Ambar - Arlington

Great restaurant with a lovely ambiance and excellent service. At first, it was difficult to catch the staff‘s attention, but once we did, the service became much quicker. The variety of food was impressive, and our brunch turned into a fantastic experience. I especially enjoyed the flavors of the Grilled Hanger Steak, the Salmon Benedict and the Caramel Apple Waffle on top.

Ambar had an AYCE menu for restaurant for $55 and it was quite the selection! My only regret is not coming hungrier, but I enjoyed each dish especially the stuffed cabbage. I recommend coming here on a date night or groups of less than 8!

I highly recommend this location. The food was delicious. There are two dining areas. I do not recommend the downstairs area. It was very dark. Everything that we tried was amazing especially the potatoes, the fried chicken, the waffles, and the mimosas. The food came quickly and we were very satisfied with everything that we tasted. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone that wants to try something different. I also recommend making a reservation. There is a parking garage located across the street on the corner. You can also try your luck at finding a parking spot on the street. However, most of the street parking is zoned so be careful.

Ana was an incredible waitress! She was very kind and attentive! I love to come to Ambar when i’m in town!

Visited Ambar for Saturday Brunch. Overall interior is GORGEOUS and the place can be pretty packed for their brunches. Make reservation ahead of time. Ice Coffee - Skip, tasted watered down and nothing special. Recommend ordering their signature drinks (they’re all 0.99 or 2.99) Crispy Cheese (sandwich) - 10/10, so gooey and crispy! Tasted great with the remoulade sauce Shakshuka - 10/10, they give you a sunny side egg on top which you can break/mix in. Request with bread. Mushroom Flatbread - 8/10, tasted wonderful with the arugula, mushroom and caramalized onions. Not a fan of the goat cheese (a little strong for me) Balkan Mini Donuts - 8/10, big cute donut holes and you can choose between Nutella or jam. I picked the Nutella and it was delicious, a little doughy in the center.

A few friends and I enjoyed a lively Saturday brunch, and it did not disappoint. The food was both delicious and satisfyingly filling—we indulged in a steady stream of small plates, each one better than the last. Traditional and mixed berry mimosas flowed alongside, adding a refreshing touch to the meal. Service was attentive and well-paced. We ordered new dishes as previous ones arrived, which kept the experience seamless and the table never empty. There was a small hiccup with the mixed berry mimosa refills—one of us had to follow up a couple of times—but given how busy the place was, it was understandable. The atmosphere was buzzing, with every table occupied and a few groups sitting outside. That said, the noise level made it hard to hold a conversation without raising our voices. Still, for $43 per person for endless small plates and just $1 per drink, it’s a great value and absolutely worth checking out.

Love this restaurant! Great food for a nice price! Surprised to see some reviewers complain about a particular dish when they ordered the unlimited small plates. You literally can try just about everything on the menu! So yeah, maybe you won’t like every single item (and there’s a lot). Some people are just whiners. We were here for a celebration with family. We all loved it. Highly recommend! You definitely get your money’s worth if you go with the unlimited small plate selection. It’s a fun dining experience. Also, the servers are prompt with bringing plates out almost as soon as you finish current plates! Super service.

Ana was amazing! Came for a Friday lunch and we had an amazing time. Ana explained the menu and gave us her personal recommendations which we decided to go with and enjoyed everything. Thankyou so much ambar!

I've been wanting to try Ambar for a while and finally got to do so and had a fabulous experience. Between my husband and I we tried about 11 tapas and had a dessert. Everything we had was fresh and flavorful and not overly salted. Service was prompt even on a Saturday night and we didn't have to wait long for the next round of tapas to arrive. We left satisfied and full of delicious food. A couple missed opportunities for the restaurant: the waiter refilled my husband's iced tea but never asked if I wanted another glass of wine. Also when we ordered the dessert we weren't asked if we wanted tea or coffee.

$35 unlimited small plates is an incredible deal and allows even someone with a small appetite to try so many things. This is how food should be!! Here's what I tried: Cevapi --- TO DIE FOR, worth a return visit just for these two small kebabs Steak tartare --- excellent, nice tart flavor to balance out the richness Ajvar spread --- tasty, not as much garlic or eggplant as I hoped though Forest mushroom crepe --- very heavy and cheesy, a little too rich for me Meat pie --- lacking a little in flavor, would not recommend Throughout my whole meal, Ari was very attentive and came by frequently to check in. Really appreciated her cheerfulness and close attention!!

Amazing place, amazing venue for your event! Prices are so comfortable and food is sooo delicious! Friendly people and cozy atmosphere! 🥰

All the delicious food you could want in tasting size portions for 2 hours. Only had one dish I didn't care for (cheese pie) but really like the forest mushroom crepe. Reservations recommended, good spot for large groups.

Every time we come the food and service is amazing! The Balkan experience is awesome. Special thanks to Valentin and our servers for everything they are very helpful!

Still as amazing as I remember! All you can eat for $50 is a great deal considering the quality of food. Lovely atmosphere and wonderful service at this location. The standout dishes for me were the sausage and beer salad.

Ours favorites were the chicken stroganoff, fries, and cauliflower. Everything was amazing. Ana was an amazing server.

Been a fan of Ambar for years, and I wanted to say a big thank you to them for an amazing private party! We had fantastic food and drinks in the downstairs bar. Thanks so much for making our party one to remember forever!

We had an awesome lunch date here and really enjoyed their lunch deal. This is our second time at Ambar, and I have to say this is one of the most fun and value-based restaurant experiences I’ve had. Every dish is amazing tasting and the quality is there, the service was great, and the restaurant itself is warm and inviting, yet a nice level of upscale. Thank you so much! I would love to stop by for their great happy hour deal as well one day, would be great if you didn’t want to commit to the unlimited experience.

Ana was an amazing server! We had a girl’s brunch and wore wigs for a little bit of fun, and she was so sweet and attentive the entire time. One of the girls had never been here, so she explained the menu very well. She also asked what the occasion was and paid good attention to detail for our group, which elevates our overall experience. I will definitely come back to see her!!

I have to say for a brunch in the DMV, it is harder to find a better deal than at Ambar. For $42 you can have you can eat plates of food for brunch and the cocktails are great. I really enjoyed that even the mocktails were a lower price and only $3 just like the cocktails. I definitely will be back.

We had an amazing brunch experience at Ambar in Clarendon, made even better by the exceptional service from Ari. From the moment we sat down, Ari was attentive, friendly, and incredibly knowledgeable about the menu. They anticipated our needs, made great recommendations, and kept everything running smoothly without ever feeling rushed. Brunch at Ambar is always a treat, but Ari truly elevated the experience with their professionalism and genuine hospitality. It’s rare to find service that feels both efficient and personal, and Ari nailed it. We’ll definitely be back—and hope to sit in Ari’s section again!

Second time here, and it just keeps getting better! We came for lunch and had an unforgettable experience. Anna was absolutely amazing attentive, kind, and always smiling. She guided us through the menu, made sure we were taken care of the entire time, and even ran all of our food to the table while explaining each dish. Management should be thankful to have a server like Anna; it’s truly hard to find someone like her these days. She genuinely made us feel at home.

Me and my family went here to try it out, I will say the food is pretty good. Some of the flavors are a bit overpowering but other than that it was really good. Ana was our waitress and she did wonderful helping us choose which food was best to try. She also made sure to be aware of my family’s allergies and let us know which foods not to choose. She was always aware of us and what we needed at the time. I’ll definitely be recommending this restaurant.

The food was soo good and the mimosas were pretty strong. Leslie was our server and she was great! Super warm and super hospitable, I’ll def be back.

Our group of six had at a great time at AMBAR. We all had the unlimited brunch and enjoyed many of the options. The standouts were the salmon eggs benedict, fried chicken slider, mushroom flatbread, and from the sweets, the s'mores waffle and doughnuts with nutella were fantastic. Best of all, our service... Leslie G was phenomenal; attentive service, she has a great personality and shared several laughs with our party, and kept us fed, hydrated, and full! We hope to return soon and see Leslie again. I don't want to remove a star from the overall rating because the food and service were great, but I do want to provide some feedback for the manager. It was a busy day at AMBAR, we had a reservation and there's a two hour limit on the unlimited menu. It was not clear that was the maximum time allowed at a table for the reservation. The manager stopped by at one hour and 53 minutes asking how the meal and service was, which we appreciated. But then returned a few minutes later telling us to leave. The way the manager approached the table was a little off putting. "Thanks for coming, and I don't want to be that guy, but we need you to leave so the next party can come in." Verbatim. I get it, it was busy, someone behind us had a reservation, but there was a better way to go about it. If you had simply said something the first time you came by the table, "there's no rush, take your time, but we do have another party coming in soon." Most reasonable people would have quickly got up to make way for the next party and so Leslie can help serve another group.

The food is incredible. Service extremely good. Recommend server Vanessa. Must try the deconstructed chocolate dessert, best ever, not too sweet. The roasted lamb is so good. Mussels to die for. Really too many good plates to rave about!

Good was great as always! We’re regulars here. Great variety of dishes. Always leaves you wanting to try more flavors next time. Love their Bottomless Brunch! Great coffee too! Anna the server was fantastic.

We went to try the unlimited dinner and tasted a variety of dishes. Most of them were delicious, but a few needed the unique flavors of Balkan cuisine. The service was decent but slow when we wanted to order more. The restaurant itself was decent, but the tables were placed too close to each other.

Overall, we had a great first time experience at Ambar. We've talked about going forever and really happy we finally did. For 42.99 it's an all you can eat tapas style which works out well for larger parties. Most of these places are iffy when it comes to service as they tell you you only have 2hrs but then take forever to come back and even ask if you want more. Here though, someone was always asking us if we wanted more (we even had the manager telling us an empty table wasn't acceptable to him as we were breathing between dishes lol). Plates were cleared just as fast as they were delivered. We ordered quite a few dishes and There were only a few complaints in regards to the food: - Salmon Benedict was cold and it was pretty clear the poached eggs were bulk made and stored making it not super enjoyable served Luke warm - The flatbread we got was over seasoned with the oregano so much that it ruined the taste of the rest - Caramel Apple waffle was fantastic! However, really wish they would heat up the Apple pie mixture; it's just weird to have a cold filling on top of a warm waffle (maybe personal preference) - Strawberry Waffles could really do without the Nutella! Just make a strawberry filling or chopped strawberries and a maple syrup. - The shakahuka (no pic) was probably the most disappointing; it was really watery, more sauce than anything and oddly nothing served with it. Most of the time you have bread or some potato, but here, nothing so once you break the egg it was a literal soup which was sad - The potato hash (fried potatoes) were bottom of the bin. I think we got the last of what was bulk fried as they were super crunchy and mostly not edible. I'm sure if you get fresh ones they are probably great, but honestly they need a sauce (creme/sour cream/spicy tomato). We actually soaked them in the shakshuka juice which was decent Highlights and Recommended: Mediterranean omelet (no pic), Balkan Salad (I ate 2!), Fried Chicken Sandwich and Caramel Apple Waffle All of the sweet dishes we got were great! Waffles weren't over fried, mini donuts were perfect! Would only decrease the Nutella as they were all swimming in it. We did order the $0.99 mimosa which were better mixed than most bottomless places (you can see the bubbles in the pitchers and glasses) We did order a Mango Lemonade which was basically juice, very limited vodka. As mentioned, overall we had a great experience and majority of the food was good, including the scrambled eggs and bacon which are not pictured (we all know what they look like ). There was only one thing that was confusing to us once we got the bill. We were charged for a food experience and a drink experience (ultimately coming to $42.99/pp). We had no idea what the "drink experience" was since we were still charged 0.99/mimosa or $2.99 for elevated alcoholic drink. It appears that you can order bottomless non-alcoholic drinks (espresso, coffee, soda, tea, etc...) for the drink experience, but this was never communicated to us when we got there (we also said we had never been there). This also seems extreme for people who don't want or don't partake in that option. It was an added $12pp that we didn't even use (and didn't even know about) Had we known we might have had coffee or a latte-- these types of drinks aren't even listed on the menu as an option which feels very undermining when you're being charged for them without a choice. At the bare minimum list your non-alcoholic drinks choices.

Place was nice the food was ok nice staff and sitting area Overall, it was a pleasant experience that left me feeling relaxed. I may consider returning for another meal in the future.

Ambar is a very nice upscale restaurant with a delicious menu, specially for Sunday brunch. They have a Gluten free/vegan menu, but our waiter was a bit wary about recommending anything, because, as she said, they do not take any care about mixing/cross-contaminating dishes. I really do not understand why they bother saying they offer gluten free options if there is no effort in separating a bit of the kitchen to make the Gluten Free dishes. The mimosas are nice, but served almost at room temperature. We tried almost all the dishes in the menu, and they are perfect for individual consumption. The tomato soup was excellent. The balkan kebabs were a bit raw for our taste, but everything was nicely presented. The only gluten free dessert is the granola, fruit and yogurt plate without the granola, but it was very nice and refreshing. The restaurant is modern and cute. Fast service. Good prices for the experience. Will visit again.

Dined during restaurant week. Overall, the food, atmosphere and drinks were good. Service can be a bit slow at times. I would recommend this place.

Food is great so far. The service was also good too. It just takes a bit longer to serve them.

We were very excited for our first foray into Balkan cuisine and I really like the way that Ambar offers a flat rate for 2 hours to try multiple dishes in a tapas style. We certainly took advantage of that! Some of the food was wonderful, with the YAGA ‘ROASTED LAMB’, Lamb lasagna, and smoked sausage as particular stand-outs. However, we found other dishes less successful, such as the HALLOUMI and FOREST MUSHROOM CREPE. This wasn't too big of a deal though, considering the tapas style encouraged us to taste a wide variety. The service was fine, if not particularly warm or friendly. The server checked in fairly often to see if we wanted to try any other dishes. Our dirty plates were cleared away promptly, which was very nice. The atmosphere was lovely and light-filled. However, the restrooms are down a flight of stairs which may deter those with mobility challenges. We will certainly return as we ran out of room before we ran out of dishes we are interested in tasting!

Ana was so kind and took great care to ensure we received all of our food. Everything we ordered was incredible as usual! The drinks were delicious but a bit weak than what they have been in the past. This was my first time dining inside and the environment was busy but still a great place to spend lunch!

Did unlimited brunch. Food was pretty good, the only thing that I tried and didn't like was the steak, it had a weird flavor like they cooked it right after cooking seafood without cleaning it between proteins. But the portions were good. They were big enough to enjoy, but small enough that there's not a lot of waste if you don't like a dish or get full. Our waiter was lovely, the atmosphere was vibrant, but in a chill way. I would definitely recommend and go back again.

I love coming here for their Lunch Balkan experience. The amount of food is astonishing and it’s always tasty and satisfying. Ana was our server and she did great when taking our orders. She was busy and made a point to attend to us when she was able. Our food was correct and she was prompt with drinks once ordered.

The service here is truly exceptional—attentive waitstaff consistently check in to ensure all your needs are met. While the shrimp and mussel dishes were standout highlights, the rest of the buffet options were overwhelmingly salty. I recognize buffets may aim to balance flavors, but the excessive saltiness detracted from the experience (and likely left guests reaching for water!). With a simple adjustment to seasoning, this restaurant could easily earn a well-deserved 5-star rating. The foundation for excellence is already here: stellar service and a few memorable dishes. Addressing the salt issue would elevate the entire dining experience. Eager to return once this is improved!

I met a few friends here for their Sunday brunch. For a fixed price, you can select a wide array from the tapas-style menu. The menu selection is nice, but the food itself was so-so and nothing spectacular. Most of the dishes were cold and lacked flavor. Service was good. We all agreed that there are better dining options in Arlington. Tried it and won't be coming back. Completely underwhelmed and disappointed.

Food was decent, great way to experience Balkan cuisine. We chose the $50 all you can eat option which meant we could order off the menu and the restaurant would bring out the food as we ordered it. Portions were tapa-size so you could get a few at a time. The waitress was nice and attentive. But the staff bringing out the food was rude and basically threw the food at us, not bothering to clear other plates to put things down. At one point, I was putting empty plates on the ledge behind me. I’ve had better service at McDonalds. It really put a damper on the whole experience. I felt like I was really inconveniencing them by asking for food. Honestly, I would rather serve myself at a buffet. Not coming back.

I absolutely loved the authentic Balkan applewood smoked bacon. The traditional Balkan mac & cheese was incredible. And who could forget the centuries-old Balkan recipe for strawberry waffles? The bacon & grits really transported me to the Balkans. The mini burger sliders were so authentic. Seriously though, compare the brunch menu to the dinner menu. One is actually Balkan. The other is a Cheesecake Factory that bought a decorative Eastern European border pattern. If you want the real Ambar experience, skip brunch entirely. Apparently authenticity is only served after 5pm.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​