Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(Bole Rd; burgers Birr45)
Missing the Big Macs of the Big Apple? Then fill yourself with
Big Boy burgers at this evergreen expat fuel stop.
Addis Sport & le Petit Café $
(Bole Rd; mains Birr30-50; 6am-2pm)
Although it's a jack-of-all-trades restaurant,
this place is renowned for its superb
ful
(broad bean and butter purée). It's a popular refuel
stop for runners after a morning jog. Note that it's only open in the mornings.
MIDDLE EASTERN
Rico's Restaurant, Pizzeria & Bar $
( 0115-539462; Bole Rd; mains Birr20-35; noon-10pm)
A stylish, brightly lit place
serving everything from Moroccan kebabs to minestrone soup and the oddly named
'farmer's wife' steak.
INTERNATIONAL
Makush Art Gallery & Restaurant $
( 0115-526848; Bole Rd; mains Birr50-100; noon-2pm & 6-10pm)
Surrounded by
vivid paintings, woodcarvings, candlelit tables, attentive waiters and elevator music (hey,
nothing's perfect!), the ambience of this restaurant definitely outdoes the food, which can
only be described as passable Italian. It's in an office tower above Ethio Supermarket.
ITALIAN
MENELIK BUYS A NEW CHAIR
If Emperor Menelik II (r 1889-1913), the founder of Addis Ababa, was alive today he'd have been the first in the
queue for the latest mobile phone or other technological gadget. If it was new and flashy he just had to have one.
So, when he first heard about a new invention in America called the electric chair, he decided that Ethiopia just
had to have a couple of these ingenious death machines. After months of waiting, the new contraptions arrived in
Addis. When he first saw them the emperor was delighted with the craftsmanship that had gone into them and
asked for a demonstration. It was only then, and no doubt to the great relief of the chosen 'demonstrator', that
Menelik's technicians suddenly realised that electricity hadn't yet been turned on in Ethiopia…
