My girlfriend and I made our first trip to Amber for a low-key, but still nice, Valentine's Day dinner. It was an excellent choice. A couple of weeks before the big day we purchased a Livingsocial deal for $36. It included two appetizers, two sushi rolls, and two main courses, with a few specific items off limits. There were still plenty of options to choose from, though. We shared everything, starting with the steamed shrimp dumplings and the Thai spiced wrap. The wraps were excellent, though a little bit messy. The pineapple chunks added a great zesty flavor. Next we moved on to the sushi: eel avocado roll and a spicy tuna roll. I preferred the spicy tuna and thought the eel didn't really taste like much, but both were good and were obviously made freshly at their sushi bar. Our mains were sangria crispy duck and pineapple fried rice. The duck was the highlight of the meal. The meat was tender, the skin was crispy (as advertised!) and the sauce was thick and flavorful. I'd even classify it more as a glaze than a sauce. Whatever name you decide to give it, you'll call it delicious! We passed on dessert (at least until later, wink wink) and strode happily home. We'll definitely be back to Amber again. P.S. The decor is cool, too. The rock wall is awesome, and the overhead lights look like logs that have been sliced in half. P.P.S. Excellent service too! read more

Everything I got here was delicious. The shaking beef is a favorite of mine! It is so tender and I love the fresh cucumber and oranges on the plate as well. The shishito peppers were delicious and cooked perfectly. read more

Not a bad sushi option for locals on the UE. Sushi quality is above average and I love the fact that they have King Salmon sushi.....it melts in your mouth like butter. That is my fav and cant be found in too many places. Ambiance and decor is top notch too. read more

Recently, I was lucky enough to scamper into this place on a date. The lovely gentleman I was with was craving the citrus salmon carpaccio, so we fled towards the city. We sat precariously inside/outside which was nice because finally it wasn't raining. The one problem with the place is they want to pack it full of people (obviously......) so the tables are fit for a child's tea party. I guess it helps keep portion control for us food hoarders. We ordered the citrus salmon carpaccio, steamed veggie dumplings, edamame, salmon tuna rollover roll, crunchy spicy salmon roll, triple toro roll, spicy sea scallop roll, and *I think* the spider roll. SOOOOOOO not enough space on the table. I would say the best things out of the bunch were the carpaccio, the rollover roll, and the scallop roll. Everything was bangin tho. I just know I'll be craving those three things within a week. Or am I already craving them....? Their bellini was good and so was their sake, but for the amount of waiters approaching our table and the fact that we were literally up against the door, they still had a little trouble getting my date's second bottle of sake to him in a timely fashion. Of course they apologized profusely.....clearly it wasn't a damper on the evening....and i'm not the kind of jerk that doesn't realize you can't remember everything all the time. So its fine. They're still decently attentive. I wasn't searching for water parched like I was 4 days into the desert or anything like that. I just felt like you all needed to know the detailed play by play of the evening. So, I'd say hook yourself up with some salmon from this place and feed your inner grizzly bear. read more

Nauseating. Not sure what changed...new owners? Went last night for first time in couple months. Ultra slow service but that was nothing compared to the food. Beef Nagimaki was inedible--like shoe leather. The fish, especially the tuna, had a bad color to it and was clearly old. Even the usually reliable spicy tuna avocado roll was a mess. Speaking of which, walk to the bathroom and look around the sushi bar on the way and you will see filth. Stay AWAY!!! It was once good, but it's over. read more

Disclaimer: We went here right after we closed on our Co-op so I might not have been thinking straight when we saw the prices in the just emptied wallets we carried. Does Manhattan need another over-priced sushi joint? I don't think so. The sushi is good. The drinks were good. The bill was not. I think there is better sushi else where, but we were in the area looking at couches for the said new co-op. I would not make the trip down there for Amber again, if I was in the area, maybe, but not willing. The decor is nice, but I don't like it when the decor vaults the prices. Restrooms were nice, good decor, well stocked, 3.5 Flushes. read more

I don't eat sushi, but my friend and boyfriend love it so I caved in and agreed to go here. They loved their sushi and I had the bird's nest, not very daring I know but it was good. read more

I must say, I was a little skeptical at first about this place because of the reviews I read, but I'm soooo happy I gave them a chance. Once I stepped into the restaurant, I was impressed. I loved the decor, the music, the vibe in general. And usually restaurants seem to neglect there restrooms, but both of there restrooms are fabulous!!!! So we started off with the duck spring rolls which were good, but nothing in comparison to the broiled mussels which were simply DELICIOUS. For sushi I had the perfect match which was pretty good and my bf had the golden dragon which was also pretty good. The service was excellent, the waitress was so friendly and attentive. My only complaints were that the table was pretty small and the prices are RIDICULOUS, but we did have a groupon which helped out a little. I would definitely go back, but probably after pay day:) read more

The best part about this place was the decor. In the back room, there is a wall made entirely of tiny rocks with candles nestled in little nooks and crannies. My zen contemplation of this lovely ambiance helped to distract me from the shrieks of a crowd of UES NYC Prep/Super Sweet 16 wannabes taking up half the room. The Amber staff made a valiant effort to shush these girls, but it wasn't going to happen. I must be in the background of about 14 Facebook albums of "(name)'s 16th bday omgggg so awesomeeeeee!." Anyways. I'd imagine that doesn't happen every night. Moving on. Cocktails - necessary addition to shriek-blocking meditation. It was vibrantly red and really unique and delicious (and just strong enough). I'm not really a sushi person, but I had their toro and it was quite tasty. I had the Crispy Tangerine Chicken as an entree - awesome! Huge portion! I enjoyed, I'll be back, hopefully with fewer teenage girls and more zen. read more

I get takeout a lot from here. Great tuna rolls. Great apps. Not too pricey. I feel comfortable getting from here

I am a [self-proclaimed] huge sushi buff and I've had my share of Upper East Side sushi... that said, Amber is definitely "good" but not "great" and absolutely overpriced. For similar prices, you can go a few blocks away to a number of better upscale sushi restaurants such as Haru or Hana. Amber lacks in creativity and the fish, although fresh and tasty, isn't top notch like the better known sushi restaurants. I have not tried any dishes from the kitchen so I can't really comment on those except to say that they sound good on paper but are also kinda pricey. Then again, Amber has a great decor and ambiance... the wall on the left by the bar when you walk in is an awesome multi-colored waterfall over stones, and in general I'd say this would be a good place to take a date. There are also TVs behind the bar that show whatever ESPN game is on, so if that date isn't going very well... at least you have something else to keep you entertained. But like I said, if you're going to spend this kind of money on sushi, take your chopsticks elsewhere. read more

Amber reminds me of how problematic the Asian fusion wave can be. There is no real fusion. The restaurant simply makes a few Japanese dishes, a few Chinese dishes, a few Vietnamese dishes, a few Thai dishes. The interior design of the restaurant is swanky; it certainly tries to cater to the visual taste of the local clientelle. The service is also friendly and efficient. Various aspects of the decor along with the language being spoken by some of the staff lead me to believe that this is a Chinese-owned establishment. The restaurant also has a sushi bar. The menu includes various Vietnamese-inspired and Thai-inspired items. As occurs with other Asian fusion establishments, there is no real fusion all all. Instead, they make a little bit of this and a little bit of that, but none of it is well executed. The potstickers/pan-fried dumplings were actually deep fried and the meat had a strange flavor. I actually chose not to continue eating them. The vegetable spring rolls were fine. How bad can they be? The chicken teriyaki was a simple grilled chicken with a sprinkling of teriyaki sauce and vegetables. I can make a better chicken teriyaki at home. The pad thai was insipid. How can I Thai dish be insipid? The saving grace of the evening was tangerine/orange-flavored chicken. It was decent. However, I certaintly don't have to go to a swanky UES establishment for something I can just as soon find at a food court or neighborhood Chinese take away. All of these comments make me suspect that my move across the East River has made me more demanding when it comes to Asian cuisine. read more

This is definitely some of the best sushi I've had in the city. It's not super cheap, but the prices could be worse. There's plenty of seating if you time it right (before 8 p.m.) and while the drinks are expensive, they're also strong. I can't wait until it's warm enough to eat outside. read more

Good for grabbing a dinner with friends. The backroom is pretty cool as they have sky lights and lots of plants back there. The food is above average and the price point is average for the area. I would have liked more spice options, though. They have a wide variety of cuisine: sushi and more classic dishes. Service is friendly. Lots of families and elderly upper east siders seem to frequent this place. read more

I've been leary of eating sushi in general because it seems like there are a lot of crappy overpriced places and we're dealing with raw fish here, so it wasn't something that I was willing to chance. After doing a little research, AMBER seemed worth checking out for "upper east side sushi". The hostess was super cute and nice and we were sat right away and the server was also attentive, and the food was actually really good. We ordered the sushi sashimi for one and a three other rolls, spicy scallop, spicy tuna, and yellowtail and chive. I was in love with the spicy scallop because I love raw scallop and the DIDN'T butcher it. I really enjoyed it. Everything else was very good, except the yellowtail and chive one wasn't too flavorful. Needless to say, I am a fan - I got what I wanted at a decent cost with good service as well. PS. their bathrooms are really nice. I like that in a restaurant. read more

I order the lunch special from Amber for more than 2 years! It's an incredible buy and you can't beat the price and quality of the food. I usually order to go and the delivery service is prompt! read more

I forgot how much I love Amber! I used to go to a few of the other locations all the time a few years back. Last week I had a colleague in town that wanted Sushi. In all honesty, I picked Amber because it was 1,000 points on opentable.com. I remember everything at Amber being pretty good and the locations are usually nicely decorated and fun. The food was a lot better than I remember. I think the rolls are bigger (less rice, more fish) than a lot of places I have been going. The prices are great, food is great, Amber is great! Recommendations: Rock shrimp tempura app EEL TEMPURA ROLL! Eel cucumber roll Tuna roll King crab roll read more

Nice place and decent service but the food is pretty darn bad. Had the Birds Nest and the Red Snapper. Their sushi rolls aren't bad (hence the stars). But those other two dishes warrant avoiding the place. read more

Meh... I hate Japanese places that have Thai stuff as well. Just stick with one cuisine and do it well. Thai food was meh Sushi was meh. read more

I came to Amber for lunch today because we wanted Sushi and this was one of the only ones in the area. The server was extremely rude throughout the whole initial interaction and not helpful at all when trying to clarify menu items. I ordered the Wonton Soup (chicken broth) and salmon sashimi. The soup was hot water. There was absolutely no flavour to the completely clear broth so I did not eat any of the soup. When the waiter came I told them that it was just hot water which they didnt reply to, just took it and walked off. The main meals came, the salmon sashimi was fantastic however the sashimi plate came with seared tuna sashimi instead of raw so my friend didn't like. We also got the lobster pot stickers which she said were very good. Basically other than the Wonton soup the food was quite good. The reason for the low rating was the waitress who started ignoring me after I asked for the soup to be removed from the bill bc it had no flavour. She was absolutely beyond rude. You simply do not ignore a customer. read more

Great area, great setting, great sushi. Reserved a table via opentable.com and the staff was right on point with my directions. I requested a quiet spot as this was a date and there would be a lot of catching up and getting to know each other. What to expect. When you walk in you'll immediately notice the upbeat setting with a trendy look to the place. The staff immediately recognized my reservation and took us to the back end of the restaurant which was nicely lit and a great setting for conversation and dining. The sushi was EXTREMELY FRESH and if the other restaurants are much the same I would highly recommend them as well. The preparation and show of the entrée put together were very stylish and was perfect for a party of two. My only knock, and the reason I am dismissing this as it was my first and only time there, was the slow service. We weren't sure which person was our server and it was quite sometime before someone checked on us for a drink refill as well as critique of the food. Aside from that it was a great eat, reasonably priced and I will definitely be dining there again! read more

Great sushi. Fresh, generous slices of fish. I had yellowtail, Eel and Fluke. The service was alert, friendly and helpful. The room was a little dark for my taste but not offensively so. Next time I'll eat outside. However, I was using a Groupon, and when I submitted my certificate and received my final bill, I saw that a tip (two times the tax) WAS ALREADY ADDED to my check by the manager. Under ordinary circumstances, I would have loudly protested this but since the service and food were both good and I see myself returning, I paid the final check. BE AWARE OF THIS if you plan on using a groupon. read more

Ordered delivery on a Friday night. Not good. I've had enough very high quality sushi to know the difference and I hate to write a negative review but I can confidently say that this was not good at all. We ordered a few rolls and salmon sushi, Uni sushi, and spicy scallop sushi. The Uni was a sloppy slimy mess that I tasted a tiny piece of and knew I couldn't eat it. I took a bite of the spicy scallop and had to spit it out. The rolls were at least edible but I only kept eating them because they were paid for, not because I enjoyed them. Really wanted this to be great but have to say I'm super disappointed. read more

Although I only ordered vegetarian sushi and mini veggie rolls, I really enjoyed my meal. My brother ordered chicken satay skewers and also enjoyed them. Overall, a good quality meal. I noticed that some dishes seemed a bit expensive but the majority seemed pretty average. I would return read more

Pros: Generally friendly service. Decent prices. Good wine list and good food. Cons: Occasionally a hostess may not be so friendly. Overall a fan. read more

My best friend & I had an itch for sushi & this place hit the spot! The Manhattan tempura was so good & the staff were very friendly, the waiter was extremely helpful with the sushi that I wanted as I asked for a specific sushi that I usually get here in my hometown. Highly recommend & whenever I go back to New York I will go back for sure! read more

Wow, the most recent reviewer absolutely hated this place. It is clear that her bad experience at AAC has led her to write a review thats filled with venom. Maybe that explains why she wrote that the place "suck" instead of "sucks" and why she seemed unable/unwilling to formulate a complete written sentence. Nevertheless, onto my review of this establishment: After walking for several hours through Central Park on a sunny, summer day with a friend, we decided to find a new restaurant to visit. Since we were craving sushi, we decided to go to AAC. After waiting a couple of minutes to be seated, the pleasant hostess brought us to our table. Although there was available outdoor seating, it looked a tad too cramped in that area so we decided to eat inside. While we waited for the waitress, I took a look around and generally liked what I saw. The decor is dark and intimate. AAC is definitely a nice place to take a girlfriend/date. As for the menu, there are extensive options. According to the menu I just looked at on menupages.com, if one is including lunch offerings, AAC offers 175 different food options. It's safe to write that if one isn't able to find a dish that piques ones interest, then that person is a food snob or is in the wrong type of restaurant. After a couple of minutes of looking over the menu, we decided to order four different "special rolls." Soon after we ordered, the waitress brought our rolls. Our waitress was definitely pleasant, professional and prompt. As far as the rolls are concerned, they are sizable and sumptuous. I have no complaints with the quality of the rolls. Overall, we really enjoyed our time here, and it was nice to try a new sushi spot in the UES. I decided to give this place 3-stars instead of 4-stars because there are better-priced sushi places (with similarly appetizing sushi) in the city. read more

Low key place with absolutely delicious sushi. And the price is right! We have been coming here for at least five years and have never been disappointed. read more

Very pleasant. Friendly service, yummy cocktails and decent (although maybe not 5 stars) sushi

I'm gonna give this place 4 stars. There are soooo many sushi places in nyc and most of them are pretty good, so to get above the average 3 stars, you must have something to set you apart. I really like the atmosphere here. The bar has a unique look to it, and its a swanky, sleek atmosphere with very cool lighting. Good decor, tables aren't too close together, outdoor seating available, the whole nine yards. Our service was perfect, prompt without being pushy. The menu was great. They have all the usual rolls, plus a slew of house rolls that are creatively tasty. Some of them a little different from the ones you might see at other restaurants, so that was a treat. And I liked the miso soup a lot too (how can you really mess that up, but still). Anyway we enjoyed our meal, took our time, sat for a little after, all at our own accord. Didn't feel rushed or anything. I really enjoyed this place, great spot for a small group or a date. Definitely recommend if you live in the area. read more

Came here with my friend the other night. I wanted something fresh and light because I was not feeling well. I ordered miso soup, a green salad, a tuna roll, and a salmon roll. I usually order more fun stuff, but I didn't want my stomach to get more upset. Everything tasted fresh and was just what I needed - simple. I would come back here if I was craving sushi. It's not the most amazing sushi, but it gets the job done if you're craving it. read more

Poor customer service. The spicy mayo tastes like mayo with Tabasco. No refills on sodas. The fish had no taste. Salmon and tuna were bland and you wouldn't be able to tell them apart by tasting them. Worst sushi place I've ever been to, and I've been to plenty. read more

Amber - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

I was fairly impressed with the sushi there and though that the breadth of the menu was impressive. I was there with a group of 4, and we all ordered a bunch of different things and shared and everything was really tasty. I had actually got there early and was sitting at the bar and the bartender was super nice and friendly. The place was loud, but not too loud, I remember laughing upon hearing an Adam Lambert song playing as it kind of was a silly music choice, but then I think this place is trying to be young and hip and I guess it mostly pulls it off. Great for a group of friends, but not really a good date choice I would think. read more

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Amber. Very trendy, very cute, very nice ambiance overall. There's patio seating for your enjoyment during the warmer months. There are also a few high tables that border the patio, which is where I sat. This is nice because you get the best of both worlds, as you're indoors and outdoors, essentially. Anyway, let me get on to the reason you're probably reading this review. The Food! The sushi was really really good. We had crab, tuna, salmon, eel, and caviar in the form of the Perfect Match, Haku-zushi, Spider, and Kamikaze rolls (I believe... not sure about the last 2 - my memory escapes me a bit). The bottom line is everything was really good so I'm sure whatever you choose is a safe bet. The drinks are good too and pretty. We tried a couple of the specialty drinks and I was very pleased. If you're on the fence about this place, definitely go! You won't regret it. Can't wait to go back! read more

Great food, The prices are a bit much. The pineapple rice was served in a pineapple, how cool! Sushi is 4 star, could be a little fresher tasting. ~Indian pancakes (Appetizer) are GREAT, this is weird given the place is a sushi restaurant!!! read more

It turns out that my roomate works here, and he gave me a big discount for being the perfect roomate! So if you see a cute skinny Asian guy there, make sure to give him a big smooch :D But my roomate working here doesn't stop me from griping about their small portions and overpriced values. Sorry bud, I'm about to rip your restaurant a new back door xD Yes, I'm aware that it is in Manhattan, AND in UES. So I already know what to expect. Trendy decor with mediocre food etc etc. Still, food portion was still bit too small for me. The one thing that irritates me the most is small portions. The recipes are prepped. Might as well put an extra stock of veggie, a chunk extra beef there, you know? What's the purpose of skimping down if you've already fired up the grill? Anyways, the service was good. Yes, some of the waiters had a bit of an accent, but not to the point where you wouldn't understand them. Except for my roomate, of course. He should be deported back to Disneyland and relearn to sing the Asian part of 'it's a small world'. Walt wouldn't be too happy to see him like this when he is raised back from the dead in bionic armorment and take over the white house in 2015. Food is okay, but was bit small for me, as if all the dishes were appetizers. Not big enough to feed the hungry, but more of a social scene between trendy ladies to go 'oh Tricia, this is just delish! You gotta have a bite!' Just so we're clear. The food isn't bad, but it isn't great either. Just so-so. Something you could get for $8 in a typical Thai restaurant in queens. The food is presented well though, to say the least. Same thing with the sushi. It's good, but obviously nothing too special. It's just sushi. At least it's clean, and at least it's real fish. That just reminds me. They have an open bar, a restaurant, and a sushi bar, AND keeping it all together, and maintaining the trendy atmosphere. Whew... that's a lot to swallow. So they're like an Asian gastropub of some sort... but I think they're stretching it a bit. It's good that they've got a little bit of everything. But keeping up with 3 separate operations is tough work. They're managing it well, I'd say, but there's no room for growth if you stretch the lines thin. I really commend them for being able to keep so many different elements together. But I suspect it's a tough thing to do, and won't be able to expand any further in terms of quality, both culinary and dining experience. Like every other trendy hot spots, it isn't the quality of food that makes the cut. It is the decor and atmosphere that is the obvious strong point of this place. definately catered towards the 'Trendy Tracies' and and 'Hip Hollys'. Lots of foliage and colored lights. Almost like an upscale disco-tech (their choice of music only solidifys this image). All they need is a cliche waterfall in the background (oh wait, they do! glass waterfalls FTW!) Don't be mistaken, however. It gets awfully dark in the evenings, I guess to amplify the 'cool' atmosphere and to highlight the hip colored lights bouncing off the walls like a teenage kid full of sugar. To sum it up: small portions, trendy atmosphere, cliche lights. Yes, those are the exact choice of words I'd use to describe my roomie :D 3 stars + 1 star for decor and atmosphere. They cater to a specific target, and they do a good job at it. Unfortunately, I'm not part of their targeted customers. But still, I do respect their strategy. An average 4 star trendy restaurant from an average 4 star trendy Manhattan standards. read more

Boooooooo My buddy eats here and loves the sushi. We went on a Sat nite recently around 9 or so and it was crowded but not packed. It took us 10 minutes to make eye contact and flag down the waiter, who really didn't care we were there... no water, no return visit. Even though the sushi was pretty good, I won't go back and can't recommend. read more

Eel Avocado roll still had bones in it. Field Greens Salad only had 1 cherry tomato in it and some raisins. I'm grateful that I could get my lettuce fix but the salad is lacking. Considering giving it 3 stars for that reason, but "A-OK" isn't how I feel. "Meh. I've experienced better," is more like it. read more

My friend and I ventured to the UES the other night because I had a Groupon to Amber that was about to expire. And am I glad we did! Even on a Tuesday night, the place was hoppin'. We told our waitress immediately after we were seated that we had the Groupon and she was helpful and showed us which specialty rolls were covered and which weren't. I started with a delicious cocktail (though I can't remember the name of it) that had rum, ginger liqueur, lime juice and seltzer (or something bubbly). Then we ordered 2 specialty rolls (Perfect Match and another I can't remember the name of but that was very good) and 2 regular rolls (tuna/avocado and yellowtail/jalapeño). Everything was super fresh and absolutely delicious. The service was perfect, the food was amazing and the decor was beautiful. Sure, it was a little on the pricey side (which didn't affect me since I had a Groupon), but what else do you expect on the UES of NYC? I'd be more than willing to pay full price because it was THAT good. read more

Had the Japanese Seaweed Salad, Edamame and Sushi/Sashimi platter for one. Everything was great. The platter had 6 pieces of sashimi, 4 pieces of sushi, a tuna avocado roll and an eel cucumber hand roll. Lots of food and it tasted great and fresh. Atmosphere is nice and the service was pretty good. Definitely will go again. read more