Abebual Zerihun

Wow!! what an amazing dinner it lasted 2 days there was so much of it ! Deluxe veggie combo with gluten free injera!! The Tibis is to die for. The staff was friendly too, and can tell this was prepared with love and care ! I love love love this place will def be visiting them again !

Geraldine Vega Pizarro

We had a great time. The staff is very attentive and friendly. We order different appetizers, entrees and dessert. Our group loved all the food. Everything was delicious. I only took one picture of the basmati rice and chicken. I highly recommend this restaurant.

Julia Mitchell

If I could give 10 stars I would! I was visiting Middletown for a conference and had planned to eat at Abyssinian my last night. I neglected to check what days they are closed - and it happened to be Mondays, the day I ventured down for a meal. It was a lovely evening and I was ready to eat! The owner was outside planting his flower boxes. I was surprised not to see anyone sitting at the tables. Sadly, he said they were closed. We started chatting and I shared my disappointment and prepared to look for an alternative option. He then went inside where the chef was prepping food for the next day. He soon returned with a full plate of food for me. The most delicious and satisfying meal. He was wonderful company during my meal and told me all about his hometown and the history of Ethiopia! What a delight this experience was.

Magnus Wu

Was craving Ethiopian food and found this gem. They were short staffed but the wait was totally worth it. The doro wat was amazing. Highly recommend this place. Decided to come here again for my final meal being in this area. This is definitely one of my favorite restaurants in the Hartford area. Flavors are delectable. Try the honey wine too… so good.

+1

yael rubin

Wonderful family who runs this restaurant. The food is absolutely incredible and made with love. The owner kept giving us more food and made sure we were well fed and happy. Wonderful atmosphere and great for an intimate dinner or a larger family/friend gathering.

Ariam Tekle

Abyssinia’s food is SOOOO GOOD!!!! This restaurant has the BEST Ethiopian food I’ve had in CT and can’t stop thinking about it! I got a to go order of the Tibise with the two sides of Misir Wot (red) and Alcha Keke (yellow) and a special treat of the Kay Wot (red) and Alcha Wot (yellow ). As visitor from out of state on a long work trip in the area this meal has been my comfort food to get me through the work week and making me feel at home ! Flavors were bursting in every bite with just enough spice for any palate and the portions were really good ! Per my mother “The Injera was made with premium healthy ingredient” ( she can just tell by the color and consistency via ft she said lol ) The family who owned the business was very lovely as well! They greeted me with warm welcome and the server was very patient with me and answered all of my questions (even as a Habesha myself ! Lol ) If you’ve never had Ethiopian food or need your fix and want to try it you should definitely stop by and get a Gursha! (“a bite”in Amharic) and try this delicious restaurant!!

Jason koch

Amazing food and equal hospitality. The owner is a gentleman and was even teaching us a bit about history. The wife is the cook while the husband manages the front and they make a great team. Going to be one of our regular spots for sure!!

Emma Haile

High quality food and amazing service! You can taste that every dish was made with love. In fact, one of my friends who was born and raised in Ethiopia said that all the dishes taste just like home. Still dreaming about the yassa tibs🤩. The atmosphere is so cozy and it was entertaining to watch the Ethiopian music videos that were playing on the TV. One little thing that rubbed me off the wrong way is that there wasn’t enough soap in the bathroom and the little bit that was left wasn’t fragrant enough to remove the potent smells from all the wots that me and my friends had. But sometimes things happen, so I just took this with a grain of salt. Other than that, I am so happy that I got to eat here and I am looking forward to coming back.

Kurt Anderson

Fabulous. Party of 4 ordered various dishes and was served family style. Food outstanding, owner extremely helpful in explaining various dishes and overall experience was top notch. Frosting on the cake was outstanding Ethiopian Organic Coffee.

Kerah Oliveira

Sweetest family owned/run place. It’s been a rough week, so walking into a peaceful, friendly environment was a nice change of pace. The food here is AMAZING, the menu wasn’t overwhelming. We got the humus salad, and Sambusa starters. Both very good! We got the Misto Entree which is a combination of Alcha & Kay wot, with Misir wot (red split lentils) and Alcha Keke (yellow split peas) as our sides. We got an extra side of Injira and had some leftovers sharing between two people. It was the tummy-hug meal we were craving. Bonus: parking isn’t too bad and they have a very nice outdoor seating area when the weather warms up. We’ll be back!

Gillian Snyder

My family and I have been coming to Abyssinian for a very long time and after being closed for the better part of a year, they are back and better than ever! The flavors are so strong yet so nuanced and full of depth. The portion sizes are big, so you may end up with some leftovers, but it still tastes as good as it did when you first order it. The staff were also incredibly friendly and catering to every need. We will definitely be back!

Serenity Russell

Delicious! Enjoyed their East Hartford location years ago and we perhaps enjoyed the new location in Middletown more. There is a little bit of a wait but I don’t mind. The food is flavorful, tender, memorable. I ordered Doro Wot and the Abyssinian honey wine and my husband ordered Danish Wot 10/10! We will be returning!

Chris Chhoeun

Amazing spot in Middletown! We got the platter Sambusa appetizer with chicken, and the #15 Abyssinian Platter. It was so much food for two people! I loved the spices and the flavors. The woman was very friendly. GREAT date spot. Can’t wait to visit again!

margaret radman

It’s little wonder no reservation is needed at Abyssinian Ethiopian Restaurant on Main Street in Middletown and unlikely anyone who eats there would ever return. As the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat - or the unsuspecting consumer who is brave enough to venture into uncharted restaurant territory. The small, chicken coop sized space is over lit, probably to ensure that patrons don’t linger, but there’s no worries here. Being the only customers in the establishment, the isolation, and suspicions began to settle in: why is the place empty? It didn’t take long to figure that out, beginning with the before dinner aperitif, a standard glass of what is called white wine, that has a decidedly amber color, raising fears of “what is it?” Tasting the suspect liquid confirmed all fears, once again begging the question, “what is it?” Moving on to dinner, the small portion of a poultry menu item didn’t matter because no one would want to eat much - if any - of it anyway. The cubed chicken in a nondescript sauce had a decidedly gamey taste, otherwise known as yesterday’s, or the day before yesterday’s leftover bird. My dining companion’s dish was no better, with the beef being notably chewy, accompanied by a tablespoon or two of a lentil concoction that was the “side.” Both dishes came with a rolled up, peculiar looking and surprisingly tasteless item that resembled a dirty sock. It’s called Injera. Again, the small portion is no problem here. For sure, no doggie bags will be needed. Though there are a couple losers along the Main Street stretch, by and large Abyssinian Ethiopia is an anomy among the many fine restaurants in downtown Middletown. In all fairness, maybe the vegetarian entrees are a better choice on the menu, but with price tags of around $30, that’s a gamble. It could also be that other Ethiopian restaurants do a better than this one, or maybe they were just having a bad day. But in a country whose sustenance comes from whatever they can get from the UN, Red Cross, and similar donors, it’s no surprise that Ethiopia doesn’t excel in the culinary area. It’s a shame they occupy that prime real estate and mystifying how they have managed to stay open for this long. Hopefully they will find the sense to move over and allow someone else to take the reins to provide high quality cuisine that local patrons expect and deserve.