Zeni

Ethiopian restaurant · Hathaway

Zeni

Ethiopian restaurant · Hathaway

1320 Saratoga Ave, San Jose, CA 95129

Highlights

Adventurous diners sit on the floor & eat with their hands at this colorful Ethiopian spot.

1320 Saratoga Ave, San Jose, CA 95129 Get directions

zeniethiopianrestaurant.com

@zeniethiopian

$$ · Menu

@eater

"Fans have frequented Zeni for more than two decades thanks to the tremendous veggie combo, a plentfiul arrangement of lentils, split peas, collard greens, and the tomato salad timatim fitfit. Crucially, prices are reasonable for the boatload of food that arrives, $25 for the vegetarian combo, and the army of injera that arrives with it. There are smaller entrees that are all vegetarian and vegan, as well, such as the roasted chickpea dish shiro wot and ye tsome fir fir, a scrambled injera dish with berbere sauce." - Cathy Park, Paolo Bicchieri

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@eater

"For more than 20 years, Zeni has brought a true Ethiopian dining experience to Northern California. With traditional seating on low stools, family-style dishes, and the sharing of food from mesob straw baskets, Zeni is an expression of culture that seems to transcend the boundaries of its four walls on the west side of San Jose. The restaurant’s unleavened bread, or injera, is made from teff, which is a staple of Ethiopian cuisine. The notable specialty dishes are served with kitfo, meat that’s been seasoned with an array of aromatic spices." - Paolo Bicchieri, Cathy Park

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@michelinguide

"From its home at the end of a shopping plaza, Zeni caters to expats, tech types and families alike." - The MICHELIN Guide

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@michelinguide

"From its home at the end of a shopping plaza, Zeni caters to expats, tech types and families alike. The interior has a standard dining area decorated with colorful portraits and tapestries as well as traditional seating on low stools at woven tables. Either way, group dining is encouraged. Relish the spongy, enticingly sour injera used to scoop up delicious yemisir wot; kik alicha; or beef kitfo tossed with that aromatic spice blend, mitmita, and crowned by crumbled ayib cheese. Here, injera is your only utensil, but be assured as there's a sink in the back to tidy up. Balance the fiery food with cool honey wine, or opt for an after-dinner Ethiopian coffee." - The MICHELIN Guide

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Grace Lee

Google

Had Ethiopian food for the first time – tearing up the bread and wrapping the meat with proteins like beef, lamb, chicken, and cheese. feeling healthy. I Personally loved the cool decorations in the restaurant.

waran dv

Google

Food was average, the place was super busy when we went on a Saturday evening. Service was extremely delayed. The staff was super indifferent, couldn’t communicate well. They mixed the non veg and veg in the same plate. Served the wrong coffee and double charged for the second cup despite saying it is included. It ruined the overall dining experience.

Aron Dsouza

Google

One of the best Ethiopian restaurants in San Jose. The decor of this place gives a warmly vibe and the service is excellent. We ordered the Sambussa which is a puff pastry with a lentil stuffing. For Mains, we ordered the Meat combination which is enough for 3 people. The Chicken Doro Tibbs was excellent. The lamb was succulent. We also ordered Foule with it, which is like mashed fava beans in a gravy sauce. I recommend trying that. For desert, we finished with the Syrupy Baklava. Overall 10/10.

Portlandgirl

Google

My Ethiopian coworker brought me here. The menu was so extensive I wasn’t sure what to order so we got the combo platter which I recommend for anyone new here. Everything was good but I now know my favorites since I got to try so many. Looking forward to another trip back to Santa Clara to eat here! Atmosphere is very traditional. Very cool!

Vivian Lee

Google

First time having Ethiopian food, I wasn’t sure what to expect but have been told it’s pretty hit or miss for most people. Restaurant was super busy around dinner time. The bread used for the side dishes is spongey and sour. It was a pretty unique for me, especially considering l have a sweet tooth. We put meats and side dishes in the bread and ate it that way. Definitely interesting trying the flavors of the bread alone and the side dishes alone. There isn’t any table ware as far as I know, but after a while the bread was pretty overpowering for me. Overall, quite tasty and very filling. Looking forward to coming back here again.

S D

Google

What beautiful ambience. What’s covered by a curtains is a beautiful cultural artifact. I love the furniture and all the seating. Feels very serene to be inside and seems great for gatherings as well. Definitely would love to come back. The vegetarian combo was really good and feels really healthy too!

Vandana Mukherjee

Google

Yum yum yum. Our daughter's best friend who is Ethiopian had been our house guest for a week and we promised to go out for Ethiopian food so here we are. We ordered the vegetarian combo plate with chicken, lamb and beef side orders. Injera was delicious and so was everything on the platter. Will definitely go back.

Royans Tharakan

Google

Was an amazing experience. Never expected this place in the middle of the city. I was taken there by someone who is from Ethiopia and according to them this is as close to the real thing one can get around here. But it's designed and setup to encourage those who are trying Ethiopian for the first time. Get the dish with the big plate with all the currys on the side. And try the honey wine... It's apparently a local wine but tasted more like a desert wine.