I have to start off by stating the good I found at Sebeta (and trust me, it does exist)! The atmosphere of the place was really calming and quaint. It was impeccably clean and just smelled like a newer establishment. I normally eat at delicious places in Frankfurt that are located inside of dodgy buildings, so that in itself was a breath of fresh air. I found the tables and chairs here to be most comfortable and it was so nice to not give in to other Ethiopian 'sit on the floor' style arrangements that you find at other restaurants (I understand this may be how it is done culturally, but when sitting with friends for hours, it can become slightly uncomfortable). I also must commend the staff which was most helpful and altruistic. Granted, we were the only customers in the restaurant aside from two men in another corner, but nevertheless... they were very customer service focused and attentive. I really appreciated that. Ugh... now for the part I hate... I feel I would be disingenuous if I said the food here was good. I found it very subpar and truthfully, I couldn't even finish my plate. After paying 30 Euros for our food amongst two of us, I left very hungry. I eat Eritrean/Ethiopian food on a weekly or bi-weekly basis and am very fond of the stuff. I normally eat at African Queen down the street from Sebeta but was stoked to try this place with my fellow Yelp crew just to see how it measures up. The entire food experience here assured me to never stray far from the African Queen. First of all, the ordering style was a bit strange to me. At most restaurants in Frankfurt you can order a dish for two people and split and pay one reasonable price. Normally this is around 25 or 30 Euros... never much more. At Sebeta, the options aren't really there and you must pay 25 Euros... PER PERSON. Granted, this offers you an appetizer and dessert, but I still think this pricing is far too steep. Everything is ordered a la carte here and I ordered my own dish, which was the vegetarian platter, running me 11 Euros and some change. I think the greatness of Ethiopian cuisine is that it is a share cuisine and very intimate experience, so when I got my dish and it was served on an individual plate to myself, I was rather disappointed. My boyfriend and I like our dishes coming together so we can share... which is what you typically find at an Ethiopian/Eritrean restaurant. This one just comes on a white square plate. Okay, okay, back to my 'bayenetu'.... It consisted of injera of course, some stewed kale (which i guess was supposed to be their verson of gomen?), mesir wot, kik alicha, fasolia, a beetroot salad with potatoes (and maybe tomatoes or something I couldn't identify alongside it), and a typical side salad of marinated lettuce. The 'gomen' (or stewed kale in this case) was not too tasty. The taste was overly pungent and maybe kale wasn't the best substitute for this (the menu stated specifically that this was kale and it definitely tasted like it to me). I think the reason gomen is so good is that collards are a perfect accompaniment to the other flavors. Kale just didn't offer this same cohesion. A lightly stewed spinach may have... but even if this was spinach hiding beneath it all, it was still a strange and almost artificial flavor. The injera was delicious. The mesir wot (red lentils) was a mess. It lacked spice and flavor and all I could taste was tomato paste. Tomato paste should be a flavor enhancer and used to color, but shouldn't be tasted in this capacity. I tasted no berbere in it whatsoever. It was thick, dry, and clumpy and left me wishing they had given me shiro wat instead. The kik alicha was tasteless. The fasolia was bland and tasted like it came from a can. I am almost certain the green beans did, at least. The beetroot salad should have been a huge highlight for me as I could live the rest of my life off of beetroot and beetroot alone, but it was, too, disappointing. The beetroot didn't taste fresh and the potatoes were hardened and difficult to digest. The lettuce was alright though and I ate a few bites of that. The wait staff put some berbere and an awaze-like sauce on our table. The berbere lacked the punch and didn't taste fresh and robust like it should have. I didn't taste the awaze. Overall, I was very unsatisfied. The food also came out rather cold. I am really passionate about my Ethiopian/Eritrean fare and I think I will just have to stop exploring the Frankfurt scene and stick with what is best a few blocks down from Sebeta. I do want to commend the customer service for being so exceptional though! While I won't be back here, I had fun with my friends and overall enjoyed the evening! read more

Sebeta - Vegetarian platter - Ethiopian Near Me - Frankfurt, HE

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Before I write anything I want to note how great the customer service was here- they were attentive and very welcoming. They even roasted the coffee beans for the Ethiopian coffee in front of everyone, which I'm sure was great tasting (I don't drink coffee personally). The restaurant itself was clean and decorated nicely and I like the fact that they haven't tried to do the cliché sit on the ground thing like many other east African restaurants. If this review was based on the restaurant and staff alone, I would give them a solid 5 stars, however, sadly for them, it's not. Time to talk about the food. Firstly, I want to note that I have tried a few east African places and regularly eat at an establishment up the street called the African Queen on a nearly weekly basis as the food there is amazing. However, the opportunity came with Yelp to visit a newer establishment and I was keen to try something different. I had seen Sebeta's food truck at the African culture fests that were in Rebstock park this year so I was keen to finally try their food. Sadly for them, at the festival there was too much competition and Gambian food is just too tasty to turn down. I ordered the Mixed platter with both meat and veggies (number 19 on the menu). The Presentation: So the best thing about Ethiopian food is its rustic nature and, in my opinion, it should be served in a rustic fashion. It's pointless trying to elevate your plating for a food I will be eating with my hands. The food here came on a square plate with neatly presented injera and small dollops of food on it. It was garnished with a well constructed salad and I instantly felt that this took something away from the rustic nature of this cuisine. The food was served on a cold plate with no cover as you normally get the food, leaving it mostly stone cold- although the coldness of the food could be due to how long it took to come out. Perhaps they were not used to dealing with such a large group and our food was sat on the pass for a bit too long. The Food: The food was bland and it lacked the punchy character of East African food. I tried it first without adding extra spice myself and it was bland... very bland. So I piled on the berbere, which didn't help much. I feel it was a bit old (the berbere) and had lost some of its flavour. The potatoes were undercooked and the green beans destroyed any flavour I tried to add to them with their dullness and lack of freshness. The beef was ok- probably the star of the plate. There was a ground meat, maybe a lamb dish, which was a grey mush on the plate and was essentially dull. On the positive side of the food, the injera was well-made. Although I finished my plate, out of hunger more than anything, I have to say that unless they significantly improve the food here, I would not go back as I know there are far better establishments in Frankfurt for East African food. read more

Came to Sebata tonight as part of a large group. Upon arrival, I was impressed with the beautiful decor and the warm atmosphere. The staff was very friendly and attentive. We decided to order the speciality beer which was flavored with banana. It was served in a cool bowl that looked like a dried melon. The beer had a nice taste and the fact that it was served in a bowl made it interesting. We ordered a mixed platter that was recommended by the staff. The food took awhile to arrive and I was excited because usually that means the food is going to be great. Sadly, the food was lackluster. I was surprised at how small the plate was for the price and it just didn't look appealing. Each part of the dish was a bit disappointing. The green beans and beets were definitely not fresh. I'm no expert on Ethiopian food but overall it was not good. The potatoes were served in two different styles but we're really hard and under cooked. The only well prepared items on the platter were the meat which was packed with flavor and the greens. I was really disappointed with the rest of the platter, the veggies tasted like they came from a can. In comparison to other African restaurants in Frankfurt, this was mediocre. I hope they can improve because they have potential. I would give 5 stars for service and atmosphere though. Really nice staff. read more

Sebeta - Mixed platter - Ethiopian Near Me - Frankfurt, HE

nice place and service. they get five stars for the vegetarian food and starters and dessert. the meats are overcooked, which is authentic, but not to my taste. read more