Review Madam Taitou - Cape Town Central

Excellent restaurant with a fantastic atmosphere/design. Very friendly, supportive, and patient staff. We really enjoyed the setup and the (quality of the) food. Options are a bit limited, but for the price and flavor it is unbeatable. 5 out of 5, highly recommended!

It was a lovely dinner at this Ethiopian restaurant. I think I have been here 11 years ago and wanted to try it again. We have been more used to Ethiopian cuisine after flying with the airline. The place has a nice cultural feel, lots of statues around and paintings. The food was delicious, you use your hand to eat and the staff will teach you how. There’s a washbasin at the back so you can wash your hands before and after eating. The meat platter is quite large and thankfully we didn’t order it, if not we won’t be able to finish. We ordered one chicken and one beef tibs dish.

Delicious Ethiopian cuisine in a cool, cosy venue with very friendly staff. Perfect for groups (we were 8 people). Very reasonable prices. Would definitely return.

The vegan platter is very good and healthy. The plate comes with 3 breads on plate and additional 3 breads. The whole dish is so big that I couldn’t finish though I enjoyed it. Atmosphere is top notch!

Delicious, quirky, lush Ethiopian with amazing food and very kind staff. Each seating area is very cute and unique. Perfect for a nice meal or just a chill coffee catch up.

Loved it, loved it, loved it. The food is delicious. You will definitely return for more. ( we did 🤭) Well prepared and served. Atmosphere is from a different world and all the old antique crafts is well displayed.

Such an unexpected, delicious, dining experience! We walked past and thought it looked interesting. Didn't know that we would get to experience such culinary delight!

During our short stay in Cape Town we came here twice. The food is very delicious, the injera is great and the vegan platter is amazing. I'm sure you can also get more injera if you want to. Staff was friendly both times, prices are very good and the restaurant decor is very appealing.

Very delicious meal with a variety of food! We really like the interior design of this cozy restaurant. It felt very authentic! The choice of ingredients was good and we like all the flavours. Great if you are curious about Ethiopian cuisine and want to try something new.

The restaurant is small and they were full when we arrived without a reservation, but they let us sit at the space in front, which was a tiny calming oasis on the side of the busy street. I would have been content to eat there but they brought us inside when space opened up. Three of us shared a platter with meats and veggies, and we ate until we were all stuffed full. The array of spices and flavors was incredible!

Wow! What an incredible african experience. This is a must do if you in cape town. The whole thing felt authentic and you would never know busy Cape Town was a few meters away. Really interesting food but a good cultural experience.

Again, why take away the 0.5 stars Zomato. This place deserves 3.5.<br/><br/>We went went here on a Sunday evening. They were out of lamb, which is a disappointment. We shared a beef tibs and veg dish. It was all very tasty and the waitress was friendly. <br/><br/>I'll be back.

Walking inside is already a unique experience, half curio shop half restaurant - because everything in is for sale! The service was a little bit slow considering we were a big group of hungry people. We all received rice flour wraps with our choices of curries and stews - the vegetarian sampler was a winner. Others didn't enjoy their meat that much and said portions were small but for one person the veg sampler was tasty and had a bit of everything. This was enough for me but they aren't enough to share. The texture and tastes aren't for everyone but I like the fact that a place like this exists for adventurous souls.

Madam Taitou - Long Street<br/><br/>Madam Taitou serves Ethiopian cuisine. It's a gem, hidden in plain sight. Walking by you could easily mistake it for a little curio shop.<br/><br/>After looking through the menu we (four friends and I) decided we'd go for a platter that contained a portion of all the dishes on the menu. The platter serves six.<br/><br/>The food took a while to get to the table but it was worth the wait as I enjoyed it thoroughly. It came served on a layer of Injera ( Ethiopian flat bread made from Tef flour ). More rolls of Injera were served separately to scoop up the the tasty curries and stews.<br/><br/>I'm very indecisive when it comes to ordering meals so the platter was perfect for me, I got to get a taste of everything. There were lamb, beef, chicken and vegetarian dishes. I enjoyed them all but the meat dishes were the best.<br/><br/>Patrons are encouraged to share meals and eat with their hands. There's a little basin in the back for you to wash your hands before you dig in. Cutlery is only provided on request.<br/><br/>The platter and three rounds of drinks for the five of us came to a total of R1000 including a tip which I think is very reasonable. I would definitely recommend this place. If you're in search of something different or looking for something new, this is the place for you.<br/><br/>PS They don't have much to offer with regards to dessert so we headed further down the road to Myog for frozen yoghurt and smoothies.<br/><br/>#ethiopianfood #berebere #tibs #dorowat #injera #icantrememberwhatalltheotherdisheswerecalled #longstreet #madamtaitou #wethebest #anotherone #foodgasm_za @ Madam Tayitu Restaurant

At first I was a little worried as it was a completely different dining experience and not like anything I'm used to, but the staff were so hospitable and the food was super tasty. <br/>They have a great selection of meats but also fantastic veggy and vegan options, which is perfect if you have a mixed group of eaters. <br/>Really great for groups as the meals are designed for sharing. <br/>I would definitely recommend it.@

Loved the decor and the relaxing natural music. <br/><br/>Had the Gore Gored and the sweet potato dessert. Both were delicious. <br/><br/>Dessert menu could use more African dishes though <br/><br/>Friendly service. <br/><br/>I highly recommend if you're in search of a unique eating experience

I have walked past this establishment countless times assuming it was just a curio store. One day I was craving ethiopian food, but wanted to try something different to Addis in Cape. This place came up and they had a whole vegan platter (I was doing a vegan month). As I assumed this place to be a store, I assumed I was lost and had to call them to reconfirm their address. The lady that answered was so kind to come outside, cross the street and then collect me. <br/><br/>Love the decor! It was something out of a story book. The photos I took did not do it justice. The food was simply great! Massive portion and so so tasty! It is definitely one of my favourite Ethiopian eateries in town.

I love Ethiopian food and MT smashed my craving out the door! The plus factor was definitely the ambience. Our host was friendly and helpful. Loved it!

The service was a little slow in the beginning, however, the waiter was working alone and serving the entire restaurant. Was initially a bit worried about sitting in the small built up setting, but all in all I had a wonderful time with my friends and the food was truly Ethiopian. We even bought some spices from here to take home.

My boyfriend and I booked a table for 8pm which unfortunately resulted in an accidental overbooking with clients who booked for 6pm. After realising what had happened the managers offered us a table at one of the other sister restaurant and treated us like royalty. We receive great service and top treatment from management along with a complimentary meal and bottle of wine. Despite the unfortunate overbooking we still had an amazing evening with delicious food and friendly staff. We will definitely return again. Thanks so much for the special treatment and the amazing service!

I always drive past this place thinking I have to go in! I finally took the opportunity to have an interesting Ethiopian experience. <br/><br/>The decor is seriously eclectic but creates a very out of place space in the middle of Cape Town CBD. <br/><br/>You eat with your hands but there is a special basin to wash your hands before you eat and we all should do every time we eat and no cutlery is provided. <br/><br/>The food was delicious and something I had never experienced before. A very enjoyable experience!

Really interesting decor, and ambiance throughout- they even having forest sounds playing in the background. Their food is well-priced and quite filling. Ordered 2 meat dishes and the vegetarian tasting platter which was more than enough for us (3 people). Come here if you want to satisfy your craving for Ethiopian food or a unique dining experience!

Went for the first time - what an experience! It's a must do in Cape Town. And the staff were really helpful with the menu. I would recommend getting the veggie sampler.

It is a shop or a restaurant?! It have a beautiful traditional decoration. The food is really good. The only problem is: I felt dusty and the tables are dangerous. The wc can be more clean.

An absolute delight, Madam Taitou comes recommended if you're looking for a down to earth, relaxed, friendly and tasty dining experience. Be prepared to sit in a tree house, to be surrounded by traditional artifacts, to share a meal with your collective and to eat with your hands. A joy every time.

Madam Taitou is the most interesting place. The walls and shelves are jam packed with Africa artifacts and curios. <br/><br/>The waiters are so helpful. They explain the dishes for first-timers in eating Ethiopian food.<br/><br/>The restaurant is very authentic making you wash your hands before eating. No cutlery is served. <br/><br/>The food is so tasty. We had a combo of all the vegetarian dishes and one of the beef dishes. It is placed all together on one dish. <br/><br/>We also tried the ginger tea and the all spices tea.<br/><br/>The tables are all very private as seating is done in secluded booths (not enclosed so not claustrophobic). Next time I'd love to sit in an upstairs booth - they look very cute!<br/><br/>I had such a craving for Ethiopian food and it sure was satisfied. <br/><br/>Prices are very reasonable!

Place was uncomfortably warm and stuffy. food was very very poor. one guest got food poisioning. NEVER GOING BACK. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Amazing restaurant. The tree house decor is cozy and intimate. I love the privacy of each table makes for a great social experience. The meals was dished generously has enough for 4 people to enjoi. The coffee and tea is amazing, like the popcorn extra. And the waiter was helpful and delivered prompt service. Recommend for suppers when out in town.

You can mistake it as curio shop. Great food. We tried Doro Wot & Key Wot with traditional Ethiopian bread Injera. Both were good & quantity is more than one can eat. Along with traditional South Africa drink Amarula on the rocks we had great dinner. Must visit when you are in Cape .

Very cool curio shop feel interior, love the decor and cosy atmosphere, it really is like you're in a tree house! We sat on couches upstairs, a nice intimate vibe. The waitress was friendly and attentive before our food came, after which we didn't see her again and went to the counter to pay the bill...but her suggestion of the big platter to share was superb - we had all the different meats and vegetables between four of us, with enough injera bread to dip into, and using our hands the whole time was something fun and different. Definitely recommend for a different dining experience, I will be back and will bring family here when they visit :)

This is my favourite Ethiopian restaurant in Cape Town. The food is delicious and really well priced, and you can eat in a tree house! The atmosphere is really unique and the service always friendly. Also, they have so many vegan options!

I have been almost 4 or 5 times here, and I still loved this restaurant as much as my first time. The food is totally different, an amazing mix of flavours, and the service is good.<br/>Is not as famous as other ethiopian restaurants in Cape Town, but maybe that make this restaurant more special than others. I will recommend everybody to go and try, you are not going to be dissappointed. <br/>And for sure, I will be back there soon.

One of the best meals I've had at a restaurant in a while. The food is excellent and it has such a cosy and intimate vibe. Will definitely be back!

Delightful, unassuming, gem-of-a-place serving well-priced , authentic Ethiopian fare. Opted for the couch upstairs and shared the veg platter served atop their gorgeous injera flatbread. I would suggest booking as the place is quite popular and fills up quickly.<br/><br/>Top of my list for an Ethiopian experience.

Charming little gem in the heart of Cape Town. From outside it looks like a curio shop, but once inside, you are smack in the middle of Ethiopia. Authentic cuisine, very tasty and memorable. I tend to return automatically 😁

I found this place accidentally walking around Cape Town. When I entered, I got crazy! The place is amazing! Besides that, they have vegetarians/vegans options (I am vegan!) <br/><br/>So, it was my birthday and I decided I wanted to have a dinner with my parents over there. I felt very welcome by Haile! <br/><br/>And he was the one that taught us how to eat using our hands! It was an amazing experience! <br/><br/>The atmosphere is incredible! <br/><br/>You can not miss it if you go to Cape Town!

I absolutely love this place! Not only are they vegan friendly, but they have the coolest decor in Cape Town. You can see from the photos. The atmosphere is so unique. You feel like you are in the forest in some tribal hut. Sometimes they even play bird sounds. The food is delicious, although I have only tried the vegetables, but my friends say the meat dishes are good too. The portions are quite large and the veggie stuff is filling, so go hungry! Service is very friendly and if you happen to be there when they are serving coffee (I think 5-6pm), you are in for a treat. My favourite restaurant in Cape Town. My boyfriend and I have been there at least ten times in the last year.

The place, like yoh 😱.<br/>So we walked in thinking its a shop selling musks and African statues.<br/>I was amazed by the ambience of the place, you instantly feel like you in Ethiopia .<br/>The food was great, service was on point and the bill was that bad either.<br/>You have to try this place, do it with friends or whatever but don't have this experience alone.<br/>

A friend invited me here for our last supper in Cape Town before I leave and I have to say, place is out of the world!! You can accidentally walk out of the place mistaking it for a store of some sort instead of a restaurant, this is not an issue though, it's just a mind shift to how interesting their deco is.<br/>To business, I think this was the second time in my life having Ethiopian food and hey it's nice. It feels almost natural to it, it's like something you're used to.<br/>The waiter was cool too, so all in all, it was a good experience and a half

As the audio of birds & trumpet echo through the indoor jungle, ethiopian platters are consumed by groups of hands. Textured flavours & spices are welcomed by your taste buds. A one-of a-kind experience that is warmth in nature & calming in scenery.

<br/>Nadam Taitou is an amazing hidden gem! I am so glad we stumbled across this beautiful place. The food is wonderful and exciting and the decor a pleasant change. I live this place!

What a great find. Although they say they've been open for three years, I had no idea this shop was a restaurant. It's a quirky and unusual dinner spot, the food is varied and reasonably priced and the coffee is delicious. Loads of vegan and vegetarian options.

Awesome little hidden place in the middle of town! Thought it was a shop until I went in and saw the amazing tables hidden around all the stuff for sale! Really cool set up! And AMAZING food!! I've been back so many times and will keep going back

My siblings found this place! From outside it doesn't even look like a restaurant. Eating with your hands is a fun experience, expected to make more of a mess than I did. Give the Ethiopian coffee a try, life changing.

Definitely a hidden gem! Had a very fun experience eating with our hands. I was quite good at it according to my hubby as I always half eat with my hands at home. Good friendly service with curious flavorsome meat and veg dishes. The Ethiopian flatbread is made with rice and teff flour - delicious for scooping up your meal and all nice and gluten free. Try the Ethiopian coffee pot served in a very tiny cup. It was hilarious when the waiter recommended to take it with a 'tiny' spoon of sugar (the spoon almost exactly the same size as the cup).

Madam Taitou might not be everyone's cup of tea (or, in this case, coffee), but it definitely is mine! Inside you will find an incredible combination of new sights, smells, sounds and textures. We tried the banquet style Ethiopian buffet, which allows one to try a bit of everything on the menu (needs to be pre-booked for 10 or more). We also enjoyed the Ethiopia coffee ceremony that followed later in the evening. The interior is also interesting and full of character - the table areas are made to look like indoor tree-houses. If you have an adventurous palate and enjoy trying new things, give it a go!

First time in a restaurant like this! Has a very different atmosphere than your "everyday" restaurants - you literally feel as if you're in Ethiopia. Their menu is great, they have a wide variety of vegetarian dishes which are delicious. Their platters are also very nice, especially the meaty ones, you basically get to taste everything on the menu! Very low prices for the amount of food you get, which is always a nice surprise. Service was great, would definitely visit again. Tip: don't go there on a first date... You eat with your hands :)

A beaut of a hidden gem. They kind of place only locals know... It's also where I go when I crave Ethiopian food but do not have a fortune to spend (at say, Addis in Cape). This allows you to share a tasting plate for 2 for under R250 and is enough to keep you satisfied. The service is extremely slow (I tried it at several times, both busy and when they were empty) so be warned and be prepared to wait long. However, the thing I love most about this place (besides the food) is that you get to sit in a tree-house setting! When you walk inside the restaurant it feels like you're in a jungle with pot plants and tree canopy decor - amazing. I also tried their breakfast dishes and it's very delicious - they served me an omelette with vegetables it was yummy and also the injera wrap. Delicious!

Another excellent experience with different cuisine. Love the injera in particular. Shared a veggie sampler and atkilt with couscous. All very yummy. No Ethiopian honey wine though and no chocolate mousse. Strongly recommended though. Great service...

Such a hidden gem in long street. Keep a look out for this beautiful and unique restaurant. I had such a great visit, delicious food and the friendliest service, very welcoming and eager to please! :-) could spend hours on end just relaxing and looking around at all the special things they have. I recommend you try sitting upstairs and ordering a traditional meat dish. Thank you madam taitou for making my Friday =) will visit again soon x

Nice quirky atmosphere complete with lush, fake climbing ivy and bird sounds, and compared to the other Ethiopian restaurants, the food holds its own. However, if you are looking to relax  on a hot summers afternoon or evening, why not walk the short distance across the road to Timbuktu Cafe at the African market. Same owners, same menu, and the same food, just a much better setting on the first floor balcony overlooking long street.

I haven't had the pleasure of dining at this hidden gem yet but it's on my list. I did have the opportunity to try the Ethiopian coffee, spiced with a touch of ginger, an absolute delight. The atmosphere is like none other, you'll feel like you're actually in the heart of the Ethiopia. I can't wait to return for a proper meal :-)