Cafe Romanat

Cosy, clean and tasty food. I love going here… no other place does it for me so far. Great veggie combo and tibs. Its also authentic.

This is the best Ethiopian/​Eritrean place I’ve been to in the bay!
I have had a lot of home-​cooked habesha food and this comes closest to that. The service is very friendly and accommodating. They have a sink outside the bathroom as well so you can wash your hands without having to go into the bathroom which is nice.
We started with their sambussas which were amazing and a great price. I had the veggie combo and the lamb tibs. The tibs were perfect, well balanced flavor and spice. They let you choose the spice level which is nice too in case someone you’re with can’t handle the extra heat. They also mark the vegetarian/​vegan items on the menu which is convenient as well.
The veggies were alright, gomen was the best and the others were good but not amazing. I didn’t try firfir or shiro though and that is my favorite so next time I will!
All and all I will be back as soon as possible for this place.

Wife and I absolutely love this place. The food is delicious and the service is always great. Anytime we go in they already know what we want to order.

It’s comfortable and relaxing at Café Romanat. Food is excellent and the injera nice and sour. We had the vegetarian combo and the mushroom tibs. The mushroom dish is a new choice for us and was very good. Every dish had its own distinctive spiciness. In the center of the platter was a big dollop of some kind of thick, delicious bean purée (like hummus). Our server helped us make menu choices that worked with our various dietary requirements (no butter, low salt). My beer was served with a frosty frozen glass beer mug. Brrr! Prices are fine — about the same as other good restaurants in near Lake Merritt. I’m sure we’ll be back again.

Service was good but food was awful. Everything was sour and spicy. We specifically asked for non spicy and everything was blech. Enjera was sour and gross. Cook needs to learn how to season properly. Everything tasted the same– bad!

Their vegan dishes are bomb. I always get the veggie platter and add mushrooms to it, one of my favorite places in Oakland.

The food is really good.
The owners kinda just stared at us when we initially walked in. Have is weird vibes. We were the only people there on a Sat afternoon. More people arrived later.
The food is good, but not amazing. Decent portions for the price and plenty of Inerja!

Ethiopian is my favorite food and this place rocks. Well-​spiced food that’s not overwhelming at great prices with kind, smiling service. Portions are great and prices are decent. I wouldn’t call it cheap but I also don’t feel like I’m getting ripped off. I always get the veggie combo. Yum!

l love Ethiopian food, although l haven’t had the high of the initial experience with it for years. came close here, but not quite the same way. l have eaten here several times and enjoy the experience everytime whether with a group or sola.
they serve some items that the Ethiopian places in SF and other Ethiopian places in the East Bay do not.
l *love* the flax juice. just the fact that they serve it is great. actually, all the seed juices are great. l would stop in just for them.
they make their own (unfiltered) honey wine.
the kitfo (beef tartare) is the best l have had. l love beef tartare as well– it’s good here.
l have never eaten much starchy foods; just don’t like it. so l haven’t tried any of the fitfit appetizers. a lot of Ethiopian restaurants do not have them on the menu so it’s nice to see them here.
friendly, attentive service as well. the staff is very sweet. they have a more professional attitude than a neighborhood Ethiopian joint, which is what l am used to.

The food here at Romanat is outstanding, been coming here for years and finally I must post this well deserved Five Star review!
The owner Adey and her sisters will spoil you with their spicy magic and gastronomic alchemy!
Hands down one of the more romantic cozy Oakland eateries with authentic Ethiopian flair to take a date or partner without breaking your budget which on Grand avenue is easy to do.
Rick

I want vegan food, my friend is gluten intolerant. Here’s a place where not only can we both find food on the menu, we can find food we can SHARE on this menu. We had the veggie combo, mushroom tibs, and some appetizer that reminded me of bruschetta. Everything was delicious and the portions were generous. We could not finish our meals, despite how good they were. The only thing lacking was the temperature of the place! It was cold in there! If it was a little more comfortable, it’d be a five star review, easily.

Best gluten free injera I’ve ever had. Everything was fantastic but the kick alicha (the yellow split pea dish — my favorite!) was a bit undercooked. Their chick pea dish is phenomenal and so is their salad. Nice generous portions. I’m definitely coming back here!

Came here a few weeks ago and was really impressed! Service was a little slow at first but otherwise we had a great time. We ordered the meat sambusas, veggie combo & meat combo. Everything was well spiced, but the lamb was amaaazing!

I am from chicago and from the Ethopian neighborhood and this place hits the mark so that I can finally stop dreaming about Chicago’s Ethopian food for a night! Thank you café romanat!
If you love Ethopian, go and get the mitten shiro! Yum!!!
I will be coming back ASAP!

Actually would give it a 3.5. Food was pretty good. Theres another Ethiopian place I go to that is strictly a 5 and havent found another that beats it. This is a good secondary place though.
Environment good, really open and lots of room! Love that. Staff is super friendly and its an overall great place to go.

My dad’s ethiopian friends recommended this joint and I was certainly quite impressed. My friend and I split the meat and veg platters and I did find the various dishes to be really flavorful. I also particularly liked the injera here but I can’t really explain why. I think it was stretchier.

I stop in to Café Romanat every 1 – 2 months to get my Ethiopian food fix. I must say, the quality of the food has been very consistent. Since my original doro tibs meal, I’ve had the vegetarian and meat combo plates, the dried/​fried strips of beef, a few of the lamb meals, the chicken dish with the hard cooked egg — all flavorful and delicious.
Another pleasant find — the honey wine/​mead is very nice. It’s a bit deceptive as being «sweet like honey», you think you’re imbibing a soft drink, but it can pack a «kick».
My latest meal this past week was the doro tibs, and as always, a flavorful dish of spiced tender chunks of chicken, offset by the fresh, crisp, lightly-​dress side salad. I ordered it «spicy», and it had a kick, but wasn’t as fiery as I wanted. Next time I’ll order «extra spicy».
There are other Ethiopian restaurants in the Oakland area I’ve heard good things about and have a hankering to try, but why mess with perfection (at least for my tastes…)?

Copious potions and sophisticated cooking with good spices and vegetables
Meat is refined and well seasoned. Service is very friendly and helpful.

Delicious Ethiopian food! It’s places like these that make Oakland such a gem in the Bay Area!
Order:
*Veggie Combo
We weren’t sure which foods on the platter were which, but every single thing on the combo was delicious. The salad was fresh and had a very tasty spread on top, it reminded me of hummus because of its consistency and color, but it wasn’t heavy. I thought each vegetable dish was perfectly cooked because nothing was too salty or mushy, despite its looks. The Injera bread was also really good because it wasn’t too sour, like at some other authentic Ethiopian places.
Atmosphere and setting was casual and pleasant with what looked like genuine Ethiopian styled art, decorations, and music. Service was also quick and it wasn’t busy. It might be a little hard to find and park near because it is so close to the freeway entrance.
Pricing was nice with it totaling about $ 16, including tip, for our meal. The veggie combo was more than enough for my boyfriend and I as that was all that we ordered. I’ll definitely be back, especially because they do take out! Definitely recommend for all worldly food lovers!

Best Ethiopian spot in the east bay that I have experienced so far. I’m definitely in love. I bring everyone I know here & each time I visit, I am never disappointed.
Friendly staff, chill environment, delicious food & idk what they do to that dressing accompanying that salad of theirs, but can you say tastefully orgasmic?
Like, if that’s a thing, then that’s exactly what this place offers.