A small Italian-era hotel and restaurant in a fine 1930s building on Liberation Avenue, the Albergo Italia is the most evocative dinner spot in central Asmara if you want the colonial-era atmosphere served straight. The dining room has the original tile floors, dark wood, and slow ceiling fans.
The menu is short and Italian-leaning: pasta with simple sauces, grilled meat, a tiny dessert list. The bar at the front is one of the best places in town for an early-evening drink under a portrait of Verdi.