Ambrosia was the perfect place for a birthday dinner! Upon arrival we were greeted and seated. Reservations were made on resy. The restaurant is absolutely beautiful with amazing service to match. For appetizer, we enjoyed the calamari. The bread was served with a delicious balsamic vinegar and oil. Our entrees included lamb shank, roasted Greek potatoes, vegetables medley and shrimp and scallops pasta! Highly recommended if you enjoy Greek cuisine read more

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The restaurant was a little empty when we went, so not much atmosphere to speak on. The waiter was super friendly. The food and drinks were nothing that stood out much, I liked the lamb kabobs and the beet salad but otherwise the other foods were ok. Would consider going again to try some other things in case we ordered the wrong menu items. read more

Jenny provides the best bar service! Really quite an authentic place which Greek drinks and food! If you go here I strongly suggest trying the octopus as an appetizer! read more

Ambrosia Taverna - Octopus - Mediterranean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Was at a reception for my granddaughter Oct. 18 and this restaurant and bar was great. The orzo was the best I have had, and the Greek potatoes were out of this world. I could have ate those two items and been very happy. My wife had the salmon, and she said it was great. read more

Ordered come comfort food on a cold winter night and it was just ok. One walks into a restaurant with linen napkins and tablecloths and expects some fine dining. This is not that place. 1. No complimentary bread to snack on while perusing the menu 2. Unimaginative and rather bland offerings 3. Akin to a podunk gas station, this place does not even have cream for your coffee, they actually offer you the little packets of powdered whatever instead of cream. This was the last straw, I refused any coffee or dessert and proceeded to leave and went to a REAL restaurant nearby for dessert. Summary: Don't bother with this place, though the ambiance is good, the food is absolutely mediocre and thus overpriced. read more

PROS: - Pretty exterior with intricate cast iron designs - Cool interior ceiling tiles at the entrance - Onion soup was tasty (though may be a tad salty for those who are salt-sensitive) - Free parking downtown on Sundays - Affordable prices - Tzatziki sauce was light and full of Greek yogurt flavor CONS: - It took a while to be seated even though we were the only ones waiting to be seated and had a reservation - The thermostat was set to 54°F (outside was 27°F). All the patrons kept their jackets on - The wait for our entrees took over 1 hour even though there were only four other tables and two wait staff with no explanation - The Gyros Ambrosia plate used lamb tips instead of lamb gyro meat, which made the gyro a bit tough to chew. Additionally, the cucumbers should be chopped into smaller pieces so that bites are more balanced TIPS: - Be prepared to wait - Bring cash for a faster checkout - Bring a warm coat OVERALL: - Room for improvement read more

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We came to visit our daughter for Parents weekend and made dinner reservations here. The place was not busy at all but the service was slow. After a good 5 to 10 minutes, we finally got the attention of a waiter to take our drink order. Besides the service, the food was less than desirable or worth the money! My daughter ordered the chicken breast with the sautéed vegetables. The sauteed veggies were bell peppers and onions. Not sure when bell peppers and onions were considered a vegetable for a side dish on a nice restaurant? My husband ordered the ribeye cooked medium. It was a good size piece of meat but it was cooked more well done and had no flavor. It actually came with gravy on top, which was not listed on the description. However, the gravy added some flavor to the chewy and flavorless piece of meat! I ordered the special, which was the shrimp over a bed of pasta with a spicy sauce. It was super good, the only bad thing was it was described as large shrimp on top of pasta but they were more like the kind you might find in a shrimp cocktail with sauce...And there were only 4 of them! Very under-whelming for a nice dinner out with our daughter! read more

The food was remarkable. I have been to many Greek restaurants but Ambrosia is a level above. Our service was great. Specialty drinks from the bar read more

The atmosphere was cozy and elegant. The service a little slow being there was only 3 tables know one was monitoring the front entrance. The server Roman was very nice and helpful. We ordered calamari for appetizer, they were lukewarm and fried a little too hard for my liking. I ordered the lollipop lamb chops they were tender and delicious. My husband ordered the grilled fish that was also amazing. Overall it was okay maybe ask for the calamari not to be fried hard. I will be back. read more

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Great atmosphere , great design and interior. Great for date night with nice music. Staff is friendly and nice with recommendations

My family and I stopped by Ambrosia for dinner recently, and I'm so glad we did. I started with their oyster flight, and all I can say is -- wow! Each oyster had its own unique burst of flavor. It honestly felt like a little flavor journey from start to finish. You could tell real thought went into each one. I also ordered the lamb kabobs, and they did not disappoint. Each kabob was perfectly tender, packed with flavor, and cooked just right. On top of the great food, the service made the experience even better. Amaya, our server, was warm, attentive, and genuinely pleasant to talk to. She made sure everything came out smoothly and checked in at just the right moments. This place delivers a quality meal that's absolutely worth every dime. I'll definitely be coming back. read more

It was a quiet night here downstairs . I felt spoiled as I had the full attention of staff . So very sweet and informative of area . I was working from out of town and staying across the street . The Lamb pops were some of the best I've had . So very tasty along with the sides . Loved the staff and ambience... wil definitely be back !!!! read more

I am so glad this restaurant was on my Facebook feed. I made reservations for Sunday brunch through Resy. The moment you step inside, it's so beautiful, breathtaking. You're not in any ordinary place. The Greek decorations are on point. Welcoming, warm. The bar, oh my, full display, the traditional blue and white, artfully, tastefully done. My party was 3 persons. I just realized , I didn't take a picture of the Citrus Salmon Salad, nor my Low Country Crab Egg Benedict served over the fried green tomatoes. This is a must. I already told my friends, I want to come back and try the other dishes. Our server, greeter, everyone was top notch. You must go. They're open for brunch Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 400pm. read more

Ambrosia Taverna - I tried to capture the wall decorations, the tables, blue chairs, - Mediterranean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Some of the 2 star reviews on here are just silly because we had a really nice time here. We had the phillo sampler as an appetizer which was fun and delicious, and then she had the moussaka and I had the prime NY strip. We shared our entrees with each other. The steak was perfectly cooked and had a nice grill char and was amazingly tender. The fries that came with it were plentiful and tasty. My wife's moussaka was vegetarian yet hearty and filling. I enjoyed it a lot and I'm a big meat eater. We had the baklava for desert which was the best baklava I've had. read more

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Met a few coworkers at Ambrosia Taverna on Main Street, an upscale Greek restaurant on N. Main. The cocktails were a show in and of themselves. Interior ambiance was tantalizing upon opening the doors I felt like I was immediately swept away to the Grecian isles. Waiters were jovial and knowledgeable about menu items but could have been a bit more attentive. Looking forward to returning for dinner. read more

Ambrosia Taverna - Poshest bar on main - Mediterranean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

We went for brunch, several items including grits were not available waffle maker wasn't working. We had to wait for waffles to be gotten from their sister restaurant. Also, there was no beef or shrimp available. It took forever 45-60 minutes to get our food. Bread was only brought after we had been waiting over 30 minutes. The manager, Rachel, finally brought out a waffle and a side of waffles. She never apologized, other wait staff had. Our waitress asked if the manager had said anything about taking off the waffle, a whole $5.99. I had asked a young college student to lunch as we could walk from our church, as well as another couple from church. I had encouraged my husband to go to Ambrosia. This was embarrassing! I was late to a meeting, interestingly, the lady I was meeting had the same experience. read more

Ambrosia Taverna - Mediterranean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

This is a gem of a restaurant tucked on the north end of Main Street. Although they seemed a little shortstaffed on my visit, the service was attentive and right on time. I got the shrimp and scallop pasta and fried haloumi starter (a must!), and both were delicious! Although the portion seems slight, it was just enough without being overly filling. The ambience is lovely nod to Greece, and offers a quiet atmosphere for date night. read more

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What a disappointment! I went to a retirement party on a Friday afternoon of about 20 people. Menu was prefixed with a few selections. Began at 12 noon with 20 minutes of speeches. Around 12:45 pm one meal at a time was served from the kitchen. No tray with several entrees, just one plate, one server. It took past 1:30 pm, over 45 minutes for everyone to be served. People were forced to eat fast because of return to work or life. The chicken souvlaki - burns bites of chicken, burned pita, cucumbers and tomatoes so small you couldn't pick up with a fork. Potatoes arrived when I was almost done with my meal. Pasta Alfredo - bowl of pasta swimming in white soupy liquid with a few pieces of cut up shrimp. The burger was as big as a silver dollar. It took forever to revive the bill and pay. There were two people in the main dining room so not busy. Definitely needs a new chef, new management and trained wait staff. And over priced! read more

Definitely a gem in Columbia South Carolina. The atmosphere is amazing. The ambience is relaxing. The staff is welcoming friendly and top-tier. Highly recommended. This establishment the food. Oh m God! Please check them out. You will not be disappointed. read more

Ambrosia Taverna - Lamb chops, mashed potatoes - Mediterranean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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I don't like leaving 2s unless the service and food are both horrible. I've visited Ambrosia twice. The first time the food was meh to okay-not necessarily bad-just not my style. I tried the calamari but didn't like the sauce that it's paired with. The appetizer sampler, however, was tasty On my second visit I ordered the tomato soup and feta fries. The soup was supposed to come with bread, I pointed this out to the bartender and he said it did not. I then showed him on the menu where it indicated the soup came with bread and he brought it out. The soup was extremely salty, to the point where I couldn't finish it. So I ordered the feta fries. Same deal. Others at the table agreed. They tasted like they'd been doused in salt, and as a person who loves salty foods, it has to be pretty bad for me to complain. Maybe they were having an off night but I prob won't be returning for a dining experience read more

Our dinner group ordered 4 different entrée from the menu. All were fantastic so I think you can order pretty much anything with confidence. The home made bread is traditional Greek. It is a little dry for my taster but still worth trying a piece or two. We also started with calamari that was very good. To close the meal we were directed to the cappuccino martini that is an absolute must try! Service was great and the managing partner introduced himself and chatted with us for a few minutes. Definitely recommend Ambrosia Taverna. read more

The food here can taste good but this is my third visit and I can't express how disappointed I am with the food and service. The first two times I visited the calamari was so over cooked that I had to send it back the first time. The second time I took the bullet since I should have learned my lesson the first time. On our second visit we ordered the salmon and the order appeared to be 1/2 of what others around us were served. We complained and the chef came out and explained that he noticed the portion was small when it was going out, so he fixed it and made another after we complained. Finally, today we had guests come from Florida who wanted to eat here so we went again. We ordered the tomato soup which was entirely too salty. It was so salty that my lips actually burned. Sadly we had to send it back. It had beed exceptionally delicious the first time. But, unfortunately we had to send it back as I could feel the high blood pressure coming on from the soup. Then we all ordered the lamb. I asked for mine to be rare, the other people at the table asked for medium rare and 2 mediums. The orders were delivered to the table and I was served a medium but the other orders were all medium well so we ended up trading plates trying to find the rare and medium rare lamb. This resulted in everyone tasing the food and passing it to the possible recipient! We finally identified the medium plate but no rare or medium rare plates were located! Plus, the entire table had tasted the food trying to figure out who the food belonged to since it was all served to the wrong people! This whole time we asked for water glasses to share the sparkling water we ordered and on the fourth request we finally got the glasses after the attempted meal was over. The management seemed to imply that we were incorrect in our assessments of the problems. The chef came out and explained that he wasn't even provided with an order for rare or medium rare lamb! So he did exactly what was ordered. Unfortunately by the time we were able to get the waitress attention they were out of lamb! When we complained the waitress disappeared and never came back! This is the last time I will dine here. Im so disappointed. I never even got a meal. I would have been better off eating at Transmissions! read more

Quite an experience. I've lived in Columbia since 2003, moving here from the Chicago suburbs. One of my biggest complaints is that we don't have a really good Greek restaurant. Grecian Gardens has been our go-to for Greek and we've tried Zorba's and a couple of others. I've been looking for a nice Greek Restaurant that served the flaming saganaki at your table, the great braised lamb shanks and Greek Chicken. So when I heard that we were getting an upscale restaurant on Main Street I was really excited to see how it was. I must say, the decor is great. They've remodeled the existing restaurant and it really is nice looking inside. A mixture of tables....high tops, many communal type tables with a bench seat along the walls with chairs on the outside. I wish they have more regular tables/with chairs. You can select the type of table you want when you make reservations on RESY. I had asked for a two top table, not the high table or communal style. We were seated in one of the bench style tables. My wife was on the bench and I had the chair. She mentioned that the bench was high...and when you looked at the height of the bench, it is higher than the chair. I don't mean to knit pick, but it was noticeable to her immediately. Now...the food. I'd craved for the Saganaki. If you've been to a nice greek restaurant, you know that Sananaki is almost always a square of Kayseri cheese flamed on your plate. It's great to have the waiter come to your table, flame the plate and then put it out with lemon. Everyone always yells Oopa! This isn't happening at Ambrosia. It isn't really Saganaki. They need to call it Saganaki Fondue! They don't use Kasseri cheese, but have a mixture of feta/burrata and some other cheeses, melted in a bowl and flamed as it is being carried to your table. It's served with pita bread. The cheese fondue is so thin it doesn't stick to the pita. Heavy sherry taste, but good. The taste of the fondue is good and almost goes better with the bread that they serve than with the pita. I can see how folks will possibly like this, but if it's real saganaki you're looking for, this is not it. Price $17 (Price at the Greek Islands in Chicago for true Saganaki is $8.95) My wife ordered the Greek Half Chicken. We usually order this at Grecian Gardens and it's great, so she wanted to try it here. It was served over vegetables...some largely diced potatoes, eggplants and vegetables. The Chicken was okay but the potatoes and veggies were luke warm, not hot. She said the eggplant was almost cold. Price on the Chicken $28. Compare that to Grecian Gardens (which BTW is $13.95 with really good greek potatoes). Every time I went to Greek Town in Chicago I'd order whatever Lamb they had on the menu. Unfortunately, Grecian Gardens has never had anything like that, so I was really looking forward to the Braised Lamb here. They also have the Lamb Lollipops, which are great. My Braised Lamb Shank came in a small bowl on top of diced potatoes and veggies with the sauce/juices. My first bite of the potatoes and veggies surprised me. It also was warm, not hot. I did tell the waitress to send it back and have it microwaved, which she did. It's amazing that both of our entrees (chicken and lamb) were hot, but the veggies served with them were luke warm and not hot at all. My vegetables also had a pretty good hot spicy taste to them. I like a bit of spice, but this wasn't like any greek flavor I've had. I told my wife that she may find it too spicy, so she tried it and immediately grabbed her water! Price on the Lamb Shank was $34.00. Our wait staff was good....came and checked on us twice throughout the meal. I understand the restaurant is new (they had workers actually making noise pounding in one of the rooms while we were eating...but it was 6PM and early). I guess they have valet parking on weekends, didn't have it last night but that was no problem. Decor and atmosphere is 5 stars. Table seating 3 Stars, but the food being brought to the table being cold and the so-called Saganki "Fondue" was not up to par. I can understand $34 for Lamb, but the half chicken pricing is not right. I doubt if I'll try it again. I've posted their menu with pricing since their website doesn't list pricing. read more

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Ambrosia Taverna offers Greek fare in a posh setting. We started with the tomato soup and the lemon-orzo soup. They were both extremely thick and resembled sauces rather than soup. The lemon-orzo soup was not the traditional broth-based variety, and was very heavy. Further, the tomato soup was cream-based and featured spaghetti--an odd choice. The lamb shank and Greek half chicken entrees were tender, but the roasted vegetables on the side were soaked in olive oil. The best part of the meal was the attentive wait staff, the delightful cocktails (e.g., lemon drop martini & strawberry martini), as well as the pistachio baklava. Not sure if we will return again, though. read more

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A group of my friends and I came to Ambrosia Taverna to celebrate a birthday. Since we had reservations there was no wait so that was great. Our server was excellent and she was very knowledgeable about the different dishes. I ordered the salmon and it was delicious. They have very generous portions. The managers came out and greeted all of the guests and even cleared tables, they were not above doing what needed to be done and that was nice to see. I look forward to the next visit. read more

Ambrosia Taverna - Grilled salmonb - Mediterranean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

This is a beautiful restaurant, stunning when you walk in. Arrived with very friendly service, seated in a perfect location for our party of five. Then things went down hill. Our server was lovely, approachable, lovely - had very little knowledge of the menu, did not understand when we ordered in Greek which was on the menu (?!). SERVICE WAS SLOW. Took forever to get a drink, it was not at all busy. Food felt microwaved, everything was dry like a microwave would do. Basis of food was good, but the dryness threw it off for us. Manager came to apologize and say sorry, service industry is slow right now and challenging to hire for (we get that, bunch of us came out of service) but again, not that many people there, maybe that's why our food was microwaved lol. CREEP ALERT: The servers all kept their arms behind their backs with fingers intertwined. It was odd. You're working in service and need your arms. I asked about it and our server told us the owner said it would make them look like more gracious hosts. It felt weird, creepy, and something out of a horror movie. Why can't they use their bodies and walk normally? So weird. Not going back. I give this place 6 months. read more

I have put off this review for a week but decided to post it for information for some Diners. I know there are a lot of people that have enjoyed Ambrosia but I had a less than spectacular visit. The staff and our waitress, Amber, were extremely nice and caring. The food was not up to my standards but we only had salads and appetizers and no entrees. I had a Greek salad that was small and had an exteme amount of raw bell peppers, 2 small grape tomatoes and 3 small pieces of onions for $19 which is the highest I have ever paid for a salad only. It was OK but not great. But, the fried calamari I had was excellent and the same price. I definitely would get that again. My Bride had a pear salad that had it's shortcomings. It was not sweet but bitter and acidic. She also got an appetizer of what we thought would be the highlight of the day, Scorpio Shrimp. We have eaten many times in the past at the Elite Epicurean, which was a predecessor of Ambrosia, and always got the Scorpio Shrimp dish known as The Shrimp Island of Scorpio. Ambrosia boasted that they were bringing the recipe back from Elite as a major selling point. Our jaws dropped when we got an unrecognizable plate of noodles with 3 shrimp. Nothing even close to Elite Epicurean's Shrimp Scorpio!!!!! The original Shrimp Island of Scorpios was tomatoes, onions, shrimp etc and Ouzo blended in the their sauce and all grilled or broiled. No Noodles!! Extremely Great!!! Huge disappointment here. BTW, I have semi duplicated the Scorpio dish with a Greek recipe, Garides Saganaki, and love it. In addition we did share the dessert Towering Gelaktaboureko, $12, which was 1 1/2 inches tall. It was very good but pricey. Our neighboring table was highly disappointed in their food also. I'm sure some people love the food and respect that. But, at $120, including tip and their credit card charge, is pricey so I will give them some time to solve their problems before trying them again. read more

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Beautiful upscale family-owned restaurant . I have dined here many times and am always met with wonderful service and fantastic food. The ambiance is perfect for date nights. Their lunch menu and service is also wonderful as well. I highly recommend! read more

Bad service. They cannot handle several orders, only one server and I guess only one cook. One hour waiting for our meal. Food bad, the gyros hardly had enough sauce, I guess they did not have enough prepared or were unable to prepare. It is not upscale, it is downscale. They got our money...only once.​ read more

Mark is the best! He allowed me to taste the orzo and was super accommodating with my order. Unfortunately, the other server was not as friendly. The orzo that actually made it to the table lacked spinach and flavor. Great espresso martini. Food was okay- lamb chops looked great and potatoes were good. read more

Wonderful food, ambiance, and service. The first bite of the bread and accompanying olive oil mix caused me to say "yum" out loud. Which makes more sense in my world than "oopa". I had Scorpio Shrimp and sautéed green beans. They were both delicious. I will definitely return to this restaurant. I like the way they honor the old elite epicurean restaurant that was in this location in my younger years, but this food is definitely healthier and prettier and tastier. And 21st century. Sorry about the naysayer reviewers who seem to enjoy showing off. This is not Greece here. Nor is it Chicago. The chef is creating something special here in Columbia and I hope the to see it succeed. PS. It's true that the bench on the wall is higher than the chairs so put the tall people there. read more

Place was beautiful, staff was nice, food was meh. For the price, expectations were higher in regards to the food. We had the same experience as the other reviews with the sides being lukewarm. The manager asked for feedback and when given our thoughts on the lukewarm sides became defensive. I ordered lamb shank and it seemed dry and maybe could have used a sauce? Was definitely hoping for better food. Maybe they'll work their kinks out? read more

Ordered bread separately and our server (Kaylee) forgot about me. Had to remind her about it. When it was time to order appetizers, I ordered calamari and again this young lady forgot my order. She asked me if I wanted to add it. I told her no I already added it and haven't gotten it. Ultimately, my entree arrived the same time as my appetizer. Smh. The gratuity was automatically taken out and not deserved. The only reason I didn't correct this situation was because I was celebrating the newly married couple I was with and didn't want to spoil their day. Also, I had to ask her to take some of the empty plates from the table. Smh. My dish was tasty but the salmon and the orzo needed to be seasoned. The ambiance was well liked with lovely music and decor. If the gratuity was not automatically taken out, my server would have gotten nil. read more

This is literallyyyyy by far the BEST food I've had in town! I highly recommend!

The food was good but it took 2 hours for our party to get our food. WOULD NOT recommend. if the service was faster i'd have a different opinion. we had people finish eating while others still had not received their food. They were also out of all of their signature dishes. We also HAD a RESERVATION read more

I was with my fellow pilot co-workers for dinner on a Friday night. As a corporate flight crew, we spend on average 150 nights a year on the road and as a result eat many meals in independent restaurants throughout the country. I feel Ambrosia is struggling and likely not going to survive much longer. When asked for drinks, two popular bourbons were out of stock. When ordering apps, the octopus was also not available. When ordering entrees, the lamb shank was not available, the first entree on the menu. Again, on a Friday night. With a largely empty restaurant, no less. The service, however, was good (Amber). A final indicator was the lack of a functional telephone number. The apparent lack of investment in food, liquor and land line on a popular night clearly means to me a faltering business. I wish any small biz owner the very best in success and feel Ambrosia will need every bit of luck to make it. read more

I celebrated my BORNDAY with two beautiful sisters on Saturday. Mark the owner/bartender was awesome and the chef who cooked the food is definitely worth returning for another round of food. I closed my evening not only with classy Anointed Queens but a gifted King known as Mark. Weekends like these make life all the more celebrating and showing up. Thanks Patricia and Baheera for the read more

You have to check this place out. Love the ambiance and the service was great. Lots of variety on the menu. I can't wait to try everything on the menu! read more

Great food and atmosphere. Decor is wonderful. The Lamb and Pork Shank is a must try. You will not go wrong here. The experience is incredible. read more

The waitress was good and prompt. Beautiful atmosphere and very clean. The lemon soup was microwaved and barely warm. It was mediocre which surprised me because it should be a showstopper. The moussaka had way too much cheese (which was hard like concrete) and hardly any béchamel, overly salty and not at all authentic. I was disappointed in the food, especially for the price. My dining partner had gyro and yia yia fries and said both were good. read more