Cities Where Street Food is Better Than Any Michelin Restaurant

16. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A Taste of Ancient Tradition

Addis Ababa offers a street food experience like no other—one deeply embedded in thousands of years of culinary and cultural history. Ethiopia’s capital is alive with bold aromas, lively markets, and flavors as complex as the country’s terrain. Street vendors line the roads with steaming pots of doro wat (a fiery chicken stew), shiro (a spicy chickpea purée), and freshly made injera—a unique, slightly sour flatbread that serves as both plate and utensil. This fermented bread, made from teff flour, is central to every meal and imparts a tangy flavor that beautifully offsets rich, spiced stews. But food in Addis isn’t just about what’s on your plate—it’s also about what’s in your cup. The city’s famed coffee culture permeates every street corner, where vendors roast beans over open flames and brew coffee the traditional way in clay pots called jebenas. The result is a strong, earthy cup served with popcorn or roasted barley—a sensory ritual rooted in Ethiopia’s status as the birthplace of coffee. Snacks like sambusas, crispy triangles filled with spiced lentils or meat, make perfect on-the-go bites, while grilled corn and spiced potatoes are popular among locals. Street food in Addis Ababa isn’t rushed—it invites you to slow down, to savor. It's not just nourishment; it’s a full cultural immersion, where tradition and hospitality are always on the menu.