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    AMARA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Outdoor seating
    Happy hour specials

    Recommended Reviews - Amara

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    Reviews With Photos

    Davide M.

    Me and some friends been trying to do a monthly dinner at a place that is new for everyone or most the group. This months we decided to try Amara after seeing a Instagram reel about it. We have been at this location in the past for Water Dog Tavern and Hola's, so we were all curious what they did with this large nice space. Customer Service was great. We were promptly greeted, a good introduction by the sommelier, and our waiter was a friendly face and super helpful guiding us through the menu making sure we made great decisions. We also met the general manager? Or maybe the owner? He was friendly, but I feel like him not introducing himself was a bit of a blunder. He was a well dressed man that I saw making his way around the restaurant a few times, so I could only assume that was his role. Drinks - This was a hit and miss. I really liked the Moroccan breeze and one other drink a friend had, the the old fashion and another It tried kind of missed the mark. They were easily forgetful and they were kind of drank as not to waste them. Food - Each item we had I would get again. The stand outs are the green hummus, oyster mushrooms, the hot sauce went well with the mushrooms, and hanger steak. We all really enjoyed each thing other than the portion of the ravioli. Yes the Ravioli tasted great, but the item was listed as a large portion to share as a entree. There was only 5 ravioli which I wouldn't consider a sharable entree, more like a portion for one entree. I could probably just have easily finished the hanger steak myself, but at least that seemed more appropriate of a sharable. We all enjoyed the experience overall and will be coming back, hopefully with a larger group so we can try the table of abundance.

    Dessert.
    Karne N.

    Came here for the first time recently with a group of 8. The restaurant itself is very attractive so an A for that. The food was extremely flavorful and enjoyable. My hesitation is that the service was beyond slow, the prices high, and the portions fairly small. About the food. The meats were excellent - wonderfully flavored chicken, tender steak, interesting lamb and good kofte. The hummus and various yogurt sauces were all tasty. The charcuterie was quite small given the price and pretty average in taste. Desserts were good. It's lovely to have time to sit and relax but families are hungry and taking almost an hour to get the first food and drink is ridiculous. Our server was attentive when he appeared - and the restaurant was not crowded.

    Table seating near fireplace
    Ed D.

    Came here for dinner with my coworkers. Very nice ambiance with a lot of natural lighting. We were seated in a big booth right next to the fireplace. The bathrooms were large and well decorated and i normally don't comment on the bathroom but this was a nice clean well appointed bathroom. They tried to force a meals of abundance preset menu but we just asked for the regular menu. It was good for them because we ordered a lot more and racked up a $1700 bill for 8 people. We actually met the owner Ajay. He was super nice and explained the essence of his menu and dishes. Everything is fresh with locally sourced food and made from scratch. We ordered a lot of cocktails and appetizers, ravioli, oysters, oyster mushrooms, eggplant, pita with baba ganush, caviar toast. I ordered the branzino fish which was delicious. The fish was light and juicy and had a slight oily taste. We also tried a bunch of the desserts of which the pistachio amargo was my favorite.

    Kim W.

    I cannot say enough about Amara! From the minute, you walk in the door, the light and bright airy atmosphere is so inviting... The decor is absolutely stunning... It's just such a relaxing and welcoming place to eat. We've done here twice with large parties over the past month because it is so good. We just went right back. Both were business meals and the service was impeccable. The food is very diverse and family style... The caviar was amazing. They make everything in the house, including the bread... The flavor profiles are incredible... The owners own a few restaurants that are all really highly rated on Yelp and I could not say enough positives about the entire experience everything was incredible from start to finish. We're going to try saffron which is a sister restaurant next week!!! can't wait!!!

    Oysters and the dips and pita
    Joshua N.

    Amara is one of those places where every part of the experience just clicks. I went for the tasting menu and it was outstanding from start to finish. The meal began with warm, pillowy pita and an assortment of spreads that were packed with flavor -- the pistachio-topped green dip and the smoky red pepper spread were especially addictive. Simple, vibrant, and the perfect start. The seafood courses were incredible. The grilled branzino was beautifully cooked with citrus, herbs, and just the right amount of char, served alongside fragrant rice with peas that balanced the dish perfectly. The shrimp were sweet, tender, and layered with bright flavors. But the dish I'm still thinking about? The mushrooms. Honestly... stupid good. Deeply savory, perfectly cooked, topped with pine nuts and sitting on a vibrant green puree that tied everything together. I could easily have ordered another plate. We also started with fresh oysters, and the cocktails were spectacular -- balanced, creative, and clearly crafted with care. The vibe of the restaurant is just as good as the food. While we dined, DJ Fantom Cat was spinning smooth chill beats that created such a relaxed, stylish energy in the room. It made the whole evening feel special without feeling pretentious. Beautiful space, excellent service, thoughtful food, and a menu that makes you want to come back and try everything. Amara absolutely deserves the buzz.

    Side of rice
    Nancy C.

    Amazing food and service! We were a party of six celebrating three birthdays. The wait staff was so attentive and made sure we were well taken care of. They even brought over three separate ice cream desserts with a lit candle and sang happy birthday! Really liked green hummus and Muhammara. Lots of flavor for a dip! And the freshly baked pita was so soft that it paired nicely with the two dips that we used it to scrape the bowl clean! Lol! The chicken was very tender and juicy with a crispy skin. So flavorful with the spicy aioli and mashed potatoes. The rice was good too because of the melted butter and spices. Oh and the grilled broccoli was cooked perfectly and tasted great with the sauce! I'm definitely coming back to try other dishes!

    Mixed hummus
    Danica V.

    Great place with nice ambiance. Serves a little upscale Mediterranean food. Wide array of choices, good for sharing . I enjoyed their hummus selection , octopus and they have a good serving of the tomahawk which we got two for our party of 6 which was more than plenty. On the pricey end but good for celebrations

    Mirza Ghasemi
    Edward W.

    Beautiful place with amazing warm vibes. Definitely on the pricey side and portions are smaller but the quality was excellent. Would come here just to enjoy the vibes and get a drink. Braised octopus - tender, juicy, good flavor. Mirza Ghasemi (eggplant tomato dip) - a huge hit with the group, definitely would order again. Saffron Marinated roast half chicken - whole piece of chicken was juicy and tasty. branzino - crispy skin with juicy flesh Baba ghanoush and pita - solid option Rabbit tajine - rabbit tasted a bit dry, this was the dish that stood out the least.

    Love my shashuka
    Haiyang H.

    Came in with a friend. Oh wow! What a surprise! Food was absolutely amazing, decoration was top notch. Service was fabulous! We would definitely come back for more! Would love to try their happy hour next time! I ordered shakshuka. Plate was beautiful and flavor was on point. Great find!

    Mezze Platter
    Matty C.

    Amara is a Belmont gem! Parking: Easy and free in a shopping center Seating: Beautiful both indoors and outside, umbrellas outside and it's by a beautiful pond and garden! Inside is gorgeous modern and marble decor Service: Friendly and personable. You can tell they really care. The owners even came by to greet us Food: Delicious, fresh and healthy. Brunch plates are meant to share. Highly recommend the Ciblir, Shakshuka, and Mezze Platter Overall had a great experience here and I'm excited to come back!

    Roasted Cauliflower
    David K.

    From the owners of Rasa and Saffron (two amazing Indian fine dining restaurants on the Peninsula) comes Amara, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant with an absolutely gorgeous dining room and garden. The plates here were all creative and beautifully-presented, and we started off with spreads to share including Green Hummus (made with spring onions, pistachios, herb oil, crème fraîche), Black Hummus (charred onions and chilis, topped with crisp garlic, fried anchovies, fried curry leaves, and paprika oil), and Muhammara (red pepper and walnut paste). Maybe I'm a bit of a hummus purist, but I found the Green Hummus dry and gritty, and the Black Hummus, while super tasty, was too savory and funky to be considered hummus. However, the best part of the spreads was the soft, freshly-baked white and wheat pita breads that came on the side! We continued our meal with small plates for sharing including Phyllo-Crusted Petrale Sole fillets served over bouillabaisse tomato sauce; Roasted Cauliflower with cauliflower puree, dates, golden raisins, pine nuts, and dukkah; Braised Octopus with papas bravas; BBQ Lamb Shortribs with garlic tahini sauce; and Goat Gozleme (flatbread stuffed with ground goat). My favorite dishes were the cauliflower, octopus, and lamb ribs, but everything was delicious and tasty in its own way! For our mains, I tried the Saffron Marinated Roast Half Chicken and the Rabbit Tajine (a rabbit leg served over black lentils), both of which were decent but not as memorable as the small plates. Overall, the food here was creative and delicious, but the menu prices were extremely high for the portion sizes. That said, the atmosphere and service were both on point, making this restaurant a worthwhile stop for a special occasion.

    Kimberly N.

    This time around we had an amazing experience at Amara. Ajay the owner reached out shortly after my review and invited us back as guests, however I still want to be honest with my review. We were sat near the window which had a great view of the patio. There were ants around the window, and some food pieces on the floor under the table... not many but maybe 3-4 ants that crawled around the window during our meal. The Muhammara dip with pita - was probably our favorite dish. The walnuts gave the dip an amazing texture. Asparagus salad - was fresh with a light salad dressing. Oysters -- were chilled to perfection, and paired well with the vinaigrette. BBQ lamb - tender, smoky, and fell off the bone easily. Tasted almost like ribs. Branzino - flaky, moist, and enhanced with a touch of olive oil, capers, and hint lemon. It was delicious! Praline Pistachio Opera - tasted as amazing as it looked. Everything was perfect with this dish. We had leftovers that were boxed up, but never brought back to the table? So we just left. Overall this was a good dining experience - we finished the meal in under 2 hours and everything was paced really well. The servers were all so nice, and so was the owner. We tipped $100, because even though the meal was comped we enjoyed our visit.

    Jonathan C.

    Opening at the beginning of the year, the interior is beautiful. Lots of different seating option and they have a beautiful outdoor space. Baba ghanoush (2/5): All the spreads come with one pita. Additional pita is $5. The pita was outstanding. Came out hot and super fluffy. Unfortunately, the baba ghanoush itself was disappointing. It lacked much flavor or salt. Wouldn't order again. Roasted cauliflower (2/5): A staple Mediterranean dish that was a bit of a letdown here. The portion is on the smaller side, and the cauliflower lacked much seasoning. BBQ lamb (4/5): The garlic tahini sauce was delicious and the lamb was well cooked and easily fell off the bone. Would order again. Dungeness crab borek (4/5): Think of a Mediterranean egg roll. The bouillabaisse tomato sauce was tasty and complimented crab. The crispy leek gave some nice texture as well. Whole Branzino (4.5/5): Deboned and really well cooked. The lemon and spices added great flavors and the skin was super crispy. The only negative is that it was a bit on the oily side. Spaghetti squash (4/5): love the texture and again the main downside was that it is quite oily. Overall, their food quality was mixed, but the decor is fantastic. I still prefer some of the other Mediterranean places in the peninsula, but happy to have come once.

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    Ajay W.

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    Page 1 of 4

    Amara Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Amara

    Can you explain what meats are halal?

    All meats we serve are halal except hangar steak on the menu. Hope this helps.

    Do they serve Halal food?

    Yes, most of our meats are Halal.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Esnaf - Stuffed cabbage

    Esnaf

    4.6(242 reviews)
    1.8 mi
    $$

    A1 service and even better food! Staff is super duper friendly and accommodating. Our suggestions…read moreare the following, as we wanted to try so many items on the menu; haydari (great starter w bread), mantarli pide (saur good), gavurdagi (v refreshing), et sis (beef lover here). I like my cheese and mushrooms so the mantarli pide was the highlight for me. The mint tea is also my fav. Just the right amount of honey. Will need to come back for a Turkish coffee.

    Very good food, beautiful space, good service. We had:…read more 1. bread (served with oil and herbs before the food arrived, then served without oil during the meal). This was a good bread, round and splittable like a pita, served hot from the oven and sprinkled with some seeds (I think sesame, although I didn't pay close attention). 2. Meze Trio: patlican ezme (roasted eggplant, bell peppers), haydari (garlic yogurt dip with mint and dill), girit (ezine cheese with pistachios, oregano, olive oil). Loved the eggplant--tender and tasty! The yogurt dip was good, but I couldn't eat large amounts of it. The cheese was ok, a bit too heavy for us. 3. Ahtapot (grilled octopus on lime mashed potatoes and paprika butter). I didn't eat this, but the kids liked it. The octopus seemed very tender, and the potatoes were good. 4. Roka (arugula, diced cooked beets instead of tomatoes, honey mustard). Good, but the creamy dressing made it feel a little heavy after a while. 5. Mercimekli imambayildi (lentils-stuffed roasted eggplant). Imam bayildi translates as "the imam fainted" (because the dish is so delicious, maybe?). This was excellent. The eggplant had a wonderful smokey, roasted flavor. The lentils were good. There was a garlic yogurt moat around the eggplant. 6. Kunefe (shredded filo, melted cheese center, syrup, pistachios, scoop of Maras ice cream). Very good, maybe a bit too much for the three of us, maybe better if split four ways. Located on the corner of San Carlos and El Camino. Street and lot parking nearby.

    Photos
    Esnaf - Inside

    Inside

    Esnaf - Katmer (pistachio-filled pastry)

    Katmer (pistachio-filled pastry)

    Esnaf - Complimentary Housebaked Pide w/ olive oil dip

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    Complimentary Housebaked Pide w/ olive oil dip

    Capo Mediterranean Kitchen - Greek salad with grilled chicken skewers.

    Capo Mediterranean Kitchen

    4.4(216 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    This is the second time coming here. Service is always good and very attentive. Atmosphere is very…read morechill quiet. onto the food I got kebabs. The chicken was super moist and not dry at all with a nice seasoning. It came with a side of hummus and tzatziki with side salad and rice. I don't know what they do to the tzatziki, but it feels so rich and pair so well with everything will definitely come again when I'm in the area give this a try if you are too.

    Capo is a Mediterranean Greek restaurant in Belmont run by the owners of next door Vivace. We got…read moretakeout here because we had inkind credit! It is located in a small strip all that is not easy to get out of. Their menu is pretty extensive with items covering Safety Pluses - Online menu, Delivery services available, online ordering. Food Review: Capo Hummus ($9) Served with pita & za'ahtar spices was the weakest dish. Pretty mundane hummus. We like the one at Hummus Mediterranean or Oren's better. Pita is ordinary. 6/10 Spitfire Beef & Lamb Pita ($16) Red pepper feta, pickles vegetables, greens, fries (fries wrapped inside) was of good size and had a nice flavor profile. Decent amount of flavorful meat. 8/10 Falafel ($9) were also solid. Hot, crispy with a good sauce. 8/10 Overall - Good Food - Good Decor - Very Good Service - Good Value - Very Good Would we come back - Maybe

    Photos
    Capo Mediterranean Kitchen - Interior

    Interior

    Capo Mediterranean Kitchen - Beef & Lamb Kebab

    Beef & Lamb Kebab

    Capo Mediterranean Kitchen - Lamb and beef pita wrap with Beet Lebni and tzatziki sauce on the side

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    Lamb and beef pita wrap with Beet Lebni and tzatziki sauce on the side

    Nick The Greek - mediterranean bowl with chicken

    Nick The Greek

    4.1(338 reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $$

    Nick the Greek is one of those places we order from at least once a week, usually from either the…read moreFoster City or San Carlos location. We genuinely cannot pick a favorite because both are consistently excellent. Our regular order is the chicken gyro salad, loaded with fresh greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, pickled onions, hummus, tzatziki, and a generous portion of chicken gyro meat. Everything tastes fresh, the meat is flavorful with those delicious crispy edges, and the spicy sauce adds exactly the right kick. It is filling without feeling heavy and somehow always hits the spot. Both locations have been remarkably consistent with quality, portions, and flavor. When you find a meal this reliable and satisfying, it naturally becomes part of the weekly rotation.

    This location in San Carlos was one of my regular stops when I lived in the Bay Area, and it…read morequickly became part of my routine. There's something about being able to grab a fresh meal, sit outside alfresco, and just enjoy the California weather that makes everything taste a little better. Nick the Greek always delivered exactly what I needed--quick service, fresh ingredients, and food that felt satisfying without weighing me down. That consistency is what kept me coming back again and again. My go-to order was the gyro salad with pork belly, and to this day I still think about it. It was light but filling, bright and balanced, and never heavy. Crisp lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, feta, tzatziki, rice for substance, and warm pita on the side. I would always swap the red wine vinaigrette for the lemon herb dressing, which tied everything together perfectly. It was, quite simply, the perfect salad. Every time I ordered it, I told myself, "You really should learn how to make this at home." And every time, I didn't--because it was just easier to let Nick the Greek do it for me. What I appreciated most about this location was the reliability. You could walk in hungry, get your food quickly, and know it would taste the same as the last time--fresh, clean flavors, generous portions, and no fuss. That's harder to find than people realize. I moved away in 2023, and now that salad lives in my memory as one of those simple pleasures that made everyday life a little better. If you're in San Carlos and looking for something fresh, fast, and consistently good, this place is a solid choice. And if you find yourself sitting outside on a sunny day with a bowl and a piece of warm pita, take a moment to appreciate it--because someday you might move away and miss it more than you expect.

    Photos
    Nick The Greek - Cool pottery

    Cool pottery

    Nick The Greek - Hummus and pita

    Hummus and pita

    Nick The Greek - Frozen yogurt with baklava

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    Frozen yogurt with baklava

    Amara - venues - Updated June 2026

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