My long-running birthday tradition is getting Indian for dinner. Take-out, order in, anything goes. I wanted to try a new spot this year, so we dined in here on a Saturday night. It was busier than we expected, but it didn't affect our very attentive service. We started with a different appetizer than usual (for us), the Papadi Chat. A simple cold salad mix of chickpeas, apples, onion, and spices. We didn't really know what to expect, but it was tasty and something I could easily replicate at home. For entrees, we happily devoured 2 saag dishes (Chicken Tikka Saag and Saag Paneer), as well as Dal Makhani. I can't write this review without mentioning the naan. The garlic may have been one of the best garlic naans I've had - flavorful garlic flavor with so many actual garlic pieces adhered. BUT the star of the show was absolutely the Kashmiri naan. Do not pass this up!!! Maybe the best and most unique naan overall I've ever tried. Dramatic statement but true. Overall, this was a delicious birthday dinner and we will absolutely be back for more of that Kashmiri naan :) read more

Ambar India Restaurant - Chicken Tikka Saag, Saag Paneer, Dal Makhani, Garlic Nan, Kashmiri Nan - Indian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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You have to try this place. It has the best naan I have ever eaten in the US so far. This place is simple low key but the food is outstanding. Must try: Naan (any kind), saag bhartha, malai kofta, masala lassi. Something to know: they have on-site parking behind their building. It's a small and bit tight parking so be careful while entering and exiting. Service is always good and food comes out in reasonable time. Prices have definitely gone quite up since after covid. But the good food makes it worth. read more

Ambar India Restaurant is located in the Clifton area a bit north of downtown Cincinnati. Online reviews seemed numerous and somewhat favorable, so we stopped in for lunch after a visit to the nearby zoo & botanical gardens. While interiors are modest and there's not much ambiance, service by the staff was very warm and pleasant. We ordered the mango lassi, chicken pakoras, chicken tikka masala, and a naan. While I have no basis of comparison with other Indian restaurants in Cincinnati, all the food was fresh and tasted good, although probably a bit underspiced (as I've come to expect for Indian restaurants not located in the northeast US). The naan was very generous size and among the largest I've seen served. While the food itself would probably rate closer to average where I live, I don't mind rounding up a bit to a 4 to align with other ratings since the food was fresh and service being gracious, attentive, and friendly. This was a decent lunch experience, so I'd recommend Ambar India Restaurant to try out to those with a craving for Indian food in Cincinnati. read more

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We came here while visiting Cincinnati. It was easy to get in at 7:30 on a Saturday night. The servers were attentive and friendly. We ordered chicken tikka masala and lamb vindaloo with garlic naan and my husband got coconut soup. The spice level was accurate and the portions were good-sized. I thought it was pretty good - not the best Indian I've ever tasted but it was pretty solid. The restaurant was clean and had a lot in inside seating. I can see why they are so popular in the area. I would come back. read more

Ambar India Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Always excellent. Great friendly staff. Aloo Saag and Garlic Nan is my favorite! Oh and the desserts are incredible. read more

Great food and friendly service. This place feels like you're in someone's home. It's comfortable and smells so good. So many amazing choices. It's great to get a few dishes and share. read more

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My wife and I came here while we were visiting from out of town. A friend recommended this place to us. The waitress was attentive and friendly. The inside was clean and large and easy to get a seat on a Saturday night. We ordered chicken tikka masala and lamb vindaloo. I thought it tasted good but it didn't agree with my stomach. I also tried the coconut soup. I've never had anything else like it. I would come back and perhaps try a different dish next time. read more

Ambar India Restaurant - Rice - Indian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Ambar is hands down the best Indian restaurant in Cincinnati. I have tried many and always come back to Ambar. I've never had a saag mushroom at any Indian restaurant ever as delicious as Ambar's. The garlic naan is perfect and the chicken tikka masala is top notch. Servers are friendly and attentive. The atmosphere is intimate and quiet enough for casual conversation. Definitely recommend Ambar if you're looking for some great Indian cuisine. read more

Ambar India Restaurant - Saag Mushroom - Indian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Wonderful establishment to have lunch or dinner at. The flavors and prep of meals are out of this world delicious...

Just not much flavor. We've tried them several times and sadly are still underwhelmed. Their staff are friendly so sayin the food doesn't match up is difficult. read more

My favorite restaurant!! I lived in Cincinnati for about a decade and couldn't get enough of Ambar; especially, their makhani and saag. I moved to Chicago about 15 years ago and every time I go back to Cincy I dine in and take out. In fact, it's in the car right now, heading back to Chi-town. I have not found Ambar's equal and, believe me, I've tried. read more

I love Indian food, and was very excited to try this place that was recommended to us by several friends. The restaurant ambiance itself was nice, and thankfully they have their own private parking lot in the back. We started with vegetable samosas and pakoras which were delicious, and the sauces were on point. We ordered 3 different curries and told that since there were 3 of us we probably should get the dinner portion sizes and not the lunch ones. We tried the saag paneer, chicken curry, and lamb vindaloo. They asked us about spice levels (1 through 6) and we ordered 3 and 4s and quite frankly they were not even spicy at all which was disappointing to not even have a "kick". Don't even want to know what 1 would taste like. The best one was the saag paneer, but unfortunately the chicken and lamb were too dry despite the flavor being fine. Each plate was very expensive, somewhere around $18-20 for dinner portion - yet the curry portions were small for that price and they only gave us one single plate of rice to share among 3 people for 3 curries ordered? Kinda feel cheated out there. Naan was not included, so we ordered garlic naan and that was good. Service was fine, but we kept being asked if we were done several times. It wasn't even busy, so it's quite a turn off. This is a very expensive restaurant for Indian food, I was expecting more for the price tag. I think it's overall a 3.5 star in terms of food and experience but unfortunately don't think I will be returning anytime soon, and would rather try out other places in the city. It's a disappointment, I was really looking forward to liking this place. read more

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My Mr Dined here a few years back and raves about this place. Last night we were craving Indian food and he mentioned this restaurant in Clifton. We are still not dining out due to the circumstances but thankfully they are delivering via Door Dash. So grateful for this service and glad they were on the list. We ordered: Garlic Nan bread Chicken Saag Matter Paneer We got our order in less than hour and the food packed a lot of heat (still hot that we didn't have to warm it up) Everything was perfect, food fresh and delish. Funny this place doesn't offer a spice level but I was satisfied with the flavor of our meals. The pricing is reasonable and glad we got our Indian fix. This restaurant is legit so good!!! read more

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This is the best Indian food I have found in this city. I thoroughly enjoy it every time I go. I always get vegetable samosas, naan, and a veggie dish. It was really laid back and not as crowded for a Sunday eve, which I appreciated. Normally, they are busy. I have never been disappointed with anything I've ordered. They also have their own parking in the back of the building which is so helpful because it's located in busy Clifton. Service staff is also nice. read more

Our server was great and the lamb korma and chicken masala was excellent as always, just shocked at the price increases since my last visit. What can you do if the quality is authentic, and there is limited competition in the area. read more

Ambar has the best authentic Indian cuisine in downtown Cincinnati ! Everything on the menu is fabulous!! read more

Ambar India Restaurant - Chicken Marsala, Chicken Pakora, Saag - Indian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

We stopped in for an early dinner at Ambar. It had been a favorite place for lunch carry out as well as the occasional dinner during our working years. As always, the service was excellent. We were greeted as we entered, and the server stopped by the table at appropriate times throughout our stay. Our meals were quickly served and the food was as good as we remembered. The spice level was just as we ordered. As expected the large portions left plenty to take home for another meal. The only disappointment was the naan. It is usually our favorite part of the meal, but this time it was over-salted. I mentioned this to our server when she brought the containers so she could alert the kitchen. When I went to pay our bill, I was asked to wait as a replacement naan was being prepared for us. I had not expected this, but it is typical for Ambar to ensure their guests are completely satisfied with their meals. read more

Ambar has an 18 percent gratuity for a party of 5 or more. The fifth member of our family was my 8 year old daughter! There is no sign in the restaurant that states that this is part of Ambar's policy! read more

Delicious food, I enjoyed it very much. Got it to go with my friends. I will be coming back! Very friendly staff as well. read more

Ambar India Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Ambar is a longtime popular Indian restaurant in Clifton. It looks like it's been there forever. The place looks worn out. But the food is what counts. Pretty good prices when considering quality. I had the vegetable jalfreezi. It's about $11 for the lunch portion. This is basically rice and vegetables. It's made with a spicy sauce which isn't that bad. You can adjust the heat level. It's on a scale of 1, mild to 6, which is mouth burning hot. The rest of the menu features many vegetarian and healthy options. It has a real casual atmosphere. It's not fancy here at all. They have their own parking lot but there isn't much room. read more

Ambar India Restaurant - Vegetable Jalfreezi - Indian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

An excellent meal at a good price point. The wait staff was friendly and helped my friend who was an Indian food neophyte.

I love this place! It's in a great location, the food is top notch and so is the service.

Expensive like most Indian food, but very good. Parking lot in back. Several Indian food places in the area

This Clifton staple has been satisfying curry cravings for years. They have the best Masala sauce in North America and their chicken is always tender. Their charming little restaurant is great for date night followed by a stroll down Ludlow for coffee, ice cream, or a movie. read more

Ordered takeout here a couple times and it's delicious every time. SO much food! I get the garlic naan every time, it's wonderful. The Chicken Tikka has amazing flavor and Chicken Tikka Masala Saag is also awesome. read more

Until last Friday, I had my go-to Indian Food restaurant... Then Ambar happened. Ambar had been on my list to try for some time, but this was my first visit and boy... was it good. We walked in on a steadily busy Friday night. There was no wait and we were seated immediately. The staff was BEYOND accommodating. Every time I took a drink of water, someone was coming by to keep my glass refilled. I ordered the chicken vindaloo with a spice level 3 (out of 6). The spice levels here are no laughing matter. I'm glad I didn't order my food any spicier. The chicken vindaloo was absolutely delicious. Extra rice was a necessity at our table. The portions here are a little smaller than most Indian food restaurants in the area, but the quality definitely felt a step up. The prices were pretty on-par for what I would expect and definitely worth the great service and food. Ambar is a new go-to for me - I can't wait to come back! read more

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This place is my gold standard for Indian food, period. Every time I am in Cincinnati I make it a point to eat here. I've had Indian food in the best restaurants in London and I still prefer Ambar. My go to is the chicken tika masala and the saag paneer with garlic naan. The mango lassi is my bangarang I could drink a gallon of it straight up. I can't say enough good things about this place. The service is always fantastic too. read more

There's a few Indian restaurants in town but Amber is my go to. Not a modern atmosphere inside for sure but just a good local restaurant with good service. On a cold day the lamb curry hits the spot. Heat from 1 to 6. I like 5. They serve plenty of rice to go with it. I always throw in a side of tomatoes and onions . Helps tone down the heat a little and adds some freshness to the meal. The lamb is super tender and the sauce has a great subtle mix of spices that are just plain good and leave my belly satisfied and warm. read more

Ambar India Restaurant - Tomatoes and onion salad. Great on its own and Even good cut up and mixed in with the main course - Indian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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We've been coming here for years and I still think it's the best Indian food in town. Their saag paneer is my favorite. Nothing fancy, but consistently good food. read more

Ambar India Restaurant - Garlic naan and saag paneer. - Indian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Still as delicious as it always was! I was introduced to Ambar India by a group of vegan friends back in the late 90's and have loved it ever since. Just had it again recently and it was just as good as ever. The Vegetable Pakoras, fresh baked Garlic Naan Bread and Aloo Choley (chickpeas & potatoes) are to die for. 11/10 am recommending now! read more

Tried papdi chat and aloo paratha . People from India - don't try papdi chat , it's not what we get in india . It's a modified version . You won't like it . Aloo paratha was fine . read more

I had dinner at this restaurant and the food was great! the service was terrible. Me and my family had food left over and we asked for plastic bowls to put the stew in and she gave us foam bowls and she specifically said "we don't have any plastic bowls" although they do for carry out ( i know this because i ordered from this exact location plenty of times and received a plastic bowl) . On the way home the foam containers spilled all over my car that's is essentially $90 wasted. I called them and they said they could remake it. then called back three minutes later and said they couldn't. What an awful experience we had! With the cost of food in this economy me and my children were looking forward to eat that for left overs. Not only did I just waste 90$ i now have to get my cream colored carpets cleaned. Thank you Ambar India! read more

The food is so good I Dream about it every night and I also love the wonderful service in the Super Clean and a Beautiful ambiance and i love it read more

As with many other reviewers, I agree this is the best place in Cincy for Indian food. Tried multiple dishes over the years and have never disliked a single one. They're good about getting the spice right. It isn't cheap, but price seems fair for what you get. Service has always been friendly as well. read more

My favorite Indian restaurant in Cincinnati. My family has been going here since the 90s. The family the owns the place are some of the nicest people you'll meet. On the weekends it can get kind of busy and the place is small so just plan ahead if you don't want to wait! The food is incredible. Everything I've ever ordered has been fantastic and the staff will gladly recommend options if you're unsure about what to order. I've been coming here for years- only Indian food I'll get besides their second location in Tylersville! read more

This is one of my favorite local indian restaurants and a requested place in my household. I went recently to get a carry out order but have also dined in before. Ordered my usual over the phone. Chicken Marsala, garlic naan and another dish. When I arrived it was the normal crowed but parking g was good (which is in the back of the building). I went in and she asked if it were carryout which I indicated yes. The rice was plentiful which is great. The sauce was really good for the chicken marsala. The garlic naan was a good portion for the meal. I really enjoyed this meal overall, the naan adds to the flavor. I will return to this location to purchase my chicken marsala and other dishes. I truly enjoy the flavor of the food I have had there. read more

I've been going here for over 20 years and it has always been my favorite Indian food in town. Stopped tonight and was completely unimpressed by the food, which was so disappointing. No flavor and lots of oil. Service was ok, staff friendly. Building looks the same as it did in the 90's. C*vid plexiglass still up between the booths... read more

Great apps and the lunch sized main courses were generous. There's a reason this place is still here and the other Indian place is gone, not only did this one win the literal shootout but they also make the best Indian dishes in this area. Worth a stop for sure. read more

Ambar is the BEST place to get Indian food. It's a bit pricier than other places, but it is so worth it. Pre-COVID, it was a great date place. The atmosphere was so comfortable and elegant, and accompanied by the food, really made it a phenom place for date night. During this pandemic, I still order to pick-up every now and then to treat myself. I usually always order the saag paneer and an order of naan. On occasions when I really want to treat myself, I get the lamb korma. Either option are fantastic! When taking out, they filled the rice container to the brim, and it is such delicious rice too. Both when dining in and take-out, the entree is delicious and I've never been able to finish it so I usually have leftovers. Thankfully, Ambar's food is also good as leftovers. Doesn't lose any of the flavors. Recently, I've started trying to recreate saag paneer at home, but have yet to figure out how Ambar gets its phenomenal flavors. read more

If you love good food, this is the spot for you! Their food has excellent flavor, cooked well and spiced just as if we were overseas. Dining in, in my personal opinion is better than take out but if you're near by it shouldn't be much of an issue. I would give this place 5 stars however the parking and not so elegant look of the inside of the restaurant downgrades the review to 4 stars. If it's your first time trying this cuisine please don't go anywhere but here. read more