What an experience! For just under thirty dollars a person you can partake in one of the most wonderful unlimited spreads of Balkan dishes I have ever had. The experience was a non-stop flow of fantastic dish after fantastic dish. Starting with Charcuterie and the Mezze platter really set the mood perfectly. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and honestly beautiful. A surprisingly wonderful dish for me was the Forest Mushroom Crepe. The leek mousse paired so well with the earthiness of the forest mushrooms and the crepe was soft yet perfectly capable of holding every aspect of this great dish together. Each bite of rich flavor paired so well with the refreshing vegetable options, some of the veggies even our shining the main dish (I'm looking at you Cauliflower). Throughout this whole wonderful eating encounter, I found myself incredibly comfortable. The restaurant was cozy, well lit, and full of fun hanging plants. The only thing that stopped me from eating a little bit of everything on the menu was my own full stomach. I will be going back to tackle what I missed this first time. read more

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Came here for the lunch buffet! Attentive service and wonderful decorations. My favorite dishes were the steak tartar, lamb lasagna and the cauliflower! The flavors melded well, and felt there was a savory and acidic part of every dish. The menu is well thought out, but generally felt like the dishes were a bit too salty. Their house made pita and cornbread are filling but so delicious as well! I would return for a nice occasion again, or try their brunch. read more

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Lunch AYCE - 4 of us went - pictures attached of much of it Here is what what we got, and we loved (even the plain pita was hard not to eat too much of, we ordered it 3 times) ***Star of the show*** DRUNKEN MUSSELS DRUNKEN MUSSELS DRUNKEN MUSSELS I think we ordered 6 throughout the meal "STARTERS" BEET TZATZIKI - amazing gotta try it BALKAN SALAD - they put heroin in there i swear i got two myself. Perfectly balanced vinegar seasong and a little bit of a light oil i couldn't name. So simple, so good. I called and got the recipe :0) --- "VEG" ASPARAGUS - nice hollandaise like sauce, not overcooked at all ROASTED BABY CARROTS - sweet and crunchy BRUSSELS SPROUTS - perfectly roasted HAND-CUT FRIES (don't sleep on these. not your average fry and dip) --- "MAINS" FOREST MUSHROOM CREPE PEPPER & CHEESE CROQUETTE STEAK TARTAR - almost like a tartar rough mashed pate - super good, heavy tho BEEF SHORT RIB GOULASH - i mean, short ribs cmon. they were fall of the bone LAMB LASAGNA - delightful, not too lamb gamey forward though i wish it were PEPPER & CHEESE CROQUETTE PAN-SEARED TROUT - well cooked, nice size you'd pay $14 for a la carte elsewhere MUSHROOM PILAF - get it "DIDN'T LOVE" and why SARMA 'PORK BELLY STUFFED CABBAGE - too mushy, couldnt taste the pork, it just fell apart and didnt really taste like anything HALOUMI - no seasoning, flavorless chunk of paneer basically Service was perfect - fired dishes well and it all came out hot. Kept the table clear and rotating, waters full. Friendly and clever but didnt linger and make bullsh** small talk very respectful. Nice view of the bustling street and the interiod was a fun fnatasy garden world vibe. read more

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I came here on a Saturday at 1pm with 2 friends and it was very loud and too crowded. It was so busy that we didn't get a menu for the first 15 minutes after being seated. Water also took a while for us to get too. I get that people are day drinking and all, but for the price, how crowded and loud it was, plus the servers being too caught up with too many tables, I'm not really sure how I feel. I wanted to have a nice, upscale brunch outing with friends I rarely get to see, but this was not it. Our throats were hurting after having to shout over the noise just so we could talk to each other. 3 stars because the food was at least good. read more

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

Came with my boyfriend after a movie in the area. It was restaurant week so we did the $55 special. Everything was delicious and perfect sizes for sharing. We tried a ton including: tartar, grilled veggies, fried chicken, chicken kabobs, stuff piquillo peppers, stuffed cabbage, drunken mussels, grilled shrimp, trout, salmon, and so much more. We will definitely be back! read more

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Great service & the food was just what I needed. Very pleased with our trip from start to finish. The vibe of the restaurant was also impressive. read more

This is a nice restaurant with a cool ambience and a good variety of Balkan food. The food comes out as it gets ready. I found the food to be tasty but not AMAZING necessarily. A decent 8/10. The meat pie was really nice. The beef kabobs were not bad (a bit salty and dry for my liking). Their sauces are delicious and their bread basket is divine. I was an overall good experience, but I don't think I would really miss or crave the food any time soon. read more

Very trendy and it is best to have a reservation! Good eating music. Service is quick. We did the bottomless brunch and added a drink for 0.99! My favorites from the bottomless brunch were the mac n cheese, blueberry waffle, and cheese pie. I would definitely recommend getting them for brunch!! Such a cute place to go, highly highly recommend. read more

AMBAR Restaurant, Clarendon - Peach bellini and traditional mimosa - Modern European Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Update: I had a chance to revisit ambar. I wanted to give this place a second chance since I love the DC location and this is a lot closer to where I live. I had a chance to talk to Antonio, one of the managers at the Arlington location, and he was extremely nice and hospitable. The ambiance was amazing as usually, very picture worthy and love the flowers hanging from the ceiling. The staff was excellent, from entering the restaurant, servers, and bar tender. Everyone was really nice and helpful in explaining ingredients. The food was delicious beyond words. I had to sit in silence to reflect on all the intricate ingredients. Each dish came with presentation and taste. I could not stop myself from eating. I am really happy we came back because the prestige in this restaurant is there. They have amazing chefs, staff, and managers running this place. Looking forward to going again! read more

Our waiter michael did a great job along with supporting staff. No items were missed even though it's easy to forget especially with small plates/tapas and running multiple tables. All the food was delicious there wasn't anything I didnt like. The brunch highlights were definitely the mac and cheese, hanger steak, and every slider. I dont blame Ambar but more so Virginia. They dont allow unlimited drinks like the DC bar so this one charges $1 per drink due to VA laws. There is seating inside and outside with beautiful decor as pictured. It was super busy on the weekend even with our reservation we had to wait 10min extra before getting seated. So definitely dont come here unless you had a reservation. You can find 2 hour street parking just need to loop around a few times. Brunch is limited at 2 hours anyways so it works out. read more

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I've been here twice. I remember trying a variety of foods. The service was decent. The music was extremely loud, so it was very challenging to hear the person I was with & engage in any conversation with them, trying to enjoy dinner. read more

Decent bottomless- highly recommend the bottomless lunch as it's best value for quality

Great great experience when I came in with my family to celebrate my husband's graduation. Why 5 stars? Great food and great service to start. But then also - how they handle food allergies! I have EXTENSIVE food allergies, to include a soy allergy. The staff took such amazing care of me. Soy allergies are really hard to navigate and they did a great job. Camilla and Marina were so nice in talking through the dishes and communicating with the kitchen and bringing me things I could eat. Often, the allergy meals I get at restaurants are meh - I get it, I'm allergic to everything. The food I was brought here was so flavorful - I definitely did not feel like I was missing out! I cannot wait to return! read more

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

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Not sure what else to say besides everything here is perfect: staff friendliness and service, atmosphere, amazing food and extremely good value for money. I love trying different dishes each time and getting old favorites. The unique wine menu from the Balkans is really good and i haven't been able to find anything like it anywhere else around the DMV. One of my favorite restaurants of all time. read more

I always have a five star experience at Ambar. This is the first time I have been here for brunch and it was great. We had most of the menu and everything was delicious. The Cheese Pie, and Cevapci were particular favorites. My wife really liked the waffle. More Balkan uniquely Balkan options would be nice. We sat in the basement section which was intimate and very comfortable. The food comes out fast and you cannot beat the value. It could use a larger restroom and honestly the waitress could have been a bit friendlier but it was a very enjoyable birthday dinner. read more

Every time I visit Ambar, it's a success. I come here to meet friends, for dates (the bar downstairs has quite the ambiance), to meet clients for work. I love the way I'm treated, how the staff is so accommodating, kind, and gets social with me. Food is just amazing. Their $50 all you can eat menu is a deal! Try the soups, some dips as appetizers, the sausage, the slowly cooked lamb...actually you can try pretty much anything, and it's kind of hard to get disappointed. The mixed charcuterie is also quite good :) I guess my only suggestion for them would be to stock up on wine, as almost every time I went, they had run out of my first choice of red wine. The only thing I don't have much to say about is dessert, just because I actually never ordered it. P.s. look out for happy hour time at the counter!! Big deal! :) read more

I'm on record already as a big Ambar fan, and my second experience was even better than the first! I went with a group of dudes to this beautiful spot in Clarendon. The wait staff is very attentive and always on the go. Compared to the navy yard location (which is also great), this restaurant has a much more gorgeous interior. I mean, look at the flowers! The food is exactly what you'd expect from Ambar: extremely high quality. You really can make that $49 price point work if you're willing to get stuffed haha! My favorite dish was the chicken stroganoff. Holy cow! I could have eaten bowls of it. I also loved the meat pie, the lamb lasagna, and the shrimp. To top of our delicious meal, our waitress brought us a little birthday treat to celebrate our friend's special day. How thoughtful! We were literally scraping that dessert plate clean. The restaurant was very accommodating: my one friend is gluten-free, and they brought him a special menu. This is THE place to be! read more

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Ambar was AMazing. 4.5/5 Came here for happy hour (12-6pm, M-F) with a friend after work on a Tuesday. Casual attire (I came in my scrubs and it seemed to be ok). We made a reservation but ended up sitting at the high tops near the bar because we wanted to do happy hour. I called the restaurant, and they recommended I park at the garage across the street called "The Crossing"? They don't validate though. The restaurant is beautiful! The colors, decor, and plate settings are so pretty. My friend really liked the mojito. I enjoyed both r the Angel & Devil and Cosmo Flip. All cocktails were $6. For small plates ($5/each), we had a party. I really enjoyed the urnebes spread (which came with pita bread), Balkan salad, and crusted chicken. The ambar fries, and beets tzatziki were good as well. I would pass on the drunken mussels next time...for me, it tasted a little off. The service was great. Sometimes, it was hard to get a hold of our waiter... and we had to wait a bit for our check, but the person (who I assumed to be manager)was walking around refilling our waters and they were so nice and able to help get us our check. Definitely recommend! Would come again. TLDR: street parking, garages available to park at, loved the angel&devil/cosmo flip for drinks, recommend the urnebes spread, crusted chicken, and Balkan salad, beautiful restaurant, good service, casual attire read more

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Was super excited for the unlimited tapas experience but we felt like the food was just so so :( We ordered a ton of different items, the mussels were probably the best with the roasted lamb being the worst, it was SO salty, we think it must have been a mistake during cooking. Other things we tried were steak tartare, salmon, shrimp, lamb medallions, chicken skewers, asparagus, halloumi, sorbet. The lamb medallions, chicken skewers, and sorbet were the better of the bunch but overall nothing spectacular. The place was super cute, especially upstairs was beautiful and light but there was a private event so we sat downstairs in the basement. I was initially worried but the basement was really nice too! read more

The gimmick is small plates in an AYCE format, with extra charge for drinks and dessert. It is a good gimmick, because you get to try a ton of stuff and you will NOT be hungry. Staff does need to be flagged down, I wouldn't call this "attentive", but in general we got what we needed. The food was really fun. My personal stand outs were the steak tartare (we ate four of those) and the pepper croquettes. Also great were flatbread, spreads, all the grilled items, and anything with mushroom or truffle. The fish offerings were weakest, though still lovely. It isn't cheap, you're walking out at a baseline of $75pp with one drink, and if you're a lush like me, you're at $100+. It's still delicious and a chance to try what you haven't before. I'd come again. read more

While the food was decent, our experience was not enjoyable because our car was unfairly towed from the parking lot behind their restaurant. Looking at other reviews, this seems like a common problem at Ambar that's been happening for a while. I am disappointed that Ambar is not taking enough steps to let their customers know about the predatory towing practices especially when the lot is where many of their customers will park. Something as simple as having the employees remind us about the towing when greeting us would've saved a lot of headache. The staff was not helpful in providing us security footage to show to the tow truck company either, which doesn't show that they care about us. Hoping they change things for the better read more

Got seated right away in some very comfy chairs downstairs. We ordered a lot of tapas and they all came out fast. Service was on point. The lighting made it hard to read the menu though. read more

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Came here for Saturday brunch after hearing so many great things about it and I must say my expectations were BLOWN AWAY. Portion sizes were perfect, even more than I'd expect for tapas style which made it even more of a steal! The quality and taste was AMAZING from the mac & cheese to their beet tzatziki w/their pita & other bread to their kabobs and more. The aesthetic was so nice in the basement as well. Their mixed berry & guava mimosas were well made not giving you a strong champagne taste while giving you a bold taste of the fruits. You'll leave this place thinking about the food and when you'll be back! Oh and the service? FAST AND FRIENDLY :) read more

Visited back on a busy Saturday night in August and truly enjoyed my experience, reason I decided I wanted to come back for my birthday. Made reservations with friends for this past Monday 1/2/23. Arrived, no host at entrance, waited a bit to be seated, even when the place was empty. It was a 5pm reservation. Once seated we waited some time for a server to assist and when they did, even thou it was a party of 3, only 2 menus where brought to the table. They did ask if it was our first time to which my friends agreed, however, no explanation or suggestion from the waiter was made. I had to do the job for her then and explain to my friends the concept. Now to the good stuff. I was the first to order from the unlimited experience, I chose what I really came for, chicken skewers, waiter says, we don't have it. That was already disappointment number 1. I move on to next choice, shrimps, she types it in. Next I order, steak tartare, "sorry we don't have it". At this point I'm trying to figure out why she is not telling us upfront what they don't have. I stopped ordering and she moved on to my friend. He asked for lamb lasagna. She replies, "we don't have". This birthday girl by now is upset, looks at her and asks, "can you tell us all the things you don't have?". She proceeds. No chicken skewers, no cauliflower, no steak tartare, no lamb lasagna, no stuffed peppers. My reaction, "well this is very disappointing". Felt like I wanted to leave then but my friends still wanted to try the rest of what was available, we did so. Plates were coming out slowly from kitchen on a pretty empty restaurant. It didn't seem like there was much interest on serving our table. Was not the service I was expecting and would have wished to have more options available from the menu. read more

Such an awesome spot! We came here on a double date for dinner. Amazing food, love the tapas style. Also the unlimited food for every meal is a huge plus! Usually a place that has a bottomless menu only has this option for brunch, but Ambar has this option for lunch and dinner as well! I absolutely love the vibes of the restaurant upstairs is more bright, floral, and feminine while downstairs has a more speakeasy, masculine feel. Our server took good care of us and brought us tons of dishes. He also did a good job of checking up on us to make sure that we had everything we needed. Ambar is a great place to come with a group! Definitely a must try restaurant if you live in the DMV. read more

Who doesn't love this place? I love trying new restaurants but this is a spot we keep coming back to when we get the opportunity to go out to eat. Such a great bottomless food deal for lunch AND dinner! The drinks are great too and the service never disappoints. Also love the decor. Can't wait to go back this weekend! read more

AMBAR Restaurant, Clarendon - Holiday season at Ambar - Modern European Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

First time here. Think Tapas for the Balkan region. It enabled us to try so many dishes. A surprise birthday dessert was appreciated. Lots of parking garages were available, plus street parking. Our server Ivan was excellent and made sure we had enough to eat. Hvala Ivan! read more

Very nice ambience. Brunch has a lot of options and they let you order as much as you want. I wish there was an a la carte option, as I only like breakfast sweets. Fun for a special occasion. read more

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I came here spontaneously on a Sunday lunch/brunch time. The place was pretty packed and it was hard to find a table. But, the bar area was open. It wasn't for anything special. So, we just chose the bar area. The service was fine. Attentive. The food and the speed of food service and the price for what you get is not worth it. They purposely send out food slowly to prevent over ordering or eating. It was to the point where we ordered dishes and sat there at the end for 15-20 minutes. When we paid and left, we realized we never got our last round of orders including dessert. For $43 per person, we should have just gone to a steak house as the steak option for 3 small pieces was the only thing worth eating. We left pretty disappointed and realized that it's not worth it to come back to try this place. I had memories that this place was good several years ago. But, never again. I was still hungry too! That's the messed up thing. I had to grab some food from Trader Joe's just to feel satisfied. A $7 prepared sandwich did a better job in my opinion. read more

AMBAR Restaurant, Clarendon - Bar area - Modern European Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Came here for brunch with a friend! $42.99 for all you can eat for 2 hours , $0.99 drinks. I recommend making a reservation through open table as it was busy on a Sunday morning. Service is pretty slow when it comes to ordering food but they quickly remove plates and bring water. Getting our drinks was quick, and delicious! The food tasted good but some items were basic without much to them (ex crispy cheese slider is just a mozzarella stick on a bun, waffles were plain with Nutella sauce). Overall, most of the food was pretty delicious with. Wide variety. My favorite were the dips, veggie flatbread, Mac n' cheese, grits, and eggs Benedict. I would probably pass on the cinnamon donuts, they were very tough and hard to eat. The inside is beautiful, with lots of windows for sunshine and looks newly renovated. Will be back for dinner! read more

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The all you can eat experience at Ambar is totally worth it! Not only is this place super cute inside but the food is absolutely amazing and incredibly flavorful. It was a fun experience being able to try a little bit of everything from Balkan cuisine. For $49 (no dessert option) we tried so many different things, from dips to cheese, meat & cheese pies, fried chicken, kebabs, vegetables (carrots and Brussels) and so much more. It was all so delicious, so much so that we were too full to have dessert unfortunately. Next time I want to try the desserts, they looked so good. Overall really great experience and our waitress was very nice! Looking forward to trying more and wearing stretchier pants! read more

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Ambar is a restaurant best visited when you have time to walk off your drinks (or you make your hubby DD). I love a good bottomless brunch and Ambar is one of the best! I've been to the DC location but checked out the Clarendon location last weekend. I didn't have any issues street parking and was pleasantly surprised that street parking is free on Sundays! My friend and I made a reservation and were seated pretty quickly. It was a beautiful day so we were disappointed to be taken to the basement seating where there isn't any natural light. We ended up asking to be moved back upstairs and sat at the bar high tops. The staff was very accommodating with this request. The seating area downstairs would be nice for dinner, it has a sort of speakeasy vibe. We tried a little bit of everything food wise! My favs were the Mac and cheese, hanger steak, and strawberry Nutella waffle. I enjoyed a couple mixed berry mimosas to wash it all down! It's a curse and a blessing that Ambar is so far. I'd spend way too much money there if it were closer!! read more

Great experience overall! Our server was fantastic! Answered questions, gave us recs and was just super friendly! The food was 4/5 for me. Several items that were amazing, a few that were good but not excellent- I'm sure that's due to our preferences. But just keep trying new things because it's all included. A must go! Give it a try! read more

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We went to try the unlimited dinner and tasted a variety of dishes. Most of them were delicious, but a few needed the unique flavors of Balkan cuisine. The service was decent but slow when we wanted to order more. The restaurant itself was decent, but the tables were placed too close to each other. read more

Come hungry for the unlimited small plates. Good sized menu with all different types of Mediterranean foods. Also some more Americanized dishes. Don't fill up on the bread to start. $27 for lunch was advertised but felt there was some up charge when the final bill came. read more

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The food itself is quite average, service was great, and decor is super cute. Overall experience was good, but 3 stars just because food was just decent. read more

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I've been here twice. It's all you can eat for a fixed price. I honestly loved this concept and the ambiance is great

I highly recommend making a reservation and even if you do confirm via text, make sure you call them. Apparently, our reservation for 8 was cancelled even though it was confirmed. They did make good on the reservation within 20 minutes though. Parking. There's no such thing as free parking. We found a spot in the lot behind Ambar at $6/hr regardless of time or day. Yes, there are conflicting signs of no parking unless you have a permit, but also the Parkmobile sign indicating pay parking. We were here for the Sunday $42.99 pp brunch. Highlights: the kebab and sausage, the beet and yogurt dip, the pork neck slider, the crispy hash brown, the charcuterie boars, them always topping you off with the 25 cent drinks, the speed of food delivery. The meh: the veggie spreads of peas beans and carrots (just looks unappetizing), the shrimp omelet (unless you like rubbery shrimp), bacon (a tad overcooked), scrambled eggs (you don't go there for scrambled eggs). Note: there is a 2 hr time limit, but at the pace food was flying out, you will be done by 2, plus your parking out back is only for 2 hours... read more

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With their delicious unlimited small plates, incredible service, and fantastic vibes, Ambar has everything you could be looking for! I first visited this location with a party of 10, which we had to coordinate with one of their special events managers -- our coordinator, Massala, was an absolute delight, and super helpful in getting everything set up. We had a few special requests (i.e., birthdays, sitting outside in the dead of winter, etc.), but she handled them all wonderfully and made sure we were kept warm and toasty while we enjoyed an incredible meal. The food itself was incredible -- with a large group, we put in a number of our own selections, but our server also gave us a hand and added several Balkan classics that we definitely couldn't miss. They were also great at handling dietary restrictions, providing us with an allergen menu, and coming out to describe the ingredients of each dish. It's hard to pick a favorite, but moving through a menu, a few stand-outs were: - Literally all of their dips, but the Ajvar (roasted pepper & eggplant relish) was definitely my favorite; if you're gluten-free, they can also bring out some fresh veggies to dip instead of the pita - Tomato soup (a classic, but incredibly rich, with a great roasted flavor; also perfect for warming you up on a cold day) - Drunken mussels (rich, decadent, and absolutely delicious) - Rainbow trout (loved the crispy skin and flakey crust, and the light fish paired perfectly with the lentils and house gremolata) read more

Been living in Clarendon for 26 years and they are the best restaurant in the area. Food and service is excellent!