Lemat Ethiopian Restaurant

If you’re looking to branch into your first try at Ethiopian food, Lemat is the place — excellent ingredients and helpful staff make this a great place to go for East African cuisine in Berkeley. Cocktail list is extensive and lots of options for vegetarian and meat-based preferences. Our group of four opted for the veggie and meat samplers and we weren’t able to finish all the food — plenty to go around for all. Nothing was too spicy or intensely flavored, though be prepared to eat with your hands (in the traditional Ethiopian style). The waitress was friendly and helped us choose the best samplers for a first time visit. The ambiance of the restaurant was nice, though when we arrived it was quite smoky — as though something in the back had badly burned. It took awhile to clear the smoke and smell from the dining area, but otherwise it was a great visit.

The food was good, don't get me wrong, but I had to wonder did the chief drop the spice rack onto the floor before cooking our meal? The food simply lacked the usual Ethiopian spices that make your mouth water.

The restaurant excels in its food and offerings but is terribly slow in service. We had to wait 50 minutes for our appetizer, and the service was minimal, to the point where we weren't even provided with silverware or plates. The business owners don't seem to care about the waiting time and don't set any expectations. While I appreciate small businesses, the service here was abysmal. Also, don't take your kids - they'll be starved waiting for the food to arrive. The ambiance and cocktails are great. This place is worth visiting if you have about three hours to spare for a meal.

We've been coming here since their grand opening, we consider Gezu & family friends. They are kind & gracious hosts, the food is always hot & fresh, portions are generous. We've had 3 of my daughter's birthdays here. We love the decor & ambiance, miss dining in. We've been getting occasional to-go during SIP. Highly recommend the veggie combo, it's vegan.

Great vegan options! Perfect place for a date because of the shared food experience and the decorated environment. Traditional Ethiopian healthy food. The people were friendly and the food was delicious.

One of the best Ethiopian restaurants in the area. I always go for the veggie combo. The portion size is ideal for one person. Very friendly staff and one can find seating easily - for large or small groups. It was a long time since I dined in, and it was worth it.

It was fantastic food and everyone was nice and the place had an excellent vibe but the food took very long. I'm assuming that part of the reason the food was so good was the slow cooking process so I'd still say 5 stars.

My first time here I had to get my food to go. My second time just stopped by for some wine! By my third time I was like ... I need to just budget for once a month😍! The people are amazing! The waitress, the owners and close friends; yes I had a chance to mingle with them all! We had meaningful conversations and just a cozy place! Fresh ingredients , love and culture!

Had a great dinner with my wife, we ordered the veggie and meat combo both were really good!! We also ordered cocktails which were also really good. Worth going!!

Solid combo meals, with tasty and fresh eats, but a bit pricey for quantity of food. It's filling, but the most recent go around, portions weren't as robust. At $20, it's a bit steep for small scoops of veggies on the veggie combo. The injera is gluten free and well made, but that's what you're filling up on. The space is large and has ambiance. Service is solid and friendly. Overall, a solid Ethiopian experience with some parking in the front.

It hurts to write this because I honestly love Ethiopian food and was really excited to try a new place. The restaurant has ample seating, table service, a bar, an area with beautiful wood chairs and low table settings, clean and well lit. Lots of pretty baskets on the walls. Light music playing. A friend and I stopped in before a concert. I have tried Ethiopian food at many restaurants and often so I was really looking forward to it. I ordered the Beyaynuto, We requested a meat sampler, Espresso based cocktail and another cocktail, I forgot the name but it was based on one of the more popular seasonings. The espresso based cocktail was amazing, really worth ordering, mine was reminiscent of a savory and sweet margarita. The meal itself though was a little small in portion and sole of the dishes tasty very similar to each other. I know Ethiopian cuisine because I truly is a favorite. Yes a lot flavors tend to be similar but not identical, particularly the meat dishes. They have a beautiful bar, drinks came out quickly but service overall was slow and they rarely checked in. In fact we had to find a person quite a few times. Price point is similar the other Ethiopian cuisine even with the portions being smaller. With the service and flavor lacking I give it a 3. Hoping to revist one day and hopefully give if a better score.

If you're looking to branch into your first try at Ethiopian food, Lemat is the place -- excellent ingredients and helpful staff make this a great place to go for East African cuisine in Berkeley. Cocktail list is extensive and lots of options for vegetarian and meat-based preferences. Our group of four opted for the veggie and meat samplers and we weren't able to finish all the food -- plenty to go around for all. Nothing was too spicy or intensely flavored, though be prepared to eat with your hands (in the traditional Ethiopian style). The waitress was friendly and helped us choose the best samplers for a first time visit. The ambiance of the restaurant was nice, though when we arrived it was quite smoky -- as though something in the back had badly burned. It took awhile to clear the smoke and smell from the dining area, but otherwise it was a great visit.

Was in town recently for an industry event and looking for a good meal to share with my team and friends after a busy week. My group walked in shortly after they opened, and we were greeted by the kind host. Once seated we were asked to move, twice? It seemed odd but we accommodated our hosts requests each time. The interior is wood toned with beautiful artworks on the walls and there are several seating areas that were reserved the night of our visit. Food 4.5 stars Service 2 stars More to the point our server was so unorganized and so slow it became painful to endure, simple requests like hot water for my tea took 20 minutes to get after my tea bag arrived? My friends flax seed juice took half an hour to make it to the table, after three requests for it after ordering? We all ordered drinks almost immmediately and had to ask for them multiple times? When our food did arrive, 2 of our table were sent out then none others coming out at all, literally fifteen minutes between entrees on our table, my one friend was done with his meal before my other friend even got hers? It was obvious our server had no clue what she was doing when it came to serving the table? We were all relaxed and took it with stride until the bill came. That is when I got irritated at the whole situation, realizing she thought her efforts warranted a 20% gratutity without saying a word. Our inept server added a 20% gratutuity without saying anything when presenting the bill ( this was a $50 plus add on) which I did not see, and I'm a generous tipper so I tipped her $50 bucks without looking closely at the bill(a $100+ tip!) taking the bill to almost $400 dollars. Fortunately my tablemates said something and looked at the bill and realized she had already tipped herself? But I has already signed and released it back to her by then. Needless too say now I returned to speak to the owner directly, told him of the poor to terrible service and had my tip refunded, since she took it upon herself to add one? I am so done with assumed tipping culture in businesses. This was a new all time low cheap shot by a server and it really affected the end experience and as such this review reflects the terrible customer service and actual serving of anything in a timely and or professional manner. 2.5 Stars - rounded up to be fair to the kitchen staff but it does not warrant the terrible customer experience my table received. Might come back but then again might not... 00937

Great food. Great service. Great portions with the meats, less so with the legumes, but I don't know why. Highly recommend. No gluten reactions. Please come here and enjoy

This review is more about their service and less about their food quality. Being in downtown Berkeley, parking is a little rough. We got lucky that someone was leaving and ended up with princess parking. We had a reservation for a table of four and there was only 2 other tables inside on a Wednesday night. We started off with decaf coffee and a rum punch. It took about 20 minutes to get our drinks and they gave us chamomile tea instead. Very opposite from what we originally ordered. However, we took it as a sign to not have coffee and since tea was cheaper, didn't say much about it. The rum punch was very sweet with no hint of alcohol. If my friend hadn't seen the bartender pour rum in it, I would have been convinced there was none. We finally got a chance to order appetizers and our meal: Samosas (usually comes in 3s but they were nice enough to give us 4 since there were 4 of us), veggie platter, meat combo and beef tibs. The food took an hour to come out but once they finally did, I will say it was DELICIOUS, but I had to question whether it was or if I was just hungry at this point because the food was like warm at best. It only seemed like not much time had passed because I was with great company. So we had the patience to give them benefit of the doubt, maybe they're super short staffed? Maybe it's just one person working in the back like it seemed like there was only one person working in the front? I will say there are other places that give bigger portions and cost a little less, but the food really was amazing despite it being like warm and taking and hour to come out. If you have the time to spare, stop by and give it a try yourself.

It has a nice big open setting. Service was good. The spicy beef tibs (ye siga wat) was excellent and the lentils were delicious. I liked the light dressing on the salad that was included. It was a generous portion with different complex flavors, and the injera was nice texture and flavor. The food was delicious and price reasonable.

Really nice staff, great ambiance, and amazing food. A bit pricey, but the portion size more than makes up for it. Definitely check it out if you get a chance.

Incredibly delicious, rich and earthy. Lots of variety, with a great atmosphere and service

Excellent Ethiopian cuisine served by very friendly people. The space is very large: the ambience is fine, but with all that space it could really use some more art or other decorative touches to make it feel more homey. Anyway, the food is excellent, which is the most important thing.

YUM! Had such a great meal at Lemat. The dining room is large and spacious, our waiter was attentive and the food was excellent. Can't wait to go back!

I need to get over to this Ethiopian restaurant sometime because I get the impression it's quite atmospheric. The term 'lemat' refers to the type of handwoven basket they use as a table base in Ethiopia, and I heard that's part of the restaurant decor. Alas, I had their food delivered since that was the most convenient option at the time. Their full menu looked authentic and quite robust, and I ended up ordering the $16.95 Veggie Combo Beyaynetu (photo: https://bit.ly/3wfGmpq). The dish combined three of their vegetarian specialties - Misir Kik (lentils cooked in their house sauce) delicious; Gomen (warmed collard greens mixed with onion, garlic and cardamom); and Alcha Kik (cracked peas cooked with onion and turmeric). A house salad completed the mix-n-match fixings, and and they were quite generous with the injera. Not only did it line the tray but there were four rolls of it for liberal scooping (photo: https://bit.ly/3XEx3em). Really hearty stuff considering the lack of meat. FOOD - 4 stars...hearty and flavorful veggie specialties and a whole lotta injera AMBIANCE - n/a...hopefully I'll find out on a visit SERVICE - 3.5 stars...well packed and no spillage TOTAL - 4 stars...healthy Ethiopian food is always a treat RELATED - Hungry for Ethiopian food? Here's a collection of places I've tried and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2JBDHib

I definitely was not expecting Lemat to have such an elevated setting. They appeared to have a nice bar area, set up for live music, and very well thought-of and cared-for table settings. Finding the place, however; was a frustrating experience, at no fault of the restaurant. It's locked right after the convergence of MLK Jr. Way and Adeline Street into Adeline, between Fairview Street, but you would need to turn right into the parking area to find it. With the one-ways and my unfamiliarity with Berkeley, I might have broken several traffic rules in order to get here (and get away from here). I ended up ordering the Veggie Combo (Beyaynetu). There were four different type of vegetarian dishes, including two off the combination - beet spears and a hummus. Not sure if hummus is correct, but this was what another Ethiopian chef had described it as. It was delicious and complimented each other well, but a little more bland than I was used to. The injera was a combination of teff flour and wheat flour, based on the taste, texture, and color, and did not have as sour of a taste that I was expected. Ultimately, it was a good experience and I was happy that I tried it.

A hidden treasure! Excellent service and high quality food. It meets my preference for vegetarian cuisine. The decor and ambiance are outstanding and reinforce the joy of eating here. You'll see for yourself. Enjoy!

I unfortunately thought this place was just okay. The food was really bland in comparison to other Ethiopian restaurants I've visited. The injera was kind of flat too. Out of the many fantastic Ethiopian spots in the East Bay, I can't say that I'd highly recommend this one.

Really great food and atmosphere. Waiter is very kind and considerate. Will come back most likely.

Overall 10/10- I'd highly recommend anyone trying Lemat for a rare Ethiopian experience around East Bay. My first ever Ethiopian food experience in a traditionally decored ambiance, and WOW! I haven't stopped thinking about it ever since. I ordered the Beyaynetu (Veggie Combo) platter, which consisted of yellow split peas, lentils, collard greens, some sort of potato salad, beet, and pickled veggies, all served on a piece of injera (Ethiopian sour pancake?). You can opt to eat with fork and knife, but I just used my hand to rip apart some injera and use scoop up the veggies. We were also given additional injeras in a basket (which was way more than we could actually finish!) All the different components had their distinctive flavor and spices. The dish as a whole provided a nice textural combination of soft injera, warm stews, and crunchy pickled vegetables- all and all like a homemade meal full of love. Even though it's vegan, this dish was HUGE and hearty- definitely got me leaving very full. I also got their flax seed juice, which to me tasted like a thick rice milk drink. Pretty good, not too sweet, but filled me up pretty fast. All and all a very fulfilling meal, would come back next time to perhaps try out their meat dish.

My wife and I just finished seeing a matinee at the Berkeley Repertory and I had the craving for some Ethiopian food. Lemat really delivers on the experience. We loved the food! We ordered the Vegetable Combo and the Sautéed Fish and they were delicious. I should have asked for the fish to be on a separate dish as my wife doesn't like seafood. I didn't expect everything to be on the same injera. The decor was amazing from the artwork to the furniture. They seemed a bit short handed with two servers on the floor but we understand hiring post COVID for essential workers in restaurants can be challenging. The food is well worth it :)

What a beautiful space & delicious food. We were surprised with only one server working very hard whilst the owners (?) sat by and did not lend a hand. We had the lentil samosas- delicious!, salad, yetsom firfir (vegetarian) and a chicken dish. We also really enjoyed the mango lime punch.

Me likey, me likey a lot. As an avid Ethiopian food eater, I can confidently say that Lemat does the cuisine justice. Great flavors and spices with a beautiful ambience and cordial service to boot. I'd definitely add Lemat as a great option for Ethiopian food in the Berkeley area. I was running a few errands in Berkeley and decided to stop at Lemat for dinner. I've been to several Ethiopian restaurants within Oakland and Berkeley, but had never made it to Lemat up until now. I can't believe that it has taken me this long to get here. But lemme tell you; I really enjoyed my experience. Lemat is located off of busy Adeline street with limited parking. A few sketch characters were hanging out in front of the building when I arrived, but nothing too crazy. I walked in and was greeted at the door and sat immediately. The first thing that I noticed was how beautiful their interior space is. From the unique light fixtures to the traditional Ethiopian dining setup near the entrance, the decor is super chic and festive. Their bar area is lovely as well. They had just reopened for indoor dining again, so they didn't have some of that drinks and wines listed on the menu at the time. When I'm trying an Ethiopian restaurant for the first time, I generally stick to trying out their vegetarian combo first. I feel like this gives me a pretty good idea of what to expect from other dishes on a future visit. Plus, it's just a really nice showing of everything (veggie based of course). I ordered their vegetarian combo and a glass of honey wine. One thing to note here is that they don't serve a salad with this combo which is unusual. I did see in the pictures that they have served it at one point, but maybe that's changed. The salad is usually simple, but it adds a refreshing element amongst all of the various lentils. Despite this, I found their vegetarian combo to be very tasty. In place of the salad, they serve two scoops of different dips; one is white and creamy and the other is jalapeño based. Honestly couldn't tell you what the names of them are, but both were really good. This was my first time trying something like that before. Still missed the salad, but I would happily take the dips as a replacement. The misir kik and alicha kik (red and yellow lentils) were both fantastic and well spiced, and the gomen (collard greens) was also delicious. At first glance, the portions appeared to be smaller than what I'm used to, but I left completely full. I'm sure the injera helped with that, but it was still very satisfying. Their injera was nice and spongy too. Service was good for the most part. It got busier after I came in but not crazy busy. This seems like a local favorite for sure. I'm happy that I was able to finally try this place and I would definitely come back again to try something different next time.

If you're craving an authentic Ethiopian experience, look no further than Lemat Restaurant. From the moment you step in, the vibes are incredibly welcoming, transporting you to the heart of Ethiopia.The menu boasts a delightful array of authentic dishes, each bursting with flavor and prepared with care. But what truly sets this place apart is the exceptional hospitality. The staff goes above and beyond to make you feel at home, ensuring that every visit is a memorable one. So, if you're in the mood for a truly enriching dining experience, Lemat Restaurant is the place to be!

Food is fire! The portions are reasonable and the Ethiopian Coffee Martini is the best I've had in the East Bay! Do not sleep on this spot!

Have been here before a few years back before the pandemic. Happy to be back after 4 years... Place hasn't changed much. Very clean and neat. Service is warm and friendly. Food takes bit of time to be prepared so order quickly. They were very sweet to bring quickly a small injeera and one of their plain lentil preparations on top for our 4 years old since our food would have taken some time - very very thoughtful :) We shared the veg family size combo, the chickpea special dish (very spicy) and the lovely beef samosas in their special sauce. My 4 year old really loved the samosas! As always yummy and filling.

There are so many amazing Ethiopian restaurants in Berkeley, and this is another one to add to the list. The vegetarian combo comes with a variety of cabbages, potatoes, beans, lentils, and lots of injera bread. The staff is very friendly and gave many great recommendations. If it's your first time trying Ethiopian food, I'd highly recommend getting the meat and vegetarian combination platters. There is a lot of metered street parking outside of the restaurant.

THIS PLACE IS AMAZING! When you walk in you immediately feel like you are being transported to Ethiopia. From the decor to the warmth of the owner & wait staff ... They even have a super cool Ethiopian coffee station in the back that you can apparently rent out if you call ahead if you want to experience a real Ethiopian coffee ceremony complete with a roasting station & everything. My wife & I came here on a date last night as we heard about this place featured on SF Eater here: https://sf.eater.com/maps/best-restaurants-berkeley We were absolutely BLOWN AWAY by the flavors here. EVERYTHING - & I mean EVERYTHING - is a flavor bomb & so unlike anything I've had before. Everything as simple as lentils, collard greens, & cabbage in the much recommended Veggie Combo is a party in your mouth. My favorite part of the combo was this amazing dollop of chickpea... I don't know exactly what it was... But it was like butter & SO TASTY! The star of our night was the highly recommended Kitfo: super finely minced raw beef (you can get it cooked if you want... But why would you lol) minced so fine that it's like melt-in-your-mouth butter marinated in such a unique to Ethiopia blend of spices guaranteed to blow your taste buds away...a totally memorable dish! The injera was super soft & not too sour... Perfect. To boot the owner & waitress was so friendly... I really felt like I was dining in someone's house. Great value too! Our total was $41 before tip & we left stuffed because of all that injera lol. I'll recommend this place to all my friends & to anyone reading this.

This is my adult daughter's and my "go-to" place when we go out for Ethiopian food. We usually get a plate of meat and another plate of vegetarian combo, which we eat by hand with delicious injera bread. We've never been disappointed with the meal, and feel nourished and full but not stuffed when we leave. The ambiance is very pleasant, with high ceilings, plenty of space between the tables, pleasantly dark lighting (but not too dark), and a very friendly staff. The vibe is relaxed and peaceful. It's a special and enjoyable restaurant.

Some of the best Ethiopian food I've had. Every single thing on the vegetarian platter was delicious, I couldn't pick a favorite. The "Ethiopian hummus" was really unique and I loved the addition of beets. Overall so good and filling but didn't weigh me down.

Excellent service, interior design, ambience. Authentic food, try the local Honey wine.

I love this place!!! The food is amazing, love the bar, and the service is great! It's definitely a must if you haven't been there!

I can only speak to the veggie/vegan combo, but that was truly delicious. The staff is so pleasant and responsive. The ambience is spacious, attractive and very clean. We met the owner and he is very warm and engaging. Highly recommended.

Made a reservation for Saturday night for 6. Showed up 15 minutes prior and was told that the restaurant was closed for a private event. Do not recommend. Will not return.

Since there is a special Berkeley Restaurant Week happening this May 15-24 in order to support local restaurants and some nonprofits, I decided to try out Lemat's prix fixe menu, as they were offering the option of a vegetarian combo with lentil samosas for $20. I ordered via phone and they told me it would be ready in 30-35 mins, which it was. The food came in aluminum containers inside of what looked like a plastic bag but had some logo indicating it was eco-friendly. The decor looked nice and the restaurant seems pretty spacious, so I'm sure it would be enjoyable to dine in there whenever they can open for that again. I'm terrible at identifying dishes so I pulled the names of the individual items off of Lemat's website menu. Lentil samosas: These were yummy! I'm not even a fan of samosas normally. I'm not really a pesto fan, but I think the green sauce was heavily pesto. Misir kik: I believe that's the red lentil dish. I thought it was good and flavorful, it is a little spicy so that gives it a kick (note I'm speaking from the perspective of someone with very little ability to handle spicy food) Alcha kik: I believe this is the yellow dish, containing cracked peas, onion, and turmeric. I liked this a lot too, it's savory. Gomen: Collard greens with onion, garlic, and cardamoms. I am (unfortunately) sensitive to bitter tastes so I wish the bitterness of the collard greens was more neutralized. Salad: I think it was mostly cabbage. Also felt it was a bit bitter. Overall it was pretty good, and there was plenty of injera (I alway have more than enough of it since some of the dishes already come with injera on the bottom). As is often the case when I've been to Ethiopian restaurants, you get plenty of food for the money so I definitely was able to make the food last for more than two portions.

I recently moved from the Bay area, I have to say out of the many choices and places I've eaten Ethiopian food. Lemat has the best food and atmosphere in the entire Bay area. The staff is really nice and makes you feel welcome and at home. This location is very clean and has ample places to park.

Ethiopian food is one of those cuisines that I don't usually go to, but when I do, I enjoy it. We celebrated my bf's birthday here and they did a good job hosting our party of 11. The interior was really beautiful- I felt like I was in Ethiopia. The hanging ceiling woven baskets, paintings, tables and chairs added to the experience. I ordered the honey mead, which was a little too sweet for me. My BF and I shared the veggie combo, our families got a mixture of meat and veggie combo, samosas, tofu tibs. The food was yummy and prepared well, the service was pleasant-- The young lady who helped us was very helpful and explained the concept of the dishes and the serving style, and gave her recommendations. I would highly recommend this place to Ethiopian food lovers and big groups who want to have an event here.

I went on a Wednesday evening and we were almost the only people there - which was great because we had attentive and quick service. The atmosphere was great - big wood panels on the walls, authentic Ethiopian coffee tables, and beautifully carved wooden chairs. If you enjoy the smell of spices (not spicy, but spices), you'll enjoy just walking in! I got the beef tibs (excellent) and people in my group got a variety of vegetarian and other dishes. The injera wasn't too sour and, if you want, they can serve your dishes sharing-style, which involves a very large injera (maybe 3 ft in diameter) with everyone's orders on top. Then everyone gets a basket of smaller injeras for dipping/trying everything. We had a lot of fun this way. Overall, we had a great time and I recommend this place.

Food is good and tasty. We tried the veg combo. All varieties in the platter very satisfying. The portions are good size so multiple people can eat 1 patter. Ok

Best Ethiopian in the Bay and I've tried damn near all places. I like their vegetable combo plate with a side of the farm cheese. Everything is super fresh and they don't skimp on the fixins. New bar with large TV playing Ethiopian music videos. Definitely leaning towards the modern side but well executed homage to authenticity.

The food didn't have much flavor per our taste but may be that's the standard. It was well presented. The inside was decent. The server didn't have much knowledge about menu items but she was polite about that.

First time trying Ethiopian food and it was amazing! The food was excellent and the service was great

Amazing! Great food great ambience we will be back. It is the best Ethiopian food I've had in the East Bay or really anywhere for that matter.

We absolutely loved Lemat! We ordered the Beyaynetu Veggie Combo and tried to order the Kitfo, but they were out, so we ordered the Ye'Siga Wot. Both dishes were so delicious and incredibly flavorful and light. We will definitely be coming back!

This was my first restaurant experience in Oakland, and honestly, I wouldn't have never been here if it wasn't for a wedding invitation held here. We had a melse (traditional Ethiopian wedding) invitation in the restaurant and to be honest, I was shocked at how amazing it turned out. The owner went above and beyond to make sure that everything went according to plan, the food was really tasty, especially the Kitfo and Misir, they had a friendly staff and the vibe was lit. If you are ever in Oakland, you should give them a try, you won't be disappointed.

Went here last Monday evening for dinner with my girlfriend. We ordered the mushroom tibs and the Kitfo. The mushroom tibs was amazing. The mushrooms were cooked with an assortment of seasoning and spices and had a very nice texture. Eating it by itself or with the injera bread was a pleasant experience. The Kitfo was a meat dish that usually was eaten like a steak tartare, but I opted for it to be cooked medium rare and with mild spice level. The dish also came with a mixed vegetable salad, chickpeas, and collared greens on top of a huge injera bread. We were also provided with more injera in a separate plate. The injera was soft and had a very sour taste, similar to eating a very strong sourdough. The bread nearly reminded me of eating a thin piece of pancake. The mixed vegetable salad was good. It had a nice vinaigrette and a nice assortment of different vegetables. The chickpeas were quite tasty with a nice flavor and creamy texture. I loved the collared greens. They were cooked wonderfully and had an excellent acidity and texture. The mixture of the collared greens and injera had a good balance in texture. Nice combination of flavors. The Kitfo was pretty good. I was glad to have the mild option. The meat was cooked to a medium rare. The seasoning and spices were well balanced. There was a little bit of sour, savory, and spicy. The injera helped soak up the flavors of the Kitfo. We enjoyed a cup of Ethiopian tea to end our evening. The tea was refreshing and very tasty. The service was excellent. The staff made sure our visit was a pleasant one. Loved the decor and ambiance of the place. Nice seeing the restaurant represent their history and culture on the walls and dining room floor. Many thanks for a lovely dining experience here at Lemat.

Great authentic interior with interesting light fixtures, tables and an area with instruments. There was also counter space at the bar. Came here on Sunday, after a walk around 1.30pm. Plenty of parking outside. Food was great but you have to use your hands to eat the food, which adds to the eating experience. Additional bread was served with the food, which had an interesting sour taste. However, the food took forever to arrive. Seems there's just one waitress & 1 chef and did not expect a big group of 10+ to arrive on a Quiet Sunday. Apart from that, a great place to give Ethiopian food a try.

Truly the best samosas I've ever had. The dough and filling and sauces were all impeccable! My family and I ordered multiple dishes and they were very kind and conscious of my mother's food allergies. Excellent and kind service and even better food!

I first heard of Lemat from a co-worker in the East Bay originally from Africa who suggested I check out Lemat as it is a regular spot for him. It has been on my radar for sometime. Today me & my friend decided to check it out. I always like to research a place before going to it & scoped out some Yelp reviews of Lemat. East Bay Elite Community Manager Stephanie Y. had a great experience there & trust her judgment. Me & my friend met there for lunch today. We started w/ the Lentil Samosa that were triangle shaped pastry made in-house by Lemat & stuffed w/ lentil, onions, jalapeños, & herbs. This vegan dish is lightly deep fried in vegetable oil to golden perfection. The plate had three of them & we split them enjoying the green chutney that it came with. They really hit the spot & my friend enjoyed his as well. For the main course we had the Beyaynetu (Veggie Combo) that came w/ a combination of four vegetarian dishes including miser kid (lentil cooked in a delicious hot Lemat exotic sauce, Gamen (collard greens cooked w/ onions & turmeric, cabbage (cabbage & carrot cooked w/ onions, garlic,& turmeric), & house salad. The dish is totally vegan & also came w/ two hummus like dips. We loved the Veggie Combo. The salad was much more flavorful than typical salads at Ethiopian restaurants. The Miser Kid or spicy lentil dish was seriously spicy in a good way as had some serious kick to it. I agree w/ both Stephanie Y. & my co-worker that this place serves up a mighty good Veggie Combo that might possibly be the best Veggie Combo in the SF Bay Area. Stephanie Y. did mention in her review that the service was a bit under-par. There were a few other diners there when we went for lunch & only one server. Definitely don't come here if in a hurry as the service was a bit slow yet was my day off & we had time on our hands. The service here definitely reminds me more of FL than of NYC. As I was born in the latter & raised in the former. There is a great joke that people from the east coast will get that in NYC after a meal they kick you out & in FL you can't leave if you wanted to as the service can sometimes be slow. The restaurant was also quite spacious filled w/ lovely Ethiopian artwork. It is close to the Ashby BART station for those traveling by public transport. Me & my friend will both return.

SO delish!! I got a veg meal and it was perfect. Lentil samosas, veggie platter, teff; everything was perfect. Highly recommended! Super easy pick up. It was ready & waiting for me in a paper bag.

This is the first Ethiopia restaurant that I actually ate with hands. It was the ambiance that made me feel like local. People are very nice there. They talk to each other. Even though I am probably the only Asian walking around in the neighborhood, I like the experience there very much. I've had the vegetarian sampler before, but it's my first time to add fish there. Very delicious. The honey wine is sweet and yummy. I appreciate the authenticity.