Blue Nile

I bought the tibbs which is a main staple in Ethiopian food. Met the owner who was very down to earth and nice. The food was great with lots of flavor. I had to save it for later it was a lot to tackle right then and there. The price was decent and the place is clean with nice art all around. I am glad they put this over here instead of subway which use to occupy the land.

Blue Nile is another favorite spot of mine in the neighborhood. They have all of the classic Ethiopian dishes you would expect, in a warm and welcoming environment. I went with one friend for dinner and we split the meat and vegan combo platter. It's served on a large piece of injera with a variety of different meats (chicken, beef, lamb) and some very tasty vegetable dishes. It was perfect to split between two people and you may have some leftovers to take home. I'd also recommend trying out the Ethiopian beer!

I really love their food. It tastes like someone loves to cook! Lentils Yummmmy. KIFTO SO GOOD ( I prefer it cooked, though) Tibs are dynamite! Service is fine. Atomosphere could be a little more welcoming. For business sake. It kind of feels like a clique, but that might just be me! Overall, it just Yummy! Yeah, baby, order here!

The ladies that work here are very friendly and helpful. I had the place all to myself at 4pm on a Thursday afternoon and the delicious vegan food came out in five minutes! Id definitely come again!

This place is the best Ethiopian flavor in Oakland! Very homie and authentic ambiance and very nice people who run it. So happy such a great spot got opened right next door to me; we really lack good restaurants by our side of the lake.

A friend told me to try this place. I’ve been vegan for a little while now and a lot of their menu (and Ethiopian food in general from what I understand) is either vegan or vegetarian and you can have it with meat by choice. I took my kids so they had the meat with greens dish, one lamb, one chicken and one beef. I had two vegan plates and the appetizer I’m just forgetting the names right now (see pictures). Everything had so much flavor and tasted super fresh. The spices and flavors were great, the owners are very nice and the environment is really chill. I will be going back here every time I’m in Oakland. To the owners, thank you so much for the food, suggestions and the hospitality. They made it through the pandemic but people should really support this place.

Absolutely enjoyed my lunch! They are vegetarian friendly with menu options specifically for vegetarians. Thought it was just a small place in downtown oakland but great ambience and the food was absolutely delish. There's a nice culture aspect here with seating i think Ethiopians use. Beautiful paintings and service was lovely. I tried the telba, quite skeptically, but it was so yummy. A sweet drink for a sweet tooth! I also got the Mir combo.

Great food! Nice service! My first time at an Ethiopian restaurant. Beef and mushrooms were tasty. Samboosa (sp?) were so good.

Had a yummy vegetarian meal at Blue Nile. Ordered the vegetarian platter served with injera and a chai latte. My latte was really good! Food was great. Nice service and clean place—I will be back!

Delicious Ethiopian restaurant and food I absolutely highly recommend it food was great spices were exactly what they should be very clean they even have a sink outside and dusty wash your hands anytime I will be in Oakland I will absolutely come back

Vegan&Meat Combo for 2 was great. Sac new with the honey wine. Solid date night spot after a visit to the OMCA Museum!

David S

A friend told me to try this place. I’ve been vegan for a little while now and a lot of their menu (and Ethiopian food in general from what I understand) is either vegan or vegetarian and you can have it with meat by choice. I took my kids so they had the meat with greens dish, one lamb, one chicken and one beef. I had two vegan plates and the appetizer I’m just forgetting the names right now (see pictures). Everything had so much flavor and tasted super fresh. The spices and flavors were great, the owners are very nice and the environment is really chill. I will be going back here every time I’m in Oakland. To the owners, thank you so much for the food, suggestions and the hospitality. They made it through the pandemic but people should really support this place.

Akshaya Kumar

Absolutely enjoyed my lunch! They are vegetarian friendly with menu options specifically for vegetarians. Thought it was just a small place in downtown oakland but great ambience and the food was absolutely delish. There's a nice culture aspect here with seating i think Ethiopians use. Beautiful paintings and service was lovely. I tried the telba, quite skeptically, but it was so yummy. A sweet drink for a sweet tooth! I also got the Mir combo.

Victorious K.

Great food! Nice service! My first time at an Ethiopian restaurant. Beef and mushrooms were tasty. Samboosa (sp?) were so good.

Jade Dorsey

Had a yummy vegetarian meal at Blue Nile. Ordered the vegetarian platter served with injera and a chai latte. My latte was really good! Food was great. Nice service and clean place—I will be back!

A B

Delicious Ethiopian restaurant and food I absolutely highly recommend it food was great spices were exactly what they should be very clean they even have a sink outside and dusty wash your hands anytime I will be in Oakland I will absolutely come back

Taiya Hatchett aka McInnes

Vegan&Meat Combo for 2 was great. Sac new with the honey wine. Solid date night spot after a visit to the OMCA Museum!

My hidden neighborhood gem. I come here quite often because the meals are Fresh, Flavorful, Consistent, and Filling. For my needs (usually seeking quiet dining for things like getting work done), the atmosphere is conducive and provides outlets and a wi-fi connection (if you ask). The service is friendly with a family vibe (like eating at an aunts or a grandma's house) so I wouldn't expect to necessarily be waited on hand and food like other restaurant experiences. Let me also mention that the price is beyond reasonable for the offering.

AMAZING food! Vegan combo and buticha are amazing. The homemade tej (honey wine) is fantastic.

Absolutely delicious meal today! We got the stewed lamb (sorry I don’t remember the exact name) and added the red lentils, and the meat Sambusa appetizer. They were both excellent, my husband and I nearly finished the whole “for 2” platter and both our kids got to eat as well from the food. Definitely recommend, great vegetarian options too!! They were also very nice, very sweet service.

Excellent Ethiopian food. One of my all time favorites.

One of the best Ethiopian restaurants I ate in! The food is delicious, and well made. The service was very attentive, they were there when we needed them, and never bothered us after we finished the food and just hanged out. Many vegetarian and vegan food options, we tried them all and it was all great. We loved the veggie combo the most! The place is very clean, and the restroom as well. The neighborhood is a little shady, but the bright side of that is that parking is not an issue 😃

Nathan Hinchey

AMAZING food! Vegan combo and buticha are amazing. The homemade tej (honey wine) is fantastic.

pater vondiesel

Excellent Ethiopian food. One of my all time favorites.

Rayne Writes

My hidden neighborhood gem. I come here quite often because the meals are Fresh, Flavorful, Consistent, and Filling. For my needs (usually seeking quiet dining for things like getting work done), the atmosphere is conducive and provides outlets and a wi-fi connection (if you ask). The service is friendly with a family vibe (like eating at an aunts or a grandma's house) so I wouldn't expect to necessarily be waited on hand and food like other restaurant experiences. Let me also mention that the price is beyond reasonable for the offering.

Tianna Erickson

Absolutely delicious meal today! We got the stewed lamb (sorry I don’t remember the exact name) and added the red lentils, and the meat Sambusa appetizer. They were both excellent, my husband and I nearly finished the whole “for 2” platter and both our kids got to eat as well from the food. Definitely recommend, great vegetarian options too!! They were also very nice, very sweet service.

Mo Me

Blue Nile is AMAZING! Gibts is wonderful and so helpful. We needed lunch for 17 staff during a training and she worked hard to make sure we got everything we wanted. The food was great and our people were so happy. I will always refer people to Blue Nile, they are great.

Great little gem, delicious Ethiopian food. They're happy to customize your dish if you have dietary restrictions. The young lady that cooked was very sweet!

I really like the doro wat and the siga dulet and lamb tibs. I literally spent 150 dollars there yesterday because i was crashing Ethiopian food. I was confused in how what i ordered came so I definitely ordered too much food. I ended up giving some away to my brother's girlfriend. I must've had mine boxes of food. It was all good tasting.

Wonderful food prepared and served by very genial and helpful staff. The dishes I and my friend ordered were both on the very spicy side. I didn't recall that Ethiopian food being as spicy as these dishes-- it's not a complaint, but a caveat for anyone who doedn't like heat. Double-check with the wait staff before you order. Then enjoy.

Food was tasty. But the lamb and the beef were a little tough.

The food was good and filling. I really wanted more side options and combos; as well as a desert menu. But it's a very relaxed vibe not to mention they make their honey wine in house. Their prices are competitive, making it a good options for dates.

Man I have a passion for Ethiopian food. First time at this location. Greeted by two women who here attentive and welcoming. Ordered the chicken tibbs. Very spicy 🔥 but very good. Parking is not ideal . Restaurant had nice murals. Lots of injera which I love.

Love the place! The cultural elements are spread throughout the whole restaurant and makes up for great decoration. The food was amazing! However, some spots on the floor weren't as clean, surely was a lack of cleaning after clients. There are also some flies around which disturbed me a lot.

Great place to order take-out, but you can also be the only people dining inside (wink, wink). Remember to keep your masks on whenever the server arrives & tip generously.

Blue Nile was my first taste of Ethiopian food, and I'm glad I tried it! The Meat Combo Platter was a hit! The Doro Wot, a traditional chicken stew with its rich and spicy sauce, was a standout, perfectly showcasing the bold flavors of Ethiopian cuisine. The Alicha Yeb'ge, a mild lamb stew, offered a delightful contrast with its aromatic blend of spices. And the Beef Bamia, with its tender beef simmered alongside okra and tomatoes, was a savory delight. The only hiccup was the slow service during lunchtime. We were the only ones eating inside, and it took a while for the server to bring water and menus. Plus, we waited another 30 minutes for our food. They could work on being quicker and more attentive. But despite that, Blue Nile is a great spot to explore Ethiopian flavors.

Flavor ✅ If u in the mood for a tasty meal and don't mind eating w ur hands,do stop by. If u looking for fringe, glamour, cute, or great customer service (this ain't it). But I like the food, I order, I eat and I leave.

Lovely locally owned with lots of fresh ingredients. They are vegan/ vegetarian friendly. Caution, they don't use utensils - which is fine since it's their tradition.

First time to try Ephiopian food, not a bad experience here🙂 Atmosphere and services is good, and the stew lamb tastes good, but I'm not a big fan of the flatbread, it is too sour for me.

Grand Old Soul

Man I have a passion for Ethiopian food. First time at this location. Greeted by two women who here attentive and welcoming. Ordered the chicken tibbs. Very spicy 🔥 but very good. Parking is not ideal . Restaurant had nice murals. Lots of injera which I love.

Eve Longuele

Love the place! The cultural elements are spread throughout the whole restaurant and makes up for great decoration. The food was amazing! However, some spots on the floor weren't as clean, surely was a lack of cleaning after clients. There are also some flies around which disturbed me a lot.

DrPfeiffer

Great place to order take-out, but you can also be the only people dining inside (wink, wink). Remember to keep your masks on whenever the server arrives & tip generously.

Alice Hou

Blue Nile was my first taste of Ethiopian food, and I'm glad I tried it! The Meat Combo Platter was a hit! The Doro Wot, a traditional chicken stew with its rich and spicy sauce, was a standout, perfectly showcasing the bold flavors of Ethiopian cuisine. The Alicha Yeb'ge, a mild lamb stew, offered a delightful contrast with its aromatic blend of spices. And the Beef Bamia, with its tender beef simmered alongside okra and tomatoes, was a savory delight. The only hiccup was the slow service during lunchtime. We were the only ones eating inside, and it took a while for the server to bring water and menus. Plus, we waited another 30 minutes for our food. They could work on being quicker and more attentive. But despite that, Blue Nile is a great spot to explore Ethiopian flavors.

Marsha Benedict

Flavor ✅ If u in the mood for a tasty meal and don't mind eating w ur hands,do stop by. If u looking for fringe, glamour, cute, or great customer service (this ain't it). But I like the food, I order, I eat and I leave.

F M

Lovely locally owned with lots of fresh ingredients. They are vegan/ vegetarian friendly. Caution, they don't use utensils - which is fine since it's their tradition.

Jiaqi Xiao

First time to try Ephiopian food, not a bad experience here🙂 Atmosphere and services is good, and the stew lamb tastes good, but I'm not a big fan of the flatbread, it is too sour for me.

It’s a cozy and pretty clean place and the servers were pleasant, but the food just wasn’t good. Appetizer was overcooked, peas were undercooked, and most of the food just didn’t taste fresh.

I ordered the veggie combo because I really missed Cafe Dareye. The food was disappointing: soggy injera, bland split peas and lentils, bland potato's and cabbage, massively overcooked kale, ranch dressing on generic salad greens?! Where's the flavor? I won't comment on cost, since Ethiopian food tends to cost more (injera isn't easy to get). Portions seemed standard. Extra star since it's a pandemic. But this Chinese guy makes better Ethiopian food...😐

It is not Ethiopian food, at least food has no that particular spicies as I used to taste in other places. It was just chunks of meat and peaces of onion on top. Don't have gluten free bread options.

The food was great! The music was loud. Though they turned it down a bit for us (we were the only customer), we still had trouble hearing each other. It's not a place I would recommend to have a conversation over dinner. It was also quite cold inside. We kept our winter jackets and hats on during the entire meal. Make sure you bring warm clothing. (It was a 45 degrees outside and they kept the door wide open.) Despite the good food, I was miserably cold and my ears were aching.

Since my favorite Ethiopian restaurant was closed today. I thought I'd give this restaurant at try. I was wrong! First, my order was wrong causing me to wait. Second, the food was bad all together. A waste of money and time.

Meat eaters were happy but vege dishes were terrible. No flavor. Red lentils tasted like canned tomato sauce. Would not recommend.

As an Ethiopian who knows how to cook, I don’t recommend this place. - I asked if their meet combo contains Lamb Tibis and the waiter confirmed me with YES. - However, it came with Lamb Wot (the juice sauce) and asked her that’s not what she told me. The funny part is she started lying to me that’s how they cook in their restaurant instead telling the truth. - Besides that their Doro (Chicken) Wot sucks and has no taste. Most of the food I ate is tasteless. - Lastly you will be accompanied by a bunch of hungry flies who want to share the tasteless meal. Try other places. Never going there again!

I ordered lamb Tibs and the test was not pleasant. The enjera was super thick and looks like bread than enjera. The price was 18 dollars for that Tibs which is outrageous. I tried some other restaurants in Oakland and found great places compared to this restaurant.

I took my family that came to visit from out of town. This place was embarrassing to say the least. We were glad that we were able to sit inside, but the same person that took our order had to go to the kitchen to make out order. This was odd but wasn't a big problem. We had beg tibs, Alicia wot and veggie combo. First, none of the food tasted like authentic Ethiopian food. It was more than just needing salt. It just didn't taste right it. The "Alicia wot" was basically tibs with yellow sauce on top of it. Disappointing. All in all our food was NOT edible. We had to leave without eating any of it. The lady was nice enough to understand and not charge us for 1 meal. Customer service was good but food was not it. Hopefully this was just 1 bad experience.

I have been to several Ethiopian restaurants in the area and love the cuisine. However, this has to be the worst in terms of portions. Don't be fooled by some of the reviews. While the food is flavorful, the portions are small and the meals are expensive. I ordered a vegi combo that cost $18 and I walked away hungry.

Grossly overpriced relative to portion size and flavor. Given the restaurant's proximity to Lake Merritt and my apartment, I've eaten there several times. I can honestly summarize that the flavor, though acceptable, is not as good compared to authentic Ethiopian food, coupled with the high prices, makes this Ethiopian restaurant my least favorite amongst all the Ethiopian restaurants in Oakland. It's quite unfortunately because we frequently hike around the lake and would enjoy having Ethiopian food afterwards.

I wish there was a way that you can give a business minus Stars I wouldn't even rate them one star but I have no choice. It had been a year since the last time I visited this restaurant and the reason why I stopped going is the owner doesn't care about please her customers, so I decided to take my business elsewhere. This time I just so happened to be in the neighborhood and I used to visit this restaurant quite often in the past so I said what the hell because I had a hankering for some. You know they say you should always listen to your first mind. I got there and ordered a meat combo which was $22. When I got to my car I wanted to take a bite of my food since I had never gotten lamb from them before, well it was a good thing that I did, if I got all the way home to San Leandro where I live I would have been pissed 😡 to find what they put in that container. the lamb was mid I'm used to it tasting a lot better than that from other Ethiopian restaurants I've been to. As I went to taste the lamb I got poked by a bone so l went to check out the chicken and discovered that they gave me all bones there were three pieces of bone that are normally attached to a thigh no meat just bones. The meat combo also has steak with mushrooms I checked for that and had no meat just sauced up injera. So I got out of my car and went back in to show them that they were not getting away with just giving me bones and shorting me. They knew exactly what they put in that container. The owner then accused me of eating it which was an outright lie I wasn't even gone that long to have eaten a whole piece of chicken and all the steak if that's the case. The woman lied to my face and told me that she didn't give it to me like that and I ate it. They know exactly what they gave me and they gave me all bones all I asked was that they fix it and give me some meat because I basically didn't pay $22 for some bones, she continued to argue with me and tell me that I ate it and that she didn't give it to me like that which was not the truth I didn't do anything to it, And I definitely didn't eat it and I did not appreciate being called a liar. I asked her for a refund because she refused to give me meat. She told me she would not give me my back. So after that of course I got irate for one being called a liar to my face and also for the fact that they thought that they could get away with treating any customer this way. It says a lot on a Saturday afternoon when your business only has one other customer besides myself. I said some choice words to her and told her that her business is going straight to hell!! Because God doesn't like ugly, they're going down the tubes. They know what they did. I told that woman there was absolutely no reason for me to lie I initially was not asking for my money back I just wanted them to give me meat, in most cases businesses would not want to lose customers so they would make it right. She told me no she wasn't giving me a refund and walked away and I politely threw every bit of that food over the counter on to the floor, it is not my personality at all to react in that manner but I was highly disrespected and just dismissed like my money doesn't count, and please explain to me why is your own color people that treat you the worst, there happened to be some Caucasian women in the restaurant dining in I promise you they didn't give them bones. This business is on its last leg and I figured they needed that $22 because it looks like they are grasping at straws at this point I will never in my life set foot in that restaurant again, and mark my words they will not be in business for too much longer treating people in that manner. My last and final remark to her was this business will not prosper on that shadiness. There are much better Ethiopian restaurants at the end of the day there are two by lake Merritt, and on telegraph, and let's not forget Asmara restaurant 👌🏾 I've been to all those places and never ever once been treated that way. She should be ashamed of self.

Marcus Acooda

Grossly overpriced relative to portion size and flavor. Given the restaurant's proximity to Lake Merritt and my apartment, I've eaten there several times. I can honestly summarize that the flavor, though acceptable, is not as good compared to authentic Ethiopian food, coupled with the high prices, makes this Ethiopian restaurant my least favorite amongst all the Ethiopian restaurants in Oakland. It's quite unfortunately because we frequently hike around the lake and would enjoy having Ethiopian food afterwards.

Dawn Waters

I wish there was a way that you can give a business minus Stars I wouldn't even rate them one star but I have no choice. It had been a year since the last time I visited this restaurant and the reason why I stopped going is the owner doesn't care about please her customers, so I decided to take my business elsewhere. This time I just so happened to be in the neighborhood and I used to visit this restaurant quite often in the past so I said what the hell because I had a hankering for some. You know they say you should always listen to your first mind. I got there and ordered a meat combo which was $22. When I got to my car I wanted to take a bite of my food since I had never gotten lamb from them before, well it was a good thing that I did, if I got all the way home to San Leandro where I live I would have been pissed 😡 to find what they put in that container. the lamb was mid I'm used to it tasting a lot better than that from other Ethiopian restaurants I've been to. As I went to taste the lamb I got poked by a bone so l went to check out the chicken and discovered that they gave me all bones there were three pieces of bone that are normally attached to a thigh no meat just bones. The meat combo also has steak with mushrooms I checked for that and had no meat just sauced up injera. So I got out of my car and went back in to show them that they were not getting away with just giving me bones and shorting me. They knew exactly what they put in that container. The owner then accused me of eating it which was an outright lie I wasn't even gone that long to have eaten a whole piece of chicken and all the steak if that's the case. The woman lied to my face and told me that she didn't give it to me like that and I ate it. They know exactly what they gave me and they gave me all bones all I asked was that they fix it and give me some meat because I basically didn't pay $22 for some bones, she continued to argue with me and tell me that I ate it and that she didn't give it to me like that which was not the truth I didn't do anything to it, And I definitely didn't eat it and I did not appreciate being called a liar. I asked her for a refund because she refused to give me meat. She told me she would not give me my back. So after that of course I got irate for one being called a liar to my face and also for the fact that they thought that they could get away with treating any customer this way. It says a lot on a Saturday afternoon when your business only has one other customer besides myself. I said some choice words to her and told her that her business is going straight to hell!! Because God doesn't like ugly, they're going down the tubes. They know what they did. I told that woman there was absolutely no reason for me to lie I initially was not asking for my money back I just wanted them to give me meat, in most cases businesses would not want to lose customers so they would make it right. She told me no she wasn't giving me a refund and walked away and I politely threw every bit of that food over the counter on to the floor, it is not my personality at all to react in that manner but I was highly disrespected and just dismissed like my money doesn't count, and please explain to me why is your own color people that treat you the worst, there happened to be some Caucasian women in the restaurant dining in I promise you they didn't give them bones. This business is on its last leg and I figured they needed that $22 because it looks like they are grasping at straws at this point I will never in my life set foot in that restaurant again, and mark my words they will not be in business for too much longer treating people in that manner. My last and final remark to her was this business will not prosper on that shadiness. There are much better Ethiopian restaurants at the end of the day there are two by lake Merritt, and on telegraph, and let's not forget Asmara restaurant 👌🏾 I've been to all those places and never ever once been treated that way. She should be ashamed of self.