Letena Ethiopian Restaurant

The atmosphere was perfect, an authentic restaurant all around. This was my first time trying Ethiopian cuisine, and it was a great place to do this because of their "sampler" options. You can try many different dishes all in one. The kategna appetizer is a must if you like spice. The samosas I'd say were a bit underwhelming. We got the veggie sampler for 2 and had enough leftover for one more full meal. Overall a great experience, I'm glad I chose Letena for an Ethiopian dinner in Washington DC.

Most authentic Ethiopian cuisine food here!! Loved the food, service was beyond amazing. The owner of the restaurant was very friendly and very polite with us all. Would definitely recommend going to this place for vegetarian food. 🥘

First time trying authentic Ethiopian food & it was delicious! We shared the Goat Wot and Beef Stew. The staff was super friendly and helpful in describing not only what we were eating but also *how to eat it haha. They take reservations but at the time we went there was plenty of seating. I would recommend this place to anyone coming into DC.

I judge all Ethiopian restaurants against the legendary Meskerem (sadly, long gone), and most places fall short. So I was delighted to discover Letena! We had their delicious vegetarian messob sampler platter (they happily made a substitution of one of the included dishes for us) and the lentil sambosas. I had the Tej honey wine, because, hey, we’re having Ethiopian food, and my husband had the Addis Manhattan; both were a great compliment to the food. The ambiance was chic but also felt authentic to culture. Would definitely come here again and again!

We got veggie sampler 3 and Ethiopian coffee - so delicious! We loved the lentils, collard greens, mushrooms and chickpeas as well as the super soft and fluffy injera bread. Even though we came a couple of minutes after closing in the pouring rain, they made sure to accommodate us. We had the sweetest server as well (thank you Meron!!). Note that we got four servings for the five of us, but ended up filling 4 takeout boxes of leftovers after stuffing ourselves. Wholeheartedly recommend!