Blue Nile Restaurant

This was our second time visiting Blue Nile since moving to Boston, and it has quickly become a favorite. The service has been consistently attentive and friendly, which enhances the dining experience. We always order a vegetable combo at Ethiopian restaurants, and Blue Nile’s did not disappoint—fresh, flavorful, and absolutely delicious! Tonight, we also tried a chicken dish and a lamb dish (unfortunately, I can’t recall the names), but both were fantastic. The highlight, though, was the sambosa—we ordered 4 for our table of 4, and it wasn’t nearly enough! Filled with perfectly spiced lentils, they were some of the best sambosas I’ve ever had. The restaurant is small, so I recommend making a reservation during cooler months when the patio isn’t an option. That said, dining outdoors in early fall was a treat with their lovely patio setup. We’ll definitely be returning to enjoy more of their amazing dishes. Highly recommend!

The best Ethiopian restaurant I’ve been to! The pool of Ethiopian restaurants I’ve been to is not very large, but the food in this place is really delicious and they have gotten recognition for it based on the certificates on the wall and all. We tried their veggie combos and their lentil samosas. The samosas were some of the most delicious ones I’ve ever had. This is a great place for a date, meeting up friends, or simply for enjoying a delicious meal. I’m sure I’ll be back there soon.

Great restaurant with a lot of options and a good atmosphere. However, the service was a little disappointing. Although the servers seemed friendly, they absolutely didn’t pay attention to the customers needs for water. We were waiting for the water to be served for over 10 mins and then had to ask for it. After the jar was over , there were no refills offered either. Such small things need to be taken care of if they want to run a successful business. The entree food was good with lovely flavors , the sambusa was very oily. The cottage cheese dish was decent. The place is at a good location and finding parking was easy. Overall will recommend this place in Boston downtown

Phenomenal. An assortment of traditional goods + my first time trying tej (Ethiopian honey wine). The space is intimate and the staff are friendly. 10/10. Highly recommend.

Good Vegetarian options. Go for the 24.99 combo with all 6 vegetables options. Don’t expect the spiciness as Indian food. My friends were under the impression that Ethiopian food is quite similar to Indian food but that’s not the case. The Lamb tibs and Pork tibs were a little bland and the meat is quite less for the price The portion sizes are huge for vegetables and rice. I would recommend to share the serving sizes purely for rice and vegetables. I would also recommend the blue nile cocktail (It’s a bit too sweet for my liking). The lentil sambosa is unique in texture and is a great appetizer option.

The food is interesting and well prepared. The lamb I had was a little bland, but i think i could have asked more intense seasoning

We used to love this place a few years ago and the food was always well seasoned and of good portion size. Went back last night for dinner, and was hoping the same quality and quantity. While we had to wait for more than an hour, we were let down by how bland and unsatisfying the food was. Even the injera seemed to have crusty edges and not fresh. I'm sad that the quality has gone down so much. Won't be returning to dine here.

I loved this restaurant, the service was great, we asked about the flavor of a lentil dish and the server brought us a sample of the spice used in it!! They were all very friendly as well, and didn’t rush us even though the restaurant was busy. Atmosphere was good too, a ton of people but it was spaced out so we weren’t crowded. Lastly, the food was really yummy. This was my first time trying ethiopian food and I’d definitely do it again. Everything was flavorful and they gave us enough bread. Also liked that they had hand sanitizer on each table! Would recommend the vegetarian combo, but the meat options looked good as well! Overall really pleased with my experience here!

Getting to try a little bit of everything is a love language for me, and boy did Blue Nile pile on the love for me With an assortment of veggie dishes that I'd never even tried before at the countless Ethiopian restaurants I've been to before, Blue Nile easily earns its reputation for great, plentiful, and fairly priced foods. This is a family joint, and they make you feel like a family when you're there. We had our infant with us, and they were very accommodating of our need to take extra time placing our menu, extra napkins, and extra love. Vegetarians are spoiled for choice here, but not only did I get a Vegetarian Revenge to try all the veggie dishes, I also tried the Legna Tibs. If you can eat meat (and don't worry, it's halal!), definitely go for this delicious dish made of streak strips in a striking berebere spices. To accompany these all comes the injera, the spongey bread that here has only a subtle fermented flavor that perfectly complements your curries. The ambience is definitely cool. Under the dim, neon lighting of a surprisingly high ceiling, you'll enjoy a dinner that's both cozy/comfy/intimate while also feeling grand. If I'm ever in Boston again, I'm definitely coming back!

We went to Blue Nile while visiting friends in Boston. We have an Ethiopian place we love in St. Louis so we decided to compare the two. They both offer a vegetarian injera combo platter--Blue Nile's veggies weren't as flavorful. Our gomen wat (greens) in particular were very bland. The misir wat (red lentils) had good seasoning and a little spice, and out of all the vegetarian sides was our favorite and would be my recommendation. The yelik alicha (yellow split pea) needed seasoning though, and the tikil gommen (cabbage) and yatakilt wat (carrots) could've been saltier/sweeter respectively, but these were ok. The vegetarian dishes overall didn't give the feeling of "wow you could have a great completely vegetarian meal" that I expected. On the other hand, Blue Nile's veggie platter also came with a side salad that looked boring but was dressed well. The meat at Blue Nile was spiced better than the veggies, and in both the lega tibs (beef) and yebeg tibs (lamb) the tomatoes and onions mixed nicely. Some of the beef was tough, but the lamb with tomatoes and onions was the standout. Finally the injera itself I would've preferred less dry/more squishy. It's still a lot of fun to eat in a group of 4, since everyone can reach over and grab everything. It's a nice place to share food and talk. It was open to the air during what felt like an unpleasant Boston summer - kind of hot and humid, including inside Blue Nile - so I felt a bit sticky. The servers constantly refilled our cold water though which helped us stay cool. In general the service was nice and helped resolve some confusion with our order. On a side note, and this is probably simply a STL vs Boston thing, I felt like the portions at Blue Nike were smaller for the price. And Meskerem (our STL place) serves quickly, like they have most of the veggies made already, whereas Blue Nile took ~30 min (but maybe because we got vegetarian at Meskerem but meat here). Still fun overall but again as a venue it was humid.

Came back for dinner we after quite a while and it was still as lovely as always! Cozy space, friendly service and delicious Ethiopian cuisine. The lentils are particularly good

The restaurant is cozy and a reservation is a must. Street parking can be a little difficult in the area. The interior gave a nice impression and the staff were attentive. Once ordered, the food comes out quickly. My fiancée and I got the Dora (Chicken) and Lega (Beef) Tibs Combo and they put it together on a large injera with extra injera on the side. We got the Misir and Shiro Wat and we both loved the Misir Wat a lot more, it had a lot more flavor. The chicken and beef came out warm, I would have preferred if they were hot. I enjoyed mixing the different combinations together. Overall this is a great experience for Ethiopian food.

The food was super bland this time, especially the veggie combo and the lentil appetizer. Just seemed like there was no seasoning. Even the spicy lamb was not spicy. Service was very good even though the restaurant was packed. Parking is never easy there but a few spots on the same street opened up around 7:45pm (Thursday). There's a Whole Foods nearby but I don't know if I would risk parking there.

Honestly disappointing. Got siga wot, doro wot, and side of misir. They did not have kitfo, one of our favorite dishes, but we generally enjoy the other dishes as well so we were happy to try them here. Honestly was on the bland side, which is shocking for Ethiopian food, although the siga wot was somewhat more flavorful. Didn't have any classic buttery or umami + berbere strong spice notes, just a more generic mild spice. Also only two very small chicken drumsticks in the doro wot, surprising given the price, and a very small couple of spoonfuls of misir on the side. We have eaten a lot of Ethiopian food in many cities, particularly numerous times in DC, and this fell very short of our expectations. I was disappointed enough to let my partner finish most of it and try the Ethiopian Cafe nearby, which was much more in line with our expectations. On the plus side, service was fast and kind. Thank you to our server.

What a great Ethiopian staple in the neighborhood. Food was tasty, service friendly. Definitely worth visiting!

This was my 2nd time having Ethiopian food and Blue Nile did not disappoint! The menu was a but difficult to navigate, but our waitress kindly explained how to order. We ordered the veggie combo with doro tibs (chicken). Loved the misir wet (red lentils) the most, but everything was delicious. It is a classy casual restaurant, and was not very busy the Sunday afternoon I went to eat. This is a great spot to grab a meal with a friend or group!

Cute interior. Not a ton of seating, so reservation is recommended. The staff was very friendly. Food was served very very quickly, so it was definitely prepped and cooked ahead of time. The food was good, but I felt it could've had more flavor, especially the meats. The service was pretty good, we had 2 servers and I asked both of them for a fork, yet didn't get my fork until the end of the meal. I am giving 4 stars because it was much better than 2 other Ethiopian restaurants I've been to in greater Boston.

Somewhat intimidating at first since the menu didn't really have descriptions on anything (even though the online menu does?). So was kind of fumbling through my phone figuring out what to get, and plus have a chick pea / chick pea flour allergy which some of the items have. The waiter though was very friendly, asked if first time eating Ethiopian (YES!), and told him about my allergy and was accommodating. So, intimidation disappeared after that, went for the veggie combo. I looked to my left table and noticed was either their doro (chicken) or siga (tenderloin), and was thinking next time I got to try those out. I live right around the corner too so definitely ordering soon. Injira is an interesting thing. It reminds me tastewise like indian appam cooked, but more filling. Love it! The Misir and the Ye'kik Alicha were the top two items. The Gomen and Yatakilt were OK, not as much flavor as the other two. Great food though overall, recommend it.

I've been here twice and I can say the service was amazing. The second time the waitress remembered us. The food was great as to be expected. It's no wonder why they were rated best of Boston. Thank you Blue Nile for being kind and give us such a great dinner experience. Thank you thank you!

Great, flavorful vegetarian options, and I always get a huge amount with the sampler and injera for takeout.

Such a fun place! I loved their homemade mead. The only reason I didn't get them 5 stars is I thought the bread was gluten free but was informed it sadly was not. I was able to get rice on the side but would have loved the bread!

Visited Blue Nile on May 11th for Mother's Day Dinner. We travelled from the Cape and it was well worth the traffic on a Saturday night. Fabulous! The food was stellar. The service was excellent. The ambience of the small space was great. I would definitely travel back for dinner again. EXCELLENT!!!!

I went there for dinner its a small place but let me tell you the food...omg I was very pleased. Service was fast,efficient, friendly and delicious. I had an appetizer with cottage cheese and a kick of spiciness took it to the next level. Then we initially were getting another dish with sooo many healthy vegetables but I also wanted beef. It was a great dish. So filling satisfying totally delicious. Definitely will be back and soon. My daughter loved as well.

The. Best. Fresh. Homemade. Ethiopian. Food. Delish and nutrish. Go, it is worth the wait,outside, if full - which is most likely because everyone knows how good it is. Not a large place but a great one. Cozy, warm, delish. Sweet owner is often about and there to greet you w/a warm smile. One of my favorite Boston restaurants indeed.

The food was absolutely amazing and the service was courteous. Clean functional space. Did not take much time to come out and everything was delicious. I also think they swapped out something with chickpeas that my husband was allergic to.

I've lived in Nepal before so I was familiar with food consumption without utensils but this was quite different in the sense that the spices were on a whole different level. The two things that stood out to me most during my meal at this establishment was the conversation and sincere kindness of the owner who came by to check on us multiple times in a nurturing (not overbearing) way. He shared stories about his past life and his deep appreciation of other cultures which brought him to his current destination. As I'm slowly getting back to in-person gatherings outside, I deeply appreciate people who are willing to take the time to share their lives even to those who are at first strangers like me. All right. Now the food. There is this amazing fermented pancake that is placed at the bottom of the plate. I am told that it is made with teff, which is an Ethiopian grain. It was light and fluffy, and reminded me of how seaweed levers are used to wrap rice. I believe my entire meal was gluten-free because the other portions of my dish consisted of slow cooked beef in a complex spicy stew like sauce and a light fresh vinegary salad that had a splash of lemon juice in it. I was also given a side plate of those fluffy pancakes (note: the large one on the bottom of the meal tends to get slightly soggy from the moist contents above) My friends and I enjoyed our meals and were impressed by the casual welcoming atmosphere, the cleanliness of the restaurant inside where I entered to use their restroom facilities, and last but not least.. the ginger lime tea that was offered to us by the kind owner who must have sensed that this was a celebratory meal where my friends and I gathered in person for the first time in over three years. This was my first Ethiopian meal experience and I certainly intend to return with other friends who enjoy finely crafted food as much as I do. Needless to say, the service was superb and I would personally return just to have another conversation with this owner. I was so engrossed in his story that I neglected to ask his name. Hope not to make that mistake again next time. My pictures will not do justice because yet again, I fell into the temptation of devouring half my meal as soon as it arrived.

I love ethiopian food. i love GOOD food. and unfortunately that's not what tonight was. ordered the lamb and chicken stew with my bf. his lamb was nice, tasted good. the chicken stew, which had supposedly been cooked for 6 hours, was pink, blood congealed, and not tender or cooked through to the bone. super disappointing, and after telling the server, she told us she had "no idea what to do." i requested the chicken be taken off the bill and she said that she didn't think the chicken was undercooked. it was appalling.

I am writing this review to boost their BRUNCH. I know what you're thinking - brunch?! It is not seemingly advertised anywhere, but call and ask! I'm not making this up. Saturdays and Sundays from 9a-12p. I went this past weekend and it was DELICIOUS. They have a sizeable outdoor patio, too, and seem to be very good at COVID precautions. As always, the food is delicious. It's a limited menu and it has both Ethiopian as well as more traditional American brunch type meals. I made a mistake and didn't take a picture of the menu to share with you fine folks, but seriously - go check it out. The prices are good and the portions are massive. The food is super veg(an) friendly, too.

I had a friend flying in from Chicago and he requested Ethiopian food when he landed. A vegan friend had recommended Blue Nile, and I am so thrilled that she did! The staff was amazing and beyond accommodating as we dined and chatted. This was my first time trying Ethiopian cuisine and the food being absolutely delicious made the experience perfect! I will absolutely be back!

Loved: - FLAVOR!!! Doro wat was so flavorful and the misir wat (red lentils) were nice and spicy - The owner who was staffing was really friendly Loved less: - Dishes without the sauce like the lamb were not as flavorful/tasty - Slightly high prices Blue Nile is a cozy eatery in JP. They serve their food on a giant piece of injera and you can eat it the traditional way with your hands. It looks quite stunning! They said the red lentils were their spiciest dish, but I found it tolerable. Packed with flavor.

The food is great. The staff is friendly and inviting. It's a great place to enjoy a summer dinner with friends out on the "porch".

My wife and I love this restaurant! We highly recommend this place. Come and try it!!

Everything we had was great!! I am vegan and gf, and the waitstaff made a suggestion of one of their veggie platters that had a bit of each vegan offering! It is a cozy restaurant with great music softly playing in the background! We will be back!

We came in this past Sunday around 7pm without a wait. About six tables out of the approximate dozen tables were filled. It's a small place and the tables and chairs are close to your neighbors. We ordered one veggie dIsh and one beef stew dish. We asked for very mild dishes. Joseph explained to us there are about 14 veggies to chooSe from. He chose the mild veggies with one medium spicy level. We ate everything up. It was delicious. Everything tasted fresh, full of flavor, and all the dishes were mild except one veggie dish as Joseph had promised. This was my second time here and I'll definitely continue to come here for their food. I believe it's street parking as i did not see any parking lots.

ONE OF THE BEST MEALS IN BOSTON! All the veggie/vegan meals are amazing. Veggie combo on injera is *chef's kiss* perfection

Can't recommend Blue Nile enough! We went on a nice summer evening and the windows were open so we got a lovely breeze. The food is delicious and a great price for the amount of food you get -- one portion of the veggie combo was a good amount for two people. It's a great spot for a meal with a group. Our server, who was wonderful and very helpful, suggested their honey wine, which I strongly recommend ordering! We had never had anything like it. Five stars!

What a great first experience of Ethiopian food! So colorful and fresh. We ordered the veggie revenge and one chicken dish, and it was more than enough to feed 3 people. Our favorite veggie dish was the gomen wet (collard greens)

Blue Nile is a great restaurant. Small and cozy. There ginger tea is exquisite. The veggie combo with spicy beef is supreme. A fusion of flavors. The owner and workers are very nice and patient. My own beef with them is that they skimp out on the meat. Aside from that, fantastic restaurant!

We had two Vegetarian Revenge plates and lamb, beef, and chicken. Our server was friendly and helpful and everything was delicious!

Super delicious food with very savory and complex flavors. I really enjoyed the food. There are also options for vegetarians as well.

Avoid the Doro Wot. It comes with one tiny piece of chicken and one egg... kinda impossible to justify the $18 price tag!

Great ambiance with really great staff. The staff were extremely kind and caring. The food and the experience in general was so fun. I really liked eating with my hands/the bread they give. Highly recommend

So so good!! This is only my third Ethiopian food experience, but this might be my favorite so far. The staff is super nice, and was super patient in explaining what everything was. The interior is cute and small. Homey vibes. (: I got the beef tibs combo with misir wat (lentils) and it was soooo good. The injera was also perfectly spongey. Nothing was too sour which is a common complaint I've heard about Ethiopian food. ALSO the honey wine. SO GOOD. My friend and I have the exact opposite taste in wine, but we both loved this wine so much. We both got 2 glasses...and then bought a bottle each ($25). They make it themselves, which is why I'm more than happy to support. And drink. Heheh I'm super happy I finally stopped in! I'll be ordering from here way more often now.

I arrived to a half-full restaurant. The hostess sat the group behind me first. After awhile she let me sit in one of the many empty tables. Then she completely ignored me. After 15 minutes I got up and left. I have no idea if the food is good or not, but the rudeness and ineptitude of the staff ensures that I won't be back.

We've been sorely missing injera and doro wat and all the rest (RIP Addis Red Sea), and so were very happy to hear Blue Nile reopened for takeout during the pandemic. 2 of us split 3 entrees: veg, lamb, and chicken, which naturally each came with 2 giant platter-sized pieces of perfectly-textured and tangy injera (and the meats came with one veg side). Every bite of it all was flavorful, delicious, and full of spice- nothing was too spicy, but rather just the right amount of heat to add to the flavor. Especially with the injera in the mix, it was a large amount of food that resulted in us being very full with leftovers, so one entree is probably enough for one person's dinner. Do not miss the homemade tej (honey wine): soooo good.

Such a gem in the JP neighborhood. I've had the pleasure of visiting a few times and each time the staff has been incredibly attentive and kind. The food is always delicious and it's a great experience overall. I'd definitely suggest calling ahead and making a reservation as the space is smaller and quite popular!

Great food, nice atmosphere, servers are welcoming, friendly and helpful. They have gluten free injera available if you request it 24 hours in advance, and they take reservations. It's a pretty small dining room but they accommodated our party of 6 with no problem.

The service here is stellar. And the outdoor seating was lovely on a warm fall day. Try the yummy Ethiopian beer. I thought the beef was a little expensive at 19.99 for a small bowl, but combined with the vegetarian platter, it was truly delicious.

Love coming to Blue Nile! The food is soooo good. I've been a few times and got to try the honey wine this time, which was delicious. As a vegetarian I appreciate having so many options, and usually get the veggie combo. We ate outside which was so pleasant. This place is definitely a must for vegetarians and folks who like bold, flavorful food!

Amazing authentic food. Great service. Beautiful restaurant with lovely outdoor seating.

Went there on a busy Friday night. Food came out quick! Our waitress was really nice. And the honey wine was yummy!

Best dinner I've had in awhile. Service was excellent. Food was excellent. We will be back as soon as we can.

This was the first time I had Ethiopian food and it was DELICIOUS!!! I would say any of the food options are great. I tried the meat and also vegetarian options and I can say that anything you get will have a depth of flavor that will excite your tastebuds. Visually, I liked the presentation as the spread of colors in the food was stimulating with the hues of greens and red glistening like jewels. The food can be a little on the spicier side- but in a good way! It definitely warmed me up which was a pleasant feeling when it gets COOOOLD out.

We got a Very tasty "vegetarian revenge" to go. They gave us lots of njira bread, and timely friendly service.

The food here was so good! I ordered the yatakilt wet and the portion size was perfect along with the injera. The service was lovely and the restaurant has a really nice outdoor space to eat too. Would definitely go again!

My coworker recommended this place to me. Lega Tibs Combo" Beef sautéed with onion, tomatoes and chilis and served with vegies on the side. you can pick your own sides, but I was told to get cabbage. I am going to come here again and try something else

When searching for Vegan Restaurants in Boston, several different Ethiopian places popped up and I haven't had Ethiopian food in a while so it was bookmarked on my list for this trip. Our Uber driver on the way in from the airport actually recommended this place so we finally made it out for dinner. I actually forgot to make reservations but that was okay because it seems that thanks to Covid, there's plenty of outdoor seating now. So much that we were the only ones to sit inside for a little while. That's not to say that it wasn't busy though because there was only one table left outside. We brought our baby and wanted to be as less disruptive as possible so we chose to sit at the table by the window. There were two waitresses that were worked really hard, both super friendly and helpful. The food came out quite quickly and everything was delicious. I think the Shiro Wet was my favorite, aside from the Inerja, which our waitress was kind enough to give us some to take home. My husband and I decided to split the Veggie Revenge so we could try all of the vegan options then go from there. We almost ordered another side but were both pretty full after sharing the platter. It comes on one large piece of Inerja and 3 1/2 rolls on the side. Overall, this was a great option for dinner, especially if you're looking for something healthy, ethnic or just looking for a new experience. Do note that if you've never had Ethiopian food before, it is customary to eat the food by picking it up with the Inerja, which is a fermented Teff crepe/pancake. If you decide to come, I recommend ordering one of the combo platters, you won't be disappointed. All of the menu is available online only listed as the 'to-go menu'.