Asmara is one of the easiest places in East Africa to eat well, thanks to the Italian inheritance. Pizza, pasta, and espresso are available at a quality and price that no other African capital can match, alongside Eritrean classics: injera with zigni, tsebhi dorho, and shiro served on the traditional fermented flatbread.
Several long-established Italian restaurants on or near Liberation Avenue keep the tradition alive — Castello, the dining room at the Asmara Palace, and Casa degli Italiani are the dependable choices. For local food, Blue Nile, Milano, and Ghibabo all do good injera-based meals at low prices. The cafés up and down Harnet Avenue serve some of the best espresso, macchiato, and pastries on the continent, mostly for well under a dollar a cup.