Massawa — Restaurant in New York

This Eritrean restaurant is named after the Eritrean port city Massawa having played a crucial role to the introduction of the richness of all spices used today in Eritrean cuisine. Without Eritrean port, the spices and cultural elements of today’s Eritrea and Ethiopia would’ve probably never existed to this extent🙏🏼 it’s important to let that sink in for a moment if you really care about Africa’s history

Additionally, another port city called Adulis also served as a gate to the spice and fabric heaven connecting merchants from across several continents due to its precious location. This city has been unfortunately totally wasted (literary term for ruining) by foreign authorities being intimidated by its undeniable power and history of this port city to East Africa and serving as a role model for other African countries as well.

ALL the Axumite Kingdom’s trades ranging again from spices, to fabrics as well as other crucial and trailblazing cultural exchanges in the continent of Africa that were begotten can all be credited to the Eritrean port cities! It is proven, and thus this information is being suppressed by intimidated foreign sources so it’s crucial to pass on this knowledge to the outer world.

Eritrea’s location was thus a gate to cultural enrichment and stabilising prominence and popularity in a way as well.

The language script Ge’ez was also first found on Eritrean soil with its first evidence still existing! Eritrea alongside Ethiopia are the only countries in Africa to use their unique writing systems being unique and originating in Eritrea. Other evidences like obelisks or other engravings have been subject to several essays to destroy from foreign authorities but the very first trace of unique and ancient communicative civilisation can NOT be and will never be destroyed.

The first mosque in the WHOLE Africa was built in MASSAWA😊😅(yes this city with so much history) called the mosque of companions. Eritreans accommodated the Prophet (SAW) during his religious exile, helped and endorsed him building a place of worship and connection for him. It is free to look up the dates so this is not disputable 😊Not only does this clearly demonstrate the warmth and empathy of Eritrean people dating back THOUSANDS of years but it also demonstrates that Eritrea’s atmosphere and society was from early on a safe welcoming point and refuge for foreigners.

Eritrea founded a stable ground for Eritrean as well as Ethiopian society in terms of culture, FOOD and other religious/cultural influences from outside.

Let’s honour this undeniable and proven history of this country like this restaurant did! 🇪🇷🇪🇷

btw my favourite food...

As a Habesha person, I cannot overstate how deeply disappointing this experience was. I had been patiently waiting for my turn to order when I watched a staff member invite someone who arrived after me to order first. After waiting for over an hour—during which I saw multiple people who came in after me get served—I finally asked a staff member about my order. They went to the back and handed it to me without even an apology. No acknowledgment. No accountability. Just cold food that had clearly been sitting around, completely forgotten. Time is valuable, and this kind of service was not only disrespectful but incredibly inconvenient.

But what really makes this worse is the food. As an Ethiopian, I know what these dishes are supposed to taste like—and this wasn’t it. Not even close. I truly believe injera wasn’t made from authentic teff flour. It completely bland and missing the signature sour bitterness of true Ethiopian injera (which is unstable to any Ethiopian!!!!). The dish I ordered tasted like a watered-down, gentrified, whitewashed version of traditional Ethiopian food. The rich, distinct spices and flavors that define our cuisine were completely absent. It felt like an imitation made for people who’ve never had the real thing and wouldn’t know the difference.

Given the cost, the quality is downright insulting. I’m genuinely upset and cannot recommend this place to anyone. It’s a waste of money, the service was unacceptable, and the food simply...

For some reason when I went to this place I thought I was going to an Indian restaurant. Imagine the waiter's look when I asked her if they had lassie. She went from slightly amused to panic while politely explaining to me that was a drink you'd get at on Indian restaurant, not on an Ethiopian restaurant. Food choice was varied enough to allow you to pick your favourite but not to extent to the point that you end up 10 minutes just to figure out what to eat. Being an Ethiopian restaurant when the food arrived there was no cutlery. You eat by picking up discs of very thin flat brand and using it to pick up your food. Everything is served on a giant platter from where you and all the people in your party will eat. It was great fun! I was on a business trip and having lunch with a customer, it was a great way to break the ice and we all ended up having a laugh and dropping most of the useless formalities.

The food was delicious! And being served of the same platter I got to try several different dishes. It was quite filling as well. Not too spicy but definitely not bland, everything cooked to perfect tenderness.

This is a great place for casual lunch or dinner, especially if you bring some friends (or acquaintances) with you.

Service was fast and...