Nyala Ethiopian Cuisine

Ethiopian specialties and casual atmosphere in a communal setting.

by Contributor

In Short
Nyala features earthen colors, tribal music and the sharp aroma of garlic, ginger and red pepper. Both novices and eat-with-your-hands pros head to this African dining destination for injera--a tangy, flat crepe-like bread--to scoop up stews like the yebeg yebere wot with red wine-marinated beef, or doro tibs with chicken in an onion and tomato sauce.

10/14/07

Terrible place stay away

by lazus7

I was with my family of four on fairfax when we decide to try some ethiopian food, when we entered nyala the place looked nice and clean, we ordered the part platter for 4 people for $45. When we've received the food we were in shock, the plate had enough food to feed maybe 1 person. the food wasn't good and we were really dissapointed. will never go back again, if you are hungry stay away...

• Pros: none
• Cons: not enough food and not that tasty

08/22/07

Yummy!

by moni603

I really liked the food and the atmosphere at Nyala. We ordered the meat & veggie combo plates and the asa fish dish. The asa fish was my favorite, probably because it was the most spicy. My friend loved the lentils and the cabbage on the veggie plate. The staff was nice but we did have to grab their attention. I don't mind doing that but I know others do. Overall, a great experience and I'll be going back with other friends!

• Pros: Great Food, Great Atmosphere, Cost
• Cons: None

11/20/06

Best Ethiopian in Los Angeles!

by cherryjones

This is my favorite Ethiopian restaurant on Fairfax. The food is deliccious, the prices reasonable, the atmosphere is very nice and the waitstaff friendly. They have large sampler platters for both vegetarians and meat eaters - a real bargain. The honey wine and Tusker beer are a plus.

• Pros: food, price, atmosphere, friendly service
• Cons: parking

11/02/06

My favorite place for Ethiopean

by dmenkes

I was first introduced to Ethiopean food and Nyala's a couple years ago. It remains my favorite on Fairfax. The food is really good and the prices are reasonable. Parking is extremely difficult, however. We've shown up just before noon to park behind the restaurant in the alleyway and enter from the rear, but there are only two spaces. Otherwise, you have to find street parking either on Fairfax (good luck!) or up to several blocks away on residential streets. Beware of street cleaning days! I've gotten a ticket before. For dinner the lights are dim and the atmoshpere is warm and inviting. For lunch, it's lively. I highly recommend the honey wine to go with your meal!

09/29/06

Try Ethiopian here first

by hajesterha

Don't know how the last person spent $40 on one thing, considering I always split a veggie AND chicken platter, with wine, for under $30 (and have leftovers!). Basically, there are a bunch of good Ethiopian places in a row along this part of Fairfax. Nyala is a wonderful place for "beginners" to go because it's classy, very clean, and has great food. Merkato, next door, is a little more rustic, authentic, and cheaper, but probably better to try the second time around. And if you've never had Honey wine, it's great with the spicier dish options.

• Pros: Good food & ambiance; more variety than most
• Cons: Slightly pricier than the others along the row

07/24/06

mediocre food, small portions and inattentive service

by aagg99

Maybe it was because it was late Sunday afternoon, or that the waitress's boyfriend, cousin whatever, had come in for a drink or the cook had only a little of the food (vegie platter for 4 $40 )but our Waitress was just not there and there just wasn't enough food. I've eaten Ethiopian for the last 7 years in Oakland SF & LA but at Nyala I just felt.... unsatisfied. How expensive are lentials, collard greens and carrots? If you want more and in MHO better in food go up the street. and staff that seem to care. I'd never go here again.

• Pros: nice decor, and not terrible food
• Cons: lousy service and small portions

02/13/06

Best Ethiopian restaurant in LA!!

by clockwork

Hands down the best Ethiopian restaurant in Little Ethiopia on Fairfax. Since the first time I came here I've been hooked! The atmosphere of this family owned restaurant is very traditional and beautiful. Very nice and courteous staff. The meat platters are out of this world, every bite is a joy; especially, after having some rare imported beers and wines. And on top of everything, it's very inexpensive! I cannot recommend it highly enough!

• Pros: Food, Price, Atmosphere

10/29/05

Real Ethiopian Food is NOT this bland...

by worldwidefoodie

One of the best things about Ethiopian food is the incredible spices that are used to prepare it. However, Nyala is definitely not the place to get good Ethiopian. I went with some out of town guest who wanted to try Ethiopian for the first time. A friend of mine had recommended it to me, so I took them there. Although the place has a nice atmosphere, the food was bland, if not downright bad. I felt terrible, because this place turned my friends off of Ethiopian food. The friend who recommended the place went back after I told her how bad the food was, and she agreed. The waitress said there had been some change of management since the last time she went, which would explain the bad food. If you like Ethiopian food, you should steer clear of Nyala.

• Pros: atmosphere
• Cons: food, parking

08/15/05

I didnt care for it

by melissaranftle

I had never had Ethiopian food before and wanted to try something different. This place was nice and the service was fine but I didnt care for the food. We ordered the sampler since we didnt know what to get. The chicken was ok but the beef portions were awful. They had a funny taste to them. Although there were two of us they didnt bring us very much food. About a spoonfull of each type of meat. There were 4 total. You eat with a bitter spongy type flat bread. Although I didnt like the food it was fun to try something different.

• Cons: strange food, very small portions