General

In Ethiopia, there are numerous local bars or pubs in the larger centres as well as more international style venues in hotels. In the capital, Addis Ababa, ‘cultural' restaurants are good places to eat traditional food and take in Ethiopian music and dance.

If you want to drink the national drink of Ethiopia, you have to try the tej which is brewed from honey. You can also try tela which is like a beer.

Addis Ababa

The small Azmari Bet, the small funny bars, the open-air bars, the traditional and modern night clubs with a friendly atmosphere will make your nightlife in Addis Ababa very enjoyable. Basically Addis Ababa is famous for its nightlife. People from all over Ethiopia and also from neighbouring countries like Djibouti come here to enjoy its thrilling nightlife.

Generally it's a safe city but you should avoid going through the small and dark streets at night which are always not very safe in any city.

Gaslight is the fancy nightclub at the Sherton. Inside, it feels like an upscale Western disco. Be sure not to wear jeans or runners, as they have a fairly strict dress code. Memo is a seedy nightclub with a pretty good dance floor. Be sure to try the bozena shiro in the outdoor courtyard.

Club Illusion is the best in Addis. There is a cover charge but the drinks inside are very inexpensive. The music and dancing is great. Meda Sports Bar and Grill has a large, spacious bar which is comfortable for chatting or watching a game. The downstairs lounge provides a more intimate setting for quiet conversations. And upstairs, the loft has a relaxed, casual dining atmosphere.

The Black Rose has an energetic atmosphere that is both comfortable and fashionable, and the bar serves a variety of drinks. The bartenders mix the best Cosmopolitan this side of the Nile. Divine on Bole Road, on the top floor of Sheger House, is currently one of the coolest clubs in Addis. It features a very western-orientated playlist along with ample space for relaxing and a pumping dance floor on weekends.

Bailamos, on the top floor of the Novis Building on Bole Road is a new club which features a surprisingly vibrant salsa scene on the weekends. The club also offers salsa classes and has live music every Saturday (oft rock, salsa, R&B, etc)

All kind of drinks are available in all the bars, from blue label to vodka. A warning to male travellers, outside of the Gaslight, The Black Rose and other expatriate haunts, women in Ethiopian nightclubs are almost all prostitutes. The Concorde and Memos are particularly famous in this regard.