Lemat Ethiopian Restaurant — Restaurant in Berkeley

Lunchtime was like going on an exotic vacation today when, on the spur of the moment, I popped in to treat myself. I had an outstanding meal here today: the veggie assortment, an abundance of four delicious and colorful vegan preparations of what I think were silky collards, popping -bright yellow split peas, deep-red pepper flavored lentils, smooth and tasty soft cabbage stew, and a sparkly bright salad, plus two scoops of rich, condiment-like, buttery yet vegan pastes on the miraculous edible platter of teff-based sourdough flatbread. It came with a basket of five more rolls of the delicious flatbread. I ordered the special coffee to be brought as dessert. Coffee was another delicious surprise.

Foodie though I am, this was my first visit to an Ethiopian restaurant, and I was enchanted! The roasting coffee beans were brought tableside so that the delicious aromas could be enjoyed before the coffee itself arrived in a pot that could have been found in an ancient archaeological site. The coffee was as impeccable as the meal: smooth, bright, piping hot and flavorful without a hint of acid.

I ADORED the food. As a new vegan, it's not easy to find cuisine this delicious, exotic and rich, and this meal was all three.

I ate only with right hand, on general principle, and was surprised by my dexterity as well as how much it added to the succulent, sensuous experience of this delectable feast.Later I looked on the website and discovered that this indeed the etiquette.

I know I'm raving, but when's the last time you popped in somewhere on impulse and dropped $20 and ended up in another world of such delight?

I'll be back, with my significantly less effusive significant other. Betcha even he loves it!

Service was kind, unobtrusive and plenty prompt despite the presence of a huge party of at least 12 taking up a big chunk of attention.

I am so glad to have been rocked like this in the cradle of civilization! I even got to have the original coffee of humankind.

Life was good to me today....

Lemat's food is always amazing (it is definitely my favorite Ethiopian food in the East Bay, without question! It is no contest with their spiced thick stews and creamy lentil dishes. Their injera is soft and springy and sour and they are generous with it! We tend to eat vegetarian when we go there but their chicken and beef dishes are full of comforting warm flavors.) But this last time we went was especially notable because they hosted our whole wedding party (about thirty people) with excellent service and tremendous expertise!

From booking to paying the check, the whole experience was so smooth and the owners and staff were so kind and accommodating (when we forgot to bring cups for our toast, they got it figured out for us within minutes! They also called beforehand to make sure they arranged the tables to seat all our guests and set up table decorations!)

Everyone had such a great time and complimented the tastiness of the drinks and the food. So many of those who had never had Ethiopian food before told us afterwards that they LOVED it and are now going to be looking for local restaurants where they live.

We can't be more grateful and I can't recommend Lemat enough. Ashby Bart is only a few blocks away, so it's extremely convenient for those who don't have cars. There is street parking for those that do.

If you're a little nervous or confused about what to order, try a sample platter to get a taste of...

This is my 2nd time having Ethiopian food ever - first time i tried Enssaros which is in Oakland (where I live) and I really loved it and could related to it easily because it reminded me of indian food due to the similar veggies and lentils with the injeera which is something in between a roti and a dosa that's served in Indian food. But I really loved it because it's perfect combination of savory, spicyand sourness in the same dish. Lemat was quiet on a Wednesday evening (only 1 table occupied) with only one lady serving and another lady making the coffee in a cozy corner. Between the four of us, we ordered a mix of veg and non veg platter which came in one big round plate - like a thali Indian style ;) and served with injeera. Compared to Enssaro the portions were smaller for almost same price but they had given us two of their pastes with garbanzo beans and can't remember the other one - but they were DELICIOUS! This was enough for us as we weren't super hungry. We also shared 2 baklavas at the end of the meal and the boys also tried the Ethiopian beer which was nice and light. I was surprised to hear they had IPA as well - KUDOS!!! So, overall a very nice experience, a lovely ambience and aromas inside the restaurant. The service was fast and friendly. Will...