Massawa Reviews

We had a great meal recently with 5 of us sharing large plates of delicious food. You get to eat with your hands, no forks required. Great for bonding. Food has lots of flavor but is not too crazy. Friendly service, very reasonable prices.

Friendly atmosphere and flavorful dishes. We ordered the combo dinners and so were able to sample a variety of menu items. Lots of food and our waitress was very helpful and attentive. We will definitely return to this restaurant.

The place is nice, service and food were really good. What I didn't like was clothes and hair smell like food the entire day. In addition, I found it expensive considering its location. I would not like to go again, but it is very good to try good Ethiopian food.

I've eaten Ethiopian food in Atlanta and Chicago. The price here was higher but the food quality and flavor was comparable and good. Both vegetarian and lamb and beef were tried. Everyone had enough food and there were no complaints. The stairway to the bathroom might be a problem for anyone very elderly. The cost for 4 people with one glass of wine and no other beverages was $103.

I love Ethiopian food, so we decided to try Massawa a few days after their reopening. The ambience is great; we hadn’t eaten there before the renovations, but it is now a beautiful spot for a romantic evening. However, the food wasn’t as flavorful as I have tasted elsewhere, and it was really pricey. In order for us to sample a variety of dishes- as you usually do in Ethiopian restaurants- we ended up ordering both the vegetarian sampler ($22) and the Massawa sampler ($24.90). All other Ethiopian places I’ve visited before had varied samplers for just $11/person. Our total before tip was $51.06. The food was good, but we will look for a more affordable option the next time I crave Ethiopian food.

I wasn't familiar with Ethiopian or Eritrean food, but eating dinner at Massawa made me want more! Four of us went in and all ordered different things (plus some sambusa appetizers) and we shared. The presentation was attractive, the staff was friendly and helpful, the food was served hot, and everything tasted great. Having an Eritrean beer (Asmara) made it feel a bit more authentic, but next time I'll look for a good craft beer or stick with wine. I wasn't impressed with Asmara, but I'm glad I tried it.

I ate lunch here last week. I found it to be an excellent value. About $20 for two with no beverages. We had an assortment of meats and dips and that wonderful spongy pancake type bread. The service was courteous but not too speedy.

I could smell the aromas early in the afternoon and after we got my daughter moved into her dorm (in the same building!) we made dinner plans here. The beers, from Ethiopia and Eritrea, were good lagers. Nothing special, but well priced. But the food. The spices. The perfectly cooked lamb and chicken and beef and the lentils and the vegetables and everything else that makes Ethiopian food unique and so delicious. And that bread, unlike any other bread you've had in Africa or the Middle East. Have them put everything on a large plate and wash up beforehand, because to do this properly, you have to eat it all with your hands. Decline the fork and knife and dive in. And it's ALL well-priced. Head up to Amsterdam Avenue and enjoy. I'll be back regularly.

My friends very much like this place which is around the corner from their place and workplace. We had the beef with pumpkin and another beef dish with green peppers along with potatoes and other vegetables served on injera. I loved the injera. The food was very good. The service was excellent and the ethiopian beer delicious. I usually love Ethiopian food - worth it for very good ethiopian.

Very close to Columbia University. Attentive staff. Lip-smacking food. Affordable prices. Must try :)

Food is good, but the service is brisk and not really friendly. Eating with fingers the saucy meat was a challenge and I had to ask for a fork. Also glasses for beer seem to come only on request

I’ve been going to Massawa for over a year now. It has great vegetarian options. When I first started going to the restaurant, the lunch special was a reasonable amount of food. However, they recently removed one side option and greatly reduced their portions, yet the price remains the same. I ate all of the main dish on my plate in five bites. I was still hungry when I left. Oddly enough, if you order the lunch special for takeout, they do give you a reasonable amount of food. Lunch specials at other restaurants nearby, like Aangan, are way more filling for the same price. The restaurant also has very limited service, as you order through an app, so that aspect is not very personal.

Best Ethiopian food in Upper West side and very close to Columbia University.. Very warm service and spicy tasty food. Loved it.. and always leaves you so so full..

I've been a fan and regular at Massawa for years now and after visiting a number of Ethiopian restaurants in and out of New York, I can say Massawa's food is hands down the best Ethiopian food you'll find in New York. The prices have gone up over the years, but is still relatively affordable. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable and will help you find the perfect order for your table. While Ethiopian food is traditionally eaten using your hands and injera, the restaurant will provide utensils for those who need it and even spaghetti for pick child eaters. The honey wine is not to be missed and the ginger tea will heal any cold. You'll probably lick the plate clean, but if not, left overs are even tastier the next day.

Had a great lunch here, as demonstrated by the thoroughly messy fingers we had at the end. I had the Tsebhi Beghe and a lunch companion had the salmon tebsi. We also had beef and vegetable sambusas. All was delicious!

The food was simply delicious and the atmosphere was wonderful. They only had one server, but the food came on time and it was wonderful. Definitely a wonderful way to experience Ethiopian food.

We ate there 3 days ago. We arrived around half past 10 and were still served. The service was very friendly and the food was just amazing! We really recommend the spicy lamb.

My favorite Ethiopian food in NYC, hands down, out of the half dozen I've tried (with repeat visits to a few of those, so I feel as if I can judge). Lots of flavor, fresh ingredients, and - key point - not at all greasy. Vegan options too. Great music, friendly staff, cosy, a great place alone or with one person or with a group - I've done every combo. Some of my favorite dishes are the beef sambusa (tasty spiced beef in a light pastry shell; served with two delicious sauces, including the flavorful spicy red one that I adore - and that I empty each time), and the veg combo. Everything I've had here is good and one feels like they love serving good food, it's not 'just a business'. If you are as crazy about Ethiopian food as I am, they also have an online store for ordering spices, etc. Good selection of wines, too, in addition to the traditional tej (honey wine). Massawa, please do not change anything, you all do a wonderful job and I am a big fan!

Ethiopian food offers long-simmered stews of meat, lentils or veggies (wat) served over injera, a spongy bread pancake used as a spoon. This restaurant has been serving authentic food to Columbia students and Ethiopian families for years. We always enjoy Ethiopian honey wine with our meals. Feel free to ask for more injera and please, right hands only please!

While on a recent visit to NYC, a friend suggested we meat at Massawa for a different dining experience. Not knowing what to order, we left it to our friend to select from the menu. He warned us it would be spicey. We had three curries (one lamb, one beef and one chickpea) served on a bed of pancakes/bread. We then used the pancakes to scoop up the delicious food, making quite a new experience for us. The food was delicious, definitely spicey, and balanced by a nice full-bodied red wine. I'd certainly recommend this for something a bit different.

This is a very simple place located near Columbia University with great food and hospitality; The wine list has a good selection of South African wines , Pinotage is very interesting and is a kind of grape that grow only in South Africa. I love lamb and my selection of spicy lamb cubes was a great hit. I wwill go back soon.

This place definitely has authentic ethiopian food and they give you a ton portion wise, but it's not the best I ever had. The service is good and I really like the ambience, I've never gone home anything but very full, it's a good place but not a great one. I don't love their wine list either.

Our group did not have much time so we each ordered the sambusa appetizer. They were delicious! They came with two sauces and I preferred the vinegar based sauce, although I enjoyed the red, spicy sauce too. I hope I can eventually return and enjoy the entire experience and the menu options. Our server was very attentive.

During our NYC holiday we accidently came by the Massawa on Amsterdam Ave. Having never eaten Eritrean or Ethiopian before, we were attracted by the fine smell. Skimming the menu outside of the restaurant we quickly decided that we had to try this. Our food (the vegetarian combo) was served quickly, the restaurant not beeing very crowded. The combo consisted of different dishes which were served along with pancake-like or naan-like bread that serve as "cutleries". So you pick up the dishes with a piece of that bread in your and and eat it. The three dishes of the vegetarian combo were a pureed chick peas dish, a potato-carrot dish, and a collard greens dish. All dishes were delicious with just the right amount of spiciness. The vegetables seemed fresh to us and the food was not greasy at all. Altogether, we liked the Massawa food a lot and we regret that we don't have a place like that back home.

We loooved the place. The stews were great, the vegetarian dishes were even better. We shared a bit of everything and I could not recommend one food over the other. The vegetarian and massawas combos are excellent for friends or families to share with the injera.

After living in Israel for 2 1/2 years where Ethiopians comprise 1.75% of the tiny nation and never frequenting an Ethiopian establishment, when I got back to NYC, I had to try this restaurant that was recommended by a friend. Note that this culture does not use utensils. Instead the food is served on injera, the flat bread, which acts simultaneously as a plate and a utensil. Therefore, do not be surprised when the waiter does not provide utensils, however you can always ask for them, or do what the locals do, dip the bread into the food that is served on the bread, or fold it as a wrap and enjoy it that way. I loved the food and will return, or at the very least try another Ethiopian restaurant in NYC. Note that they do not have authentic dessert, the waiter told us that traditionally they have popcorn and coffee after a meal, however their coffee and coconut sorbet in coconut shell are delicious, even if not authentic!

Vegetarian platter was had average taste , The service and hospitality was excellent . One can enjoy the food at least once if looking for different taste with no oil and spice .

I've had Ethiopian a number of times in different major cities, and this place ranks towards the top. A little pricey, but probably still below average for nice restaurants in the city. We had the dinner for two which came with a good selection and good serving sizes - we didn't leave hungry at all. Service was friendly and top notch. Extra bread was brought to us before we needed it which is always a nice touch. The restaurant has a good relaxed ambiance - not shabby but not exceptionally formal. Bathrooms were nice and clean as well. Overall a very good experience. The Asmara beer is amazing!

If you read about Ethiopian food in New York City generally you see Massawa and Awash as the best reviewed. However, Massawa is better because it is not a chain but a family run place and the food quality and taste is better. My friends and I think that Awash gets good reviews because they have happy hour specials but we are willing to give up happy hour specials because the food at Massawa is better. Lunch specials are 9-12USD and Dinner from 10-23USD if you get seafood.

Had a very enjoyable meal at this restaurant that is close to Columbia University. A comfortable environment with an attentive staff made for a great evening. Food is delicious, served in traditional Ethiopian style. Was easily able to eat vegan.

My fiance and I were on vacation in NYC and this was a great little spot to stop and have a unique lunch. Meal was delicious and service was great.

I found the Injera bread disappointing: very sour, and not gluten-free. Good veggies combo, monkfish dish is delicious, pureed chick peas dish great as well, lamb is not however (way too salty) Note that portion size varies a lot across days: I went to the restaurant twice (each time for lunch), the first time I got tiny portions, the day after the portions were quite generous.

This restaurant is a great discovery! We had searched online for an authentically Ethiopian/Eritrean place and were not disappointed. The waitresses were both extremely attentive and kept checking on us all throughout in an unobtrusive way. Even though we arrived at 7:30pm and happy hour ends at 7pm, we were allowed to each order a drink at happy hour rates. They also switched off the a/c temporarily when a number of customers complained that it was too cold. To begin with, I liked their drinks menu: not too extensive but a very nice selection of beers (including from Asmara), wines (I had an excellent Long Neck South African Sauvignon Blanc) and unusual cocktail mixes. For dinner, we ordered the two sampling plates (meat and vegetarian) combined on one plate. I've lived in eastern Africa for a few years and been to Addis and I found what we ate at Massawa very authentic and true to what I had eaten there, including the injera which outside of Ethiopia often tastes very different. I also have to say that I am usually not a great fan of Ethiopian food. I like it once in a while but not all the time. Our meal at Massawa was excellent, the meet (beef, chicken, lamb) as well as the vegetarian choices, were very well seasoned, not too hot (once we had picked out all the jalapeno peppers) and cooked to perfection. And it's just enjoyable to eat this food with your hands. We were hungry and the plate was empty in no time. I didn't try their coffee but had the spicy tea with honey which rounded the whole experience off nicely. I would definitely recommend this place. We paid around $75 (incl. tip) for all we had which might seem surprising to those who are used to eating Ethiopian in places like Uganda, Kenya or Ethiopia itself. But for NYC, it's not a bad deal at all!

I love this restaurant. I have never eaten Ethiopian before so I cannot speak to its authenticity, but the food is delicious, the restaurant is clean and the wait staff is very friendly and attentive. Highly recommend! (beef zegni is my favorite dish and the lentils are amazing)

Four of us went to Massawa - it is an African cuisine restaurant, but we came for their Ethiopian dishes. I absolutely love Ethiopian food, especially because of the typical way you eat - with your fingers. We started with a wonderful appetizer - Ful herbed fava bean dip with berbere, tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, yogurt and pita bread. Awesome! I ordered an Asmara Lager Beer. It is made in Eritrea. I actually wanted their stout but it wasn't available. The beer was okay, but nothing special. We ordered their traditional family meal which is various vegetables and spicy meat servings atop injera, a large sourdough sponge bread. You get extra injera which is used to pick up the food. Everything was incredible.

The taste of the food was ok. Not my preferred one, but the experience was interesting, once we had to eat with our hands.

If you want a real ethnic experience without sacrificing the quality of food, please check out Massawa on the Upper West Side of New York. Ambiance is nothing special, but the food more than makes up for it. Get the Massawa platter with your choice of a combination of veggie and meat dishes. I was most looking forward to the lamb dish. However, that was the only disappointment. All of the rest of the dishes (6 in all) were flavorful and diverse. The injera bread was delicious (much better than the last time I had Ethiopian) and made it fun to eat with your hands (using the bread to scoop up the food). A great value. Try the honey wine, too. A very nice complement to the spices of the food. Only complaint--no dessert. Is there anything Ethiopian that could be served to end the meal on a sweet note?

The ambience is bright, earthy, and relaxed. The music was on point. The food was healthy and delicious. The service was quick and cheerful. The visit felt uplifting. I want to go back with friends.

My girlfriend an I love Ethiopian food. We come from Chicago and the food is authentic (shout out to Ras Dashen!). I have had Ethiopian food in DC, so we wanted to compare the New York cooking. We arrived around 5 pm without a reservation. They were not full in seating yet. The lighting is dim, a very nice socializing friends and family atmosphere. There were 4 of us, which made sampling fun. For drinks, we ordered the hot ginger tea, fresh pressed, has a nice kick. I had to put some honey in mine. We ordered the vegetable sambusa, the ful (fava bean) dip served with toasted pita bread appetizers, the main entrees of lamb and chicken with berebere sauce, spinach, and lentils. Other items that we did not get a chance to try: pumpkin, collard greens, and fish items- this will be for next time. The main entree platter was HUGE. We had to take the leftovers home. The main dishes were nicely spiced, not hot (spicy). I expected a little more zing in the traditional, but maybe it's toned down for American palates. The injera bread was great; real comfort food. It was fun to eat with our hands. Service was friendly and helpful. Total bill $112. Overall, it's Ethiopian food and I cannot say anything bad about it. We enjoyed it, still needed a little more Umpf, but would return again because of the large portions and dining atmosphere. Still it does not compare to DC cooking.

Delicious food. Can be served individually or, more traditionally, spread out in portions on the injera, their wonderfully sour flatbread. Like in a Chinese restaurant, you can eat whatever you want, however much you want. Or, you can leave whatever you don’t want. There is some spice heat but not a great deal. The servers are very helpful in making suggestions. You eat with your fingers usually. And you can still take home leftovers.

This was amazing Ethiopian food! I’ve been burned in the past, but this was a fantastic delivery decision! I ordered the vegan alitcha, which is stewed potatoes, carrots, collard greens, and cabbage, along with turmeric. It comes with two sides that are not named on the menu, but at least one of them is lentil based—I think it’s yemisir wot, which is often made with garlic, onions, and ginger. It also came with what I think is shiro, which is a chickpea or bean purée with tons of spices added in. Both of them, as seen in my photos, were flavor-bombs that I loved scooping up with the perfectly made (so soft, so fluffy) injera. I am NOT a vegan, but this was amazing and hit the spot! I also ordered the chicken sambusa, which was light and crispy, with moist, well seasoned chicken. The two sauces that came along were polar opposites (one cooling, one hot!), but both so tasty! I think the red spicy sauce was my favorite though. This place has something for everyone—tons of vegan dishes, but also beef, lamb, chicken, and fish based dishes. And the portions are large for a very reasonable price. I might even eat here again tomorrow!