This place has exceptional food and drinks. Service was extremely efficient and staff was courteous.

Went on the weekend for lunch and they had brunch going on. Was looking forward to trying Croatian food but got breakfast instead because they were only doing brunch. Food was served on wood decorative planks. Cute presentation but I'm not sure how I feel about the hygene. Food was just ok and took forever to come out. People seated 10 minutes after us got their food first, so must have just been our order. If you are in your 20's and bottomless mimosas is your thing I guess it would work. I was in Dubrovnik for a week a few years ago and it was different food from this place, factor in the brunch thing though. Wrestled with the idea of coming back for the normal menu but with all the other places that do better probably won't Pros: the traditional Croatian dish I ordered had a good portion of protein. Cons: bathroom smelled bad, slow food and service. Food was meh read more

This became one of my new favorite restaurants. After going there to celebrate my anniversary, our waitress Dunya took special care to provide us the best experience possible, even surprising us with a dessert plate at the end. They were very good with my Nut and Soy allergy, and made sure everything I ate, which was most of the dinner menu, was safe. I am excited to return for Valentine's Day and only wish I lived closer! read more

AMBAR Restaurant, Clarendon - Dessert Plate - Modern European Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

I found Ambar to be a fun and interesting restaurant. Fun in that you can try a bunch of different dishes within a different type of cuisine not traditionally represented. The service was nice and fast, and the waiter was quick to take our many orders that come when someone orders the unlimited menu option. I really enjoyed the beef and lamb items and would recommend. After a while though, the food got mundane so I would recommend picking out a main dish and a few appetizers to share vs. spending out on the unlimited. read more

Balkan experience is decent and worthy. 35 dollars for unlimited dishes for brunch. Recommend meat pie. read more

Hands down my absolutely favorite restaurant... in the world. If I could eat here every night, I would! The unlimited is well worth it and I encourage you to try everything. The sour dough bread is life changingly good!!! read more

Blair is awesome. She was very accommodating and brought out a wide range of food to the table. She was fun and very nice. Loved Ambar and will definitely be back for brunch! read more

Went here for brunch. Genuinely impressed. Great food with decent drinks that is unlimited. They have the secret formula most brunches cannot figure out. I think it is the first brunch I enjoyed the food and did not have many drinks. Only complaint the hostess had no idea what she was doing even tho there were 20 open tables. read more

Super dinner @ Ambar. Started w yummy cocktails: Sarajevo Old Fashioned, Summer Breeze and the Zastava Sidecar. All so delicious. Later, switched to the Ambar Wines. All the food is outstanding. We ended up with nearly all the dishes. We always love that the staff will supplement our choices with their favorites. Wrapped up with the the Forest Gnocco which was a-maz-ing! Our waiter, Valentino, explained the layers in the dessert, the chef's intent, and his upbringing in Bulgaria to "tell the story of this dessert." Staff are all wonderful. We felt super COVID safe, even though rain forced us to dine indoors. Come to Ambar. You'll be so happy! read more

This place does not live up to the hype. It's very trendy and always crowded (meaning that it's pretty loud inside), but it's not worth your money at all. We ordered a $12 plate of moussaka and the portion was literally the size of a brownie. Their desserts are the same way. The tres leches cake was fine, but definitely not the best I've had, and overpriced considering that they only serve you a tiny piece of cake with a lot of whipped cream on top to make it look bigger. Basically, the small plates are a rip-off and they overcharge for a very small amount of food. read more

I went to Ambar and got their unlimited brunch tapas. It was all really delicious. The waffle was soft and tasty, the mezze plate came with good bread, the sourdough cinnamon balls were good. The pork slider was also good. The veal soup was also good. The Bloody Mary was both strong and had a lot of spice. I liked everything I tasted and would go back read more

Love everything about this place--great food & so many unique options to pick from. The only challenge is choosing what to eat before filling up. read more

Had dinner with a friend at Ambar last night, 5-11-18, and found the food to be truly unimpressive. The restaurant was full, and the noise level was high. Waitress was nice enough, somewhat too busy to apply that extra level of service, and seemed annoyed when I asked her to speak up to hear her over the level of noise. Ordered the spinach/cheese pie, eggplant spread, chicken kebab, mushroom pilav, Ambar fries, and the brussel sprouts. The spinach meat pie was the best item ordered. Rich spinach / cheese filling encased in phyllo dough. The phyllo dough was moist, yet still held the filling well, without crumbling. The rest of the meal, however, was lackluster. The eggplant spread was bland and the color was somewhat off-putting. Haven't had eggplant spread and baba ghanoush many times before, I'm aware that, when cooked, eggplant has a grey'ish color, but this just was unappealing. The chicken kebab was more of a Thai satay, flat and thin, rather than a chunky kebab style. It was incredibly tasteless. Equally unappealing were the mushroom pilav with overcooked and watery rice. The brussel sprouts were flat, and an attempt to cover them up with bacon and sauce didn't help. I'll stop there. I would't go back again. read more

An absolute favorite spot in Arlington! Perfect for date night or friends in town. I didn't know what to expect with Eastern European cuisine but it was very close to Mediterranean and delicious! read more

Don't go if you don't like tapas. I miss their predecessor, Boulevard Woodgrill, but Ambar is an interesting introduction for those unfamiliar with Balkan food. I found the small plates overpriced but the baklava was out-of-this-world. Charming decor and friendly service, but I'm not (yet) rolling in $$$ so I probably won't come back soon. If you like artisanal cocktails check out Baba Bar downstairs. read more

We came for Thanksgiving lunch at around 11 without any wait (it became busier around 12). Ordered the lunch plates for ~$20/person with 5 people and were not disappointed. You can order as many plates as you like. We particularly enjoyed the grilled calamari, grilled shrimp, and short rib babagounush. Milan, our waiter, was awesome, friendly, and made the experience that much more special. He explained a lot of dishes as the fried smelt, black forest gnocchi dessert as spins on Serbian traditions that I appreciated. Thanks! read more

Updated, 4/3 went for lunch again. Skip beverage this time :P . The waitress was as friendly as the last time, good service. (3starts- 3/31 ) When for lunch, food and service was nice, I was going to give 4starts. However....;( they made wrong drinks which could cause serious problems to my baby (I am pregnant). I ordered non-alcohol drink, but they served me one with alcohol. :( really sad read more

I went here for dinner a few weeks ago for my bf and i's anniversary and it's amazinggg. Such a unique menu and a decent price for the amount of food you get. Really wanna try their brunch when I get the chance read more

Went again last night with more friends. Food and service is still great. Parking in Clarendon is still awful. My favorite thing on the menu is the garlic bean spread. read more

It's hard to call Salami a Charcuterie Platter. Two times in row I've gone and they say they only have Salami. Please remove the platter from your menu or at least update your menu online. read more

Picked this place for date night with the bf the other night and it was AWESOME. Dishes were great (we went for the $35 pp Balkan experience) and tried 12 different dishes. All were very very, good- our favorite was actually the aged Kajmak served with the sourdough and cornbread. So, so good! Our least favorite was the calamari. It was just ok. Of note, the service was truly exceptional. All of the staff was super attentive, friendly, knowledgeable, and I think many were from the Balkan region which made the experience that much more authentic for us. We felt like they truly appreciated us being there. We will definitely be back. Would like to try their brunch too. Note: It is an open and airy space and can get loud (it was packed when we went), so if you're looking for a quiet, intimate spot, this probably won't be it. read more

Ambar is one of those places that I frequent so often, I haven't even considered leaving a review. Let me say: Ambar is my #1 restaurant in the DMV and is by far the best meal deal in the area. $35 for all-day bottomless tapas is a win in my book. I have been to Ambar at least 10 times and have tried almost every menu item. My personal favorites include the beet tzatziki, meat and cheese pies, stuffed peppers, and the cevapi kebab. (The cevapi is very similar to the kebabs that I ate in Bosnia--I feel like this is pretty authentic Balkan food!) The service is always impeccable, as well. Whether you live in DC or are just visiting, you have to put Ambar on your list of spots to try! read more

I've been there twice. Its an inviting new addition to Clarendon and for nearby areas. This is easily one of the nicest, prettiest, most inviting restaurants in the area. The service is extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful. Absolutely fantastic service. Have gotten an opportunity to feast on far more small plates. Great variety, tremendous variation on tastes, textures, flavors and ingredients. One dish that sticks out, from the rotisserie choices, pork belly, potatoes and horseradish. Fell in love with that one. One of the more enjoyable restaurants in the area. read more

All you can eat tapas style Mediterranean food! What a great deal, the food came out quick, just order 6-10 things at a time as they will get backed up. Lamb skewers were great but overall you can't go wrong with anything especially since they come out in such small sizes so if you don't like it you can quickly move on and find your favorites! Would def return read more

Great place. Great food. I have a great experience every time I go there. I wish the place was bigger and they had more seating :-)

Came here for restaurant week and I'm glad I did! The food was great and I was excited to see so many vegetarian options on the menu. My favorite was the pepper and cheese croquette which comes in the portion size of a mozzarella stick for reference, prepared with red peppers for those that don't like green peppers (like me). I sampled most of the items in the vegetarian section and would say I liked just about everything but my least favorite was the mushroom pilav as it was a bit salty but still ok. My 4 stars is based on the food and ambiance but the service could definitely use improvement. I didn't know that some of the small plates were nearly bit sized so I would recommend ordering 4 plates at a time as it was very hard to catch the waiter so that lack of continuity took away from the experience. For dessert I had the cinnamon donuts which tasted much like the bread my friend was given with her mussels except sprinkled with cinnamon, resembling a very dense zeppoli. While I would visit Ambar again I think next time I'd opt for the DC location to take advantage of the bottomless drinks. read more

Ambar is one of the best restaurant that I have ever been to in Northern Virginia. Their food is amazing and the best part is that, for $35 you can eat everything in the menu and order food as many times as you like within two hours. I love their fried chicken, tomato soup, pepper crocket, fries, shrimps, beet spread and a lot more! It's worth it!! read more

This spot was fantastic and the food, atmosphere, service was outstanding!!! We'll be back again for their brunch!

Have been to Ambar three times so far and found that the food has never been consistent. The first time I went, my friend and I were served mostly cold, under-seasoned dishes with the only highlights being the freshly baked (or warmed) bread/spread sampler platter and the veal soup. The second time I went was with a group of friends and everything was overly salted except for the shrimp omelette, which tasted like it had no salt added to any part of the dish whatsoever, and the potato hash was borderline over done. The most recent time I went was probably the best time, where we were served hot and well-seasoned food, however, somewhere along the line my friend's nut allergy was forgotten about and she was almost served the fried chicken slider, which has almonds and walnuts. I would say overall a less than average experience from a restaurant that boasts being on the Michelin Guide, and the only consistency I've noticed is the servers being passive aggressive and forgetting orders. read more

Yummy food. Servers are friendly but on the slow side...tends to get pretty busy! Definitely will return!

We enjoyed dinner here on a busy Saturday night. Blair took great care of us from start to finish! She helped us decide on the plates to order and kept the drinks coming. The food was incredible and service wonderful. Worth the wait without a reservation! read more

Our party of 3 had the weekend brunch for our first visit, and it was fantastic. It's so great to get a variety of small portions and to try literally everything. Although I noticed that most of the young people were bulking up on the sliders, I didn't try any of them except the chicken, which was good. I was much more impressed with the various salads and relishes, the amazing veal soup, beef prosciutto, and so much more. The cevapci and various egg benedict options are amazing as well. Perfectly poached eggs. I can't say enough about this place; you much try it. Brunch is pricy, but take your time and savor it all; there is no judgement if you order everything on the menu!! read more

Best Balkan food around. This is my go to place when I go out for dinner with girlfriends, co-workers or out of town guests. The 'taste of' menu for $35/pp is the best deal and ALL their food is so delicious and fresh. We tried all their lamb dishes and thought it was outstanding. The wines are mostly all from the Balkan region, which is great since you don't find that at other restaurants. Highly recommend since the small plate sharing makes for a communal and cool meal experience. read more

Blair was incredible as was our food and drinks. We were seated downstairs and plan to return soon! And we'll be requesting Blair again because she really added to the experience. She was so quick and made sure we were enjoying everything. Highly recommend! read more

Doesn't honor gift cards purchased during COVID. We like Ambar and go regularly, but our last visit was really disappointing. We had purchased a gift card during the pandemic to help support them during the hard time, and it expired a week before things opened back up. Despite asking the manager to honor the gift card given the circumstances, she refused. Not a good look given we went out of our way to support them and got that response in return. Not sure we'll be back for awhile. read more

What a great place to dine! We had the express lunch which is all you can eat for $19.99 per person. We tried twelve dishes and each one was better than the next. Our favorites were the pulled pork, Balkan kebab, steak tartare and pork belly slider. The food was delivered promptly and it kept coming as we ordered. Our server, Bohdan, was so kind and friendly and spent time talking with us about the different food choices. Such great service here. I can't wait to try this place for brunch. We'll definitely be back often!!! read more

This place was a very interesting experience and I liked how the eating is designed. The menu has a lot of different things to try which I enjoyed. The service was nice and the seating is great. The food was pretty good not the best I've had though. My favorite thing on the menu was the fries. Overall I had a great night read more

This place is absolutely amazingggggg! The food, the service, the drinks! I could go on. You have to get everything, but get a bunch of the beet tzatziki. It was especially delicious. All the food was delicious and flavorful. We went for the all you can eat and all you drink brunch and I can't recommend this place enough. We had a group of nine people and our server was great at handling everything/everyone. We never had to wait for anything, the service was fabulous. I haven't been for the all you can eat dinner, but I plan on it! read more

When my friends came in and asked if I could sit with them without ordering the "$35 menu" (even though they were planning on ordering it) the staff said yes and made us wait for 20 minutes for a table. Once seated, surprise! I was not allowed to order small plates if my friends were ordering the "$35 menu". Ok, not a big deal. I get it. But when we ordered, they just put the plates on the table, without a word. We did not know whose plate was for whom. I ordered the slow cooked lamb. It was cold and the potatoes tasted like canned potatoes. Definitely not grade A food. My friend's cheese tasted more like fat butter than cheese and her stuffed pepper was flat and not tasty at all. It tasted like McDonald's ground beef. But that's not it! During the meal, WATER STARTED DRIPPING ON ME FROM THE ROOF! When I told the waitress, she was like "yeah, that's the AC". Like yeah, that's normal to get water dripping on me in a restaurant. Anyway, I do not recommend the place! Oh and my friend puked after the meal. read more

Ámbar has a great selection of food. I have been here for Brunch on Sunday's and Dinner. Both times a were great and I always leave satisfied. I have always done the "Balkan Experience" which is around 35 dollars. The plates here are tapas style so you can try basically everything on the menu and share with your group. U think everyone at the table has to do the special to get it. Not sure though. read more