Letena takes its name from the Amharic word for "for health," a philosophy owner Yamrot Ezineh has said guides everything in the kitchen: dishes made from scratch, natural ingredients, and healthy cooking methods rather than shortcuts.
The menu runs through Ethiopian staples alongside a few original spins — sweet-savory carrot wat, caramelized mushroom tibs, berbere-spiced kay siga wat, and garlicky yebeg wat with braised lamb, served over injera. Sampler platters that mix meat and vegetarian dishes are a common way tables order here, and tiramisu infused with walnut liqueur shows up as a dessert worth sticking around for.
Washingtonian named Letena to its 100 Very Best Restaurants list, singling out the vegetarian dishes and the lamb and beef wats as reasons to visit this Columbia Heights spot. Regulars point to the restaurant as a reliable entry point for first-time Ethiopian diners, with service often called out alongside the food.
The menu runs through Ethiopian staples alongside a few original spins — sweet-savory carrot wat, caramelized mushroom tibs, berbere-spiced kay siga wat, and garlicky yebeg wat with braised lamb, served over injera. Sampler platters that mix meat and vegetarian dishes are a common way tables order here, and tiramisu infused with walnut liqueur shows up as a dessert worth sticking around for.
Washingtonian named Letena to its 100 Very Best Restaurants list, singling out the vegetarian dishes and the lamb and beef wats as reasons to visit this Columbia Heights spot. Regulars point to the restaurant as a reliable entry point for first-time Ethiopian diners, with service often called out alongside the food.