Café
Tomoca
Addis Ababa's best-known coffee house, roasting its own beans, with the original standing bar on Wavel Street in Piazza and several newer branches.
Aster Bunna
Cosy roaster-cafe opened in 1998 by Aster Mengesha, serving macchiato and spris and selling Ethiopian single-origin beans roasted on site.
At a glance
- Type
- Coffee roaster and cafe
- Area
- Kirkos, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Price
- $ · Budget
- Official site
- asterbunna.com
Good to know
- Beans to take away
- Single-origin coffees
Why we recommend it
Aster Bunna is a small, cosy coffee house with a big reputation among coffee professionals. Bunna is the Amharic word for coffee, and the business is named after its owner and general manager, Aster Mengesha, who has worked in coffee roasting for more than 19 years. It opened in 1998 and has been a destination for residents, travellers and visitors from the coffee trade for nearly three decades. The company traces its family connection to coffee back to the 1950s in the Ethiopian calendar.
Aster Bunna is a roaster first. It roasts coffee for the local market and for export, sending beans to the United States, Germany, Russia, England and China, and it offers light, medium and dark roasts as whole beans or ground. Origin coffees cover many of Ethiopia's famous growing regions, including Yirgacheffe, Harrar, Sidamo, Limu, Djimma and Lekempti, which makes the shop a good place to taste the differences between them and to buy a bag or two to take home.
The cafe menu is short and focused: coffee, macchiato, espresso, cappuccino, latte and a hot tea flavoured with mint and cinnamon. Locals often order a spris, a layered drink of tea and coffee, which is worth trying if you have not met it before. The room is small, with little tables where strangers may end up sharing space, and a painting hangs above the bar. The atmosphere is relaxed and conversational rather than fashionable.
The business also stands out for its workforce: of its 15 employees, 70 per cent are women. That gives the cafe a particular appeal for travellers interested in the people behind Ethiopian coffee as well as the drink itself.
It suits coffee enthusiasts, solo travellers and anyone wanting a quiet, local cafe rather than a chain. Ask staff which origin is roasting that week and buy beans whole if you can grind them at home, as they keep better. The shop is in Kirkos sub-city, in the Olompia area. Hours are not published on the company's website, so call ahead if you are making a special trip, especially if you hope to buy a particular origin.
Aster Bunna FAQs
Who runs Aster Bunna?
Aster Mengesha, the general manager, who has more than 19 years of experience in coffee roasting.
When did it open?
In 1998.
What should I order?
A macchiato or a spris, the local layered tea and coffee drink.
Can I buy beans?
Yes. Light, medium and dark roasts and single origins such as Yirgacheffe, Harrar, Sidamo, Limu, Djimma and Lekempti.
Is it a big cafe?
No. It is small and cosy, and you may share a table.
Where is it?
Kirkos Sub City, Wereda 01, House No. 675, in the Olompia area.
How do I contact them?
Call +251 115 159315 or email [email protected].