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Last checked August 10, 2026
Ethiopia is where coffee originated, and Addis Ababa takes that seriously — coffee here is closer to a daily ritual than a commodity, and cheap enough by international standards that it’s not worth planning a trip around any one cafe.
Tomoca
Tomoca opened in February 1953 and is generally considered the city’s original espresso-bar-style coffee institution: Italian-style roasts, standing-room counters, and — at the original Piassa branch in particular — a genuine sense of history rather than a chain-coffee experience. It now has multiple branches around the city, so you don’t need to trek specifically to Piassa to try it.
The coffee ceremony
Tomoca’s counters are quick stops, not the full experience. A traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony (buna) — green beans roasted over coals at your table, ground by hand, and brewed in a clay pot called a jebena — is a slower, more social ritual, typically offered at traditional restaurants rather than at espresso-counter cafes like Tomoca. It’s worth seeking out at least once during a visit, ideally somewhere you can sit through the whole process rather than rushing it.
Practical
Coffee is served everywhere in Addis, at a huge range of price points — there’s no need to plan logistics around a single “must-visit” cafe. If you only have time for one deliberate stop, pair a coffee ceremony with one of the cultural dinner restaurants rather than treating it as a separate errand.