• Sunshine

  • (19)
    35
    Loading...
  • White Veg-options
Vegan-friendly
Take-out
Ethiopian
Non-veg

Serves meat, vegan options available. Ethiopian food. For vegans this is a good option if you want to eat something other than the standard Asian veggie food in Utrecht. The menu has a vegetarian section and it is easy to order a completely vegan meal since cheese and fish (tuna) are listed specifically. It is run by a family that actively promote the Ethiopian culture and want to inspire people to visit their home country, so they are always talking to people about Ethiopia and showing them pictures and guidebooks (after you are done eating). Open Tue-Thu 16:00-22:00, Fri-Sat 16:00-23:00, Sun 16:00-22:00. Closed Mon.


Venue map for Sunshine
© OpenStreetMap contributors

19 Reviews

First Review by Isle of wight

FemkeK

Points +80

Vegan
26 Feb 2023

Good tasting food, but…

We came in on a busy Saturday evening, it was too busy to get the menu. It took more than 1.15 hour to get the main course.
We were delighted by the taste. But the plate was filled for 1/3 highly stacked with meat for our meat lover and a small amount of food for the 3 vegans. The three vegans were not filled at the end of the food, which is unusual for Ethiopian restaurants. Luckily we got a bit extra sauce and stew.

ChloéSchwizgebel

Points +1078

Vegetarian
24 Sep 2022

Wonderful discovery

First time trying Ethiopian cuisine and we could not have been more pleased. A cosy restaurant with a very friendly and welcoming team. The waiter offered us to 'surprise' us with a combination of the best dishes. Surprise dish made fully vegan upon request.
Chickpea, spicy red lentil, kale dishes... all served on traditional injera (Ethiopian pancakes). So many flavors and textures. It really was a wonderful discovery.
And at a very (almost too) affordable price.
We hugely recommend

Pros: Very affordable , Plant-based options clearly indicated

dester214

Points +526

Vegan
23 Sep 2022

Good food, super friendly staff

The food was just very good ethiopian, with several vegan dishes and options as well as a vegan surprise menu. Additionally, the staff was super enthousiastic and was explaining a lot about Ethiopia and explaining a lot about the country, culture and food

Pros: Plenty vegan options, Staff had good knowledge of veganism, Amazing atmosphere

Cons: Service is a bit slow

Pixiesixer

Points +233

Vegan
04 Aug 2022

Love this place!

The vegan choices are great and everyone of them tasty. The injera is delicious. The atmosphere in the restaurant is cool and makes for an enjoyable visit. Drinking out of a coconut shell is also fun. Staff are friendly and welcoming.

Pixiesixer

24 Sep 2023

Very disappointed with our last visit, our vegan food was served on the same plate as chicken. I would no longer recommend this place. We requested what we wanted to eat and the owner just went ahead and served a ‘surprise’ plate, not as requested.

InesAF

Points +629

Vegan
31 Jul 2022

Nice traditional Ethiopian food

Small and casual restaurant serving traditional food and ran by a passionate Ethiopian family.
It does not look like the most hygienic restaurant but the food is very good and so is the service.
There is not really a set menu but the staff knows what vegan is so you just need to tell them that you're vegan and they will sort it out for you.
I paid 19 euros for half of a plate filled with vegan stews. I'd say that is a bit pricey but it is quite a food experience worth the try.

Pros: Authentic Euthopian food, Friendly staff

Cons: Not very hygienic, Small restaurant

EmiliaJarochowska

Points +408

Vegan
21 Jun 2022

Vegan on demand, excellent but slow

We were offered a fully vegan plate with a huge choice of flavors, high quality and delicious. The place looks very shabby and dilapidated but seems quite popular. The cook doubled as a waiter and we had to wait quite long (20? 25 min?) for our order, presumably because he was alone. If you’re not starving or in a hurry, absolutely worth a visit.

Pros: Delicious , High quality , Cheap

Cons: Vegan is not on the menu but can be ordered, Slow-ish, The interior is dark and a bit shabby

NoaVK

Points +72

Vegan
15 Jul 2021

So much food

The Ethiopian cuisine has quite a few traditional dishes that are originally vegan. Try the kik wot or yemsir wot for example. It’s all curries with loads of spices, lentils, other beans and tomatoes or kale. It’s served with the ‘injera’, which is a crazy delicious pancake.

The staff is so nice, they are truly dedicated to make your meal an experience. It’s super cozy inside, with lots of Ethiopian details and art.

And a very big plus: it’s SO much food. Perfect after a busy day exploring

Updated from previous review on 2021-07-15


Updated from previous review on 2021-07-15

Pros: Plenty of vegan options, Big meals, Incredibly nice staff

Cons: Only cash money

chaluleaucassandra

Points +29

Mostly Veg
07 Jan 2021

Never again

I've ordered once but will never go back. The food is tasteless, blend, I really did not like the experience. Furthermore, the package was terrible so I received everything mixed together that was super weird.
Also, I pass by the restaurant from time to time and it really isn't appealing

Pros: Original

Cons: Not good, Restaurant does not look welcoming

RemcoKnijpstra

Points +1161

Vegan
18 Jul 2019

Good food

We decided to eat out here after we arrived in Utrecht for our first day. The restaurant is located in a little back street and the restaurant looks OK, but not to great either. The menu has a clear vegan section, but the last dish on that section specifies that it has tuna in it, didn't order it but the owner did not had much time for us either to really ask my question about it, so I played save and my wife and I ordered 2 dishes from the vegan section that are clearly vegan. The food was served and 1 big plate with a sort of pancake under it and both dishes were on the 1 plate decided in 2 parts. Another plate with more pancakes was served with it and they wished us a good dinner. At that point it was clear to us that we were supposed to eat with our hands. It was a fun experience to us. I ordered a mongozo beer with the food that was served in a coconut and had a nice tropical flavor to it that really suited the food. The toilets in the place were not that clean and especially the air vent above the toilet had a clear mold growth in it and made me worry a bit about how clean this place actually is. When I wanted to pay I had to wait a long time since only the owner could give us the bill, but he was busy having casual conversations with the other tables. This frustrated his staff, because they noticed too that people were waiting to be served but he was to busy having fun. Some other people on another table walked out because of this because it took to long for them to be served. So in conclusion, the food is good and gives a nice experience in a different culture, but the service is slow and the place is probably not that clean either.

Pros: Nice experience, Good price

Cons: Slow service, Place looks not clean (toilet air vent)

jphartley

Points +38

Vegan
11 Oct 2018

Decent Vegan Options

A bit of a divey Ethiopian restaurant, but with plenty of vegan choices which were tasty and not too expensive

Pros: Six Vegan Options, Tasty and Healthy, Quick Service

Cons: A bit of a dive, The vegan options are all variations of the same

JamesMorehen

Points +20

Vegan
29 Apr 2018

Delicious Ethiopian

Great, original food and friendly service

Updated from previous review on 2018-04-29

Safrits

Points +21

Vegetarian
29 Oct 2016

voor vegetariers niet geweldig

Zeer weinig gevarieerd, niet smaakvol

Eepie

Points +830

Vegan
25 Apr 2016

Enjoyed the food and ambiance

These people are so nice and funny! Had a great laugh with them.

They made a mixed vegan plate for us two. I really liked the taste. We had big full bellies!

Though I find the price for the mixed plate was too much (around €17pp it was I think.

Treebaard

Points +28

Vegan
06 Apr 2015

great food

We have only eaten here once, but we both enjoyed it quite a lot. Had to specify we were vegans, and we were served someone else's (nonvegan) order at first, but aside from that it was a great experience, and very tasty food.

Pros: very flavorful food, filling, friendly staff

Cons: the combination meal is pretty expensive

HelenaS

Points +40

Vegan
10 Dec 2013

Lovely

I went there with a non-vegan friend, and we will both go back.

The price its low to moderate, but the food and the whole experience is worth it. We eat with our hands, I eat a mix of mostly everything, and everything was delicious. Only complain would be that "a bit spicey" ended up being too spicey, but that might be because of language barrier, and if you are not so meet-friendly, I recomend you to tell them so they dont put it too close in the plate.

Even so, the staff was very friendly and happy to let us know whatever we asked about ethiopian culture.

It was a bit noisy, and cramped, but we could eat there anyway with almost no time waiting for a table.
The music was very nice too and Im pretty sure that you could buy the cd there. With the whole decoration of the place the atmosphere is very inspiring, it makes you feel the good vibes all over the place.

After the food, the staff invited us to a few drinks, which at first included honey, but when I specified that I didnt really eat it, they quickly brought me something else to drink, also very tastee and alcohol free.

I loved it.

P.S.: I believe I spent something like 15 euros counting a great aromatic peppermint tea.

Pros: Almost everything, Friendly staff, nice atmosphere, Great tastee food and opened untill late

Cons: Need to say vegans dont eat honey, Meet to close to the vegan dishes, A bit spicey ended up too spicey

equinox84

Points +47

Vegan
15 Jul 2013

Great Food, Very Vegan-Friendly

Very nice service: When I asked if there were any vegan options, the waiter (owner?) told us that this indeed was the case since in Ethiopia people mostly ate vegan on Fridays due to religious reasons. Hence, we were prepared a large plate of different delicate food. Afterwards, the waiter came to our table with some books about his country and very enthusiastically told us a bit more about it. This restaurant is a really great place to enjoy a homemade meal and the hospitality. I will definitely return on my next visit to Utrecht. :)

Pros: food, quality, hospitality

j8)st

Points +49

Vegan
19 Oct 2012

Nice and vegan-friendly

The staff is very friendly and are happy to serve you. You can eat vegan 'pancakes' - with your hands ofcourse - with lots of vegetables. This is definitely one of the more absurd (in a positive way) options for eating out.

Pros: Absurd

marieke.head

Points +90

Vegan
22 Nov 2010

Good veg food in a sea of omni restaurants

Although Sunshine is off the beaten track, it's definitely worth your while. We've been a couple of times so far and the food has been really good. For vegans it's important to note that if you order the vegetarian dishes you need to tell them that you're vegan (you might also want to say that you don't eat dairy) as they will add cheese and a cream dressing to the salad on the injera. They have a few different vegetarian toppings/curries to choose from, including dishes made from lentils, kale or brown beans. They also serve Ethiopian beer as well as fair trade Mongozo beer. Despite my initial mishap with dairy on the injera toppings, Sunshine is a great little place serving veg friendly food in a city with very few good vegan/vegetarian options.

Pros: excellent food, large portions, open late

Cons: vegans need to specify

Isle of wight

Points +11

Mostly Veg
02 Nov 2010

A Great Place

What a find! This was the first time I had used Happy Cow to find somewhere to eat and as this was the closest to my hotel and I had never eaten Ethiopean before I thought I would give it a go. Comprehensive Veggie options and meat options in case you havent persuaded you mates yet.
The meal comes on a large tray and has a "pancake" more like a large pizza sized thin crumpet that the meal is served on. I went for a Veggie mix of beans, lentils, cabbage and tuna. I was told by the manager who was translating the menu that is was spicy. When I heard these words I was expecting something that would have the hairs standing up as has happened so many times before. This time it was perfect a nice spicy flavour that doesnt make you run for a glass of water. :-) Staff excellent and friendly. The Etheopian beer went down well and the complementary desert Honey wine was aslo a reall treat. Just go I cant reccomend it enough.

Pros: Food , Service, atmosphere

Cons: None




This page has been viewed 6675 times.