by Mewded Yelewosen
Easily said, Addis is a city where individuals as well as groups can enjoy its nightlife from Monday to Monday, while attending the diverse yet amazing events.
8 days a week is good to be out in Addis. For business or for pleasure, Addis boasts different venues and activities to keep one entertained.
Be it for work or for those here for the sights, Addis makes one feel at home.
With the varied and exceptionally satisfying atmospheres and tastes at some of its native and international restaurants, it offers a taste of a little bit of everything.
Dinning in Addis
Calm candle light dinner at the fine Italian, French restaurants (La petite France, Rico’s), spicy Indian, and Thai dishes, the many and varied Chinese meals of your choice, Middle Eastern cuisine and sweet deserts, and the list goes on with these restaurants showing a wide assortment of tantalizing dishes.
Extend your dinning time to a couple of more hours. What better time to socialize than when all of your senses are at their best?
Listening to the mellow tones of the background music, enjoying the flavor of a finely cooked meal and glass of wine, smelling the strong aroma of your plate almost before it’s served to you.
And the small representation of the world’s taste can satisfy any craving from sweets to spices from all over the world.
Cultural Night
‘Azmari Bet’ (house of singers) is the name given to cultural Ethiopian restaurants. Offering more of all-night-long events, these restaurants will give you the opportunity to take a glimpse at the main Ethiopian culture through various performances of traditional singers and dancers.
It is accompanied by a number of delicious national dishes and locally made red and white wines or other native alcoholic and none alcoholic beverages. National alcoholic beverages such as ‘teg’ ‘tela’ and ‘arekie’ are parts of this introductory ceremony.
A night at any Azmari Bet is a perfect way to enjoy the cozy atmosphere as one big plate is shared by members composing a table. Such places will give you the feel of a more than social environment.
The performers, traditionally dressed and representing some of the various clothing trends of different tribes, mingle with the crowd and show dance moves to those willing to try something quite new if not old.
Salsa nights
Salsa nights are also one of the ‘it’ things in AA. For those of you trying not to step on your partner’s foot or for those not very confident in their salsa skills, short basic moves easily shown to you by qualified instructors will definitely be enough to keep up!!!
Definitely, it’s an amusing plan to chill to the moving beats of Salsa and watch learners having fun with the moves all night long.
For those who would rather relax in a calmer yet pleasurable atmosphere, many lounges with comfortable settings and service can make it a night to remember.
You may, along with the comfortable settings, enjoy international spirits and cocktails through out the night. Some cigar lounges also offer fine cigars and fine cognacs with beautiful music for a more laid back night out.
If you are a beer fan, you are most definitely going to take pleasure in drinking refreshing beers and drafts made from natural springs in the highlands of Ethiopia.
Exported and enjoyed the world over, you can also enjoy these beers abundantly available. Some beer gardens make their own distinctive brews.
Jazz nights
Some nights depending on the place, are dedicated to jazz so if you’re a fan, Monday nights shall be your favorite. Le bateau ivre (‘the drunk boat’ in French), a bar decorated as a boat, is famous especially because of its Monday nights Jazz.
If you’re a jazz enthusiast, the band is without any doubt going to make Monday your favorite jazz night. Le bateau ivre, also open during the rest of the week, is renowned in being a place where people of many nationalities meet.
The cozy atmosphere welcomes you starting from the walkway decorated with sand like that of a boat to the lively decoration of the inside which speaks out on its own.
For those nights you feel like dancing, great DJ’s mixing an international variety of songs keep night clubs open. (Gas Light, Illusion) People tend to add a small meal at the end of a night out, and so clubs keep their restaurants open.
It is at times only hard to resist the aroma of fresh grill as you exit the club.
Mewded Yelewossen is a graduate of Marketing Management at Addis Ababa University and works as a guide and event coordinator in Addis Ababa.
