While I’ve only tried a handful of Ethiopian restaurants in DC (Meskerem, Addis Ababa, Fasika’s, Lalibela, Zed’s) the one thing they’ve all had in common (aside, of course, from cheap, good food) is, if not a complete lack of attention, then at least a mild disregard for décor (with the arguable exception of Fasika’s, which, interestingly enough, has generally higher prices). And who cares, right? You’re not going out to dinner to look at the walls, at least if you can help it. But then along comes Etete to throw this trend for a loop.

Located at the intersection of 9th and U, Etete is a recent addition to the Shaw neighborhood. It has an unexpected contemporary flair, and seems almost loungey in a way, though that could have been the mood lighting throwing me off. There’s not much space available in Etete, but what space exists is put to good use. The majority of tables line the right-hand side of the establishment, while two or three interesting wall-mounted half-tables line the other. (Though they look cool, they seem barely big enough to hold the standard injera-lined tray, so I recommend you grab a regular-size table if you can.) A small full-service bar at the back with space for four or five bar stools serves up Ethiopian beer and wine in addition to regular bar selections.

The food, prepared by the restaurant’s namesake Etete Tesfaye, is among the best I’ve had so far. I tend to go for the spicy beef dishes, such as yesega wat, but my dinner companions for this evening all partook of the vegetarian entrees – none had any complaint. One other lone hold out had a mild grilled beef dish, but he’s still in a food coma and can’t remember what it was called. I tasted it, and found it to be quite flavorful. The small mental note I made to recall its name got smudged out by the bottle or three of Harrar beer I had with my meal. If you haven’t tried Harrar before, it has a unique, exotic flavor, almost like a mild, honeyed, pale ale.

The service, too, was among the best we’ve experienced … especially when compared to some of the cantankerous waitresses we’ve come across at other similar restaurants. The waitresses were attentive, and some among our group remarked how they could tell this was not just a family-run restaurant, but a happily family-run restaurant.

Were Etete closer to my Adams Morgan batcave, it would easily become my “regular�? Ethiopian restaurant (though for now I’ll have to stick with local fave Addis Ababa out of necessity). If you find yourself venturing along 9th street in the near future, make a point of stopping by Etete for an excellent meal. Note that with its convenient location, Etete would make a great pre- or post- concert stopping off point if you’re going to either 930 club or next door’s DC9.