My wife and I visited for the first time, and from the moment we walked in, we felt genuinely…read morewelcomed. I'm not sure if the gentleman who greeted us was the manager or the owner, but he immediately made eye contact, welcomed us with a smile, and seated us right away. That first impression set the tone for a wonderful dining experience. Our server, Eduardo, was outstanding professional, personable, and attentive throughout the evening. He took the time to explain the menu and offered excellent recommendations, which made it easy to try a variety of dishes. The ambiance was warm and comfortable, with music playing softly in the background, making it easy to relax and enjoy a conversation without feeling rushed or overwhelmed. We ordered several appetizers and tapas, followed by dessert, and every single dish was absolutely delicious. The quality, presentation, and flavors exceeded our expectations. Overall, it was an exceptional experience from start to finish. We truly enjoyed ourselves and will definitely be coming back. Highly recommended!

Very easy 5 star review to write - I'll definitely be back for their weekend brunch special!…read more I met with a group of friends for their $35 bottoms brunch on a Saturday; this includes a wide array of bottomless tapas and greatly discounted drinks ($1 mimosas, $5 margaritas, $5 sangrias). The food was really really delicious. While the first wave of tapas took a little longer than expected to come out of the kitchen, the rest of our dining experience was smooth as butter. Every dish I tried was wonderful - the steak breakfast bowl, chicken tostada, and beef sliders really stood out in a special way. Each dish was seasoned well and came out hot; some of the tapas came out in fairly large portions (like the beef bowl and papas) and should be shared between a few people. I appreciate how expansive the menu is; we ate like kings and queens and barely got through tasting half the menu. The drinks came out quickly and were well made. They offered all sorts of flavored mimosas and margs (at a small upcharge); I stuck with classic OJ mimosas but friends at the table loved trying the variety of options. Overall, service was great. Our waitress was attentive, quick, and kept great track of all the tapas we ordered. As I mentioned, the flow and timing of receiving our first round of food could've been improved - but it didn't ruin the experience. Looking forward to my next brunch here!

My husband surprised me with brunch at Ambar because he always researches menus before making…read morereservations to make sure there are enough options for my food intolerances. That thoughtfulness is one of the many reasons I was excited to try it. When we arrived, I was initially concerned after learning that the "G" on the menu indicated dishes **containing** gluten rather than being gluten-free. Since many menu items were marked with a "G," I worried my options would be very limited, especially for the unlimited brunch experience. Thankfully, our server, Emma, immediately put me at ease. She brought me the food allergy menu, answered my questions with patience, and made sure I understood what was safe for me to enjoy. While my husband and I were deciding whether to stay, the manager, Antonio, came to our table after Emma shared my dietary concerns. His kindness completely changed the experience. He took the time to explain my options, offered to have the kitchen modify several dishes, and reassured me that their goal was for me to feel safe and enjoy my meal. Thanks to Emma and Antonio, what started with uncertainty became one of the most enjoyable brunch experiences I've had. I was able to enjoy a variety of delicious dishes, the mimosas were a great value, and the restaurant itself is absolutely beautiful, with floor-to-ceiling windows that fill the space with natural light. What I'll remember most, though, is how genuinely cared for I felt. Before we left, Antonio stopped by one last time to make sure I was happy with my meal and that all of my needs had been met. My husband had put so much love and intention into choosing this restaurant, and thanks to Emma and Antonio, we both left with happy hearts and full bellies. If you have food intolerances or dietary restrictions, I hope this review gives you confidence to visit Ambar. Their team didn't just accommodate my needs. They made me feel welcome, respected, and cared for. That's the kind of hospitality that earns five stars from me.

New: TG corn ribs. Delicious and creative (see my picture). It's a new interpretation of corn on…read morethe cob. Mixed grill is now more expensive (as part of the Ambar Experience at Home set: grill). Though now you can choose individual ingredients (chicken, lamb and so on as opposed to mixed grill which is no + $4) Baklava shrunk! In the past the portion was generous. Now: only 3 tiny pieces.

A special thank you to Iliana, who made our experience exceptional. She was warm, attentive, and…read moregenuinely welcoming from start to finish. She gave great recommendations, checked on us throughout the meal without ever being intrusive, and made us feel like valued guests. Outstanding service like hers is hard to find and made an already amazing meal even better.

The all you can eat brunch was a great way to check out a lot of the menu items. Really great food…read moreand great bloody Mary's! Natalie was the BEST!

Manteen provided great service all night. one of a kind guy who knows how to run a table…read more definitely coming back

Mateen was awesome! Top notch service from the guy. Had a blast and would definitely come back.read more

Food was Fantastic - I will go there again without a doubt…read more Service however was reareallyl bad - the waiter took the order had someone else deliver it and missed putting one of our orders in the kitchen. He never showed up to ask us how the food was and if there is something else we needed. After quite some time had to signal another waiter and explain to him yet our waiter never came out till it was time for the check. While exiting the restaurant we were told the front door is closed and for us to exit through the side - but there were people coming out of the front door. If the food was not fantastic we would never visit it again. Food was worth the money.

I highly recommend it. The seafood rice is very good, and the octopus is soft and glutinous, which…read moreis also amazing!

- Great happy hour! -- $6 sangrias but not that strong -…read moreWaiter is attentive - Hummus is good and lots of fresh pita - Patatas bravas are SO good with the aioli - Calamari is so fresh and chewy - Skewers are meaty with tzatziki - Nice shaded area outside not in the water with a pretty view of the water

Went to Barca Saturday 6pm without a reservation and was seated rather quickly for 2. Knowing it…read morewas outside, I was hopeful it wouldn't be too hot thanks to the fans throughout, but where we were seated left the sun blazing on 70% of the table, even with the umbrella. That made it hard to stay and enjoy more tapas. Tried the goat cheese dip, beef kabobs, chicken albondigas, and lamb chops. Drank the Valencia sunset, which I would have liked more without the red powder that was sprinkled in it- I want to say it was tajin or similar. If it were in the description of the drink I would've skipped it. Then focused on the descriptions, I ordered the orange wave before the realizing it was a mocktail, and a pricey one at $16!!! As it was my mistake I didn't mention it to the server but don't think that's a reasonable price for a mocktail. The goat cheese dip is as great as others rave, but the chicken albondigas lacked real flavor and I did not like what accompanied the lamb chops. The service was excellent but the overall experience didn't quite make 5 stars, unsure if I'd return.

Came to Boqueria during DC's Winter Restaurant Week and had a great time! It was a good deal too,…read moreand I left so full. Started off with the "Taste of Spain" which included Pan con tomate, Aged manchego, Jamón Ibérico de bellota, and Boquerones con naranja. Since I couldn't eat the latter two, the server said they could double the first two, which was so appreciated. For my first course, I chose the Escalivada (fire-roasted eggplant, red pepper, labne yogurt, fresh herbs, olive oil, served with focaccia) and Croquetas de setas (creamy mushroom croquettes with truffle aioli). The Escalivada was tasty, but more on the tangy side; the bread was more crostini-like than focaccia. The Croquetas were so good: creamy, savory, umami inside and crunchy outside. Next, I got the Zanahorias (spiced baby carrots, sweet and sour reduction, orange honey yogurt, mojo verde, Marcona almonds) and Patatas bravas (crispy potatoes, salsa brava, pimentón, garlic aioli). When I tell you those carrots had me dreaming about them later, I'm not kidding- all of the different flavor combos paired with the perfectly cooked carrots were amazing. The Patatas bravas was pretty classic- crispy potatoes with creamy aioli and tangy tomato sauce. Finally, for dessert, I had the Tarta de naranja (orange olive oil cake, citrus-honey yogurt), and my friend had the Tarta vasca de chocolate (Basque chocolate cheesecake, macerated strawberries, chantilly cream). Both were tasty, but the Tarta de naranja was so good: perfectly dense cake, refreshing citrus, and great contrast with the yogurt. For my drink, I got the Forget-Me-Not refrescante (butterfly pea flower, thyme, honey, lime, ginger beer). Very interesting drink, not sure I'd order again but it was good. Service was great, super willing to accommodate my vegetarian dietary restrictions. Ambiance is really nice, very modern and elegant. Very accessible by metro, just a short walk from the station. 10/10 would recommend!

First... man the chairs were UNCOMFY. Theres two types of stools and the padded one feels slightly…read moreslanted forward and small. But anyways Paella was delicious, the flavor profile was super fun. We got the short rib and seafood, and we all preferred seafood as the short rib was a bit heavy. The fish in it was crispy and so good, especially with the green sauce- nice herby and refreshing contrast. The figs were interesting and fun. But not that filling... I did not like the patatas... sauce was good but the potato itself had none of its own seasoning and was tough. Yes crispy but not pillowy inside. The octopus was delicious and super tender. Would come back for seafood paella and charcuterie.

It's a bit like Cheers, but for wine…read more We've been here a couple of times and even joined their Wine Club. Both times we've gone, it was during their happy hour, which runs until 7 pm, and we stuck to the special menu. Those have included their Charcuterie Board (something that contributed to Dr. Oz not being a senator), crispy Brussels sprouts, their Margarita flatbread, chicken skewers, and truffle fries. Don't hate us; that was spread over two visits. Everything tasted great, though next time I think we'll graduate to the real menu. The wines we've tried so far were either inexpensive or not bad. For inexpensive, I've had glasses of their $3 Tempranillo. While it wasn't great, I've paid a lot re for much worse. For "not bad", my wife had the $10 Buehler Cab. After it opened up for a bit it was quite drinkable.

I moved to Arlington a few months ago and I'm trying to hit up every local spot in each neighbor. A…read morefew weeks ago I decided to stop by Verre Wine Bar. There's two parking garages nearby and street parking. It's also walking distance from the Courthouse Metro stop. I sat at the bartop and my server was named Julia and she was so friendly! I asked her a bit about the menu and I ordered this drink that was kinda like a whiskey sour but I'm blanking on the name. The interior of Verre was nice. It looked like a wine bar, very quiet wasn't too loud despite me going around dinner time. Def a great place for a girls night or date.

It's alright. I…read morereally like that there IS a Lebanese restaurant in this section of Arlington and they have a vegetarian menu. The dip sampler was small samples. We got the halloumi as well, which can't go wrong with cheese, honey, and dates. Service was good. Ambiance - there's outdoor and indoor seating and you can always find a seat. It's not loud and they have booths.

Love the warm feel with friends gathering here on a Saturday Summer evening. Food was delicious…read morewith the dip sampling, octopus, cheese rolls, calamari, and our entrees : lamb shank, skewers, and salads. Finished the night with mango sorbet. Parking was easy with street parking along the side of restaurant and worse scenario a garage for $9. I lucked out with street parking. Wine was not the best so thank the host for allowing us to taste another wine. Definitely go with the red blend from Lebanon. Overall a great family setting though service does take awhile.

Popped in for dinner after an event nearby. No reservation but we were able to be seated right…read moreaway. The restaurant had a back section that looked like it could be used as a separate party room and more booths and table in the front. Our server was good. He checked in with us frequently and made sure to keep us informed on our food status after taking our order. We tried the scallion bubble pancake, walnut shrimp, Mr Zhangs red braised pork belly, and beef chow fun. The bubble pancake was fun and had a good crunch and served with like a curry dip sauce. I would say if you get this, you should eat it first/soonest since i enjoyed it more at first bite while it was hot. The walnut shrimp was good, the shrimps were the smaller ones that were an easy way to snack. The braised pork belly was so tender. It reminded me of char siu, flavor wise, as long as you're ok with the pork belly (aka fatty pieces). Beef chow fun was good. They used nice wide noodles that were cooked well, not too soft, and had good onions, bean sprouts, and other veggies. I would come back try other things!

I have now made it to six Peter Chang restaurants in the DMV!…read more When I was looking through the menu I must have missed that it was a Peter Chang restaurant. I only saw food items that looked really good. It wasn't until I saw the bubble pancake did I realize. So of course we ordered the bubble and bento to begin. Loved the variety in the bento box and wished that it came with at least two of the soup dumplings, siu mai, and har gow. You just can't share a soup dumpling! We ordered the chow fun and salt and pepper shrimp. This was the perfect amount of food for the two of us. The chow fun will always be my favorite childhood noodle dish. The shrimp was nice and crispy. And for any non-alcoholic drinkers out there, they have a lychee drink which was very refreshing. My only complaint is that with a party of seven, we were told that there was a $20 deposit per person for a reservation. Our reservation was for the non-busy hour of 4:30 p.m. I can understand large parties of say 20 or more in which you will be taking up a good portion of the restaurant but this policy is a first for me. Parking is available in the paid garage on the same block.