Frehiwet Habesha – Ethiopian and Eritrean Food Worth Finding

Another foodie adventure took us to Frehiwet Habesha, a low-key restaurant serving traditional Ethiopian and Eritrean food on Exchange Street in Sheffield.

I’ve had Ethiopian street food before down at Petticoat Lane, and I really enjoyed it. This was my first time going to an actual Ethiopian restaurant though, so it felt like a new experience.

When we arrived, it was busy, which is usually a good sign. Not always, obviously, but usually.

Straight away, I felt at ease. I was met with warm smiles by, I think, the owners. Even though they were busy, they seemed like they were enjoying themselves, and nothing felt like too much trouble.

If we asked for anything, it was just, “No problem.”

So the service was really good.

I already knew what I was ordering: the veggie taster plate / platter and an orange Mirinda from the fridge. As they were very busy, they said to just go ahead and pick what we wanted.

It was quite a wait — probably around 20 to 30 minutes. But it was busy, and loads of people were coming in to collect takeaways, so that didn’t bother me. You could see they were rushed off their feet.

It’s when a restaurant is dead that I start worrying.

Then out came this massive plate of food, and it was another one of those “wow” moments. I usually say that when I’m properly impressed with food.

For a second, I thought I’d accidentally ended up on Man v. Food, because I really wasn’t expecting that much food.

I did mention I loved chilli, and without me even asking for extra, they added loads more chilli on the side. That was really nice of them, and very much appreciated.

I’ll be honest, I had no idea what every single thing was, so I can’t properly name each bit. I just knew I was eating nice food, which is good enough for me sometimes.

It reminded me a bit of when I was younger and would eat seafood platters. You’re not always sitting there analysing every detail — you’re just eating and enjoying it.

This was eaten with hands too, using the injera bread to mop everything up, which made it feel even more like a proper experience.

Sadly, there was no coffee ceremony, as they were closing earlier that night.

Still, it was a great experience, and I’m sure it was only around £12 as well. For the amount of food I had, I was absolutely stuffed.

A must-visit if you like big portions, good value, and food with loads of flavour. So basically, me.