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Ethiopian: Injera threesome

Ethiopian food is plentiful in Berlin. We found a trio of exemplary Ethiopian to sate your injera itch as the days get steadily colder. Try all three and don't forget to order yourself a Meta beer.

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Langano. Photo by Tania Castellví

Ethiopian food can be found all over Berlin. Its popularity might be due to the fun experience of sharing a huge platter of injera, the deliciously sour, spongy ‘pancake’ traditionally made of the East African grain t’eff, piled with delectable stews and sauces. Add to that the mischievous pleasure of eating with your hands and it’s easy to stuff yourself silly, squishing the savoury delights into pieces of injera and then into your mouth. Thanks to the sourdough fermentation effect, however, injera is so digestible that you’ll have forgotten your meal by the next day…which means you can try these Exberliner-recommended Ethiopian hotspots back-to-back-to-back.

Named after a picturesque lake in the homeland, the high-ceilinged Langano just off of Kottbusser Damm is a very relaxed place, with ample sidewalk seating for late-summer dining. When it’s full – as is often the case – the food takes its sweet time to arrive, especially for large groups sharing several platters. Subdue your impatience with a few cold bottles of Meta beer (€3.50). When the meal arrives, with everyone’s orders together on an impressive giant platter of injera under a reed basket cover, you’ll be rewarded with truly delicious food. Even the veggie combo (Jesam Curry Wot, €8), skippable at most other places, is a delight here. For adventurous eaters, we recommend the Special Kit’fo (€9) – raw minced beef, served with cottage cheese. Far from steak tartare, the meat is mixed with Ethiopian butter and chilli and has a mushy texture, a perfect fit for your injera. The various chicken, lamb and beef stews of the Bejainetu Mixed Platter (€12.50-37.50 for one to four people) are the real deal. Catch the Ethiopian coffee ceremony every Saturday and Sunday evening.

African art, lanterns and embroidered tablecloths set the mood at Betje-Ethiopia in northern Schöneberg. During the daily 8pm coffee ceremony, the rooms fill with smoke as waitresses in Ethiopian clothes roast the beans themselves. Surrounded by a crowd of neighbourhood regulars, you can enjoy a free cup of the finished product and nibble on popcorn while waiting for your food. Here the injera is slightly less sour than at other restaurants – instead of t’eff, they use a mix with millet flour.

Combo platters (veggie €9, meat €10) are generously portioned and come with hot chilli sauce and fresh tomato salad. The quality is high, though the kit’fo could do with a little less butter.  

The granddaddy of Berlin Ethiopian restaurants, Blue Nile, blazed a berbere-scented trail two decades ago (under a different name) and they’re still doing everything right. There’s always some great Ethiopian music on the system, and the owners are as friendly as can be. Darker-than-usual injera – it’s allegedly wholegrain – serves as a sturdy base for veggie Jetsom Wot (lentils, beans and carrots, €8.50) or a meat combination (lamb curry or beef, with additional veggies, €9.50). Monday is discount day, with 15 percent off all food. A final plus: Meta beer is only €2.50.

Langano, Kohlfurter Str. 44, Kreuzberg, U-Bhf Kottbusser Tor, Tel 030 6150 7103, Mon-Sun 16-24

Betje Ethiopia, Zietenstr. 8, Schöneberg, U-Bhf Nollendorfplatz, Tel 030 2625 933, Mon-Fri 16-2, Sat-Sun 14-2

Blue Nile, Tempelhofer Ufer 6, Kreuzberg, U-Bhf Hallesches Tor, Tel 030 2529 4655, daily 15-24