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Letena Ethiopian Restaurant, Washington, DC

Letena Ethiopian Restaurant

4.8
4.8
102 Reviews
$30 and under
Ethiopian

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2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 2 times today
  • Vegetarian-friendly
  • Charming
  • Neighbourhood gem
Letena is a farm-to-table Ethiopian restaurant serving dishes made with natural, premium ingredients. Located in the heart of Columbia Heights, Washington DC, Letena is a family-owned destination centered around authentic, quality Ethiopian food.
Owner Yamrot Ezineh opened Letena’s doors in October 2016. Yamrot and her team love welcoming new and old friends to enjoy Letena’s delicious, fresh food. Their goal is to make the unique experience of Ethiopian food approachable for everyone, from vegetarians and vegans to meat-lovers alike.
Letena’s original Ethiopian dishes have won accolades from various publications and review platforms including Food Network, Washingtonian, TripAdvisor, and Yelp.
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Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Ethiopian
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 12:00 pm–9:45 pm Fri, Sat 12:00 pm–11:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Parking: $1.50/hr, Target/USDCA Shopping Center
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Abay Mengestu
  • Delivery & takeout

What 102 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.9Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseQuiet

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Letena Ethiopian Restaurant offers a "delightful and delicious experience" with "incredible" food and "friendly, welcoming" service. Guests rave about the "vegetarian options" and the "wonderful dining experience." The "cozy" atmosphere and "thoughtful" staff create a memorable visit. Many recommend Letena as the "best Ethiopian food" in DC.

102 Reviews
  1. ET

    Washington DC1 review

    3.0

    Dined on 4 January 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Value for money wasn't there. It wasn't exceptional enough to pay that cost. Ridiculous pricing for Ethiopian food pretending to be on gourmet level and it wasn't. It was good but not great that would have justified the pricing. Charging per person is unheard of except in Georgetown and this was not on that level either (also one is usually informed by wait staff, it's just written on confusing sampler description). We ended up with too much food anyway. Not coming back for sure.

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  2. Lynda

    Cleveland2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 4 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Letena was a winner from start to finish. The servers were friendly and helpful, the food was delicious and well-presented and the ambiance was just right. We got the veggie sampler and our granddaughter ordered the beef tips. Both were outstanding. Bravo!

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  3. Shantanab

    Seattle7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 12 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always like going to Letena in DC. We were a group of 9 and our server was lovely- she took care of us and helped us in selecting the food

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  4. Meghan

    Greater Boston5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 1 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This was my first time at Letena and it was excellent! Will definitely be back. My table shared a platter and each item was delicious. The restaurant smelled amazing when you walked in the door. Servers constantly kept my water full.

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  5. Kate

    Greater Boston2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 1 October 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Had a genuinely wonderful time here! Everyone there was so kind and attentive and the food was amazing. 15/10 experience. :)

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  6. OpenTable Diner

    Richmond1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 31 August 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food and kind staff. Would recommend to anyone who loves Ethiopian food

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  7. Priya

    Washington DC1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 31 August 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Letena is our family's favorite restaurant in DC. We have been going there from the time it first opened. We love the food, and are so glad to have many vegetarian options. We usually order yemisir wot, doro wat, lamb tibs, carrot wat, mushroom. They also have gluten-free injera. The ambience is cozy, and lively. Above all the hospitality is fabulous. All staff is friendly, and like to serve this wonderful food to the guests.

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  8. ChrisM

    Washington DC1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 14 July 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The chef's signature tibs, shrimp goulash, and veggie platter were unforgettable! You must try all of the veggies!

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  9. OpenTable Diner

    Cleveland1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 14 June 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Everything was delicious! Our server was great and so knowledgeable about the food. Great dining experience.

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  10. jillr

    Washington DC3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 13 April 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We will definitely be back. Best Ethiopian food I’ve had in a long time.

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FAQs

Letena Ethiopian Restaurant offers delivery in partnership with Postmates. Letena Ethiopian Restaurant also offers takeaway which you can order by calling the restaurant at (202) 733-4830.

Letena Ethiopian Restaurant is rated 4.8 stars by 102 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 2 times today
Google Map for Letena Ethiopian Restaurant

3100 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20010

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Ethiopian
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 12:00 pm–9:45 pm Fri, Sat 12:00 pm–11:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Parking: $1.50/hr, Target/USDCA Shopping Center
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Abay Mengestu
  • Delivery & takeout
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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