Benyam

What a lovely experience! The restaurant has such a cozy vibe, and the staff were incredibly welcoming from the moment we walked in. We were lucky to get a table — almost every one was reserved, which says a lot! The interior is warm and inviting, with little touches that let you learn more about Ethiopian culture. And the food… absolutely delicious! Every dish was full of rich flavors and clearly made with care. Can’t wait to come back!

Cute, cozy, artsy place with great food & great service. Plenty of vegan and meat dishes. One of the few Ethiopian Cuisine gems in Harlem. Gotta try it!

This restaurant is perfectly wonderful. Their food stays reliable. You'll notice the distinct character immediately. I've been here frequently and service is always solid. The spot provides real authenticity.

The establishment shows pride in what they offer. This restaurant really delivers! Their service approach shows real training. This restaurant deserves a category of its own above five stars. All elements were gratifying.

Excellent food with a lot of vegetarian options. Lentils sambusa is great, the veggie sampler for 2 is huge (could be for 3 people)

loved! amazing food, good vegan options :)

This was my first time getting Ethiopian food. I don’t have a picture of the meat but I did not like how spicy it all was. The chicken and beef samples were good when I could taste it but I did not care for the lamb. I like spicy food but this was beyond just spicy. I could not enjoy the food since my mouth was on fire. The sampler was ok I only likes the potatoes and lentils. I am not opposed to trying Ethiopian-food again if I could find a restaurant that offers mild not only hot spices.

Came back after a few years. Still amazing. Still the best Ethiopian food in NYC. Warm, friendly and welcoming environment. 10 out of 10 recommend.

I haven't enjoyed Ethiopian food the times I've had it in the past, but my experience at Benyam was enough to change my impression. I've clearly just been going to the wrong places. Benyam absolutely deserves its 5 star rating. This small family owned eatery is in the heart of Harlem and they have a very veggie learning menu with some standout meat and fish dishes. I came with my vegetarian friend who got the veggie sampler plate and I ordered the doro tibs which came with two veggie sides and more injera than I could ever need. The chicken was delicious and they were able to prepare it mild, which os important for me. My friend loved his veggie plate. It definitely felt very filling and wholesome. Everything was well seasoned and nothing was too greasy. The portions were also generous for the price. The owners are really warm and make you feel welcome. The menu has definitions of Ethiopian food terms but the owners are are always happy to explain anything that's unclear or unfamiliar. The restaurant closes early (9 pm on most days and 8 pm on Sunday) so plan to come early.

Having lived in the DC area and Bay Areas, the bar for Ethiopian food was high. I hadn't yet found a place in NYC that came very close so I was happy to try out Benyam. So far it's definitely the best Ethiopian option I've been to thus far! The food was very flavorful and our server was super awesome. We split a bottle of tej and it went great with the meal. We ordered a lot -- veggie combo for 2 and awaze tibs. We had no problems crushing the platter and the green beans were especially good. The tibs were very flavorful and tender, but our fullness caught up to us; they actually reheated well with the injera the next day. Will definitely come back here again.

Ethiopian food will always have a special place in my heart, and Benyam is a great representation of it! There was not a single think on this platter that I didn't love, every time I tried something else I would decide it was my favorite thing. The injera was awesome as always. We also got Tej - Ethiopian Honey wine and their house made iced tea that was PHENOMINAL. I would 100% make my way back here. The staff was incredibly kind!

My first review after becoming Elite and what a way to start this journey off! Ethiopian food is such a delicious cuisine. I love the aspect of using your hands with the injera as your utensil. I myself ordered the Doro Tibs with Collard Greens and Whole Lentils. Turmeric is one of my favorite spices so that chicken was so delicious. It was nice and juicy and flavorful. The collard greens were a little bland but that chicken definitely made up for it. Pro tip for eating at this establishment; dump the meat right onto the injera once you get it. The injera will soak up all that goodness and make a whole other entree. You will leave this spot nice and full! I enjoyed my meal with a glass of Honey wine. That drink is so deceiving. It is so sweet almost reminded me of Apple juice but it sure snuck up on me so be warned! I was nice and full and tipsy!

This spot deserves recognition!! I've ordered extensively and been consistently happy. The restaurant offers a pristine yet inviting space. Their kitchen execution and service standards impressed us. Their dishes are exceptionally tasty!

As a lover of Ethiopian food I was excited to come here. The place is quaint and has a lot of beau and colorful art along the wall. The staff were super friendly. We were welcomed and seated quickly. We ordered the doro tibs which is Cubed Chicken breast marinated and sautéed with onion, garlic, jalapeños, turmeric, curry and rosemary. It was so tender and nicely seasoned and fragrance. I also ordered the Lega Tibs which is Diced lamb marinated and sautéed with onions, jalapeños and rosemary. Similarly, it was flavorful and cooked well. For sides we had injera bread, roasted grounded chickpeas, collard greens, curry potato's. Everything here was excellent. I do wish it had more spice but other than that I would recommend.

This is my new favorite Ethiopian spot in the city. I split the veggie sampler for 1 and an order of engudaye tibs with key sir and deffen mesir alicha with a friend. Each of the dishes had a distinctive, unique flavor. The injera was springy and not too dry, but still held up well under the dishes. The mushroom dish was definitely my favorite because of the great blend of spices. The meal worked out to about $23 each after tax and tip, which is also very reasonably priced. Totally worth it.

Went there today Saturday 3/15/25. My sis and I had the sampler (meat & veg) and also the lamb (spicy). Everything was delicious, tender, and flavorful. The lamb had heat but not overwhelmingly spicy and we enjoyed it. The honey wine (Tej) is a must try if you like wine. It was smooth, sweet, and strong. Our first time having Ethiopian cuisine. The people there are very hospitable, warm, and welcoming. We felt a cozy vibe. The menu is easy to understand as they explain on the menu in detail what each dish is and what it contains. There are many options to choose from: fish, chicken, lamb and of course, vegetarian, etc. Many blessings and prosperity to their business.

Amazing food! Fantastic service. You can really tell it's a family owned business by the love that they obviously put into the food, the service and the atmosphere. When the combo is served, I always think - "is that all the food? I'll starve!" Nope. It's magical how you can keep eating and there's still more. Magical. The food is ridiculously fresh, light, perfectly seasoned. If it were closer to where I live, I'd be here all the time. *nice touch was knowing when to bring us more injira bread before we asked. Check it out if you like Ethiopian Try it even if you don't!

The service is great here - very friendly and the food comes out fast. The waiters were great about bringing out more water and injera (loved the unlimited injera - great touch). That said, I didn't like a lot of the veggie sides as much as I do at other places, like Abyssinia. Some of the veggie sides here had an odd after taste I didn't love (almost coconut-like even though I know it wasn't coconut - just hard to describe). Also didn't like the tilapia, which came fried. The best was probably the chicken leg or the yellow split peas or cabbage.

Food was very good-- we shared the vegetarian sampler and enjoyed the tea. Cozy space, and the host/owner is very sweet. A true gem, to be sure. Highly recommend!

As someone who grew up eating Eritrean/Ethiopian food, I have had really great injera throughout my life. Benyam is on par with that and is my go-to spot for injera in NYC. The place is not too big, but feels so cozy with all the Ethiopian art around the restaurant. I've had the veggie platter here multiple times and it's been delicious each time. I've also brought friends who have never had injera before and they've thoroughly enjoyed both the meat and veggie platters here. The servers came around with extra injera so we had plenty throughout our whole meal. Benyam himself came by our table and introduced himself, he runs the restaurant with his sisters and they're all so sweet. The service was great, and I keep coming back whenever I'm craving a taste of home.

This has been a great spot. We went for when they were trying out brunch and it was such a great portion for the price. The service is always great and the taste is amazing.

Wow! I am a native New Yorker with an Ethiopian background. This is by far the most authentic Ethiopian cuisine, I've tasted in a while. Everything was FRESH, FRESH! It's hard to find fresh food/ meat in NYC without having that microwave after taste. The Siga Wot and Doro wot was amazinggggg! The service was amazing! Thank you to Sofanit. She was sweet from the walk-in, also very attentive. I automatically felt comfortable and warm. The place is very cozy and family oriented. This makes the ambiance feel intimate & connected to home. I totally recommend Ethiopian food & Benyam restaurant to those I LOVE. 10 10 10.

Amazing Ethiopian food with seriously fluffy injera. Also, I swear I wrote a review of this place before and it is gone now. Dunno what's wrong with Yelp...

Great Ethiopian food - and I'm Ethiopian But seriously - the fish tibs is good and love the misir wot. Tastes just as great when you order for takeout and delivery.

The food was good, but honestly I personally do not love Injera. We took the easy option of the Meat and Veggie Sampler for 2, which gave us a small taste of everything available. I enjoyed all the meat and veggies, I just don't really like injera, which is the staple of the Ethiopian meal. We did love the Beef Sambusa appetizer though.

Very good quality Ethiopian food is served at this informal place with both indoor and outdoor seating (not many seats, so go early). Service is welcoming and fast: we got our food within minutes after ordering it. Siga Wot (diced lean beef seared on a hot skillet, then slow-cooked in a berbere sauce): spicy and very yummy. Recommended. Lega Tibs (pieces of marinated lamb sautéed in onions, jalapeños and rosemary): I loved the flavor, although the meat looked a little old. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed what we ordered. The meat could have been of higher quality, but it was tasty nonetheless. We choose the collard greens (delicious), string beans (good) and beets (also good) as sides (2 sides are included in each entree). They bring you plenty of injera, but you can ask for more if you need. Recommended.

So tonight is my first night at an amazing restaurant . I walked in at 8:30 ready to eat and ............Wow the worst customer experience that I have ever had :(. So I stand by the counter and ask if I could order told "I guess " then ignored for more than 5 mins as she made drinks and walked back and forth to the kitchen. With all that said man the food smelled amazing . I wish there was seating . I left after 6 mins

I was in the area and looking for a filling late lunch. A quick google search and Benyam was closeby. As a vegetarian, I was happy to see a lot of options. The veggie platter is a great way to sample all the sides they have. For $17.99 you can get this platter and share it too. I had enough for leftovers dining solo. You'll get five sides on a large injera (bread) and 3 more injera rolls on the side. This is plenty! A nice local vibe and friendly staff. The manager/owner came by at the end of my meal to ask how it was and was delighted that I stopped by and enjoyed the food. (cool story - danny glover has dined here before!) Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating and a restroom is available. Overall, great spot for a filling meal! Lovely people, lovely food.

Loved - Doro Wot - Lega Tibs - Mesir Wot - Tikil Gomen - Generous injera portions - Prices - Service - Relaxed setting Liked - Shiro Wot

Great food! Try the honey wine! The sambusa is amazing! I would recommend this is very authentic.

If you've never tried ethiopian food, now's the time and here's the place. The atmosphere is welcoming and celebratory of their roots so you really get a sense of the culture. Friendly wait staff and delicious food. I tried the beef sambusas and veggie sampler for one and - YUM. You can tell how fresh their ingredients are. 10/10 would recommend.

Delicious food at an affordable price and super friendly service. Excited to keep going back and trying new combinations of dishes

Started off with the Samusas, which were tasty, and a couple Ethiopian St George tastes just like a Peroni and the Addis is a nice light amber... a little like a fat tire but lighter. Yum! For dinner, we got special kifto and doro wot, which both came with injira and two sides. The special kifto is absolutely special, like a really unique slightly herbal steak tartare with this pleasant cardamom note, a beautiful richness from the kibbeh (clarified butter) and a lingering but not overwhelming heat from the jalapeño. If you like steak tartare you MUST try this, it's amazing. The doro wat is also tasty: sort of like an Ethiopian mole sauce. For sides, we got the Gomen (collards), deffen mesir alicha (lentils) and denich wot (potatoes and carrot) which were all equally tasty but both my fiancé and I were legitimately obsessed with how good the yellow split peas or ater kik alicha were-- definitely going to order double next time! We were too stuffed to finish it all: definitely generous portions that will last for another day! Excited to come back and revisit this cozy family run spot again.

Love this place come here often. They have live music sometimes and are always delicious

What a gem! Benyam and his sister run this intimate place decorated with fun art made by their friends and by Benyam himself. He is very friendly and welcoming. The food is delicious and does not feel too heavy. A really fun place to go for a date night or evening out with friends.

Here in New York, I finally found a good Ethiopian restaurant, located in my old childhood neighborhood up in Harlem After living in Oakland with its large Ethiopian & Eritrean community, their food spoiled me. Benyam Cuisine hit the spot.

Oh my god this place is beyond good. My family members and I have been visiting this place for a while now. We order, eat and love it. We usually get the gluten free ingera because my mom has intolerance. I loveee the yellow dahl. The lamb is delicious and salty. The place is very hip and cool and has a nice vibe and usually paintings around it. The waiters are very sweet and I definitely recommend this place as your go-to Ethiopian restaurant

They have the best injera I have ever had. Period. I devoured the lamb Tibs and he left nothing left of his veggie plate. An absolute must try.

The best Ethiopian food and the friendliest service! This is my go to spot every time I'm in the neighborhood. They have outdoor seating and their indoor tables are spaced out with dividers between the tables. Restaurant follows covid safety guidelines. :)

delicious vegetarian food! Super nice family restaurant, would definitely recommend :)

Best Ethiopian food in town. Our favorite are Sambusa, Azifa lentils, Injera firfir, key Sir beets, cabbage, Awaze Tibs, Lega Tibs lamb. The veggie sampler in general are all amazing. Avocado salad is good too.

I've been trying to order a lot of different foods for delivery or takeout while deployed to NYC for COVID coverage. I really WANTED to love this food. I TRIED to justify the food. I can't. I ordered asa tibs, which is supposed to be tilapia marinated in onion, garlic, turmeric, and jalapeño. I expected juicy, moist fish full of flavors. What I got was fish that the fork would not even pierce, which was burnt and over fried. I am not exaggerating when I say it was utterly inedible. I even googled asa tibs to see if maybe I was just uneducated on how this dish was to be cooked, but none of the dishes was cooked in such a manner. I was so disappointed. It came with two sides, including shiro wot, a ground roasted split pea sauce that I found full of intense flavors, and I really did like that. It also came with tikil gomen, or cabbage and carrots. This was ok, but could have used more seasoning/flavoring. The order also came with a large order of injera, a crepe-like Ethiopian bread. It wasn't my personal style, but I can't speak to whether it was good, as I've never had it before. I want to try this place again, but I can't stand the thought of spending that much money to risk getting something inedible.

I first got the pleasure of eating African food when a buddy of mine from undergrad took me to a place in LA. Since, I fell in love with food from there. Living so close to many African restaurants in Manhattan, it was only a matter of time before I had a similar experience in the east coast. One Saturday evening, I decided to give Benyam Cuisine a try. I ordered the siga wot, with a side of mesir wot (red lentils), and denich wot (potatoes and carots). The food was delicious! The siga wot had its own distinct spicy taste, as did the two side orders. The portions were generous, and I was able to split this into two separate meals. The prep and delivery time was reasonable, less than 30 minutes. And the presentation was adequate. The photo I uploaded does not do the food justice... the food was bomb! Once I'm back in Manhattan, I will look forward to continuing my exploration of African cuisine.

This place is such a treat! If you're sick of eating American or Italian... You definitely need to give Ethiopian food a try! The owners are so very nice. They have a wine selection from Ethiopia which really intrigued me as I have lived in France. We ordered the sambusa which was OK but don't fill up on appetizers... definitely get one of their meats or vegetables on the fermented bread. If I go back I will be only ordering vegetables because they were so delicious. I also remember liking the minced lamb in the lighter green sauce (in pictures). The food was so flavorful... It makes me want to become a vegetarian because if vegetables can be seasoned that well as well as lentils... Why not switch over? All in all: I give this restaurant a five out of five!!! I definitely will be back... This is a great restaurant for a Sunday afternoon when you just like to eat some nice comfort food and enjoy a quiet and cozy restaurant in Harlem

Ditto to EVERYTHING I wrote in my first review! My 2nd visit to BeNYAM was just as good (if not better) than the 1st visit! I would like to add that the hospitality of BeNYAM (the owner) and his brother and sister were very warm and friendly. They took time to speak to my entourage of 7 and I about food prep and ingredients. So friendly and kind! I look forward to returning and trying more menu items!! This is the menu we had tonight (shared by 4 ppl): Appetizers: ~ Azeefa: Whole organic lentils in Senafich (Ethiopian mustard) sauce with red onions, jalapeño, fresh lemon juice. ~ Sambusa: Pastry dough filled w.spicy beef Entrees: ~ Awaze Tibs: cubed beef, marinated w.Awaze (ground chili & 20 different herbs & spices); sautéed w.green onions & jalapenos. ~ Doro Tibs: cubed chicken, marinated w.onions, olive oil, rosemary, & jalapenos; sautéed in Kibbeh (spiced, clarified butter) ~ Asa Tibs: tilapia, marinated in garlic, onion, olive oil, curry, jalapeno & lemon juice * All entrees are eaten with Injera (spongy crepe-like flatbread made from fermented teff, a gluten-free grain)

I had a delicious lunch at Benyam today. The restaurant is tastefully decorated, clean (including the restroom) comfortable and very friendly. The food is definitely authentic and made to order. I had the Minchet Abish ( ) which is finely chopped prime beef simmered in a berberé stew. I asked for it Ethiopian spicy rather than "farenge" spicy and am happy to say that it was! My dining partners were not spice fans. They had (and thoroughly enjoyed) Beg Alecha ( ) which is lamb cubes stewed in a mild turmeric based sauce and the Avocado Salad ( ) which was made with pieces of avocado mixed with tomatoes, onions, jalapeños and their house dressing. The only disappointments were that they use too much wheat and not enough tef in their injera so it does not have that sour taste which I was craving (I did learn that you can order injera made with tef if you call in advance of your visit) and that they are not yet making authentic Ethiopian coffee but was assured it is in their future plans. So now I guess Abyssinia will have to share my favorite Ethiopian restaurant spot with Benyam!

I do not like Ethiopian Food... but I actually love the food from here. Tasty and spicy and with a home made touch. The meat dishes are delish and the service is lovely. Delivered food tastes just as good as in restaurant. The ONLY reason it's 4 stars and not 5 is I am not a fan of Ethiopian food so I have only stuck to dishes I know and not ventured.

I have ordered the vegetarian sampler and the Engudaye tibs and the food was great. It was really busy there, the one time that I dined in,and there was only one person taking orders. So, I had to sit waiting longer than average for my order to be taken and also to receive the check. However, the ambience was great. I really like the art and the people are really nice.

Ordered through DoorDash and their customer service sucks so I couldn't tell the restaurant. But I had plastic in my food. I ended up choking on it, swallowing part of it and having a friend fish this remaining bit out of my throat. Thank god someone was here with me or this could've been way worse. I couldn't get this plastic piece out of my throat and was stuck choking. Food tasted fine before this. Oof that was terrifying.

I've tried most Ethiopian restaurants in Manhattan and this is the closest thing to eating Ethiopian food in a DC restaurant. If you know, you know. Personally I think my friends and I make a more flavorful Shiro, but If I am comparing home cooking to a restaurant, then clearly they're winning . I've eaten here twice and both times the service and food were excellent

I had been craving Ethiopian food, and Benyam did not disappoint. For a group of six, we split a meat sample (for 2) and a veg sampler (also for 2), which seemed to be the perfect amount of food. The platters came with a variety of sides, all of which were tasty. I think my favorites were the Doro Wat that came with the meat sampler and a beet side that came with the veg sample. Service was also friendly.

The receptionist was very nice. She showed me what are the different available dishes in her restaurant, while asking me if I live around the neighborhood. If you live around, feel free to come through this restaurant because it will be a way of traveling without living your neighborhood. Green Lentils; potatoes; and Beg Alecha were some the most delicious dish I have ever had.

What a cute a friendly little Ethiopian restaurant . We come here every week and we are never disappointed. The quality of the food is always great, the service is perfect , the atmosphere very friendly 8 I highly recommend it !

Perfection. Benyam has legit earned every single star. I do not believe there is one Ethiopian restaurant in the tri-state area that can claim this status. The meat/veggie combo dish I ordered was well executed. The lamb besiga was tender, well-seasoned without being over salted. The lamb wot melted in my mouth as did the doro. The sides of shiro and gomen were expected but cooked so perfectly. Add'l vegetable sides are only $4! You can tell each dish is cooked with pure love. And when asked how she managed to blow me away, the chef (owner's sister) echoed those sentiments. She literally said she loves to cook for people and see them enjoy her food. I wish she lived in my home and cooked for me every day. But alas I would never lose my "baby" weight. Yeah, my kid is 3...

Delicious! But beyond the quality of the food, the owners are wonderful. Every time I eat there (which seems often) I can feel the love that they have their business and the food. I usually order the Enguyaye Tibs (mushrooms) and the Kitfo (spiced beef tartar) which comes with a series of delicious veggie sides of your choice. The mushrooms are exceptional! Great amount to share with another person person and a lot of variety. You will not leave hungry. I also like that they have two different styles of Tej (honey wine) to choose from. If you do not live close by, let me say, it is worth the subway/cab trip!

Wow so impressed with the food!!! The portions are great and the dishes are each so unique and flavorful. The meat and veggie platter is well balanced and could easily feed 3. The owner was very welcoming and explained what each dish was, outdoor seating was nice! I will definitely be coming back ASAP

This is my favorite Ethiopian restaurant in NYC. It is very authentic and the owners are super friendly.