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Ambar
Brunch: Saturday - Sunday 10am - 3:30 pm
Dinner: Monday / Tuesday/ Wednesday/ Thursday 4pm - 10pm
Friday 4pm - 11pm
Saturday 4:30pm - 11pm
Sunday 4:30pm - 10pm
Public metered parking via parking station is available along 8th Street, SE from E Street to our north to I street to our south.
2 hour residential parking located nearby in the surrounding neighborhood at E Street, G Street, 7th Street, and 9th Street
Private Dining
Ambar is a modern Balkan tapas-style restaurant. With a desire to introduce Washington, D.C. to cutting edge Balkan cuisine, proprietor Ivan Iricanin has created a dining space that will delight and indulge the senses.
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Menu
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The manager was very rude to two patrons sitting near us. He asked one of them to hurry up to pay and to leave (they patrons were not there long) so that the restaurant could anticipate a bigger reservation coming in. It was incredibly rude and the other tables took notice as well. The manager was arrogant and it made our table uncomfortable, even though we weren’t involved. I felt so badly for the girl he asked to leave. She wasn’t done with her food and had a full glass. Her friend eating with her was in the restroom, so she had to explain that awkwardly to her friend who wasn’t done eating. It was unbelievably rude. I didn’t know those two girls, but all my friends eat regularly at Ambar. I hope this restaurant realizes that word travels fast. So rude of the manager. Wow. It was so unprofessional.
Came here with my parents when they were in town visiting and as usual, Ambar did not disappoint. We did the endless dinner option and tried a lot of different dishes. Our server was excellent and even brought us a dessert on the house. Will definitely be back!
One of the best restaurants in DC. In terms of value, quantity, quality of the food and service. A real treat at a very affordable price for an awesome culinary experience. Highly recommended (and I’m french, so that’s saying a lot!)
Standouts were the mussels, cheese pie, white flat bread, and lamb sliders. This was a fantastic lunch experience for my husband 11 year old daughter and I. Go! You won’t be disappointed.
Ambar was wonderful and exceeded our expectations. The four of us ordered the Ambar Experience menu. The food was great, the variety was excellent, the wine and cocktails were very good, and our waiter was extremely attentive and responsive, making sure our wine glasses never emptied. Conversation noise was a bit loud but didn’t interfere with our conversation. Ordering the Ambar Experience made it so easy to order whatever we wanted and share among the four of us. I’d go back in a heartbeat.
The Unlimited lunch special was great quality of food at a fair price.. The service was excellent!
With the fond memory of my fabulous lunch here the other day still fresh in my mind, I decided to take my husband to Ambar several days later.
Another amazing experience- more like a gourmet dinner than a lunch - with the very charming and delightful Milica Stanojev as our server and the wonderfully welcoming general manager, Uros Jojic.
To the Michelin reviewers: While Ambar is currently Michelin 'recommended' it surely should be upgraded to a Michelin star. When I think of my experiences at some of NYC's Michelin-starred restaurants it is clear to me that Ambar is so far superior to one-star places like Ai Fiori and Wallse'.
Meanwhile, our meal was perfect except for when Scott Pruitt and his small Secret Service entourage came in. However, while EPA Chief Pruitt may be a complete idiot for denying climate change, at least he knows where to get a great meal:)
Second time here. Excellent all around. Sat at the bar for dinner and the service could not have been better.
I met friends there for dinner on a week night and we were not disappointed. The service was prompt and attentive but not cloying. We had small plates and drinks for three and the bill was $66. We were full and each of us had one alcoholic drink, so it's a bargain. I highly recommend the stuffed pepper and all the spreads. Don't bother with the Ambar fries as there are so many other great things on the menu. We enjoyed the chicken skewers, stuffed cabbage (which comes on top of amazing mashed potatoes), ajvar spread and the Balkan salad.
I have been to Ambar for many meals with family and friends, and it has always been a treat. The Balkan food is unique and the tapas style permits sampling a variety of specialties. The bar has a diverse array of spirits from multiple countries that are fun to sample. The wait staff are very friendly and professional, and the restaurant owners and managers often come around the tables and say hello for a personal touch. All the way around, a wonderful experience that makes for a festive evening with family and friends. I highly recommend Ambar for time with family and friends, and any special celebrations you may have!
Amazing food, great service. Great wine list and waitress helped us select a new type of wine to try and it was perfect.
Wonderful taste experience
Always amazing, always delicious. Highly recommend!
I was hesitant to try Balkan food, but I was not disappointed by a single thing that I tried. The lamb kabobs were phenomenal and the drinks were well made. I enjoyed having the option of getting the small portions of many different dishes so I could step out of my comfort zone. I will definitely return here one day.
Ambar is always a great time. The waffles were everything. The mimosas this time weren’t the best but I think they was because they were being made in big portions. I’ve had better mimosas in the past so I think this was just a one time thing. I’ll definitely come back to brunch with friends again.
Our first visit, and our server was very helpful in deciding how to try Balkan cuisine Friendly, amazing service (not sure our water glasses ever made it to empty), great décor and fun vibe! Definitely a place i will visit for brunch again, and might try for lunch or dinner!
Excellent real Serbian food and ambiance.
Balkan Experience is the way to go!
Wow! Have been wanting to visit and try the ‘Balkans Experience.’ I spent time in Sarajevo and Ambar’s Menu brought back great memories. We were lucky to hit great weather on Thursday and sat outside. My group of three enjoyed about 75% of the menu. The flavors and variety were incredible. Our server Natasha was lovely and knowledgeable- provided excellent recommendations. Dining from the Experience menu provided a steady stream of tastings. Looking forward to a return to Ambar. Note for Parking: I dropped off my friends and I drove for 20 minutes to look for non-existed parking. I had missed the sign across from Ambar for valet parking- a total lifesaver!
We did not know what to expect and we were pleasantly surprised! Food was great and our server, Marco, was terrific. The place could use some updating in decor.
Great food and service - always enjoy Ambar and recommend to friends.
We enjoyed the food there. They had a great service and we appreciate the fact that they worked with us on the location of where to sit. The food was just a bit in the salty side, but we still enjoyed it. I would go back there again. The desserts are fantastic but this time we didn't get to try them since we were on a tight schedule.
We were entertaining out-of-town friends and asked friends who live on Capitol Hill to recommend a restaurant to attend after a concert in the neighborhood. We're so glad we took their suggestion and went to Ambar. The tapas-style small plates meant that the five of us could order and share all kinds of unfamiliar dishes from the Balkan menu. Just about all were delicious, some truly memorable. We'll definitely be back. An excellent place to enjoy with a group. (We considered but didn't try the option for unlimited food and some drinks as we were not a big-drinking crowd.)
Interesting and creative food with lots of small plates to share. It's a fun place to go with friends and everyone would find something that they like.
The wine list is also wines from the Balkans, which are well priced and very good.
Delightful neighborhood gem; food was excellent; the menu is diverse; service was great. Make sure you make a reservation, even for 8 pm on a Monday.
What a find! We had a wonderful meal at a great price point. We really enjoyed our waitress who came from Croatia. She explained the menu and was very very helpful in our decision making. There were so many wonderful options that we had a hard time picking! We will go to Ambar any time we are in DC. Absolutely.
what a great dinner, we had a blast and would recommend to all our friends. If you are in DC you need to try Ambar.
Great experience! Natasha was a phenomenal waitress!
We had a wonderful brunch at Ambar this Sunday. Would absolutely recommend Ambar's Balkan Experience. You get as much food as you want, served in perfectly sized small dishes, and bottomless mimosas for $39 per person. The food is soooo good, and it is really worth the price. The servers are friendly and presents all dishes. Will definitely come again!
Even though we were late for our reservation and lost our table, they were able to seat us at the bar and still made sure to bring out a birthday treat as we were celebrating my husband’s birthday.
Ambar is always a great choice for brunch, but the reservation is definitely needed. I find the a la carte option much more worth it given the that the unlimited is a hefty $40. Overall, great food in this cute restaurant.
Food was amazing! The $49 deal is totally worth it if ur hungry and want to try a lot of different tapas plates. Will be going back.
Awesome! Delicious food! Great service! Waitress was very helpful.
Overall, good experience and would recommend. Food was good, however, to be honest, was not mind blowing. My partner and I opted in for Balkan experience without drinks for $35/person and tasted pretty much everything we wanted to taste on the menu (up to the point where we were too full that could not eat no more). It was a very busy night when we visited, though service was prompt and pleasant. Our waiter, Stefan, was excellent. He patiently answered all our questions, explained everything, oversaw the service of our table so well without making us feel that we were being hovered or watched (which isn’t always easy). Definitely worth a visit for anyone who hasn’t been at Ambar.
Excellent food, and service as always! Special treats were the cabbage rolls, the stuffed pepper, and the brussel sprouts--but the sausages and prociuttos were great as well.
Nice! Great time
Loved! Fabulous food service and ambiance!!
We were a party of six on Easter Sunday. Everything about this place was great. Food was delicious!
Being from Connecticut, when visiting our daughter away at college in Maryland, we ALWAYS come to Ambar for a special dining experience with every single visit!! We had Easter Sunday dinner here this time and our waitress Kris was just wonderful!!! The food and drinks and ambiance are beyond compare and just the best time and meal to be enjoyed with family and friends!! So happy we found this restaurant and will continue to come back again and again when visiting the Washington DC area. Then Balkan Experience is absolutely something to experience!!! An amazing dining experience for a great price!!
Great food, location and atmosphere. We were here for brunch. Really enjoyed it.