Castelli Restaurant

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487 reviews

#27 of 339 Restaurants in Addis Ababa₱₱₱₱, Italian, European, Vegetarian friendly

571757 + Add website

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Hours

Mon

7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Tue

7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Wed

7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Thu

7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Fri

7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Sat

7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

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What is Travelers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

3.5

487 reviews

#27 of 339 Restaurants in Addis Ababa

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Details

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CUISINES

Italian, European

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, Drinks

features

Location and contact

Infront of Mahmoud music shop Piassa, Mahatma-Gandhi St, Addis Ababa Ethiopia

571757

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Does this restaurant serve Sardinian food?

Yes

Unsure

Details

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CUISINES

Italian, European

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, Drinks

FEATURES

Reservations, Private Dining, Seating, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Cash Only, Table Service, Family style, Non-smoking restaurants

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3.5

487 reviews

Excellent

156

Very good

158

Average

Poor

Terrible

Stockholmisch

Stockholm42 contributions

Brilliant pasta

Feb 2020 • none

Pasta you can have every where in Addis but Castelli´s stands out with its brilliant food. Expensive with Ethiopian meassurements but below European prices. You want to escape the Ethiopia/Addis for a while, Castellis is a good place. They do not accept credit cards (Visa etc) so bring cash and do not forget to make a reservation. Recommended.

Written March 14, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ephrem S

London22 contributions

Faultless food, brilliant service

Jan 2020 • none

Once you get past the entrance foyer where the elderly (and unwelcoming!) old gentleman resides, the entire experience is pretty faultless. True, the tables are very close to each other but it is reminiscent of a bygone era and style of dinning which constitutes part of the entire experience. The food itself was faultless - from starter to dessert. We had the lamb roast (which was tender and juicy), linguine Constantino style and lasagne. All three dishes were absolutely fabulous with the linguine taking the edge over the other two. We were equally pleased and satisfied with Volvo's (our waiter) service who has been part of the establishment for over 40 years. This is without doubt the best Italian experience I and my wife had. The best Italian restaurant in the world? Probably.

Written February 1, 2020

Fida N

Deauville City258 contributions

Delicious Italian food but quite expensive.

Dec 2023 • business

We went twice to Castelli’s when we were in Addis. Both times the food was delicious. The meat ravioli is amazing as is the steak with pepper sauce. The prices however are very odd. A tomato soup is the same price as a steak! The main dishes are not served with sides so if you ask for a steak you get only a steak. But it’s certainly worth visiting. The food is very fresh and very delicious.

Written December 9, 2023

MARKL55_55

Lexington140 contributions

A Trip to an Older Time in Italy

Feb 2020 • none

We were fortunate to be able to walk to Castelli for lunch. The fresh antipasto buffet was excellent, easily as good as one in Rome. We had pastas for our main. The portions were large, the sauces very tasty and the pasta cooked perfectly. Yes, the owner is grumpy, and the decor stuffy, but who cares. We had a delightful Italian meal!

Written February 15, 2020

RKS

Oregon6 contributions

Wonderful everything

Mar 2022 • none

The food has been reviewed already and yes, it is all that. Excellent. The staff was generous and kind so I was a little disappointed I didn’t meet the grumpy one several reviewers refer to. My companion and I had ordered a bit too much but our waiter who was an older man who stood over us until we ate every last bit of pasta. It was comical and so cute. They do not take cards so make sure you have enough cash.

Written April 9, 2022

snowythepyro

London470 contributions

Amazing food, truly exceptional

Nov 2019 • none

So it might seem strange that on first arriving in Addis, a bunch of Europeans go to an Italian restaurant, however we had been told this was absolutely best of the best and we were not disappointed! Phenomenal food, really lovely. The only surprise was how early the place closes, or maybe the time ran away from us in such great surroundings. The set-up is quite old-style European, which you'd expect from a restaurant of this vintage. The food was amazing, as good as anything I've tasted in Italy, and the service was good as well.

Written October 30, 2020

MsHaslund

Copenhagen193 contributions

Great and classic Italian place

Jul 2021 • none

I had heard this place described as one of the most authentic Italian restaurants in Addis, and I was not disappointed. It was SO Italian, in the best way, and the food was delicious. Try the truffle fettucini. To die for. The same with the Tiramisu. The staff was friendly and the service was quite ok. We were so lucky to get perhaps one of their last available tables for lunch, so I would recommend to make reservations.

Written September 10, 2021

Janghwan B

Ethiopia15 contributions

Any Asians want to get treated as second-class citizens? This is the right place!

Dec 2020 • none

Yes. If you want to experience that moment, this is the right place where you should go. I feel pity for the local employees there. You, the caucasian lady sitting in the box next to the entrance, should learn how to say hello and thank you to your Asian customers. This is my comment for your attitude.

Written December 8, 2020

Godelyas

California1 contribution

Good restaurant with good service

Dec 2023 • friends

I have used the restaurant hub of the city. The Best Monte Cristo was prepared for me with the kind of choice I wanted with the best service

Written October 23, 2024

shadylau

Girona1222 contributions

Great Italian food

Apr 2023 • business

Delicious Italian restaurant in the centre of Addis. It has Italian owners and serves great Italian food. Not a long menu, some entrées, pasta and mains. We had some cured meats to start: bresaola and proscuitto, and as a main I had a great steak with a gigantic dish of vegetables. High quality and good prices

Written April 27, 2023

Gibra

2 contributions

Overrated

Jun 2021 • business

Don't understand why would anyone pay a visit to a restaurant owned by a pokerfaced, grumpy & fascist remnant couples who assume they r z best in town. A very hostile environment which can ruin ur night. 👎👎👎

Written June 8, 2021

Tutu202178

Addis Ababa2 contributions

Mixed bag

Nov 2020 • none

I gave this an average review because: - 1. I am not a huge fan of pasta dishes but they were very well done and I was pleasantly surprised, 2. The proprietor is a known racist and as a person of color I was a little anxious about going there BUT 3. I went with a bunch of caucasian and Italian friends and it was a lovely evening all the same...you decide!

Written May 27, 2021

Michael K

Addis Ababa175 contributions

Poor customer service

Apr 2021 • none

I used to go this place with my gustes now i am very disappointed by the service they provide , also the food is not good any more compared to other Italian restaurants, so going to this place is wasting of money.

Written May 10, 2021

Mr. Observer

1 contribution

Over rated place with lousy service

Jan 2021 • couples

Went to Castelli with my wife to celebrate our wedding anniversary. I call the restaurant a couple of days ahead to reserve and I was told why I called them 2 days ahead. I was told to call one day ahead or even in the same day (who does that ??). Anyways called them again the morning of the event date to reserve and advise them that this is going to be an anniversary dinner and requested them to set up a desert with “Happy Anniversary” written on it. We went there and they put us in a small room with another couple when all the other 4 or 5 rooms were completely empty. I asked that they move us to a separate room and they did. Food was good even though I have seen better. Finally the waiter asked me if we wanted dessert and I told me to go check with reception as I had already made an arrangement. About 10 minutes later he came with a chocolate cake with one candle on it and started singing happy birthday. We couldn’t believe it. We just let him finish, eat the cake and finally told him that it was not a birthday event but rather an Anniversary and he couldn’t care less. Paid and left. Like I said LOUSY SERVICE and WAYYY OVERATED.

Written January 15, 2021

Heath B

10 contributions

The Owner

Mar 2020 • none

There is a strong possibility that most who read this will not understand my sentiments after visiting and patronizing Castelli Restaurant. Those customers who are white, you will be fine. Enjoy your meal! Those customers who are Ethiopian or Eritrean with means, you are probably too blind to see the systemic treatment of "some" of your people. This establishment has been in Ethiopia for over 63 years. The owner was very rude upon entering and exiting and I found out why when asking the locals. I found out that he just recently started allowing Ethiopians to eat at Castelli. For years it was forbidden for the locals or anyone brown-skinned to get service there. It was for white people only. I was informed that he began allowing Africans to eat there after his business slowed a bit. Although he has mostly Ethiopian cooks and servers, the owner does not treat his employees with respect and that carries over to the local people. He pays them very poorly as well. He is money motivated and does NOT add value to the surrounding community. You will NEVER see or hear of the owner doing anything to improve or uplift the community that surrounds Castelli. He does nothing for the schools or extreme poverty that he ignores and despises. As a matter of fact, he has done NOTHING for 63 years besides take from the community. The food was good traditional Italian cuisine. I liked it. But I found that the owner was bankrupt of hospitality towards certain people. Once again, the owner is a man of his time who has not found the moral decency to see past the money he is making from cheap labor and European customers.

Written March 7, 2020

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