Living in Addis
Living in Addis Ababa
Where people in the city eat, walk, train, relax and spend the weekend. Pick a theme, an idea or your area.
85 places5 themes31 areas
Eat and drink
Restaurants and cafes across the city
Evenings
Bars, clubs, live music and cinemas
Outdoors
Parks, gardens and fresh air
Culture
Museums, churches and history
Ideas
Plans for this week
- With childrenSpace to run, play areas and food for all ages39 places
- With visitorsPlaces to show friends and family from abroad28 places
- Date nightA good table for two11 places
- Free to enterNo ticket at the gate5 places
- Open lateOpen after most of the city goes home12 places
- With a viewRooftops, hills and open sky4 places
By area
Life near your home
Choosing where to live? See what is close to each neighbourhood, then read the area guide and the homes for sale and rent.
Life in Bole18 places to eat, 6 cafes, 3 bars and clubsSee 31 placesArea guide and homes
Life in Gerji2 places to eat, 1 cafe, 1 spaSee 5 placesArea guide and homes
Life in Kazanchis2 cafes, 1 place to eat, 1 parkSee 5 placesArea guide and homes
Life in Sarbet3 places to eat, 2 cafesSee 5 placesArea guide and homes
Life in Old Airport3 places to eat, 1 gymSee 4 placesArea guide and homes
Life in Summit2 places to eat, 2 cafesSee 4 placesArea guide and homes- Life in Megenagna1 place to eat, 1 bar or club, 1 gymSee 3 placesArea guide and homes
Life in Bole Bulbula1 cafe, 1 gymSee 2 placesArea guide and homes
Life in CMC1 cafe, 1 gymSee 2 placesArea guide and homes
Life in Ayat1 gymSee 1 placeArea guide and homes
Life in Lebu1 cafeSee 1 placeArea guide and homes
The full list
All places
85 places
Ideas
Kind
Area
Restaurant
Abren Fish
Megenagna
Fish restaurant near Megenagna with fried and grilled fish
Fish, Ethiopian
Gym
Activ8 Recreation Center
CMC
Recreation centre in CMC with a gym, group classes, a 25 metre heated pool and a spa
Spa
Adona Spa Lodge
Haya Hulet
Spa compound in Haya Hulet with Moroccan baths, massage, steam and sauna
Daily 8:00 to 20:00
Restaurant
Akotet Restaurant
Old Airport
Family-run Ethiopian restaurant near Bisrate Gebriel with fasting and meat platters
Ethiopian, Fasting food
Restaurant
Al Diwan Restaurant
Summit
Arab and Yemeni restaurant on the Summit road with mandi, grills and shawarma
Yemeni, Middle Eastern, Mandi
Restaurant
Arirang Korean Restaurant
Old Airport, Bole
Korean restaurant with a garden on Mauritania Street in Old Airport
Korean
Bar or club
Atmosphere
Bole
Culture venue with a bar, an art gallery and a courtyard on Zimbabwe Street in Bole
Daily 9:00 to 01:00
Restaurant
Azmera Shiro
Haya Hulet, Bole
Shiro house with branches in Haya Hulet, Bole Medhanialem and Bole Atlas
Ethiopian, Fasting food
Cafe
Bilo's Pastry
Lancha, Sarbet, Bole, Arat Kilo
Pastry shop and cafe chain with twelve branches across Addis Ababa
Pastry, Bakery, Coffee
Cafe
Birra's Brew
Gotera
Speciality coffee shop on Ethio China Street near Gotera
Coffee, Desserts
Bar or club
Black Rose Lounge
Bole
Lounge bar with cocktails and food on the second floor of Yegemiya Plaza, off Bole Road
Bar food, Sandwiches
Restaurant
BM African Restaurant
Sarbet
West and East African restaurant behind the African Union on Mozambique Street
West African, East African
Spa
Boston Day Spa
Bole
Full-service day spa and salon in the Boston Day Spa Building on Bole Road
Daily 8:00 to 21:00
Restaurant
Cafe du Louvre at the Louvre Grand Hotel
British Embassy
French brasserie with three terraces at the Louvre Grand Hotel, Yeka
French
Spa
Capital Hotel and Spa wellness centre
Haya Hulet
Hotel spa, gym and outdoor pool on Haile Gebre Silase Street in Haya Hulet
Daily 5:00 to 23:00
Restaurant
Carnivore by Misrak Ber
Bole
Raw meat and grill restaurant with a bar on Africa Avenue in Bole
Ethiopian, Raw meat, Grill
Restaurant
Cravings Restaurant and Bar
Bole
International restaurant and bar at Bole International Airport, open 24 hours
International, Burgers, Ethiopian
Spa
Dagi Spa
Haya Hulet, Gerji
Spa for massage and Moroccan bath with branches at Yoly Hotel and Alfoz Plaza
Open 24 hours
Restaurant
Dashen Terara Traditional Restaurant
Haya Hulet
Traditional Ethiopian restaurant with a garden on Togo Street in Haya Hulet
Ethiopian
Cafe
Dukamo Coffee
Bole
Speciality Ethiopian coffee shop in Mafi City Mall, Bole
Coffee, Breakfast, Burgers
Spa
Elgel Hotel and Spa wellness centre
Lafto
Hotel spa, gym and indoor pool on the Bisrate Gebriel to Jemo road in Lafto
Park
Ethio-Cuba Friendship Park (Tiglachin Monument)
Churchill Avenue
Memorial park on Churchill Avenue with the 50 metre Tiglachin Monument
Museum
Ethnological Museum
Sidist Kilo
Museum of Ethiopian cultures in the former palace of Haile Selassie at Sidist Kilo
Daily 8:30 to 17:30
Bar or club
Fendika Cultural Center
Meskel Square
Azmari music, dance and Ethio-jazz venue, now at the Hyatt Regency on Meskel Square
About this guide
The city around your home
A home is more than its rooms. It is the cafe on the corner, the park where children play on Sunday, the gym on the way to work and the restaurant you take visitors to. This guide shows that side of Addis Ababa, area by area.
Each place has its area, its hours and, when the place publishes them, its prices and entry fees. The places come from their own websites and official pages. Real.et does not rank them, and a place on this page is not an endorsement.
Choosing where to live? Open an area to see the places near it, then the homes for sale and rent in the same neighbourhood. Traffic in Addis Ababa is heavy at rush hour, so the places you can walk to often matter most.
Frequently asked questions
What is it like to live in Addis Ababa?
Addis Ababa is a large, busy capital at more than 2,300 metres above sea level, so the days are mild and the nights are cool. The rainy season runs from June to September. Life centres on the neighbourhood: most people shop, eat out and meet friends close to home because traffic is heavy at rush hour.
Which area of Addis Ababa has the most places to eat and go out?
Bole has the most restaurants, cafes, bars and malls, close to the airport. Kazanchis and the area around Meskel Square are central and busy too. Use the area cards on this page to compare what is near each neighbourhood.
What can I do with children in Addis Ababa?
Open the idea "With children" on this page. It lists parks, museums, restaurants and other places that suit families, such as places with a play area or open space. Check the hours and the entry fee on each profile before you go.
How does Real.et choose the places on this page?
Real.et adds places that it can confirm from their own website, their official pages or their Google listing. Every place needs photos, an area and the facts a resident needs. Owners can add or claim a place for free on Real.et.
Also on Real.et
- Hotels in Addis AbabaHotels by area and star rating, for you or your visitors.
- Guest housesPlaces to stay by the night, the week or the month.
- Areas of Addis AbabaGuides to 14 neighbourhoods, with homes for sale and rent.
- Best Neighborhoods in Addis Ababa to Live, Rent or BuyA guide to the main neighborhoods of Addis Ababa: Bole, Ayat, CMC, Summit, Kazanchis, Old Airport and more, with price data and tips for buyers and tenants.