Nyala Restaurant
On a bustling street called South Fairfax, not far from The Grove, Little Ethiopia waits for the unsuspecting visitor. You’d hardly notice it while driving by unless you happen to catch the modest “Little Ethiopia” sign on South Fairfax Avenue and Whitworth Drive. Even if you did, the street looks ordinary enough — parking meters, storefront awnings, a familiar line of cars contributing to the rumblings of LA’s daily grind.
But then you might catch the faint smell of tumeric and paprika, and likely there would also be a few scents that aren’t in your vocabulary. Berbere, kareya, sena-fitch. They are foreign, exotic smells that trigger the rest of your senses, and you start noticing the Little Ethiopia that is more like Africa and less like the Westside. The green, yellow and red of the Ethiopian flag. The dynamic conversations in Amharic along the streets. A colorful African pop song blaring from the radio.
Little Ethiopia History
Los Angeles is home to one of the largest groups of Ethiopians in America, many of whom have set up shop along Fairfax. A wave of Ethiopians arrived in LA during the 1970s, when violent conflict in the East African nation drove them to safer ground. Rosalind’s, the first Ethiopian restaurant on Fairfax, catered to this growing community, and soon more restaurants, shops, galleries and an annual September cultural festival and street fair moved in to complete this unique enclave near Miracle Mile.
With many of the population’s businesses concentrated in this area, it was only fitting that in 2002, the LA city council recognized and celebrated their contributions to the city’s reputation for diversity by naming the area Little Ethiopia.
Little Ethiopia Dining
Unsurprisingly, the most popular thing to do here is eat. Traditional Ethiopian cuisine consists of spicy meat and veggie stew-like dishes — known as wat — served with injera, a sour flatbread that doubles as your utensil. Break off a piece of injera, use it to scoop up some wat, and drop it in your mouth. Little Ethiopia is where to find the most traditional dishes: doro wat (chicken stewed in pepper sauce), yater alitcha (steamed peas with onions) and a smattering of others. Besides Rosalind’s, Fairfax teems with many other stellar restaurants: Merkato, Messob, Nyala and Little Ethiopia Restaurant are a few local favorites.
Little Ethiopia is also a great place for a vegetarian feast. Most of its restaurants have a variety of meatless dishes, and a few, including the best-known Rahel International Veggie Cuisine, cater exclusively to vegans. Try the yemisir kik wot — lentils in red pepper sauce.
Click here to read more about the Spice of Fairfax!
Little Ethiopia Coffee Culture
To really immerse yourself in the Ethiopian experience, take part in a traditional coffee ritual, considered one of the most intricate in the world. (After all, coffee was discovered in Ethiopia, and lore has been attributed to the country for the rise of coffee culture around the world.) Over the course of two hours, green coffee beans are washed, roasted, ground and boiled right at your table. Combined with the smell of incense that is burned during the ceremony, the rich, hot, fragrant brew delivers a heady punch. The coffee is served up in small ceramic cups for sippers to savor while socializing. Messob, in particular, offers up a faithful coffee experience for its patrons.
Little Ethiopia Markets
But it’s not only about the eating. The markets along Fairfax offer Ethiopian hand-woven clothing, blankets, African pop music, beer and wine, spices and other imports — ordinary for the residents of Little Ethiopia, extraordinary for visitors looking for a keepsake of their Little Ethiopia experience. The Halale and Harambe markets and the Safari Ethiopian Store will get you started on the hunt for the perfect treasure.
Little Ethiopia
South Fairfax Ave. and Whitworth Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90019
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