Founded in 1988 before the surrounding neighborhood became known as the center of the Boston fine-dining scene, Addis Red Sea remains a South End favorite. At Addis, the subterranean dining room feels intimate whether you're on a date or with a group. Guests are seated on low stools around straw tables called mesobs, onto which dinner is served when it arrives. Central to Ethiopian cuisine is injera, a spongy flatbread traditionally made with a tiny grain from the millet family called teff. The injera bread acts as a platter and also as a utensil: It lines the mesob, and stews such as gored gored, beef simmered in an Ethiopian spice mix called berbere, are placed on top of it. Diners use pieces of the injera to scoop up bits of food and feed themselves or one another. Popular dishes on the beef- and lamb-heavy menu include: kitfo, an Ethiopian version of steak tartare seasoned with herbed butter and chili powder; and yebeg wot, a lamb stew seasoned with ginger, cardamom and turmeric. Vegetarians have a broad list of possibilities, from the hummus-like butecha – chickpeas mashed with green and black peppers – to the gomen wot, which is stewed collard greens with green peppers and garlic. The internationally centered beer list features an Ethiopian Pilsner and a Kenyan lager, and the honey wine called axum will pair well with your meal. Finish with a cup of cardamom coffee as you watch the motley crowd of humans and canines parade past on Tremont Street. Beer and wine available. Serving lunch Sat–Sun, dinner nightly.