Buna Kurs Ethiopian Cafe

Absolutely incredible experience! The food was packed with rich, unique flavors, especially the tibs, barley, and Ethiopian-style eggs. Lily and her husband were warm and welcoming, and the citrus espresso drink was such a fun surprise. Cozy space, beautiful energy, and I can’t wait to come back with friends. Highly recommend!

I was at this place for breakfast and I love foods. I tried FULL from there menu's it was delicious. Cofe is ethiopian test and wall art fantastic. If you visit richmond VA you have to visit and test this place .

The staff was so friendly and made sure we loved our meal! Beautiful atmosphere and lots of natural light. Absolutely will be coming here again soon.

One of my favorite coffee shops in town. Black owned a nd operated. They treat their regulars like family. Bring your laptop or a book and stay for a while. LGBTQ+ friendly!

AMAZING QUALITY COFFEE We got the cortado and cinnamon brown sugar latte. This is the best cortado I have had in the Mid-Atlantic area. The cinnamon brown sugar latte is one of the best we have tried in the region as well.

Wonderful cafe with phenomenal Ethiopian food. We came for breakfast, and I got the breakfast combo - 10/10. Great vibe and very friendly, accommodating staff. Will definitely back next time I’m in Richmond. Only regret is that we came on the last day of our trip. Otherwise we would’ve come for breakfast each morning.

I’ve never eaten Ethiopian food, and this was the best entrance into Ethiopian breakfast. The atmosphere was delightful, the flavors deep yet approachable and the service provided was top notch! You knocked it out of the park Buna Kurs!

Finally was able to come out here and it blew my mind. Seriously the depths of flavor and spices that compliment one in other in all we ate was everything!! It all tasted so fresh. When we took our first bites it was like we heard music, just really transports you to another place. Simply put they make damn good food here! The place is cute, has a place in the back to rent event space, cute bathroom, and outlets with USB ports. It is homey, the owner and staff were so welcoming. Just beyond amazing service. The dedication and care comes through. I will be dreaming about the baklava alone, it is a favorite pastry of mine and this was the best I've ever had in Richmond. Do yourself a solid, get it together, and come here. Also the prices are worth it! Can't beat this quality.

Nothing else like this spot in Richmond. Talk about a unique breakfast spot - my taste buds went for an amazing ride with this one. If you're like me - and wanting to try a bit of everything - the Breakfast Combo is the way to go. The Egg Silsi is like a perfectly mild Shakshuka, and the Kinche and FirFir along with made for a wonderful infusion of flavors, textures, and savory spices that were unlike anything I have ever had for breakfast before. Everything went beautifully with the spongey goodness of the Injera. Ethiopian flavors are just so... cool. I don't know how else to describe it but this just hit different. Plus, a reliable cup of home-brewed coffee? Say less.

I had breakfast at Buna Kurs last week when I was in Richmond for a few business meetings, and I LOVED it. And what's not to love? Customer service? Wonderful. Ambiance? Great. Coffee/tea options? Two thumbs up. Food? Outstanding. Seriously, I loved it from start to finish. I showed up on a Tuesday morning with my laptop and an empty stomach. There's lots of seating inside (with great natural light throughout, it's just such a warm, cozy space), and a few tables outside as well. I ordered the Keshir team (ginger, orange juice, and honey), which totally hit the spot. I could not resist the breakfast combo, which comes with egg silsi (scrambled eggs in tomato sauce with onion), kinche (bulgur cooked and tossed with yellow onion and clarified butter and topped with jalapenos), firfir (injera sauteed in a spicy tomato sauce), and injera. I SCRAPED the plate. Everything was delicious. Just thinking about it now, I wish there was a Buna Kurs in Baltimore, so I could eat this for breakfast once a week. One of the best breakfasts I've had this year. No joke. I love Ethiopian food, and I am so jealous that Richmond has an Ethiopian cafe. Ethiopian for breakfast?! A dream. It doesn't hurt that the service and ambiance are also great. Easy street parking to boot. A great place to work. The only thing that I'd recommend to them is that a few more outlets to charge laptops or phones would be nice - so that people can work from the cafe more easily! But otherwise, Buna Kurs is pretty much perfect in my view. Dream breakfast. Great cafe. Couldn't love it more.

Nice and cute small place. I saw it while on my way to sugar and salt bakery down the street! The inside a bit more spacious than it looked. Seems like people like doing work here in the morning. I got the breakfast platter. It honestly tasted like how I expected to except the carb was not as sour as I thought. It complimented all 3 dishes in the platter although I do wish it had a little more depth on the flavour profile but it definitely was not lacking!

Very awesome cafe- reminds of DC Ethiopian cafes. We only had coffee and an appetizer but look forward to coming back for more lunch options in the future. The menu is short but vegetarian friendly. Seems very fresh and has a home made taste. The service is slow but that ok. It's really friendly and I enjoyed speaking with the barista.

Ethiopian is more of a DC thing, but I was happy to find this cafe open in Richmond. They did not have any pastries, perhaps because it was a holiday. However, I came for foul, and received a robust fava bean breakfast. Ordering a tea got me a cinnamon spiced base with a Lipton tea bag. The space was quite open and had some art going on, particularly towards the back. The crowd was a minus on a lot of levels, but it's not the restaurant's fault and these things vary. The opportunity to get a high protein vegetarian breakfast which is also tasty was worthwhile nonetheless.

I love small businesses and I don't leave my review because I had a negative experience, I'm leaving my review because I believe in growth and getting better. I love Ethiopian and I've had some really great places, as someone who knows the cuisine a bit, I had a lot of expectation for this place. There are not many eating options and with the food I did order I wish it could've been more seasoned and flavorful. I paid around $50 for food that did not fill me up, I was looking for a fulfilling meal with exciting flavors and spices that I cannot replicate at home. The service was great, the shop is small so it's tight and you can hear others conversations. It's a great place to grab coffee and pass through.

The food, service, and ambience all seem to be truly authentic Ethiopian! The food was absolutely uh-MAZE-ing!!!!! This was my first time here and Misgana was super helpful with recommendations and was patient with me as I was making my decisions. She also made me the Shai Bekimem tea with was the perfect compliment to a delicious, reasonably priced meal. I absolutely positively plan on coming back as soon as I can!! Oh, I had the breakfast combo and ate a little of my husband's awaze tibs!! I 100% recommend them both!!!

Great ambience, small space with a sweet, Auntie's house kind of vibe. I love that RVA has another Ethiopian spot finally and the fact that they serve breakfast all day is a WIN! The sambusas and the egg combos are really good. I'm a BIG fan of the chai and homemade drinks - she literally blends the honey and chai spices right there on site as she preps your drink. Service is great and staff is always kind and ready to answer any questions or make recommendations. Everything is served fresh, prepped well, and gives the depth and flavor you need to experience what Ethiopian cuisine is all about!

BEST SERVICE. Delicious food. Kindest staff. A gem in Richmond. The coffee is so lovely. An idea brunch place. My issue is just the lack of seating, which is so not enough to keep me away.

Buna Kurs is an Ethiopian café located in the Jackson Ward area in Richmond. After reading reviews and seeing them on social media, I was very excited to check them out. I'm not sure exactly when they opened, but it's my understanding that this business is fairly new. I visited on a Sunday in February (President's Day weekend) around noon. The place was packed! I ended up ordering the lime thyme limeade and the awaze tibs. The staff were very nice. However, the wait for my food was ridiculously long. I waited over an hour to receive my food. I was not the only one who had to wait a while to receive food. The food was delicious. I could've done without the limeade. I think it would've been better if fresh lime juice was used. Also, the drink was not shaken or stirred, so I didn't taste the flavor of the thyme syrup until I got to the end of the drink. I have mixed feelings about Buna Kurs. I loved the decor and the food. However, I am hoping that improvements have been made in order to be a little more efficient with getting food to patrons, especially during busy times.

Everything about this cafe is wonderful! Friendly, knowledgeable, courteous service. Amazing food! Flavorful, nuanced, cooked to perfection. And the music playing during our visit was enthralling! Cannot wait to go back!

Beautiful establishment, amazing service, food was incredible! Suggested from a friend that owns the Nile (another amazing Ethiopian spot), and I was nothing less than blown away. Also met the owner, who was sweet as she could be. Currently, Her father has a few paintings in the gallery located in the rear of the restaurant, that are beautifully done. I forget the name of the drink, it's a tea, with orange juice, ginger, and honey, make sure you try that, so good. Will be back, definitely!

First time having Ethiopian food and could not recommend enough! I ordered the breakfast platter and a mango smoothie. All three items were delicious as was the smoothie. Kind and quick.

I always try to come here when I'm in Richmond and it never disappoints. Love the honey cardamom latte!

This review is being written inside Buna Kurs right now. I love it here! I'm so grateful my friend and I started our morning here. My first note is that Lily Fasil is incredible. She's created a beautiful shop with delicious food and drinks. As you can read in interviews, she supports local creatives and wants to have a rental space in Buna Kurs for them to make things like podcasts or have photoshoots. We came in at 10am on a Wednesday. It was a little busy, but the line went quick and the stuff we ordered came out quick. My friend ordered the cappucino and the breakfast combo. When I asked Lily for recs she told me the breakfast combo was good for two, but if I wanted to add anything, to try to fu'ul. I ordered that and the chai. Here were our thoughts: Breakfast Combo: You get so much food for just $9.50! It's such a great value! So grateful Lily mentioned it'd be a good idea to share this. Not only did we get to try more food, but we enjoyed it so much. We ran out of injera pretty quickly, but Lily kindly gave us more. Our favorite in the combo was the egg silsi. The eggs were simple, light, and had a great flavor. We enjoyed the kinche and firfir too. The kinche mixed really well with the eggs. The firfir had a nice kick. Fu'ul: I'm used to the Egyptian style fu'ul. When I tried the Ethiopian style, I was in love. The spices in this dish make for a beautiful explosion of flavor in your mouth. So glad Lily recommended this one! Chai: So happy I tried this famous chai! I adored the flavor. I believe they use chai concentrate here so the flavors are a lot more compact and stronger. It had a lovely lingering flavor after each sip. Cappuccino: My friend ordered this and enjoyed it. I assume they use Ethiopian beans? Our overall experience was great here. We loved sharing our food. The atmosphere was fantastic too. I loved all the natural lighting and wicker touches. This is an amazing spot to have a meeting, meet a friend, go on a date, or start your morning. If you're looking for a bang for your buck, come here. Loving this new spot in Jackson Ward!!

This Ethiopian cafe is definitely a hidden gem in Richmond. The staff were so friendly. I tried the sambusa which was filled with lentils and had great combination of spices. I really enjoyed the breakfast combo, and I could try a bunch of different Ethiopian dishes with injera (Ethiopian bread). The flavors are amazing!! I hope to come back and try their specialty lattes and more from their food menu!

It's such a warm and cozy place that's decorated well on the inside. As an Ethiopian myself, the food was top tier. The baristas are very pleasant to talk to. Bathroom is spotless. The price isn't too bad but it's worth it for the food. Great place overall. I had the 3 plate breakfast

Everyone is so friendly and the food is delicious! The smoothies are so fresh and have helped cool me off on hot days. Always great music in here too!

This is a simple place for simple pleasures. The food here -the berbere spice, the injera- is from old traditions but they're delicious ones. The food is largely vegetarian, with an option to add meat if you like to most things, but it's not really necessary. If you have a taste for spice and maybe salt as well, it's the place to be for a light-but-filling breakfast or lunch. I can't say I have a favorite even after multiple visits, but the potato sandwich (Ertib) goes brilliantly with the spicy tomato salad, and I adore the crunch of the lentil-filled sambusas. Don't confuse them with similarly named Indian samosas, though, they're a pretty different dish for all they look and sound similar. Of course, it goes without saying that an Ethiopian place has good coffee too, so sit down and make your tongue dance!

The coffee here was so good that me, a non coffee drinker, drank a cup. Not only that, but we also bought beans to bring home to new york with us.

Lala Shiro all the way- this place is the bomb. Can't wait to try more here. Great portions and the best injera I've ever had. Woo hoo!

Went this morning, most amazing experience. Food was incredible, service was the shining definition of true guest service. Restaurant interior is incredibly clean and inviting. Very warm and welcoming place, definitely going back!!

Tried their breakfast combo and an iced honey cardamom latte. I am by no means an expert on Ethiopian food, but I absolutely loved their breakfast combo! The latte was also good but thought it was a little light on the cardamom flavor. Back to the combo though, love all parts of it! The Kinche bulgur wheat with clarified butter onions and jalapeños was amazing and I am totally going to try to replicate it at home. Wonderful rich buttery taste and a hint of spice every now and then. The Fir Fir, spicy sautéed injera bread had a lovely kick and went wonderful with the Kinche and Egg Silsi. It came with a side of Injera which was wonderful to wrap all the goodies in. The service was spot on and the place adorable! Lovely back room with great light. I imagine a yoga class in that space would be beautiful!

Delicious & authentic Ethiopian cafe! This is such a gem. The minute you walk through the doors, the smell of delicious Ethiopian cooking engulfs you. I almost wanted to eat the air! The lady at the front was friendly and helpful with recommendations. I decided to go for the breakfast combo as it had the most variety and I loved every part of the dish! I think my favorite part of the dish was the injera fir fir because of the spicy tang. I also got the hot cardamom latte and it was super flavorful and went well with the meal. So glad I was able to stumble upon this place during a work trip! Hopefully I'll get the chance to come back.

The chai tea and customer service Thats it. Thats the review. Just go. For those of you wanting more information, I am a HUGE chai latte lover. I have tried them from most places in the city. As I was exiting the building with my oat milk chai tea latte, I literally paused in my trackes and made an about face so I could tell them how good it was!!!

This place was amazing. Had breakfast here and got the egg silsi and a honey ginger latte. Both were out of this world. The folks working there were very friendly and helpful. Such a great experience, and would highly recommend!

What a gem this place is! I was lucky enough to visit today with a friend who knew the owners and I will definitely be returning for their truly delicious food and warm hospitality. I'm so happy we have a place like this in Richmond! I had the awaze tibs, which was so phenomenally flavorful - even the tomatoes that were served with it had a really nice tasting, light olive oil on them and were perfectly salted. The bread was the delicious spongey variety that we all love in Ethiopian food - light and perfectly cooked. Do NOT miss out on this wonderful cafe. I can't wait to try more of their food and go there for breakfast. There was a cardamom milk latte of some sort that is definitely on my list and again, the hospitality was just as good as it gets.

The food here is DELICIOUS, we ordered the awaze tibs and got a spicy tomato salad and everything was fresh and has great depth of flavor! the injera is slightly sour and pairs well with the spicy beef! The drinks here are amazing too, we had the spicy chai frappe and cold brew and they have such a rich and yummy flavor!! The service here is AMAZING, the lady that runs the counter gave us free injera after checking in with us and everyone here is so nice and explains everything! The ambiance here is very clean and fresh, with furnishings that match the overall vibe of the cafe!! Deff a 10/10 experience!!

Amazing food, friendly service, bright and cheery on the inside! Get the Lala Shiro, the Fu'ul and the house salad!! The Thyme Limeade is perfection! You must get a cup of coffee!!

One of my favorite breakfast spots in Richmond. The breakfast combo is the perfect trio. I love the balance of salt and spice. I would literally eat this dish everyday. The service is always friendly. I've brought a number of friends here (including one who used to work at an Ethiopian restaurant) and they all agree that the food is delicious. Don't miss out! Put this place on your list for a bite post morning workout or walk....add it to your lunch date list. You're welcome.

Lovely coffee shop!! Sweet owners, highly recommend stopping by! Great food and coffee!

First time there trying Ethiopian food which we had what is pictured. My sister & I was very impressed with the taste service & delivery of the food with some background knowledge given to us by the owner as well.

Delicious Ethiopian breakfast combo. It was enough for lunch the next day. My husband loved the Lala Shiro.

My daughter and I met there for a quick bite before we had to head to the convention center. Coffee was great, Fruit tarts were both great. The real win was the sambussas! Perfect!

I enjoyed stopping by and trying this super cute cafe! I had the Chai lattee (they make the Chai in house!) With espresso and it was so good! Nice balance of spice and the oat milk recommendations was the icing on top! Can't wait to go back for food!

Food was novel to me. I enjoyed it, however. It could be nice to include menu translations.

Tried Ethiopian food the first time. Unexpectedly, it was quite tasty and filling to be honest. I had a breakfast combo, which is a combination of kinche, egg silsi, and injera fir fir. It also came with a basket of traditional bread which unfortunately, it wasn't my cup of tea. Other than that, I liked it. And the interior is nice, too. I enjoyed the experience!

This cafe was so amazing--will definitely be returning!! There was plenty of seating, the staff was so kind, the food was beyond phenomenal, and the coffee was everything. The ambiance was so peaceful and great to do work in or have a coffee date. We ordered lattes and the owner suggested to add the honey cardamom syrup--this came out to be so rich and delicious! We also had the fuul and sambusa which exceeded all expectations--also perks for being a super vegan friendly cafe too :)

The Awaze Tibs were excellent. 3 minutes walk from the convention center. I struck up a conversation with the owner, who was very nice! Fantastic experience and I will be back!!

Wow what a delicious hidden gem! I highly recommend this spot for a delicious Ethiopian breakfast! Service is phenomenal and the chef is an amazing cook!!

Cute cafe with friendly vibe and great food. I had the Lala shiro with injera and it was so good! Big portions too. Will definitely be back to try everything!

Phenomenal!! Food was delicious and the person taking our food was so kind and welcoming. Definitely recommend and will be coming back every time I visit! Music was also such a vibe

Such a cute spot! Came for breakfast on a Sunday since nothing else was open, and I was so glad to end up here! Friendly staff and delicious coffee and food. Calm vibes.

SO GOOD PLEASE GO HERE! We went in a rainy morning and it was so cozy and had a great vibe. The coffee was amazing, Ethiopian coffee is excellent. The food was great. We got the breakfast combo and were blown away with how tasty, nutritious, flavorful, and light the meal was. It was also pretty cheap. The employee was tentative to our needs and asked us how everything was. Definitely going back!

This morning I made a stop in Jackson Ward in search of coffee and I stumbled across this place. As I entered the building, I made my way to the restroom and was stopped by the owner to let me know "the bathrooms are not public". At first I was baffled because , how did she not know that I wasn't a customer. Take in to context that this establishment is directly in the center of a historically black neighborhood being gentrified. She assumed that I was a neighborhood local , for whom she would like to keep away from her establishment. As I expressed my displeasure, she became irritate. This is unacceptable behavior from a community business. DO NOT SHOP HERE.

5 stars for sure! I brought my 3 children in today for lunch. They had been eager to try Ethiopian cuisine and we were blown away by the bursts of flavors in every bite. We will certainly be going back!!

glad we found this place thanks Yelp! great coffee, amazing barista we loved loved loved this place

Beautiful atmosphere, amazing tea, and delicious authentic Ethiopian dishes. And to top it off the staff delivers great service! 10/10!

This cafe is definitely a jewel in Richmond! Lilly is so fun and personable. The food is delicious and the coffee is as well. I love Ethiopian food and am happy that we have Buna Kurs here - we need more Ethiopian spots! I came for one of the coffee ceremonies on the weekend and enjoyed it. The event space in the back is cool - currently some beautiful artwork done by Lilly's father is on display and for sale. Would definitely recommend!