We have been fans of Gino Pizzi since he arrived in Noblesville more than 40 years ago. Over the years, we have been to every one of his restaurants. We have been to Ambrosia numerous times in all of its various locations. But we had not been to Ambrosia since there was a changing of the guard. Gino's daughter and son-in-law are now in charge. We decided to go there tonight for an unusual reason: my spouse has been craving mussels prepared Italian style. This all started a couple of nights ago when we could not purchase fresh mussels at any of our normal emporiums. We got to the restaurant and the menu choice was more Thai than Italian. Our very accommodating server, Nicole, sensed my wife's disappointment and volunteered to see whether the kitchen might make an Italian preparation. Sure enough, they would and did! Earning our title as the most difficult patrons ever, we ordered two other off menu items that we knew were within the kitchen's wheelhouse and they came through. The only on menu items we ordered were the polpo (octopus) and the wine, a bottle of Black Label Lunae Vermentino, a Ligurian Vermentino (which just happens to be Gino's home area). EVERY DISH WE ORDERED WAS SPOT ON AND DELICIOUS! And through it all, patient Nicole maintained her good humor. Based on our experience tonight, we think Gino has handed off this restaurant to good hands. Do we recommend Ambrosia? Well, hell yes. We will be back soon. read more

Ambrosia has been a quite Indianapolis treasure for a long-long time. Arriving to adulthood, and living north of Broad Ripple, this was our go to place for a 'nice' dinner. Simple, quality, clean, that 'you are eating in our home' feeling. This is the place, now some 30+ years ago that gave me the line, if 'Mama greets you and Papa is cooking' then you're going to get a great meal. Of course, it goes both ways, with Papa greeting you and Mama in the kitchen, love is put on your plate. And nothing has changed except the location and the faces. A signature dish of grilled Octopus had me at first sight. And worthy of every bite. Their Arugula with Parmigiano was a treat and can't be beat. My Vongole with red sauce (of my request) overwhelmed my taste buds and was the absolute best. Rhyme nor reason shouldn't keep you away from visitin'! Its that good! read more

We enjoy the food and the atmosphere. Go any time we are able. My husband has the lasagna and soup almost every time.

Ambrosia is our FAVORITE place in Broad Ripple/Meridian Kessler area neighborhoods. The food is just delicious, I recommend the ravioli and lasagna oh my! Apps we always share a caprese and Caesar salad. And the tiramisu...well now I want that right now just typing about it. Having lived in Chicago and near NYC for years, this place's atmosphere takes me right back to a neighborhood restaurant in Lincoln Park or Greenwich Village. We always try to sit at the bar, but love the patio and restaurant area for when we're with a group. read more

Ambrosia offers great service and delicious Italian food in an upscale environment. Last night my husband and I each had a salad, our own pasta entreé, plus dessert and a bottle of wine for about $120. We both enjoyed our salads which were delivered to the table with complimentary bread and olive oil. I loved the tortellacci pasta dish with the marsala cream sauce. It was rich and indulgent without being too heavy, and the pasta was perfectly cooked. My husband had the gamberi- a spicy spaghetti with shrimp- and enjoyed this as well. Definitely save room for the tiramisu! I highly recommend Ambrosia for a family meal or date night. The patio is covered and has plants and shades that help conceal street noise and sunlight; sit out there if the weather is nice! read more

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Our dinner was during Valentine's Day. We arrived on time and the wait was only a few minutes. Majority of the dinner specials were gone but our meal was delicious. Great wait staff, high energy even though it was late in the evening. The fresh bread was worth the wait. The dinner portions were perfect. Unfortunately we were full and did get to sample desserts - hopefully next time. read more

I really enjoy ambrosia. I think they add the perfect Italian flair that sobro needs! Their cocktails are fantastic. My favorite place to sit is on the patio for prime people watching. Pro tip: they have a parking lot in back! read more

Ambrosia is right around the corner from us and we never really go. We decided to go for Devour Indy. It was delicious! I had the mustard salmon it was amazing! The cheese cake was one of the best I've had. Great service! read more

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We've been dying to check out Ambrosia for awhile now! We finally were able to check it out tonight and were left a little underwhelmed. The pasta is great but a little over priced for what you're getting. We ordered the fettuccine Alfredo with chicken and the Medici. Both dishes were fine but both were something we could have made at home for cheaper. It's a great spot for a date night with decent food. Nice to say we've been here but probably won't come again. read more

Ambrosia - Italian Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

I had the special which was the mahi mahi tuna with a white wine and lemon with caper creamy sauce with greens on top. It was delicious! I couldn't have had a better experience! I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who likes Italian food. read more

Ambrosia - Italian Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Holy goodness this place is now one of my favorite restaurants in Indy. Nestled right on college avenue (they have a parking lot in the back) this warm and romantic restaurant is everything I could ask for especially for a special date night dinner. The atmosphere is warm and inviting with a large fireplace and enough private corners to get nestled into for an intimate conversation with your significant other or a group of friends. The waitstaff is attentive and professional. They were exceptional in their customer service and took the time to walk us through the menu with any questions we had. However it is the food that made me rave about this place to everyone I know. We stared with the griglia appetizer which is shrimp wrapped In prosciutto and it is the perfect combo of fresh and salty. We followed that up with wine from their very nicely balanced wine menu. For entrees I ordered the lasagna which has half meat sauce and half cream sauce. I preferred the cream sauce but Tyler preferred the meat sauce. The lasagna was meaty and savory and oh so yummy. Tyler ordered the panna, a meat tortellini in cream sauce. It was so good I almost ate half of his plate! read more

I came to ambrosia last night for a birthday dinner. I've always heard nothing but great things however last night was just OKAY to say the least. The waiter completely forgot my ordered and accidentally gave another guest in my party veal Marsala when they were expecting chicken. Though my friend thought it was a delicious mistake it was still a mistake to say the least. He took a long time to get to our table and also didn't bring us bread until we asked for it. I ordered the chicken parmesan it came with a side of green beans and pasta with marinara sauce. It was just okay. Nothing spectacular as I had high expectations coming in. I was between the mare and the Chicken Parmesan. I will return again and try the mare pasta to see if it has more flavor and meets expectations/standards I've heard this restaurant typically meets. read more

Truthfully, I am not excited to write this review. I'm a firm believer in the saying, "the people make the place", and although I remember the food being stellar, the experience and feeling I have when I think about being at Ambrosia makes me feel unwell. I have driven past Ambrosia over two dozen times, and now that we live so close to it, we decided to walk there for dinner one night. The place is for sure a dressier place, the dim lighting, cloth napkins--it's a good looking spot, and we dressed for it. We came in and felt like we were on the younger end of the spectrum from the other people in the restaurants, but really thought nothing of it because we frequently enjoy going to nice restaurants. When we walked in, I felt the hostess visibly judge us, and when I interacted with her, she seemed less than pleased to sit us. She sat another couple that came in before us, and didn't tell us she would be back, or give us a wait time or say anything that would let us know that we might get a table. I have read other reviews, and I understand what a reservation is, and if she would have told us they were filled to the brim with reservations, we could have gone somewhere else, but the lack of enthusiasm/willingness and communication really made us feel uncomfortably unwelcome. I let the manager know what happened, and he did sit us right away, but he didn't apologize for how our experience began. Before we left, we asked for the manager to talk about what had happened before we left, because, of course, I would rather talk it out there than leave unhappy. However, as we were talking with him, he said, "I don't get why you're making a big deal out of this." We tried to re-approach it, and reassure him, we were not asking for anything other than a reason for why we might have been treated that way, and he said he knows his staff is trained to be kind and respectful, and if we want to come back to make a reservation. I'm not a restaurant manager, but I feel like a simple apology would have gone a long way with us. Even if he was lying, he could have said, "I'm sorry for that first impression. I'll speak with my staff to make sure it doesn't happen again." It was just the lack of willingness to make us feel any better about the situation. It's so unfortunate because the food was great, although our experience there was not. I love local businesses, but I don't love being made to feel like I don't belong. read more

Beautiful interior that compliments the staffs helpful positive attitude. I have had several dishes here and the salmon is always fresh and delicious . The restaurant is locally owned and is a neighborhood favorite. The owner is friendly and accommodating. The pasta dishes are wonderful and anything on the menu will satisfy your appetite. The outside dining is nice in the warmer months. The only downfall to the restaurant is the limited parking. read more

Great option for a quick Italian dinner in Broad Ripple. Dark and moody ambiance gives this restaurant a secluded feel but the bustling of voices, laughter and plates give it big city vibes. read more

Great service. Love the atmosphere of the place. The food is always prepared so we'll. I recommend the octopus appetizer. And the lasagna is so delicious, I've had. Hard time finding an equal. read more

Absolutely delicious! I went here as part of my final tour around town before moving away from Indy, where I picked off places that I had not been before. Well, needless to say, I regret that I took so long to get here! The food was amazing with the pasta absolutely perfect. The history of the restaurant and the use of family recipes is very endearing. The staff also went out of their way to ensure our party was well taken care of. Thank you! read more

Trendy space with what looks like a rich history. The servers are attentive to filling glasses and the menu has a traditional feel to it. Everything was on track to having an awesome meal. There were five of us and a plethora of appetizers were ordered for the table. Calamari had a lite batter and came with lemon and cocktail sauce however was slightly overdone. Next the goat cheese torte wasn't overbearing and had a pretty good flavor. We also had grilled artichokes which were my favorite. It looked like they had a creamy balsamic sauce that worked well with the artichoke hearts. We also had bacon wrapped grilled shrimp which was overcooked. I decided to try the special of roast chicken lasagna. It was sheets of lasagna stuffed with cheese and chicken with a white sauce then topped with a basil sauce. Both texture and flavor were one note. It seemed like the sauce was nearly identified except basil and garlic were added. It needed some grilled mushrooms or red peppers to give it intrigue. It was an okay experience. read more

Can't believe that its taken me almost a year to eat here! I have seriously been missing out!! Where to start? The patio is awesome. The inside and decor is awesome. The bar looks awesome. The food was awesome. Starting to see the pattern yet? We came in for a double date and were treated with excellent service and food. The bread is great and the olive oil tasted like it had a little spice to it. Very, very good. We started with the Calamari and it was cooked perfectly. Not over-done and rubbery. Then we shared the beet salad (Barbabietola), which was wonderful. The roasted beets, arugula, walnuts and goat cheese all went together perfectly. For the entrees, we had the Bolognese and Chicken Parm and our friends had the Ravioli and Chicken Parm. All the dishes were fantastic! The Chicken Parm was my favorite, by far, but I am always a fan of it. It came with some green beans and a side of spaghetti. I didn't try the ravioli, but the bolognese was also amazing. With 3 different meats, and plenty of them, it did not disappoint! I also had a glass of Rose` with the meal and their house Rose` was delicious. All in all, it was a very full and pleasant evening. Next time I'll be trying the Medici. read more

This is my absolute favorite neighborhood restaurant! I love that it's quaint and the food and wine are superb! The service is prompt and servers friendly. I've tried nearly everything on the menu, and can always find something that suits my palate that day. If you like soup, I highly recommend the tortellini soup as the broth is homemade and absolutely exquisite. It's the only thing I ever want when I'm sick. Definitely make a reservation if you want to dine here because the tables fill up quickly with other folks' reservations, which don't leave much room for walk-ins. I could eat here multiple times a week easily. Parking can be tight but spots are available at the building just north of the restaurant as that office is not open when the restaurant is most in need of parking places. Also, Ambrosia offers a private room for events, which also has a lovely ambiance. read more

It is soooo good! Atmosphere is very modern/romantic. Perfect place to go on a date. Apps are so good and have a lot of flavor. The pastas have never let me down. I can definitely taste all the hard work that the cooks go through to make such delicious food. Dan and mike are two very nice people. Ambrosia has been good the past years and it still holds on to its legacy! I recommend getting the Gamberi pasta if you love a little spice. read more

Favorite Italian in the city! I can't believe I haven't reviewed here before. I always receive friendly service and delicious food. The atmosphere is warm and inviting. The Torta appetizer is AMAZING and I adore their Chicken Marsala (I have regular cravings for it). They are very happy to accommodate for different side items, gluten free, allergies, etc. I'm also a big fan of their Tartufo dessert. The crowd tends to be a bit older, but that's part of the charm. You'll need a reservation of the weekends, but you can usually walk right in on weeknights. read more

A really nice looking restaurant. The interior is a beautiful mix of modern-industrial and classic Italian. I got a Woodford Reserve Old Fashioned and it's very good for a restaurant that doesn't really specialize in that. Appetizer was a burrata bruschetta. The bread was good, a little soggy. Cheese was fresh, nutty and flavorful. It was good, but nothing out of the ordinary. Their bread and olive oil are absolutely amazing! The best bread I've ever had at an Italian restaurant. Crunchy crust and gooey inside. And the creamiest olive oil to coat it, with a nice bite of garlic. The pappardelle special with beef was excellent. Pasta was cooked perfectly al dente, and the beef had lots of flavor. The tomato sauce had quite a bit of a bite coming from the red pepper flakes which complimented other flavors very nicely. Service was pleasant and very attentive - five out of five. Portions are solid for the price, and the food is naturally good. I would definitely recommend. Thoroughly enjoyed my dinner despite the fact I'm not a huge fan of Italian dishes. read more

Amazing Experience! Went here with a group of girls for a 21st birthday dinner. We had an amazing server, Dave, who was easily one of the best servers i've had in my entire life. Very attentive and genuine. Order the pesto cream spinach ravioli, was so flavorful. Midici Salad was also delightful. Birthday girl got a free birthday dessert.This place really has mastered ensuring a memorable experience for there customers because when we were exiting 2 servers and a hostess asked us how everything was which left a lasting expression, considering that can be rare nowadays. One of the best Italian places in Indy. read more

Came here for their devour menu, we were excited to try this place out because it is a little too pricey for us to go here usually. We had great service and our server was very helpful and timely. We decided to go with both appetizers and both desserts on the devour menu. I'm not a big meatball person but I've got to say their meatballs maybe one of the best ones I've ever had, especially the sauce that comes in. The artichoke starter is also surprisingly delicious. As far as their pasta goes I found it to be a little bit more al dente than I like but the sauces were all extremely delicious. Their cheesecake is pretty classic, but the real star was their ice cream which comes in a unique pistachio flavor. I would definitely come back here for devour again, I felt that we were able to appreciate a lot of their menu for about $80, and it's a nice romantic place for a date night if you don't mind spending a little! read more

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We had a wonderful authentic Italian meal! Our server was so friendly and we ordered the aranchini, oysters, the portovenere, and the linguine vongole and everything was delicious! We were visiting from out of town from Chicago and my husband has old school Italian roots and we both agreed it was one of our best Italian dinners. The ambiance was great and they were wonderful trying accommodate us when we showed up very early for our reservation. read more

If you haven't been here you are missing out. The décor is dark and romantic. The servers are attentive and very knowledgeable about the menu. And the menu, oh the menu. You must try the grilled octopus. The flavor is wonderful with the char that is on it from the grill. Then there is the seafood ravioli. It is a party in your mouth as you bite into it and taste the lobster and other large pieces of seafood. They don't skimp on the filling. And for dessert you must try both the tiramisu and their chocolate cake. The tiramisu is a family recipe and the cake is perfect if you are looking for something that isn't too sweet. read more

We had reservations for 7 pm on Saturday for a party of 6. Had to park a block and a half away but were seated immediately. This was our first time at their new location and it's nothing like the previous location. Much smaller, extremely noisy, and crowded. The service was quite good. The wine list was average but the wines (Pinot Grisio and Barbera) we had were nice. The Torta (Baked goat cheese, gorgonzola cream sauce, herbed crostini) was very good. The entrees my wife and I had were exceptable but not outstanding. When our server asked how everything was, we responded that it was fine except for the noise level. She responded that she had been told that before. The dining room manager then stopped by with the same question and we provided the same response. Again, he responded that other's had said the same thing and that they were "looking into" possible solutions. So, over all, I can not highly recommend this restaurant. But I don't like to dine with friends and literally have to shout at them to have conversation. If the noise level is reduced, we might be back. read more

Went to this little hidden gem for dinner. It sits near the corner near a commercial office building so we nearly passed it up. Very nice intimate outside dining deck. The elegant inside is just as attractive. There's a nice little bar with leveled sections for dining. The ambiance is nice with good overhead music, but not to loud so you can still converse. The staff was very polite and attentive from beginning to the end. My husband really enjoyed a Veal Parmesan dish, it waa suggested by the host. It's typically not on the menu, however the chicken parmesan is. When the host heard a conversation between my husband and I he requested this as a special. My husband ate it along with the delicious string beans so fast. Lol, he loved it! I had a very similar experience with my grilled chicken and mixture of cheeses with green beans and a side of red sauce and noodles. It was all scrumptious and just enough to fill you up without making you feel like an overstuffed animal. We will definitely make this a regularDon't forget to begin with the bread, olive oil and sprinkle of a little black pepper. read more

My favorite. I love the romantic atmosphere. The food is always bursting with flavor. We love how there is so much home made stuff i.e the sauces and some of the pastas. They make everything easy to customize, or you can just tell then something off the menu you want and, from my experience, they will make it. For example, fettucinni alla vodka with spinach. Delicious. I highly recommend the Fettucinni. Not sure how they make it to taste unlike any pasta I have ever had, but they do. I have literally gone down the menu and love everything I get. For appetizer, I recommend the bruschetta with goat cheese. Most creamy goat cheese ever and complemented perfectly with roasted peppers. I could eat it all day, and I really like how one order is four good sized pieces. In fact, all portion sizes are wonderful. The drinks aren't bad. The pours are good. I, personally, like the girly cocktails and do not like any of their signature ones so I usually order something classic like a limoncello martini. They are just very strong and often overpower the girly taste, in my opinion The staff is always just the right amount of attentive where they are not interrupting you but also don't let your drink go empty. Food has always seemed to come out quickly, which is a big deal for the men in my life. This was my parents favorite restaurant at the old location in Broad Ripple in the 90s. This is now mine. I love you Ambrosia, see you soon read more

My FAVORITE Indy restaurant. I can't describe enough how amazing their food is. The seafood is amazingly fresh and their pasta is the best I've ever had. The atmosphere is low lit and intimate. A great place for a date! read more

Interior of the restaurant is really nice and clean. The staff is friendly as well. They were busy/full when I went so they were fairly slow to serve, but made it up with free dessert. As for the food... pretty yummy! I got the gnocchi. The cream sauce was gorgonzola based and very strong so if you don't like gorgonzola or a blue cheese taste... you won't like it. But I did. The gnocchi were cooked perfect and the mushrooms was a great addition. The bruschetta was ok. I would have preferred that the bread was harder and warmer but it was room temp and soft. But that's just a preference. They give you a lot of tomato which is nice! Overall, i would recommend this restaurant to someone. I'm giving it 4 stars because of the service- but I knew they were working hard and it wasn't their fault. Great experience! read more

Ambrosia - Bruschetta pomodoro - Italian Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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Delicious. I am not a connoisseur of Italian food, but the dishes are well prepared, the menu is short and sweet, wince selection is decent. Do make a reservation if you are considering of going on the weekend. Their new location is one of the best looking restaurants in the city. They have a large private room which I recommend. The carciofi, tortellacci and the seafood stew were all very good. I would return and recommend for first dates and any other dinners you want to impress someone but not sure what exactly they are into. Weird, I know, but true. Food: 4/5 Service: 4/5 - Service at the bar is great! Location: 5/5 read more

Needed a restaurant in a pinch as our original place was closed. We picked ambrosia based on proximity to our location and the decent reviews. When we arrived on a Sunday night around 7pm the 2 of us were quickly seated at our table. The menu is sparse (at least as far as my experience with Italian restaurants), but had some intriguing choices. The food is decent, but slightly overpriced. That alone is not a big deal; the service we experienced was probably the biggest issue. It was never crowded in the restaurant, but there were lengthy delays between sitting down, being greeted by the server, taking our orders (food arrived fairly quickly), final check-in, and receiving our check. We would probably try the place again based on the quality of the food and hope for better service. read more

Very disappointing. We had a reservation and were seated promptly, but then it's like we were invisible. We sat for a good 20 minutes without being acknowledged by anyone. There was a wedding party in the adjacent room but the main dining room was only half full, so don't know what the deal was. Eventually my husband got up and said something to the host, who to his credit apologized several times, brought us water, and took our orders. I think he might have even stepped behind the bar and made our cocktails--it was hard to tell from our vantage point. Anyway, after delivering our drinks, we were passed off to a different server and the rest of our meal passed without incident. However, when our bill came, we were surprised to see that nothing had been comped. We would have thought they'd at least make a token gesture like taking off one of the drinks. It's a shame because our salads and entrees were very tasty. Lucky for them, we were not especially hungry when we arrived, otherwise we would have left and gone somewhere else. read more

Have been In A few times but never reviewed. sat at the bar on a Monday night recently for during Devour...was half busy but not overloaded, not dead. The rail was 3/4 full most the night. The Devour menu was intriguing so my friend and I ordered off of it, originally I thought I would not because the value wasn't there for me....1 person $40 for noodles and gravy with a salad? It they had also included a small appetizer and dessert, or you could sub out the app or dessert for a glass of select wine(nice choice, as I rarely eat dessert).... App - my artichokes were delightful but my friends meatballs were so salty they were To the point of being inedible. My caesar was underdressed about 7 bites, flavorless really. My friends house salad was good, my wife's arugula on the other hand way overdressed. Entree - my rigatoni In Bolognese was once again I thought on the smaller side and just didn't enjoy their bolognese flavor(salty again and just odd flavor), maybe regulars like their flavor aNd others but just not for me...my friends salmon seemed like a small portion but he said it had decent flavor but was drowned in sauce. wife's entree chicken parm was good but seemed salty once again....we Subbed the wine for dessert.. Service was ok, she was fairly busy but I ground my own pepper, pours my own water and we sat empty several times....just used to better service at the rail, it's why I sit there.... I guess overall for $40 Devour Menu, I expected more and a lil better quality, like I said the is noodles and gravy we are talking here, I'm not stingy or cheap just expected more for $40 not half portions...xpected better service at the rail.....Devour should be priced to entice, maybe allow me try something new I wouldn't before, and maybe show a few strong menu selections....not something repackaged to make you think it's a deal then you walk disappointed.... read more

My favorite restaurant in Broadripple (by far). The new patio outside is amazing to enjoy a pre or post dinner glass of wine or cocktail. The food speaks for itself. The owner (Dan) and manager (Mike) are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. They really make you feel like family! read more

My girlfriend and I came in for dinner tonight, neither of us had been here before so we didn't really know what to expect. Magnifico! Sara took care of us and she was attentive and really friendly. We ordered a bottle of wine and Calabrese bruschette, which consisted of a creamy goat cheese, capers, sweet peppersand house made olive oil....amazing! For our main courses we ordered Tortellaci and veal piccata...omg we were absolutely blown away. Then there was dessert which was tiramisu which was the perfect balance of rich and creamy. We will definitely be back in the near future and appreciate the wonderful experience we had tonight. read more

Location, ambiance, and service were spot on. But... I wanted to love my meal, as I've been eager to try Ambrosia for months, but in the end it just didn't cut it. If I order an $18 pasta dish, I expect it to be chock full of the ingredients I ordered. (In this case, the pasta featured chicken, artichokes, capers and tomatoes.) What I received was a huge bowl of pasta, and not much else. There were maybe three, bite sized, chunks of chicken and a couple of each vegetable. Virtually no sauce, so that all I tasted was plain pasta unless I happened upon a surprise vegetable or chicken chunk. So, my entree was disappointing. My salad starter was tasty, but I don't know if knowing they have a good salad will bring me back. We'll see... read more

Just went to Ambrosia for the 1st time this week for a double date. We went on a Wednesday & the place was hopping! That's always a good sign. Our waiter was very knowledgable & attentive without being too attentive, if you know what I mean. The food was delish. I had one of the daily specials, gnocchi, and it was really amazing. We also ordered the bruschetta & the cucumber salad to share which everyone enjoyed. Lots of great cocktail options & nice wine list. And who doesn't love free bread at the beginning? We'll definitely be back. My only feedback is that we did feel kind of rushed out the door. We were wrapping up our conversations around 10:20 but felt like one of the waitresses wanted us to get a move on. read more