOl is. From the color scheme and light fixtures to the utensils and packaging, you can tell the space was thoughtfully and lovingly designed.
Founded by Faiza Ahmed, the cafe is woman-owned and woman-run and dedicated to empowering women throughout the coffee supply chain. CaffeOl’s coffee can be purchased in the United Arab Emirates as well as the United States, but the best way to take in the experience is at CaffeOl’s Addis Ababa (Kera) cafe.
Galani Coffee
Galani is another place I discovered through heartfelt recommendation. My first time there, I immediately liked it for the dirt road that made me wonder if I was lost, the smell of coffee that beckoned all the way there and, once there, the yawning warehouse that met me with its warm, inviting seating.
On any given day at Galani, you might see a group of friends chatting on the lived-in sofas, strangers sharing the long tables with their laptops and headphones, or people sitting outside, enjoying ice cream and sweating cold drinks on a hot day.
The cafe has an extensive food and drink menu, which takes various needs and preferences into consideration, with delicious gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options, as well as an all-day breakfast and some fun kids’ options.
My favorite coffee and coffee-adjacent treats to order are the perfectly spiced ginger cinnamon latte, the cascara tea with lemon and sparkling water, and the affogato with Galani’s in-house vanilla ice cream.
Upstairs is a rotating art exhibit and adjacent small shop selling traditional-with-a-spin accessories.
Galani was lovingly passed on to me, the same way I’m passing it on; I hope you’ll visit.
Tidenek Haileselassie is a freelance journalist based in Addis Ababa. This is Tidenek Haileselassie’s first feature for Sprudge.
