Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    AMBAR Restaurant, Chicago

    4.3 (168 reviews)
    PriceyDesserts, Seafood
    Open 12:00 pm - 10:00 PM

    Order AMBAR Restaurant, Chicago Takeout or Delivery

    AMBAR Restaurant, Chicago Photos

    Business Info

    AMBAR RESTAURANT, CHICAGO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed
    Happy hour specials

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - AMBAR Restaurant, Chicago

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Steak tartare
    Sally L.

    This is our first time here. We had a reservation for Wednesday night. It was busy. The ambiance of the restaurant was pretty. It also have outdoor dining. We wanted to try this place because for $55 it is all ayce. We ordered the steak tartare, veal soup, balkan kebab, croquettes, corn ribs, almond fried chicken, brussel sprouts, pork belly stuffed cabbage, roasted lamb, lamb medallions, flatbreads, cheese pie, mushroom pilaf, branzino,grilled shrimp, drunken mussels, and lamb flatbread. I like the veal soup, corn ribs, branzino, grilled shrimps, mushroom pilaf, and the kebab. The rest was ok and some food like the flatbread it was a little too salty for me. The fried chicken was a little too dry. The dessert is not included in the $55 ayce. We didn't get any since we were super full. The service was good. The server came back a few times to check on us and see if we needed to order more food. The other staff would come and collect the empty plates. I wouldn't go back again but the $55 is a pretty good deal to try everything on the menu.

    Erika W.

    I recently visited Ambar to celebrate my birthday, and it had been on my list ever since I came across the menu. Since we were already doing happy hour nearby, it was the perfect restaurant within walking distance to continue the celebration. The moment I saw the menu, I was sold. Before we even arrived, I was impressed by the level of customer service. Because I had booked a larger party, the event coordinator reached out to explain the menu and introduce me to the Ambar Experience--their all-you-can-enjoy tasting menu for just $55 per person. After looking through the selections, I knew this was the right choice because honestly, everything sounded amazing. We had several last-minute cancellations, so our group ended up being much smaller than expected. Even so, the team was incredibly accommodating and gracious, which I really appreciated. The Ambar Experience absolutely lived up to the hype. Every dish we ordered was beautifully prepared, flavorful, and perfect for sharing. I'll definitely be bringing my family back so they can experience it, too. We started with the spicy feta, white bean hummus, roasted pepper spread, marinated olives with pickled vegetables, and beet tzatziki. It was a fantastic way to begin the meal. We had also been looking forward to trying the clotted cream, but it never made it to the table. We assumed it may have been unavailable since it wasn't mentioned. From the vegetable selections, we ordered the Brussels sprouts, baby carrots, crispy corn ribs, and wild mushrooms. Everything was delicious, but the baby carrots completely surprised me--they were easily my favorite vegetable of the evening. The meat, poultry, and seafood selections were where Ambar truly shined. We enjoyed the Balkan kebab, NY strip, lamb medallions, beef goulash, roasted lamb, wood-fired branzino, drunken mussels, grilled shrimp, and the beef tartare from the Chef's Signature menu. While every dish was outstanding, the clear standouts were the lamb medallions, the branzino, and the drunken mussels. They were so good that we kept ordering additional plates long after we were already full! We also added the unlimited beverage package for just $27 per person, which was an incredible value. The house Old Fashioned, white sangria, and strawberry lemonade were all excellent and paired perfectly with the meal. Unfortunately, the service put a significant damper on what was supposed to be a special evening. Throughout dinner, we constantly felt rushed. Every time our server approached the table, we felt like we had to be completely ready with our next order because if we weren't, he would immediately turn and walk away. When bringing drinks, he would place them at the edge of the table and slide them across instead of setting them in front of the person who ordered them. While that may seem like a small detail, it contributed to an overall feeling that the service lacked care and hospitality. His demeanor throughout the evening also wasn't warm or welcoming. To add to that, as our group gathered near the front of the restaurant to take a birthday photo before leaving, another server brushed past my sister, bumping into her without saying "excuse me" or acknowledging what had happened. Had the food not been as exceptional as it was, I'm not sure I would have considered returning based solely on the service we received. That said, the quality of the food easily ranks among the best I've had in Chicago, and it's the reason I'll be back. If the service matched the caliber of the kitchen, this would be an easy five-star experience. Even with the hiccups, I'm looking forward to returning because the Ambar Experience truly is one of the best dining values in the city. #ImNotAFoodie #ImJustAGirlWhoLovesFood #YelpEliteSquad

    Sauvignon blanc
    Haley S.

    A must visit. Balkan small plates in an all you can eat format there is no better bang for your buck. I came for lunch which is $30 but I upgraded to premium dishes for an extra $10. Worth every cent do yourself a favor and come here. Also the wines from the balkan region were a nice trest I dont see on too many menus!

    Steak tartare
    Nick P.

    I admit I only heard about this place from social media but I had Balkan food many times in the suburbs. I've been to Balkan cafes and restaurants. The "hype" that most of these gen z say in their comments are probably because they don't even know where the Balkans are or where they come from. This is good publicity for the restaurant though. The restaurant is located in River North, across the street from Hotel Felix. I highly recommend making a reservation for any day that you come in, especially at night. We did the $55 ayce dinner. If you don't like something, just put it off to the side. This isn't one of those places that will charge you for wasting food. There is also a restaurant surcharge that you can remove. The surcharge is not a tip. The food is like a 3.5. The service is a 5. Our server was Frances. She was very attentive and nice. The staff in general were all great. They were fast and efficient when clearing off the empty plates and refilling our water. The restrooms are two floors up. Just a short walk upstairs. Not sure if I would return. I could find better quality food closer to home. -steak tartare 5 - ample amount of tartare to share with 3-4 people. It was creamy and savory. -piquillo croquettes 5 - crispy and I like the kajmak and aged sheep milk cheese just oozes out. The cranberry chutney on top was great with it. -veal soup 3 - this tasted like a chicken noodle type of soup without the noodles. Not bad. It was hot and you got big pieces of meat. -Balkan kebab 5 - these were great. Tender, juicy, and flavorful. -crispy corn ribs 5 - these were good. The chimichurri and feta cheese really helped amplify the taste. -almond fried chicken 2 - crunchy but too bland. It was also too dry. They forgot to marinate it. -brussel sprouts 5 - just taste like brussel sprouts. Healthy. -pork belly stuffed cabbage 5 - this reminds me of eating stuffed cabbage at those German/Polish restaurants. The skin was soft to cut, not mushy, and had a hearty taste. -lamb medallions 5 - these were cooked perfectly. Tender, make sure you eat them with the sauce and pickles. -roasted lamb 3 - the veggies were good but most of the lamb was too salty. It was like they poured too much into it. -sujuk flatbread 2 - I love these flatbreads but I don't know why they're too salty. There's a difference between too salty and well seasoned. -cheese pie 4 - the cheese taste is an acquired taste. It's a typical Bosnian cheese pie. It's kind of rich with a slight tart, salty taste. I had this before when I went to one of the Balkan restaurants in the burbs. -wood fire branzino 5 -branzino was crispy and moist. It went well with that potato salad and salsa. -mushroom pilaf 5 - not salty at all. Good balance. Risotto was soft with a little chew. I liked the addition of mushrooms. -drunken mussels 4.5 - I liked the garlic cream sauce with the sourdough bread. It has an acquired smell from the rakija. -grilled shrimp 3.5 - shrimp was perfectly cooked. I didn't really taste much of the Hungarian rub or the smoked aioli. -lamb flatbread 2 - this was the same thing as the sujuk, it was too salty.

    Suhani A.

    I really enjoyed the all you can eat the last time I was here, but now the menu has changed and the quality has really dropped. All the portions are much smaller which I thought was good, but the vegetarian options are terrible now. A lot of the vegetable plates are equivalent to something you could quickly make at home and aren't worth a $55 all you can eat meal at all. They even removed dessert from being included in the all you can eat. The dips they give in the beginning are honestly not good. The cauliflower, croquettes, and halloumi were the only sides that seemed good.

    Mac and cheese
    Ariana G.

    THIS REVIEW IS ONLY FOR AYCE BRUNCH I'm disappointed in my experience here. Overall beautiful restaurant. Faux florals everywhere which makes it IG-worthy to post but the food and service were very mediocre. I like the idea of ayce for a set price. It's fun and allows you to try a bunch of things. They should set a minimum of items ordered depending on your party size so servers don't have to keep scrambling around taking multiple orders at once. Or just a better ordering system cause service was very slow and we barely saw our waiter. He seemed stressed and not very enthusiastic about being there. The food at brunch was nothing special. The only dish I really enjoyed was the shrimp and grits. Skip the mushroom pilav! It was so flavorless I couldn't even finish it. I heard dinner service is better but this was just my experience.

    Bill
    Angela B.

    We did the all you can eat option and we were pleased with all the tapas! Our server Frances was lovely and attentive. My only complaint was the cost, we ended up with a much larger bill than expected. So I would recommend coming for the food but not necessarily for a night out of drinking.

    Vishal J.

    My experience at AMBAR was truly outstanding. Everything including the food, service, and atmosphere was amazing. I came with my family to get the unlimited dinner option, and this far exceeded our expectations. At $55 a person, the unlimited menu is certainly worth it. The food at AMBAR is spectacular. With the unlimited dinner menu, this was great value for high quality food. We ordered a large variety of appetizers and entrees, and every dish we ordered was delicious. The cheese pie, meat pie, and lamb flatbread are nice appetizer options. The pies were flaky and crispy while having a flavorful filling. For entrees, the shrimp, mussels, steak, Balkan kebabs, and beef goulash were outstanding. We thought the meats were cooked to perfection. Moreover, the flavor of the sauce for the mussels was rich and creamy. This place is awesome because you can try everything on the menu and order more of your favorite dishes. However, some of the dishes were served in very small quantities, but this isn't a huge problem since you can just order more. The unlimited option truly is unlimited, and the staff had no problem when we ordered multiple portions of the same dish. Our waitress Francis was incredible as well. She came by frequently to take our orders so we didn't have to wait too long. After we ordered, the food came out fairly quickly, allowing us to try many things throughout the meal. The other staff members also cleaned our table often. Other reviews said the food orders took a long time, but this was the opposite of what I experienced. Overall, the unlimited AMBAR dining experience is amazing. The extensive menu options allow everyone to find dishes they like and try a variety of unique flavors. The atmosphere is Ambar is great, and I look forward to coming back again!

    Roman D.

    This place never disappoints. This is the fourth time coming here and will definitely make it a routine stop. The Sarma was my favorite of all the dishes.

    Kebab pita
    Ina L.

    Went for Brunch on Sunday and do A La Carte brunch instead of the AYCE. We got seated and no one came to our table with water until 10 minutes later. Once our order was taken one of our plates came and the other one didn't come until 25 minutes later. By the time the other plate came, the initial plate was cold and the second dish that came out wasn't even hot. Felt like they forgot about it. Our waiter barely came by our table to check on anything. Food was just okay. Kind of disappointed since I had seen good things about it.

    Dessert selection
    Steven H.

    The concept is good for the unlimited food and drinks for 2 hours at $77 ($55 if not drinking). Food is good overall and there's no harm in trying it all since it's included. Timing can be a bit awkward with nothing coming out or everything at once. I think that's just the nature of the beast, but if you pace the ordering better it probably works smoothly. You'll have to get a reservation or have dinner at a very non-peak time and it's quite busy. Our server wasn't particularly friendly but did the job. We stayed under the 2 hour window but somehow ended up with a much more expensive bill, so watch out/ask specifically when the dessert menu comes.

    Starter Breads
    Paula W.

    Tried today for Birthday brunch. We were sat immediately in a small area just outside the main dining room. The room was not as decorated or lively as the main area but it was OK. Our server explained how to order and we ordered quite a few dishes. To start the spreads, olives, veggies and bread are bought out. You order as much as you want of any brunch items. The steak was really good as well as the chicken sandwich and the flatbread. The grits fell short as they were unseasoned and very gritty in texture, also the Ambar slider could have used a sauce or seasoning. Overall it was a good time with lots of options. It is definitely a must try!

    Brussel Sprouts, pita

    Tyler, our server, was amazing. We did the all you can eat food + drinks. We went for my birthday and he was very engaging and we felt like he timed his check ins perfectly. He even surprised me with a dessert (and didn't sing) which was very appreciated :) The food was great and the portions were perfect for trying many dishes. We will be back! I couldn't find this on their website, but the whole table does not have to participate in the all you can drink portion. Everyone at the table must participate in the all you can eat, which is labeled on their website. We went with a sober friend and were worried that they may be forced to order the all you can drink, but they were not!

    Cevapi

    See all

    Photo of Nolan F.
    619
    1007
    4020

    2 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    17 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 hours ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    22 days ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    17 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    18 days ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 hours ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 2
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Bill T.
    407
    301
    1096

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 5

    AMBAR Restaurant, Chicago Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - AMBAR Restaurant, Chicago

    You might also consider

    Shaw's Crab House

    Shaw's Crab House

    4.2
    (2.8k reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$$

    Shaw's Crab House | Chicago's ultimate happy hour just got a major upgrade!…read more Sip on a savory $10 Mignonette Martini or a crisp $7 Wine of the Month. Treat yourself to $15 mini lobster rolls on pillowy, buttery brioche. Turn up the heat with crispy buffalo shrimp tossed in signature blue cheese. Live large with the $57 Happy Hour Tower loaded with fresh oysters and lobster tails! Shaw's Crab House | 21 E Hubbard, Chicago | Happy Hour: Mon-Fri 4-6pm

    (Kari's Rating 8/10)…read more Came for an early dinner as we were seated by 5:30. I actually love coming to eat early because the servers are a little more attentive since they just started their shift and the service is a little faster as there are less tables. Let me tell you, though, whatever we came it was quite busy with graduations and family dinners-which I didn't mind at all! What ate a relatively large meal as I had eaten a smaller lunch. We started off with the wedge salad and a yellowtail sushi roll. The wedge salad was pretty average, but the dressing was really delicious. The yellowtail was also pretty good and the jalapeño topping gave an extra kick last minute. For the entrées, we ordered the scallops as well as the pan seared Chilean Seabass. The scallops are buttery, rich, and had a perfect crispy crust. The Seabass was flaky and light-overall a very good combination of flavors. We got a side of the broccolini and then the crème brûlée and a piece of Keylime pie to go. Overall a very filling and delicious meal-I was pleasantly surprised with the scallops and how light the sea bass was.

    Photos
    Inside main dining room
    Inside main dining room
    Full Dozen Oysters
    Full Dozen Oysters
    Lobster Roll

    See all

    Lobster Roll
    Bar Mar

    Bar Mar

    4.3
    (643 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$$

    After years of driving by and seeing the hanging octopus I finally stopped in to celebrate a…read morefriends birthday!! A seafood birthday dinner has become her tradition, can't say I'm upset about this!! We started off with drinks! Two of us got the Floral Cloud and the other two got the salty air margarita! The salty foam (replacing the traditional salt rim) was perfection!! The presentation of the floral cloud was so cute! For starters we got the patatas bravas, 10/10 would recommend!! The sauce was delicious!! I personally got the poke bowl, it was love at first bite!! While it may not look like a huge portion I was only able to finish 3/4 of it. Shared with the after in an attempt to save room for dessert!! Two of my friends got the scallops and the other got the lobster roll. Scallops were delicious, they shared a bite with me! The lobster roll left me a bit unsatisfied. While it had plenty of meat it lacked lasting flavor!! Now let's talk about the MVP's of the night- Dessert! HIGHLY recommend the key lime pie if you're a fan! It also includes some of that salt foam! The sticky toffee was a huge hit at our table!! And the passion fruit in the flan was a very yummy add on!! Our server was the best!! She was so lovely and made excellent recommendations!!

    We loved this place! We initially thought we would be sitting looking at the river but it's a bit…read morefarther in and we couldn't see the river from our table but no big deal. The ambiance was beautiful, our waiter was so kind, and the service was great. The waiter misheard my order so I didn't get my right entree the first time but they were super kind, quick, and accommodating to bring out my correct order. The food was AMAZING! We shared the tuna tartar as an appetizer and it was one of the best things i've tried! The presentation was also so fun and pretty, served inside a coconut with plantain chips on the side. I ordered the lobster roll and it was so so so amazing, definitely best i've ever had. The bun was toasted and buttery and the lobster filled with flavor.. I could eat 5 of them!! They also had brought seasoned corn nuts to the table when we were seated and salted caramels for dessert, both fun and yummy. Would recommend to anyone looking for a bit of a nicer dinner in Chicago. We had a reservation on a Saturday night and it looked like the place was full, we were glad we had one and got seated right away.

    Photos
    Bar Mar
    Bar Mar
    Bar Mar

    See all

    Hugo's Frog Bar & Fish House

    Hugo's Frog Bar & Fish House

    4.1
    (1.3k reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $$$$

    Hubs discovered that Hugo's has a Happy Hour on SUNDAYS, from 3pm-6pm! So after I finished my last…read moreworkshop on Sunday afternoon, we met here with about 15 minutes to spare. Available only in the bar area, we were able to find a table for two inside by the windows, in spite of it being very packed. Our server was quick to approach our table, even though hubs had wandered over to the bar to order. After I summoned him back, we ordered a couple of Stellas, a Filet Slider and Baked Goat Cheese; each item was $5 on the HH menu. A few minutes later, Hubs waved over our server again to order 4 oysters, which were BOGO during HH. Upon her suggestion, he chose the smaller East Coast oysters. He told me they were really good and he was happy with his choice. I had two good bites of the filet slider & was delighted at how delicious it was. The piece of meat was quite large, especially for $5! Thick & juicy, it was cooked perfectly medium rare. The slider was plated with lots of crispy string fries that were very tasty. Our other app, the baked goat cheese, was served atop a skillet of tomato sauce with four pieces of toasted bread. This was also a delicious plate. Service was very on-point, and we never felt rushed, even after Happy Hour ended. At some point, the pianist arrived & we enjoyed a rousing selection of yacht rock tunes as we finished our beers. My favorite piece of ambiance was the steampunk-powered ceiling fans, even though they probably did very little to circulate the air. The decor was vintage travel, which I loved! I'll definitely return to Hugo's again, at least for Happy Hour, the next time I'm in Chicago's Gold Coast area.

    First of all, the Sea Bass was absolutely amazing !…read more We sat on the small patio, which was perfect. Not too hectic outside, great warmth, great ambiance. Our waiter was direct and too the point - very helpful, checked in on us just the right number of times, had some great suggestions and alterations. We will definitely be coming back. Just as a heads up, the inside seating area was a zoo! very bustling, extremely full. I wouldn't say it was a negative at all, just a complete 180 from the peaceful, one row of tables patio out front.

    Photos
    Hugo's Frog Bar & Fish House
    Bookbinders soup!
    Bookbinders soup!
    Lump crab mac and cheese

    See all

    Lump crab mac and cheese

    AMBAR Restaurant, Chicago - desserts - Updated August 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...