Great brunch and dinner spot, especially for groups. I've visited the Ambar in Capitol Hill frequently but this was my first time at the Shaw location. I came with a girlfriend for brunch before headings to an event. The decor is so cute! The flowers hanging from the roof are so pretty and not underwhelming. I love the booth seating. It was so cozy in there. We did the unlimited brunch with unlimited drinks. I love the variety in options for the drinks. You can get a traditional, peach lavender or mango hibiscus mimosa. They also have the option for a red sangria or Bloody Mary. We rotated between the peace lavender and mango hibiscus mimosas. For the food we tried the following: Veal Soup: Delicious! We ordered this twice Fried Chicken Slider: Good! The crust is interesting Grilled Vegetables Flatbread: Good and a nice fill of veggies! If you're vegetarian this is a great option Salmon Benedict: Solid. Pretty standard Spreads: The beet tzatziki was our favorite. The only one we didn't care for was Olivier. Applewood smoked bacon: It's bacon, you can't really go wrong here. Overall we enjoyed our food and drinks. I'm definitely going back for brunch again. Service was great! We were running a few minutes late. We called ahead and they were very accommodating and up front about timing. Our waitress was amazing! I wish I remembered her name because she held it down. I'm looking forward to my next visit. Happy hour is up next! read more

Great unlimited brunch experience! The ambience is very DC. I really appreciate the fact that there is an option for craft cocktails as well as mimosas for the unlimited drink experience. The food was very good. I did deduct one star because the portions were a little small, and for a larger party you may you may need to order multiple. Additionally, for the Mediterranean omelette, the olives were lacking, I expected more olives and feta cheese and sun-dried tomatoes than everything else. Otherwise very very satisfied with the selection! Highly recommend for larger groups of people. They are strictly adherent to the two hour brunch policy so beware of that and have everyone arrive on time. read more

I visited Ambar for the first time for Valentine's Day, 2024 and what a great experience. The staff and service were phenomenal and made sure drink stayed flowing and the food coming. They had a great $99 all you can eat and drink Valentine's Day special, and I was glad my fiancé and I went to enjoy it. The lighting inside the restaurant created a lovely mood and we were able to sit back and enjoy the quality time and quality food. One of my favorite dishes was the Lam lasagna, I'd go back to the restaurant just to buy that for dinner on a night I don't feel like cooking, and the cocktails were amazing. I will definitely be back to try their brunch one day as the food I was able to try during the dinner, let me with very positive experience. read more

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Great service, great food and great time! Def would return with a group! The sliders, salads and grilled meats were especially great!

This was such a fun experience! Very great price for basically unlimited lunch for 2 hours. Each person gets to order 2 plates per round. Basically a buffet but everything is made to order which I loved so much more. Eggplant moussaka was great & I'm not even a fan of eggplant! My favorite dish was the fried chicken, it had a wasabi yogurt sauce with apples which gave it a great flavor and a really nice crunch. We were not a fan of the lamb. We enjoyed the shrimp so much that we ordered it twice! I forgot to take a picture of it though. The staff was friendly & it had a cute ambiance. read more

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Even though the menu consisted of many things I've had before it was prepared like nothing I had ever experienced. It was fun trying things that tasted pleasantly different from what I expected. I especially loved this non alcoholic drink called the mango mule and had several of them. The cheese pie, cornbread were interesting, but not my favorite. I also had the fried chicken which I did not hate, and the almonds in the batter was quite memorable. The fish varieties were pretty good. The shrimp were awesome. read more

Love ambar! One of the best bottomless brunch deals in the DMV. Our waitress, Maria, was amazing and attentive. We went for brunch and our glass was always refilled before it was empty. The 2nd floor is beautiful with pink flowers floating from the ceiling. In the summer, they retract the roof and the lighting is perfect read more

The ambiance of this restaurant is 10/10 it is way less busy than their other restaurants which is nice! My server was friendly and attentive. The food was not as good as I hoped. Nothing was outright bad but it was lacking. I would come here again because the price is worth it and drinks are good but definitely not the best food in DC read more

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We had a lovely group dinner on a relatively quiet Tuesday. They told us we could only get happy hour at the bar, which was a bummer because happy hour drinks are all night on Monday and Tuesday. Anyway, we went for the all you can eat tapas, and it was fun to try to order the whole menu (we got to about 75%, which was pretty respectable!). My favorite was the roasted carrots, which had two amazing sauces (tofu cashew cream and chimichurri, plus an Amarillo glaze). So delicious! My second favorite was the roast cauliflower with a yummy spinach tahini pesto and crunchy pine nut sauce. Those were the two standouts, but the platter of dips, lamb medallions, eggplant moussaka, beet short rib goulash, beef prosciutto, and beet salad were also solid. I probably wouldn't order the trout, shrimp, salmon, mussels, chicken stroganoff, yaga roasted lamb, meat pie, or lamb lasagna again. I would definitely skip the brussel sprouts, asparagus, vitamin salad, or mushroom crepe. Wait staff was friendly (though disappeared on occasion) and the semi outdoor area is nice in good weather. read more

AMBAR Restaurant, Shaw - A feast of small plates! Carrots are the winner in the center (bummed the second order never came out even though I was stuffed :)) - Modern European Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

After much delay, I finally got to try Ambar at the Shaw location. My friend and I decided to do the unlimited food and drinks with dessert option. For the food, we tried the following: - Dips and veggies with pita bread: Pretty good, I especially enjoyed the beet dip and the tomato eggplant dip. - Halloumi: This was pretty decent but I was slightly disappointed because the cheese had a dry texture. - Lamb Lasagna: This was delicious! - Lamb Medallions: pretty good but could have been more tender and moist. - Brussels sprouts: These were delightful though I wished they had more sear or roast on it. - Chicken skewers: They tasted good but it was pretty dry so I did not find myself reaching for it again. - Chicken stroganoff: Also very delicious! The mushroom sauce was rich and paired well with the mashed potatoes. - Beef sausage: Not exactly sure what these were but the sausage was dry so I only had two bites of it - Beef short rib goulash: This was also very delicious. The pasta was orzo, which had a pleasant bite. - Chocolate cake dessert: I was very excited for dessert and it looked very nice (see pic) but unfortunately the top chocolate glaze layer was like solid rock. I could barely stick my fork in it to eat it. For the drinks, I had the red sangria, kiwi smash, and mango margarita. They were all delicious and refreshing. As for the service, the waitress was nice and attentive. For the over $100 I paid for dinner, I wish the experience and food was better. Unfortunately something I hate here gave me food poisoning immediately (my hunch is the chocolate cake since my friend didn't eat it and instead had a different dessert) and it's been two days of me being ill at the time of me writing this review. This, coupled with some of the dishes missing the mark, leads me to rate it a 2/5. read more

AMBAR Restaurant, Shaw - TG - Chocolate Cake - Modern European Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

We came here for happy hour Monday. The service was great the food was yummy. They were super nice to me and my children and we really enjoyed our early dinner on a spring evening. We ate out at the downstairs patio and it was nice. Upstairs is much nicer but we had a stroller and wanted to stay downstairs. read more

I was so pleasantly surprised when I came here that the food was delicious! The $50 unlimited plates deal is a steal and set my expectations low, but Ámbar has quickly become a go to spot. Walking in, the space itself too impressed me. It's really well decorated and spaced out. The waitress helping us was a great guide to the menu and brought us our food promptly through the whole meal, keeping a perfect flow of dishes with just the right amount of time to enjoy each one. The portion sizes are very small, which helps balance out the number of things I wanted to try (but I think we ordered 3 more cauliflowers throughout the meal because it was so good!). Standouts on the menu were definitely the cauliflower, pita bread and dips, eggplant moussaka, fried chicken, short rib goulash, and gnocchi -- but the even my less favorite items are worth trying because it's all included!! read more

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While the food at Ambar Shaw is amazing, nothing beats the service we got from Rosa. She is warm, friendly, and attentive... so much so that it makes me want to learn how to roll my 'R's' so I can say her name properly. read more

AMBAR Restaurant, Shaw - Rosa - Modern European Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I absolutely love the food and the service was great! Balkan cuisine and the unlimited small plates is perfect. You get as many small plates from an extensive menu. Unbelievable and such a great idea! Satisfied customers! read more

AMBAR Restaurant, Shaw - A joyful smile after eating a delicious meal! - Modern European Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I was worried going in because our group had food allergies and they were SO accommodating. They have a whole menu that lays out the allergens in each dish and whether thet can be modified. Staff was great - we had an issue with our reservation & they were really helpful. Food was quite good. Lamb lasagna was the standout. read more

Absolutely phenomenal food, ambience and service! We took one of those offers that included unlimited food and got to try 10+ different (tapas like) portions. Cannot recommend it enough! read more

AMBAR Restaurant, Shaw - Ambient - Modern European Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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ROSA!!! Rosa was ahhhhmazing!! She was very attentive and made sure we were taken care of. The food and the atmosphere were outstanding. This was our first time here--for brunch. We will be back. Thank you so much for a yummy experience. read more

Amazing service, food, and ambiance!! Our server, Andres, was super helpful and pointed us towards all the best things to get. I got an espresso martini, the pepper and cheese croquettes, eggplant moussaka, and chicken skewers and every plate was so so good. Especially the croquettes. Had an amazing dinner, and will be back! read more

NEVER EVER GO TO THIS PLACE! We had a party of 16 people. 15 showed up. I actually have a fever. Instead of saying well each person spent $66/person that's on. NOPE. charged the no-show. I hope the next time I come they go under. I can understand if a big portion of people were no shows...but one and because they're sick. They can go to hell! read more

Came in during brunch on a Saturday and despite the size of our party, the food service was pretty quick. The manager (?) was really friendly, but our waitress was not the friendliest when we were there. The food here is served tapas style, although some of the portions can get pretty hefty. Most of the food is alright at best, but there are some notable mentions. The soups (particularly the venison) are light and hearty. The flatbread is good when hot, and the cevapi sausages were also good but a tad too salty. I enjoyed the salmon benedict more than the prosciutto, and we were fan favorites of the fried chicken slider. Overall, an okay experience, not sure if we would return. read more

AMBAR Restaurant, Shaw - Modern European Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Had a wonderful time and Maria was so accommodating to our group even with a small child and infant. This is one of our faves in DC!

Beautiful place! Service was great - we got seated before our reservation time and our waitress was super nice and attentive! My friend and I went for the unlimited brunch and got a bunch of vegetarian tapas (which I totally forgot to take photos of) and had their different mimosas. Peach lavender was definitely our favorite! Definitely worth the price. Would probably go again! read more

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This was my first time at Ambar Shaw location and honestly it's one of my favorite designs as far as the space. The food was amazing and so were the drinks. Service was even better than all of that. Rosa was so amazing, so attentive, and honestly, I couldn't have asked for a better server. We didn't even have to ask for a refill for mimosas. Def recommend. read more

AMBAR Restaurant, Shaw - Modern European Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Nevo was an excellent server and we learned about Balkan cuisine and culture! Amazing experience!!

Excellent brunch and friendly staff. The ambiance was perfect for celebrating my friend's birthday. I had a great time!

Nemanja provided exceptional service and made our first visit memorable. We will visit again when we are back in town.

I like Ambar and each location has dependable food offerings and a nice atmosphere. The Ambar in Shaw is classy and has a nice second floor layout especially. It is a great place to try a lot of different dishes and they have good drinks as well. Sometimes I have been indecisive on what to order, and have been encouraged to try everything I had in mind. The service is good and while not every dish may be to your liking, there are plenty of options and the unlimited menu option assures that you can find many items you will enjoy. Overall, I would recommend Ambar as a dependable small plates dining choice. read more

Mostly great food (save for the green beans that I heard were headed off the menu) and incredible service, but still, I'm not sure I can eat enough to justify the $50 per person price tag. It's great to try a little bit of everything, but I can't get through everything... In fact, I could only really get through some bread, cheese pie, and some croquettes before calling it quits. Perhaps the four stars is more of a reflection of my stomach size than anything else. read more

3.5 stars! I've been to each Ambar location and was super excited to see what the Shaw location has to offer! Ive had nothing but amazing experiences at Ambar so was surprised to leave this location underwhelmed. Came for an early dinner and was seated upstairs right away. The upstair decor is incredible. Super appealing and feminine with lots of light pinks and greens. They've copied the fake flower aesthetic that is popular these days but it's well done with bright pops of wallpaper everywhere. The deal is similar to other Ambar locations with bottomless food and drink options but it doesn't look like there's an a la carte option for food or dessert, everything is bottomless. For drinks, it is one package deal for bottomless beer, wine, rail drinks, and select cocktails. At other locations drink packages are done with beer and wine at one price and cocktails at a higher price. This Ambar has opted for one fixed cocktail price which isn't bad except that all of the higher end cocktails are excluded. With that being said, my group didnt enjoy any of the cocktails offered in the bottomless deal and wish we hadn't done the deal. I recommend skipping bottomless and opting for the nicer cocktails. Bottomless is only a good deal if you're only drinking beer, wine, and rails. We tried some other cocktails we really enjoyed. Now onto the food - this menu is a little different than other locations which is great for variety. Overall everything was okay with a few standouts. I loved the stuffed peppers and croquettes. The main problem is not all of the food came out hot so not everything tasted super fresh. Service wise our server was so friendly and had a great personality and made us feel super welcomed. At the beginning of the night we saw our server often but as the night went on only saw them every 20-30ish minutes. This wouldn't be a huge deal for another restaurant but since everything is bottomless and its tapas youre always ordering and need to be able to quickly get your servers attention. That being said we timed out of our reservation and left not being able to try everything we wanted. Ambar is really competing with itself here. In my opinion the Clarendon location has the best service and Capitol Hill has the best food. Shaw definitely has the best vibes! Overall I'll come back but will probably skip the full dinner and enjoy a drink at the bar/happy hour. read more

I recently hosted a 30 person dinner with Ambar in which we all had bottomless plates and drinks. Tamara was super easy to work with and designed a contract I was comfortable with. On the day of the event, the service was impeccable - turning dishes out fast and making sure no one's glasses were empty. My friends had the BEST time and kept raving about the salmon, lamb, and desserts. They did not rush us and gave plenty of time for last call. If you're looking for a place to accommodate a large party, look no further! read more

We had reservations but when we arrived we still had to wait about 10 mins even though there were plenty of tables. Service was very good. His name was Eddie. The decor was really fun. Great wallpaper and this big mass of pink flowers hanging over the bar. Lots of very dressed up young women getting photos, presumably for Insta. Food was good and the concept is fun. Pretty much everything I tried was tasty but yes, the portions are very small. The all you can drink special is not worth it. Only a limited number of drinks and they were very good. Good for a one time experience. read more

Do not recommend for brunch. Had the first reservation of the day and had to wait a couple minutes while the hostesses argued about what table to sit our party of two at. The table was dirty. Server was on her phone and made us wait to order. All of the hot dishes were served cold. Server spent more time on her phone than waiting on her tables. Yelpers, you did me wrong on this restaurant read more

truly incredible! very good vibes and decor in there, although they did turn down the lights perhaps a bit TOO much in the evening. service was spot on, very attentive. and the food?! we went for easter no-limits dinner and trust me, you will not leave this place hungry. menu has something for everyone and they even gave us a free piece of cake for our anniversary. would recommend and go back! read more

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We had a Blast on my wifes birthday. Our server was Chris and she gave us an amazing service. Will definitely come back!! read more

Ambar Shaw is the Ambar restaurant group's newest location. I went for their bottomless brunch and really enjoyed the experience. They have an upstairs and downstairs and the upstairs is currently beautifully decorated with cherry blossoms on the ceiling. The brunch is bottomless food for $34 and drinks for $12. The menu has a wide variety of small plate options from soups, to flatbread, to dessert. I would definitely the veal soup, mini burgers, mac and cheese and pork sausage. Our server Stephanie was super nice and ensured we got the most out of the experience. I will say that the space is pretty small and the seats are very close together so you can hear everyone's conversation and it gets a little loud. Overall great experience and I would definitely come back to try the happy hour or bottomless dinner. read more

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went there for unlimited brunch today. the host seated us immediately; even though they were busy. the food came quite quickly and the servers were very attentive even tho the busy-ness. the food came in in very small portions though. since it was a bottomless brunch deal the portions were expected to be small but we wish we knew so we would have ordered 2-3 of each from the beginning. but the servers brought us more when we asked more so quickly, it wasnt an issue. the food itself was okay. nothing was super tasty that d make me want to go back. but it also didnt taste bad either. so it was mediocre and fine. overall the servers made the experience much better. read more

I went to Ambar Shaw during opening week, so I was able to take advantage of their opening week deal ($10 off the dinner price) and am so glad I did! Despite living in DC for years, and hearing great things, I hadn't yet made it to another Ambar location and this was the push I needed. Located just across the street from Dacha with a beautiful building with an even prettier inside, it's a great spot. We sat in the upstairs section--which I would recommend--in a chic yet comfortable booth under a sea of fake cherry blossoms. You could tell they were still getting the hang of things at this location: our waitress hadn't yet tried any of the food and only provided recommendations based on what was popular, several items another table had ordered arrived at our table, and there was at times an odd pacing to the arrival of food. But overall, it was fantastic. The staff was attentive and helpful. I did have to send a drink back for the first time ever in my life, but it honestly tasted like cherry cough syrup and was so terrible no one at the table was willing to drink it. So I can't say I'd recommend the Shumadija Iced Tea unless you really, really want a medicinal version of a Long Island Iced Tea. But they were very gracious about taking it off my bill, and the Pomegranate Kiss I ordered instead was delicious. We chose not to do bottomless drinks because it's really only worth it if you intend to get three cocktails. As far as food, everything was amazing. Because it's unlimited, there's no harm in trying new things, so you might as well try it all! But things I recommend getting extras of include the mussels, goulash, stuffed cabbage, pepper croquettes, and the trout. The pork neck and lamb medallions were some of my least favorite, though not bad. Instead of doing the dessert platter, we opted for sharing one of their award-winning Forrest Gnocchi and it was experience! Presented and plated beautifully for "proof of concept" before the waiter poured milk over it and mixed it with a spoon until it was essentially gloop! But delicious gloop! More interesting and unique than amazing and decadent, but certainly worth a try. I will definitely be back! read more

Quick and varied small bites. There are so many options and the food is TASTY ! Be prepared to find a parking spot, but it's DC (so that should be a given) the people are nice and they keep the food and mimosas on deck and ready read more

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The ambiance is great and the happy prices is great! The service is good as well. The good is Balkan so everything had a unique flavor.

Ambar is one of my favorite DC brunches. The bottomless brunch here is great, and I finally got the chance to try this location and celebrate a birthday here with a group. The inside is more spacious than I expected, and the restaurant is gorgeously decorated. Everyone in my party had a blast. The servers stop by frequently to refill mimosas and take orders, so there's no pressure to get everything all at the start. The bottomless mimosas and sangria are delicious. The grilled steak, cevapi "balkan kabab", fried chicken sliders, and salads are my favorite dishes. read more