Sluurpy > Restaurants in San Jose > Zeni Ethiopian Restaurant

Review Zeni Ethiopian Restaurant - San Jose

Shiki Dixit
What beautiful ambience. What’s covered by a curtains is a beautiful cultural artifact. I love the furniture and all the seating. Feels very serene to be inside and seems great for gatherings as well. Definitely would love to come back. The vegetarian combo was really good and feels really healthy too!
Vivian Lee
First time having Ethiopian food, I wasn’t sure what to expect but have been told it’s pretty hit or miss for most people. Restaurant was super busy around dinner time. The bread used for the side dishes is spongey and sour. It was a pretty unique for me, especially considering l have a sweet tooth. We put meats and side dishes in the bread and ate it that way. Definitely interesting trying the flavors of the bread alone and the side dishes alone. There isn’t any table ware as far as I know, but after a while the bread was pretty overpowering for me. Overall, quite tasty and very filling. Looking forward to coming back here again.
rahul sawant
Amazing ethopian food. Had veg combo with chicken ye doro tibs. Both were good. They ran out of ethopian coffee batch, and talking to a few friends seems they run out quite often. So if you plan to have ethopian coffee. Dont leave ordering coffee towards the end. Had the tea instead. That is good too. Nice ambiance. Great food.
Vandana Mukherjee
Yum yum yum. Our daughter's best friend who is Ethiopian had been our house guest for a week and we promised to go out for Ethiopian food so here we are. We ordered the vegetarian combo plate with chicken, lamb and beef side orders. Injera was delicious and so was everything on the platter. Will definitely go back.
Royans Tharakan
Was an amazing experience. Never expected this place in the middle of the city. I was taken there by someone who is from Ethiopia and according to them this is as close to the real thing one can get around here. But it's designed and setup to encourage those who are trying Ethiopian for the first time. Get the dish with the big plate with all the currys on the side. And try the honey wine... It's apparently a local wine but tasted more like a desert wine.
Sharwari Phadnis
I never had Ethiopian food before so eating at Zeni was pretty much the first time experience. The food here is amazing and wholesome. We had the veggie combo which is a great option if you want to try out multiple vegetable sides. Also, we ordered a sambussa which was just okay and a little burnt. Overall the food was satisfying.
Rakshit Pithadia
Went here for lunch. The people here are welcoming and the restaurant has a cozy vibe to it. The server helped decide what to order. Ended up getting the Sambusa, Ye Doro Tibs and the Vegetarian combo. The Sambusa had a tasty lentil stuffing with a hint of turmeric. The Vegetarian combo is served on a large sharing style plate. The items are placed on top of a large Injera. I really liked the Yemisir Wot (red lentils). Ended up ordering an extra side :) The Injera's were very soft and yummy on its own. For Ye Doro Tibs, I went with the sizzling option. The chicken is served on a sizzling plate with onions and jalapeños. Also had to try a local (ish) beer which I really liked. Overall I really liked the place and the food. Will definitely be back for some more :) P.S: I have tried a couple of Ethiopian restaurants in the Bay area. So far this is the best one I have found.
bala sri
Best ethiopian food with vegetarian and vegan options. The veggie platter for two comfortably serves three people - all the sides were amazing except for the spinach based one which felt a bit raw. Ethiopian spice tea is a must try for the Winter! Solid 5/5 without any forced service charges added!
vinod palan
Yummy Ethiopian food!!! I always get their vegetarian combo. Portion size is good for 3 !!! It’s comes with Traditional Ethiopian bread … served in traditional big plate and portion of 2 lentils.. portion of chard greens… portion of house salad. Their house salad is fresh and very tasty… Their meat options are also yummy Earlier days they use to have music played . Lunch and dinner are very busy.. Their staff is very friendly but service is little slow so be prepared for wait. Parking is ample.
Jia Zhang
Was gonna write a two or three star review after waiting for an hour sitting down at our table ... starving without food. But first bite immediately reminded me how delicious their food is.... 😂 Will try to pick a less busy time to come back.
L Spencer
Very good authentic Ethiopian cuisine. Absolutely love their hot tea as well. The prices are more than fair for the portion sizes. We ate their at lunch and each went home with leftovers. Which also heated up wonderfully!
Vaish “Siso” C
One of the best Ethiopian restaurant in the south bay and our only go to place. We love their veg combo and chicken kitfo! Zeni's is always busy and they don't accept reservations but usually wait time is less than 15 min. We haven't had luck trying their samosa as they're usually out (bet they're really good :)).
Aditya Samalla
Good quality Ethiopian food. There is a little bit of wait time during peak hours to get a table. Decent service and portions are good. Service is okay, food preparation takes a long time during peak hours. We had to wait close to an hour for our maincourse to arrive.
Tee Foodie
The best Ethiopian food in the area! The food was so goood and well marinated. They have great customer service as well! My first time trying the food but I was so satisfied!
Ellen
Our first time experience of Ethiopian food. It was definitely was interesting and we were glad we came. We got the vegetarian combo and one portion of meat (lamb, was a staff recommendation) and loved all of them. The two lentils sides from the vegetarian combo were especially good. The portion was quite big, and the extra basket of injera bread in my opinion was a little too much. The bread tastes bit sour but it goes well together with the sides and… don’t eat too fast they expand in your stomachs later! It was a fun experience but not an everyday restaurant for us hehe
Sankha S Hota
Good food, unique seating arrangements, and not very congested (in the next room) place, that sums up Zeni! Better to waitlist in Yelp or stand for hours to get a seat. Once seated the service is quick and the food is delicious. Be prepared to use your fingers to eat food as that is the tradition. The dishes with gravy are well prepared that the base bread is not destroyed. However, the lamb meat we were served was not soft. Rest aside, a very nice Ethiopian restaurant in greater San Jose area.
Alfredo Baby Back Ribs Bagels Baked Ziti Bass Beef Beef Cheeks Beignets Bento (Lunch Box) BLT Bolognese Bread Pudding Breakfast Burrito Breakfast Sandwich Burger Burrito Cakes Calamares Calamari Cannelloni Cannoli Carrot Cake Catfish Ceviche Cheeseburger Cheesecake Cheesecakes Cheesesteak Chicken Parmesan Chicken Sandwich Chicken Wings Chili Chow Mein Chowder Cioppino Clam Chowder Clams Cod Coq au Vin Corn dogs Corned Beef Couscous Crab Crab Cake Crab Legs Crawfish Creme Brulee Crepes Croque Monsieur Cupcakes Curry Deep dish pizza Dim Sum Donuts Duck Dumplings Eggplant Eggs Benedict Escargot Fajitas Falafel Filet Mignon Fish Fish & Chips Fish Soup Fish Taco Fondue French Fries French onion soup French Toast Fried cheese Frozen Yogurt Gelato Green Curry Grilled cheese Gyros Halibut Hamburgers Hot Dog Hot Pot Hummus Ice Cream Jambalaya Juice & Smoothies Kabobs Kale Salad Key lime pie Kobe Beef Lamb chops Lasagne Lechon Lettuce Wraps Lobster Mac and cheese Macarons Macaroons Meatballs Meatloaf Minestrone Moussaka Muffaletta Mussels Nachos Noodle Octopus Omelette Oyster Pad Thai Paella Pancakes Pasta Patatas Bravas Pho Po' Boys Poke Bowls Polenta Pork Tenderloin Poutine Prawns Pretzel Profiteroles Prosciutto Quail Ramen Red Beans and Rice Ribs Rice pudding Risotto Salad Salad Nicoise Salmon Saltimbocca Sandwiches Scallops Schnitzel Seafood Paella Shawarma Shellfish Shrimp Snails Souvlaki Steak Frites Steak Tartare Surf And Turf Swordfish Tacos Tagliatelle Tapas Tempura Tikka Masala Tilapia Tiramisu Toasts Tortellini Tortelloni Tortillas Tuna Turkey Burger Udon & Soba (Wheat & Buckwheat Noodle) Waffles Waffles & Crepes Wings Yakitori (Grilled Skewers) Yellow Curry
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