The 23 best bars with live music in Addis Ababa

I love the place, helps me relax, but it's a bit crowded during the weekend, and full of 💨, I wouldn't advice for a person having breathing problems. Overall I like it, it's good area to meet new people from all over the city. My fellow female visitors, please watch what you're drinking, and don't get drunk unless you're in groups. Enjoy!!

A mixed feeling. It is modern and great lounge. The staff who serve the tables were friendly. But the two ladies behind the bar should be given a different job. They destroy the vibe of the place, angry face and rude. At one point one of the table servers tried to cheer them up and asked them to put a happy face. By far the worst baristas. Management needs to take action

Beautiful place but no cocktails and so limited drinks. Nice music though. During the week it’s boring.

I recently had an experience at a club that left much to be desired, particularly due to the conduct of the bouncers inside the venue. While the staff outside were accommodating and pleasant, the atmosphere changed dramatically once I entered. The bouncers inside were not just a minor inconvenience; their behavior significantly detracted from my overall experience, making it unpleasant and unwelcoming. As an expat, finding a place where one feels comfortable and accepted is crucial to enjoying the diverse cultural experiences that come with living abroad. Unfortunately, the unwelcoming attitude displayed by the bouncers inside the club was a stark contrast to the hospitality I was greeted with by the external staff and, indeed, the hospitality I’ve come to appreciate in my time here. It’s disappointing when the actions of a few can so profoundly impact one’s night out, especially in a setting that’s supposed to be about enjoyment and relaxation. I hope that sharing my experience can bring attention to the importance of consistent, respectful treatment by all staff members in such establishments. Ensuring a welcoming environment for both locals and expatriates alike can significantly enhance the experience and encourage a more inclusive atmosphere.”

Good sitting area, variety of food and drinks option

They serve you drinks you didn't even order and finally charge you the whole price without even discussing. Shameful place. Don't go there if you're white, they'll make you bleed your money and charge ad hoc price.

Looks nice with good music. I asked for a beer, and that wasn't available. Maybe that's a cultural thing for me as a German, but from my perspective, a bar without beer is not a proper bar. So we left.

I went with my mother for lunch and all I have to say is this;The food was incredibly average. And don't get me started on the service , it is one of the worst I have ever seen. I ordered a cheeseburger and my mom ordered a mixed salad and how many minutes does it take them to make these dishes? Not 20 minutes, Not 30 minutes, Not 40 minutes but 50 FULL minutes. I don't know how the owner of this establishment calls this abomination of a restaurant "exemplary". Overall, my experience in this restaurant was incredibly underwhelming. My recommendation is that you either go to another restaurant or wait 1 full hour for food. If I could rate this restaurant a 0 stars than I would most definitely would.

At first the menu appeared too limited but then we discovered they also have a pizza menu and some day offers. The food we ordered was delicious, the portions have a good size and the price was way lower than expected. Service was outstanding: as a vegetarian I even got the option to order a side dish of vegetables that were not in the menu. The ambient is amazing, they have and extensive bar with a vast variety of alcoholic drinks that included draft St. George beer. Both on Sundays and Mondays they have live music in the night. A great spot to be repeated and recommended!

Awesome place! Great food and great vibes. The staff were very helpful and friendly. Overall check out the place.

They don't serve what's on the menu,most foods are unavailable.rather than choosing from the menu it's better to ask what's available. It took more than 40 minutes to get the food that I ordered.i ordered cheese burger and Ethiopian injera dish with meat.they serve me burger without cheese and potato boiled with water. Plus the restaurant management department needs to fix the tap water shortage.I couldn't wash my hand with water because there is no tap water.

The place is used to be very busy in previous years. There were only very few people on Saturday night. It was very quiet and we liked it. Nice slow musics were played. The food was tasty. The staff who has served us was active and friendly. I hope they will work on to return back the busiess.

I was feeling hungry, so I decided to order Tibs Firfir, a dish made up of torn-up bits of injera mixed with clarified butter. I specifically requested for it to be non-spicy, but when it was served, it turned out to be a bit hot and spicy. Although I could have eaten it without complaint, the waiter insisted on changing the order to make up for the mistake. I was impressed by the excellent service provided in Addis. Thank you Betty , yordi

It's a great restaurant with a nice environment. The menu here is wide and the staff are great. It's awesome for single or group hangout

Fendika is an iconic cultural venue with cool arts, music and drinks. It a place you want to go to have a late night out with a group of friends or families. There is Azmari night, cultural dance sessions, Ethio-Jazz, visual art exhibitions, fashion showcases, poetry and many more activities. It was so much fun in my last visits. The gate opens at 1:30 PM (local time). It a place to take foreigners because it's deeply rooted in Ethiopian traditions.

Incredible atmosphere! Go on mondays because that is the day they play the best jazz shows and most people come- but come a bit earlier because it is really crowded and seats get taken at around 8:30 pm. The owner was super pleasant and welcoming. Overall amazing amazing experience and high quality music. A MUST VISIT in Addis. Very cheap entrance price of 100 birr per person

Making this review one year later. Visited July 2024 I had one night to spend in Addis Ababa, and I wasn't going to waste it. I have been an admirer of Ethiopian jazz since my college days, particularly the work of Mulatu Astatke and the Ethiopiques. This is what drew me to visit Fendika Culture Center to see a live performance. The center is a bastion of what jazz means to Ethiopia and Africa as a whole. I will never forget the atmosphere, the walls, the artwork, the people I met that night from Addis, the Ethiopian diaspora, and Jazz enthusiasts from around the world. The performance sent me to cloud nine. This was a place I was hoping to visit again in the future, and I'm sad to learn that the venue I visited no longer is there...I'm hoping Fendika is doing well and makes an even better home. I'm not upset, I'm happy to have at least experienced this once! Thank you.

Great place to experience of sending a modern Ethiopian culture. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday that are performances Monday jamming session was something else! Fantastic stuff! The crowd is very friendly and seems intellectual. There is a small gallery inside plenty of drinks, including tej.

I loved everything about this place from the vibe to the atmosphere. The place to be for afro jazz and cultural music. Ttere was a live band performing that was nothing but amazing. Another thing is I never felt unsafe at any moment. Everyone was friendly and oh I had to pay B100 that goes to the artists. Based on their performance they probably deserved B500.

Food 10/10 Service 10/10 Wait Time: under 30 mins Atmosphere - Super Crowded Fendika is a tourist hotspot with live music, dance sessions and karaoke vibe. Details: We went as a group and had so much fun. It was super crowded and we sat on some chairs on the ground along with other people who looked pretty diverse. There was interactive performances with the fingers coming into the audience and carrying people on stage. It was fun and nice to see the trafitional neck and shoulder dances of Ethiopia Large injeras were served with a hot boiling meat. We ended up on stage winging 'No woman, No cry'.

Live music ..good bar scene...food is ok...show also art work from local artists

We had a wonderful time here! The atmosphere is top-notch-cool, moody, and perfect for unwinding. The service was prompt and very friendly, and the cocktails were expertly crafted.

This lounge is very Best beautiful and has comfort sitting while recreation besides many drinking alcoholic and nonalcoholic available.please come and enjoy Black Rose Lounge.

There are a few really nice places that this building including Black Rose bar there is a club on the top floor as well as a lounge bar on the second floor. The ambience is very nice and the crowd is very chilled and relaxed.

Black Rose has, for decades, been the hot spot for the successful and the metropolitan demagogue of Addis. It has a dark, dimly li, red themed decor that soothes away the day. The few items on the menu are there if you're hungry, but the main attraction is the bar. The past few months have seen eye-popping prices (inflation has hit everywhere hard), but this case was different... A smiling server offered us the cocktail special without telling us the prices. We accepted and ordered another round of the sweet pineapple concoction. I asked for less ice, and the glass was brought back half full. Our bill came to nearly 8,000br for 5 drinks (we hadn't ordered a 5th). Even calculating for the 5th drink, it comes to a whopping 1,600br per drink with half the glasses full of ice. These are prices I would find high even at the most expensive hotels, restaurants, or clubs ... and even they have the decency to put the items on the menu. People often don't make a fuss about the price gouging at places like this. People go to relax and have fun. It's sad that this should be exploited to this degree. It smacks of desperation on behalf of the management when the return customers stop returning as much as they used to.

Good atmosphere and cool crowd. Expensive drinks but we had fun! The club above does not sell beer and requires you to buy a bottle of cheap liquor at very high price.

Was here 10 years ago and it hasn't changed. Still one of the top lounges in town. Excellent staff and we'll positioned in town. Close to all the major hotels. Prices are very reasonable and it's easy to meet people here.

Black Rose Bar (more like a lounge) offers excellent drinks that are both well made and of high quality ingredients. Serving food like cheesesteak sandwiches late into the night, this establishment that is both sophisticatedly furnished and welcoming to all stages of inebriation. I'd recommend coming for happy hour on Fridays between 5 and 7 (I think...don't quote me on that), as the drinks (which are expensive) are significantly cheaper (by how much you ask? You'd have to ask a slightly more inebriated version of me for that answer, sorry! But I do think it's more than 50% off). Nevertheless, go there prepared to spend significantly. You won't regret it! ...actually you might.

You will get best jazz!

This place doesn’t exist anymore as it burned down.

The only and best place in Addis to enjoy Jazz music. Very historical, calm and enjoyable. Unfortunately, no variety of food. The food is only Ethiopian dishes which is very strange for a jazz club. There should have been continental food as well. Entrance fee is birr 300 per person.

Africa Jazz Village is a legendary hub for Ethio-Jazz in Addis Ababa inside Ghion hotel. It offers a unique jazz performance by Dr. Mulatu Astatke, Gash Girma Beyene a blend of Ethiopian rhythms and modern jazz influences as well. While giving the music and the atmospheric a high praise, the service is so bad with limited food options with slow service and unreasonable high prices to deliver the food from Ghion to the culb so you must eat before going inside lol. Despite the service related issues, the place remains a proud cultural gem to experience Ethio-jazz with the greatest Dr. Mulatu and Gash Girma.

Obliged to attend the performance of the Jazz King Mulatu Astateke's live performance. It's a privilege to see him play his magical instruments, I respect and have much love towards him.

Cool chill out spot to enjoy some jazz the music is quality, tends to start at 9pm there is an entrance fee off 300 but totally worth it

A great place to be for jazz music lovers, inside the historical Ghion Hotel, amazing atmosphere, amazing performance by "Negarit Band" the band starts at 9pm and you will get 2 hours of live performance. The entrance was 300 birr per person.

The place and the performance is over hyped that what it actually is. [For full disclosure, Mulatu Astatke (H.C.) was not playing]. Ambiance: subpar, Service: adequate, Performance: unimaginative and uninspiring Plus the room feels stuffy and lacks ventilation.

What a great atmosphere, music and impressive iskista-dancing on the stage; Crowded yes, but is the place to be on a Friday night in Addis 🥳

I've been to this club (now called Obsession) recently and I had a horrible experience. The Scotch I had was fake, same genre of music for almost all night and I was also overcharged. Don't waste your time & money!

They will over change you for drinks if you are a foreigner, do not come to this istablishemnt.

Club H2O the best club in Addis my friend and I we really loved the club the bar man he is professional he make nice cocktail ever the staff friendly thank you guys

Nice place for a hip night life in Addis Ababa. N.B. new name is club obsession.

One of the bigest night clubs in Addis and now the name is rebranded and changed to Club Obsession.

Don't go to this place you might get Tuberculosis, Google it if you don't know what TB is.

Fine surrounded music. Enjoyable set up. Perfect lightning.

Guardians guys very friendly, but servers very slow, maybe that was a weekend they lacking servers. Nice view n music could be enjoyable

The venue exuded a warm and inviting atmosphere, perfect for an intimate night out. The waitstaff and security personnel were generally amiable, adding a touch of friendliness to the experience. However, the cocktails left something to be desired; they seemed to miss that essential spark that elevates a drink from ordinary to extraordinary. The music was hit or miss, with the DJ appearing to be somewhat inexperienced, leading to an inconsistent vibe on the dance floor. On a positive note, the club was well-lit, offering a pleasant brightness that complemented its airy layout, and the restrooms were impressively clean, enhancing the overall comfort of the evening.

Deja Vu Lounge is a top pick for a night out in Addis Ababa—stylish, energetic, and packed with good vibes. Located in Wolosefer, it offers live music, themed nights, great cocktails, and a lively crowd. Whether you’re in the mood to dance, relax with friends, or catch a game on big screens, Deja Vu delivers a vibrant nightlife experience worth checking out

Very organised, good music. And good services Eat home as they don't offer in-house foods

The place was small and cozy. Relatively friendly waiters and security staff. Cocktails were not as expected. They lacked the essentials. Music was 50/50. Dj lacked experience. Other than that the club was well lit, well aerated and clean toilets.

Beautiful place, music service everything place is clean and nice……

One of my fav lounge club in addis

Gazelle Piano bar is one fun place, the ambience is lively, there's live music with very electrifying performances of Ethiopian songs, from the traditional to the Ethiopian brand of hip-hop. The people there are friendly and the price is pocket friendly. It's a great place to hangout in Addis Ababa

nice Place for live ethiopian music lovers at late night

It's a mixed crowd, songs are not that good

It is open fom 07Am__07Pm

Amazing Music

(Translated by Google) May God remove his mother who disturbed us (Original) الله يقلع امه ازعجنا

(Translated by Google) Ahmad Nur (Original) Axmad nuur

Really nice restaurant! The food is delicious, with great flavors and portions. Service is friendly and efficient, making the experience even better. The place has a relaxed vibe perfect to hang out, chill, and enjoy a good meal. Definitely worth visiting!

Had lunch and diner here today. Not because its so amazing, rather convenient to go from my hotel. Lunch was Pizza Margarita. Normal size was huge. The large is definitely for sharing. For a margarita too much cheese and garlic. Service at lunch time was ok. Nothing took too long. To be honest, restaurant was almost empty, so no big achievement to be present as service staff. Dinner was different. Ordering went quick too, but then service deteriorated somewhat. Second round of beer was hard to order and when it came to paying the bill- its seemed nobody wanted our money nor stopped any of the waitresses to clear the table or asking for anything else, bill, taste of food etc. Asked three different waitresses about the bill, still took them 25 minutes. The moment a customer wants to pay it should go fast. Food was good but overwhelming good.

The vibe is like a sports bar with really good food. They have amazing pizza, and stack. The fasting pasta and fir-fir is really top notch. This time around we tried the MK salad. It was delicious. The service needs a works though. On quiet days they are attentive, on busy days however, it’s really tough. We had to wait over an hour and a half for a pizza one time. The food is worth the wait though.

They have amazing food. A lot of options on their menu. They have great service as well. Very polite. Their pizza is very big specially the large pizza. It is a good place to enjoy with friends watching football matches on their big screen TV.

To me, they have the best beefsteak in the town. I just love their beefsteak pasta. My friend also informed that they have great pizza. But I didn’t try. The environment is so comfortable. Music was standard and sound volume was good. They have also good collection of Liquor. Very cordial service staffs. Highly recommended.

MK’s used to be a decent restaurant, but after what happened during our last visit, I’ll never step foot in there again. My girlfriend, a friend, and I went for a meal, only to have the most revolting experience imaginable. As we were eating, my girlfriend found a dead cockroach in her food. The staff did apologize, but that doesn’t change the fact that this is completely unacceptable. How does something like this even happen? It makes me wonder how filthy their kitchen must be now. The fact that MK’s once had good food makes this even more disappointing—clearly, they’ve stopped caring about hygiene and quality. If you value cleanliness and basic food safety, avoid this place at all costs. MK’s has gone from a solid restaurant to a complete health hazard. Never again.

Very cool 😎 place, I will be back soon! Kind of fun to sit near the kitchen and watch the chef and her team. The presentation on the plate looked appetizing and tasted great. 😊 not every place offers wine by the glass and I can’t drink a whole bottle so I was glad to be allowed this little simplicity.

Union offers a mixed dining experience. The Indian Butter Chicken was flavorful and satisfying, and the Fish with Mashed Potato was well-prepared. The Pasta Pomodoro, however, was just average. Unfortunately, the Steak with Mashed Potato was disappointing; the meat was overly chewy and the sauce lacked depth, leaving the dish flat.

I ordered the chocolate cake from this restaurant, and honestly, it was a huge disappointment. The cream on the cake was completely frozen—as if it had been sitting in the freezer for days. It wasn’t soft, smooth, or fresh like proper cake cream should be; biting into it was more like biting into a block of ice. The cake was served with cocoa syrup, but unfortunately, that didn’t save it. The syrup felt icy and unnatural, not rich and velvety like it should be. The ingredients clearly weren’t handled properly—the cream and cocoa topping should have been fresh and at the right temperature, not rock solid. On top of that, the atmosphere was unbearable. They were playing two completely different tracks at the same time—one inside, one outside. The space isn’t large, so the music collided into a chaotic, loud mess, making it nearly impossible to have a conversation. It’s not that you can’t hear the music and enjoy it; it’s that the way it was played was jarring, distracting, and just plain disturbing. For a chocolate cake experience, you expect soft, moist cake, fresh creamy frosting, and a pleasant environment. Instead, this visit was a mix of frozen dessert and auditory chaos. I wouldn’t recommend it if you want a calm, enjoyable dining experience.

Hiwet is a very nice Waitress, She served us well and she was very friendly, I will definitely come here again

I eat here at least once a week and the restaurant is excellent! Appreciate the staff (Fanta you’re great) service and attitude.

Overview & Location Union Cocktail Bar & Restaurant is located on Africa Avenue near the main Bus Station in the Kirkos area of Addis Ababa. Its position gives it a great vantage point — you get views over the city and even Meskel Square from certain spots. Ambience & Layout The place has multiple seating zones: outdoor, indoor, and an upstairs / rooftop area. Outdoor seating is particularly praised for giving a breezy, open feeling, with good views of the skyline. Inside, the vibe is cozier, quieter, and you’re closer to the bar — good for conversations or a more relaxed evening. The decor leans toward modern with touches of local/“African-inspired” art and design elements.

I was served by Anteneh Tesfaye and he is such an amazing person. Look for him whenever you pop in here. Has good English and understands instructions clearly. Always ready to serve you to your best. Dilu the manager is also very hospitable and caring.

I had such a great time dining here! The food was absolutely delicious — every dish was full of flavor and beautifully presented. The service was just as impressive; the staff were attentive, friendly, and made sure everything was perfect from start to finish. The cocktails were top-notch — creative, well-balanced, and easily some of the best I’ve had in Addis. A special shout-out to our waiter Endale who was fantastic — professional, welcoming, and really knew the menu. The manager (Dilu) checked in to make sure we were enjoying everything, which was a really nice touch. The bartender (Eyuel) was great cocktail not only for us but for the entire Resturant. Overall, an excellent dining experience with great food, great service, and amazing cocktails. Highly recommend — can’t wait to come back! 🍸🍽✨

the place seems good, but the manager of the place is a real scammer. I paid with my Swedish bank card, but the staff claimed that the payment did not go through even though I showed that I had paid. once i paid 2 times and agreed to get the money back the next day they blocked my number. it took over 4 days to get my money. a lot of hassle and a dishonest place manager makes the place not even deserve 1 star.

We ordered Hendricks Gin half a bottle and they gave us Hendricks Gin bottle with Gordon gin in it. Asked the supervisor as to why it tastes different, he flatly denied and said it was Hendricks gin. Beware of this place as they will mix drinks. We paid and left.

The management and services are very unprofessional. Denial of entry without explanations and unreasonable expensive demands. The government must check and balance the bad trends of mistreatment of the Ethiopians over the foreigners. Management must be punished for it's bad unlawful approaches to customers.

Had a bad experience the first time but decided to give it another shot because of the amazing performers but it was still bad and the third time wasn't good either. Worst customer service and extreamely rude security guards with double standards who encourages harassment and mistreatment of female customers by male customers. I don't recommend this place to anyone and if you're a woman, I suggest you never set foot in there. -5⭐

Classy and Cozy Lounge in ADDIS With Best Service

Please don't go to this club . The price of one drink is very very expensive compared with other nice clubs in Addis Ababa.I paid 795.00 Ethiopian birr for one Tequila Patron shot , this is double the price compared with other clubs in Addis Ababa like Revolution. The management is very rude .

I have been this place recently. It was crowded at the entrance and the guards evaluate people protocols and let some people in. They didn't want to let us in the beginning and then one guard thinks that we fulfilled their the so called way of protocol. They other guard get upset when the guy let us in and start insulting us. The manager came but he didn't want to interfere and unprofessional.The worst place ever, never come back again and not recommend at all.

Doesn't have a menu and servers too lazy to explain what's available, overpriced for what it is, and too noisy for a restaurant. Cold and weird service.

Excessively loud for a restaurant (if you like dining in a club environment you may be okay with it). Service also not good, unless you like to begging for the waiters to take your order. Three stars because I've had decent food there in the past.

Nice decoration and I had a good meal we order half tibes one ambo water and bottle of soda and we payed 615 birr it is fair at the same time not fair but i like place

All great service and tasty food nice place

Great place to be. Nice hospitable staff and yummy food. Needs more variety of drinks.

This place is very cozy especially if you bring your partner or your girlfriend or you your family to impress your new girlfriend in any case this place is very cozy and affordae nice place

This is one of the rare places where what you see is what you get holds true. Such a beautiful and comfy place.

Amazing lasagna! Amazing chocolate cake! They have themed evenings; Monday is Open mic night, Thursday is Kareoke, Friday is game night, Saturday is the lip sync battle. There's a bar, ok cocktails, even a cocktail pitcher. Great place that to pass the evening outdoors (but with a transparent roof) with a group of friends large or small.

Really good French 🇫🇷 restaurant, also holds true for their European style foods. What I greatly appreciate about it is that they entertain the guests with their themed night specials. A surprise for you to find out.. 😉

I have been there twice this summer and I was looking for a site where to express my frustration because this place doesn't appear on Tripadvisor. Perhaps, in fact, it doesn't exist anymore. The reception was so bad that we left.

Different thyme every night. Tuesday there is live music and Thursday is karaoke night.

Really good menu of French, Asian and I guess what you could call European-style food. A rare decent restaurant that’s open late in Addis, though it’s a party place, too, so it can be loud.

Nice food

This place is delicious 😋

I was at this restaurant after a friend's recommendation but very much dismayed by the entire heticate excepting the soup. I asked for a bottle of sharchoge wine, which they told me they don't have after taking my orders, but the waiter recommended a new wine product by the same local producer which was under promotion. While we further asked for another one, they said that they don't have another one in their stock. To our surprise, they neither ask for excuses nor they have had a price menu to which they asked us an arm and leg to settle. It is honestly pricey with very ill trained waiters and don't worth a stay!

Extremely Disappointed! Apart from the interior design, there’s nothing positive I can say about this place! First, the waitress didn’t take our order properly and got everything wrong and in the end, they insisted we pay for the food we didn’t even order. Second the Food was extremely bland and oily and the meat was chewy and dry. Plus the staffs were defensive and didn’t apologise for the things that went wrong. The price and the quality of the food didn't much at all. You pay for Notting! This place is a complete scam! Definitely won't going back!!

My family and me were exited to see this place, I choose steak from the menu unfortunately they were not serving for the day and ordered another meal, ehh, was very strong meat to chew. Not satisfied for what I paid. Disappointed with the food!! But the service and the place was excellent.

Am proud of you . Never seen this kind of restaurant even in north american..good job

The Best Restaurant in Addis

Best

Its really shame to see such an establishment not solving a simple warranty issue. I have been to their office 4 times and all they did was tell me to get back. so I advise you don't buy anything from this establishment since they don't give you the warranty they promise and cant do their job.

Just had a chat with your staff from Bole branch and he does NOT now how to talk to clients at all. I am trying to be very polit but would have loved to use more colorful words to say what I actually felt talking to him. Better you don’t answer our call. Unprofessional!

Really bad customer service.

It's good I don't say anymore

It's a General trading, where they have Sitable hotels and electronics import. They are reliable

Need training on Cash register machine,,,,, please advice

Slow service 😞

Recommended place for Mondays. Live music and delicious food Menu.

Good vibe and entertainers

Delicious food menu

(Translated by Google) Excellent black forest cakes, BUT: they serve no coffee, no tea, no fresh juices - only beer, wine, water and malt. The kitchen is very average, but there is good acoustic equipment. The place is more likely for evening and night parties of local youth and tourists. (Original) Отличные пирожные "черный лес", НО: не подают ни кофе, ни чай, не свежие соки - только пиво, вино, воду и мальт. Кухня весьма средняя, однако есть хорошее акустическое оборудование. Место скорее для вечерне-ночных тусовок местной молодежи и туристов.

Amazing wow in Addis Good I Love it it. But no beer.

(Translated by Google) Very beautiful (Original) جميل جدا

Phenomenon