HiRa Cafe

We LOVE this cafe!!!! The coffee is strong and brewed to a level you will not find at these bougie and overpriced coffee stores downtown. The Breakfast Combo is so divine we've had it three times already in two weeks. Sweet, savoury, and a little spice. You can tell it's homemade. The owner is darling. We're addicted! There's a reason 5280 gave HiRa a shout-out.

Hira’s cafe was delicious! I’ve had lots of Ethiopian food before, but this was some of the best. Hira herself is also very warm. I’ll definitely be back, this place rocks. The “foul” was so good, strongly recommend trying it. High quality Ethiopian food for sure, and very affordably priced.

Stylish, hip café, offering a variety of beverages and great food selection. Ethiopian coffee is always delicious on it's own, but try the many ways it is presented here! Fresh, delicious pastries available to complete your experience.

From the warmth of the staff to the delicious food and coffee, Hira Cafe has quickly become my favorite neighborhood coffee stop. I’m a big fan of Ethiopian coffee and cuisine and Hira Cafe knocks both out of the park.

Had a wonderful breakfast at HiRa Cafe! Started with 2 delicious caramel macchiatos made with Ethiopian coffee, then split two main courses before heading to the airport. We left feeling satisfied and nourished! The chef came to greet us with a big smile after we finished eating and I couldn’t say thank you enough for such a lovely experience! I will be back next time I visit Denver!

Had a great experience here. Black coffee was great, the Foul was delicious and well spiced, and the bread was some of the best I’ve ever eaten. Would drive an hour and half to eat here again, thank you.

Friendly and helpful staff. Accommodated our gluten free diner Food was delicious .will definitely return . The patisserie case had some great treats available.

Amazing hospitality, welcoming each customer with a smile and personal touch. The food was so flavorful and delicious. The coffee was strong and energizing. A great spot loved by many!

This place is so lovely. We ended up here a bit by mistake, and what luck! The food is incredible. I've had Ethiopian food only once or twice, so I'm not an expert, but this was by far the best. Much of it is unfamiliar to me, so it was nice that they offered some guidance and suggestions on what to order and how to best enjoy the meal, what goes on what, etc. Good food is already enough, but they make an excellent cappuccino as well. I was delighted to find it lightly spiced, just perfect. The pastries looked great, and they even have my favorite, tiramisu, but the portions were so generous, I didn't think to stop in time to save room for dessert. I got the breakfast combo, and it was easily enough for two large meals, I just scrambled another couple eggs the day after. All of it, even the injera bread reheats extremely well. Super good value! The staff is warm and friendly, and checked up on us just enough to ensure we had everything we needed. I don't normally leave reviews, but they absolutely deserve it. We'll definitely be back. Good job HiRa!

Partner and I were looking for a breakfast spot in the area after going somewhere that had a 45 min wait...we were happy that we found this little Ethiopian cafe! We've had dinner at an Ethiopian place before, but never had Ethiopian breakfast. We had the Breakfast Combo, which came with a variety of items, including eggs, injera bread, and more. The flavors were very unique and we ended up eating every single crumb. We also ordered a slice of the orange mousse cake they had, and I really liked the orange flavor - not too sweet or too orange-y. My partner was also very happy with the coffee he ordered. Service was great too! The waitress was so kind. We'll be back!

Wonderful cafe! Come for the coffee and be tempted by the food as I was. My Americano was strong and rich. At the chef's suggestion, I tried the "foul" for breakfast. Mashed fava beans were flavorful and the dark sauce added a big kick of spice. A side of warm bread helped with the heat! It was topped with cooling tomatoes and feta, red onion, and eggs. Such a great combo of tastes. The owner chef and staff were so welcoming and friendly. The place clearly has a loyal following. Check it out before it's fully discovered!

Ethiopian food should get more attention in my opinion. Ever since I've found how great it is, it's always such a treat to discover a new restaurant in my neighborhood. Today, I stumbled upon one. This is more like a coffee/pastry shop where they serve light meals. On top of the cakes and sweets displayed in the showcase upfront, they have a double-sided menu mainly for breakfast and lunch. The restaurant is clean and quite roomy despite its outward appearance. The guy at the ordering counter was very nice to me (he welcomed me with a nice smile!) Although I was only looking for a quick cut of Joe to get rid of my sleepiness, as soon as I saw the menu, I changed my mind. The thought of injera sounded so good to me! I went with No. 6 Kuanta/Firfir because all other items appeared to have eggs in them (I didn't want any eggs.) This dish turned out to be not my cup of tea. But hey, at least I gave it a try (this dish's got a good amount of kick in it so it'll warm your mouth up. Also, the dried meat (whatever the meat is) is cooked a bit too salty to my liking. And the entire dish is mostly injera so if you want more variety in a dish, you should pass this one.) Overall though, this is a nice place. People (workers and customers) seem to be very friendly. I'll come back to try some other items on the menu.

Amazing food and the be dang chai I've ever had! We had the 1, 4, and 11 and it easily fed 3+ people.

I had the breakfast combo and a latte and it was delicious. I took a slice of chocolate mousse and orange moussse cake home. I didn't love the cakes. My friend got the foul. She wasn't impressed with the foul. The staff was extremely friendly and nice.

Get the breakfast combo and an Americano - incredible! When we walked in, the kind young woman behind the counter directed us to pick a place to sit and was attentive, answering all our questions about the menu (including patiently helping me with my pronunciation and telling me putting honey on my chechebsa would be delicious - it was!). Really enjoyable place for a lovely brunch.

HiRA Cafe and Patisserie is a great cafe that has arrived in Aurora. I happened to come here because we had a bridal shower cake ordered through here. The cafe smells so good and honestly it makes you feel like you could eat the air. This cafe is a hidden gem where you can get treats and a cup of coffee, latte or tea. It's a great place to meet up with a friend and catch up if you wanna try a new little cafe. The cake for the shower cake out perfect! They gave me instruction how to transport and when to display the cake. The cake tasted great and I was impressed with the whole business overall.

Been a while since I've been back but so glad I made it! This place is still a gem and the owner is so nice! An Ethiopian native who classically trained in Paris here in Denver (ok Aurora) but her pastries are terrific! I LOVE the mille feuille - it is to light, flaky, subtly flavored with a smooth velvety cream. Sorry - no pics this time as I scarfed it down but next time, fo sho!

The stripmall behind the Olive Garden at Iliff/Havana (or is that Iliff/Jamaica?) holds a number of intriguing finds. And one of the neatest, HiRa Cafe, is a most suitable place to partake in a bit of Ethiopian breakfast and a pastry or two. "So tell me... what makes a breakfast menu in Ethiopia different from one in America?". That's a very good question, and as always, I'm more than happy to help. One dish that always stands out to me is Quanta Firfir, combining strips of dried beef (perhaps a bit firmer than jerky) with shreds of the springy teff-based bread called Injera. In fact, the things-mixed-with-bread concept of Firfir pops up several times on HiRa's breakfast menu, so you could also try the dish with eggs (Enkulal), tomato sauce (Fata, also very popular in neighboring Sudan), or peppery Berbere seasoning with yogurt. (At HiRa, this last type, sometimes also termed Chechebsa, is available either with injera or the wheat-based flatbread Kita). But if you need something less carby, there's always a nice healthy omelette, or the Horn of Africa favorite's bean stew, Ful, to sample instead. Or honestly, you could just go the sweet route with HiRa's tasty pastries (hmm, that kinda rhymes). With the possible (debatable) exception of the the donut-like item usually referred to as Pasti, the majority of sweets popular in Ethiopia have strongly European - particularly Italian - roots. Thus, it's not terribly surprising that HiRa's offerings skew in this direction as well. The Mille-Feuille/Milifoli is indeed very directly related to the layered pastry you may have sometimes seen listed, with a few tweaks, as Napoleon - and a taste of the one here will have you feeling very Continental indeed. The same can easily be said for HiRa's espresso-y version of Tiramisu, or even the titillatingly tangy orange cream pastry waving to you from the dessert case. But hey, you need something to wash all these down (and cap off your meal with), right? And I have the solution to that problem too. Have some Yekemem Shai (spiced tea), a coffee drink like Makiato (yes, that's how it's spelled in Amharic), or Spriss (fruit juices layered by density) and you'll see what I mean.

The food was really good, the coffee was amazing and the service was awesome. Very friendly.

Absolutely a wonderful place to grab a bite to eat. The staff was incredibly knowledgeable about the food and helped us with all the questions we had. This is the first place in the area that I have been where I have tasted this specific mix of flavors and it gave a great peek into authentic Ethiopian food. It is a great break from the typical cuisine you can find nearby and there are plenty of options for desserts with the bakery. I would definitely recommend coming here especially if you are in the mood to try something that is not around every corner!

Came in for a pastry and ended up ordering a fabulous Ethiopian breakfast along with a splendid cup of Ethiopian coffee; strong but no bitterness. The owner is so nice! Very helpful about explaining the food and accommodating my needs. I'm looking forward to sharing this gem with friends and family. Did I mention how delicious the food is? Yum!!!

What a delightful find! I was in the area and looking for a quick breakfast; but ended up finding HiRa Cafe -- a true gem. The atmosphere is simple, lively, charming and elegant. I ordered the Foul and Macchiato (both firsts for me) and was treated to the joy of fresh food prepared by people who clearly take pride in serving their best to their guests. The Foul and Macchiato was exceptional and treated me to an exquisite array of textures, flavors and aromas that I'm still savoring as I write this review. The capstone to my HiRa excursion was meeting Bini, the owner, and experiencing his thoughtful, gracious spirit and demeanor -- a perfect complement the HiRa dining experience. I've found another Denver favorite and look forward to sampling its full menu.

The macchiato and breakfast combo was amazing. They owner is super sweet and I am so glad to finally have a Ethiopian breakfast place in Aurora.

The owner is so sweet and dedicated to making her pastries and cake orders. She makes everything from scratch and it's all amazing quality. One of my favorite bakeries in the state.

Baked goods were awesome. Loved the Tiramisu. The Ethiopian coffee was amazing as well. great flavor. the owner operators were very nice with great customer service. Will definitely be visiting again. Thank you

I stopped in on my way to work for a quick coffee. The selection was small, but the pastries all looked amazing. I ended up with a box of cookies to share at the office, and a Latte. The latte was delicious--smooth and somewhat cocoa-y. The owner explained that he locally roasts the coffee, and a family member makes all of the pastries. They were so friendly and kind, and everything was wonderful. I'll be back for a croissant and hope to order a cake in the near future!!

This place is beyond the words The pastries and cakes are to die for , the real deal ! The flavor kicks in first ! Not the sugar as we experience mostly ! The food items are amazing , it calls up on the traditional Ethiopian bites and the combo dish is my favorite! I will go back again for sure ,

This food is remarkable beyond words! So unique and delicious. The owner/chef is someone who lights up the entire cafe with her kindness and smiles. The Ethiopian breakfast/brunch is completely different than the Ethiopian dinners I've experienced in the area. The food is superb. Sublime even. We always leave with freshly made tirimisu. Try the mashed fava beans, "Foul," with fresh baked bread and delicious Ethiopian coffee. You'll be coming back for more.

I had a great breakfast experience. The cakes are amazing I tried a couple different ones and they were all good. The napoleon was so fresh, macchiato was excellent. Customer service was on point. Definitely going back again and also bringing friends!!

I had the soft cake with vanilla bean paste, the Fetira and Ethiopian tea. The pastry was yummy but the Fetira was amazing (kind of an omelet and puffed pastry dish)! I loved the tea, too. She has delicious looking French pastries and several savory Ethiopian breakfast options to choose from. She's only been open for a few months and hasn't had time to do much advertising since she is a new mom, so help her out and take the time to stop by here to chat and sample some of the things that she grew up eating in Ethiopia! You won't be sorry.

I've came here several times and they have the one of the best Napoleon cake I have ever tried! Top that off with good customer service and it's perfect! Definitely must try!!