Honestly I will say this the best value for your money. Unlimited food and they are not joking on that part. Foods pretty delicious and the wood fire stuff comes out pretty fast. Drinks come out rather slow. We had a weird comment said by one of the servers. One of my friends was very excited to try this place and he said that out loud. Then the server said "oh are you really excited?" Kinda sarcastically Probably ment nothing but, just a little odd. Other than that this place is pretty good, I could see it get to a point were reservation would be hard to get. read more

Great for brunch!!! All food items on the menu had so much flavor and more unique than any other brunch spot I've had. They have been open less than a week so there were some things they were out of. The team was so friendly, tables cleared quickly, and our bottomless flutes were always being refilled. Great value and we will be back! Also good playlist read more

We were in a large group divided into two groups, and our half of the group could not get any service. We were initially recommended to get a large meat platter but the order was never placed until much later, and we were specifically asked not to order seafood. Then we were served multiple pies and salads that we never ordered and ignored for 45 minutes. An hour into the meal and we still could not order any additional food items beyond the initial meat platter and random food items we never ordered. After flagging down two bus boys and a manager, more than an hours into our meal and filled up on salads, we were finally allowed to order seafoods and additional food items, but many of the foods we ordered were subsequently delivered to the wrong table in our group. When we tried to order individual meat and seafoods, we were repeated told that we will be getting a platter with all the items due to our group size, but the platter didn't contain items we wanted. We love red meats, but the meat platter contained mostly grilled chicken, and the seafood platter did not include any mussels. Then, after complaining again, almost 95 minutes into our meal, we were finally getting additional food items. At the end of the meal and receiving poor service, a mandatory 22% tip was added to our bill for being in a large group. Most food items were delicious, but the servings were small. Also, when the same steak dish was ordered a second or third time, the meat became chewy, fibrous, and tough (tasted like a very different cut). Recommend getting a snack before going so you don't get too hungry waiting for foods. read more

Christmas Day at Ambar!! Delicious, festive, and welcoming. Great music and vibe. So pretty. Service a little rushed/disconnected but they were so busy -- the best: white flatbread, shrimp and grits (a little soupy) au gratin potatoes, salmon benedict, steak with chimichurri, veal soup! Shakshuka was a little too sweet. Pitas hot and fresh. Really lovely holiday meal. read more

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came here with a group of 8 and had the best first experience! this was mainly due to the service Marko provided, the ambiance, and the amazing AYCE deal which allows you to try anything and everything on the menu! overall it was a 10/10 experience! read more

AMBAR Restaurant, Chicago - AYCE dessert - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Went for unlimited brunch -- food and drinks. The plates come out like tapas, they're smaller portions so it's smart to order like 4 of one plate at a time. The food was incredible. Can't get over how good it was. The drinks? Amazing. Between your traditional brunch drinks and modern brunch cocktails, they hit the spot. Recommend literally all of it. I cannot get over how great that brunch menu was. read more

AMBAR Restaurant, Chicago - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ahh! This used to be Etta. Remember that? This is the fourth location in the states and the first location here. I had Carrot Ginger Soup, Fried Zucchini, some cocktails and some of the dessert. The staff and service is ambarrific! read more

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This is a follow up to my previous review where I complimented the exceptional cuisine but critiqued the less than perfect service. We returned a few days later to try things again, this time having the weekend brunch ~ a completely different menu. I've never really been a brunch person, but the variety was extensive and the dishes were extremely good. The Smoked Salmon Benedict was perfect and the flatbread was hot and tasty. All the dishes were as good if not better than the dinner menu.......which itself was great. And lo and behold......service was friendly and prompt. Many staff members came over to assure everything was running smoothly.......and Stefan the waiter was always at hand to help. I'm not sure what they did to tighten things up......but whatever it is, it worked! Kudos to the GM and everyone at Ambar. I truly believe you now have a winning formula for a tough River North clientele. We'll be back soon! read more

Just got back from Ambar tonight with my family, and let me just say this place does not disappoint. It was fabulous!! I wasn't that hungry, but my family wanted to do the prefixed menu and the entire table has to do it. I was outnumbered, So of course I did it and wow was it worth it!! The dishes, flavors, and the variety were unbelievable and our server, Mataia was so knowledgeable and explained everything to us. Everyone there is so nice and professional. We are already talking about going back next week. Definitely a restaurant you want to add to your list! read more

The food was great! Ambiance was amazing as well. Great music, fast service. Would recommend to anyone wanting to try something new!

Loved Ambar! Delicious food, great variety, and such a nice all-you-can-eat option. Can't wait to go back! read more

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Everything is great. Best meal price in town. Food comes out quick, very flavorful and delicious. Cocktails are great too. Been back a few times already. Nice river north spot read more

The food is out of this world! The staff is very friendly and helpful. The restaurant look nice.

What a fun place! You have to get the all can eat deal to taste all the delicious Balkan food!!!Our server was amazing and helped educate us to what Balkan food is and her suggestions were perfect! We can't wait to take friends! read more

It's been a long time since I have left a Yelp review, but Ambar absolutely deserves it after the phenomenal dinner experience I had last night! Came in with a group of 18 for a bachelorette party. Had 0 expectations or knew anything about this restaurant as it's fairly new to River North but was excited since I'm a foodie and I've never actually had Balkan food before. First impression the restaurant itself is beautiful, reminds me of a modern European vibe, ambiance was warm and sexy. We were sat immediately and the host started us off with a bottle of champagne on the house. Amazing. Our server, Matthew (I sure hope I have the name right) was incredible from start to finish. He was warm, extremely attentive, detailed in explaining everything and was especially keen to ensure that those with food allergies/dietary restrictions were taken care of. There was not a moment where we were waiting too long for drinks or weren't asked about our next course, he was truly everything which honestly exceptional customer service is hard to come by these days. He made the experience so special and memorable for our party. Ok so the food - amazing. We had a pre-chosen menu and got to try all of the main things from the menu family style. The dips to start which were great, Brussel sprouts, salmon, kabobs, medallions, salad - everything was wonderful and went so well together. The standout for me was the cauliflower though - WOW. I could eat an entire plate of that alone. The idea was that it's unlimited with each of the items so the food just kept on coming and we were not upset about it. There isn't one thing that I would say wasn't great in terms of the food and cocktails too. All around I was so pleasantly surprised by this place and so happy that I got to experience it. Do yourself a favor and visit Ambar. I'm definitely planning on coming back to try out their brunch next. read more

food pretty good when busy service a little slow, but the staff is working hard venue dope, would come back read more

The food, ambiance and service were very nice and up scale! The variety of dishes and assorted brandy read more

AMBAR Restaurant, Chicago - My family! Dining out after the Bears beat the Cowboys! - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

So happy to have this spot I used to frequent in DC. Its a slightly different menu than the one in DC but very good in its own way. Great brunch and bottomless deal if you want it. Nice space easy location great service read more

One of the worst restaurant experiences I've been to in a while. Food. We went in for the unlimited brunch, and was looking forward to some uniquely Balkan dishes. Not sure what to expect, but the selection was not unique. It was basically a typical American brunch selection. Each plate was small and single serving, not something to share or presented in combination with each other. Uninspiring dishes included the potato hash, just reheated diner potatoes with fried onions. Crispy cheese slider, just a fried cheese ball in between two pieces of bread. Mediterranean omelette, unseasoned, bland egg omelette with barely fried onions/peppers and undistributed goat cheese. Grilled hangar steak, TWO pieces of thin cut hangar steak with chimichurri sauce, not the worst but definitely not stand out. Applewood smoked bacon, literally just bacon on a plate, how simple and undressed can you get. The list can go on and on, but suffice to say just save your money. You can make 90% of the menu at home. Better and seasoned. Service. Server didn't know the meaning of hospitality. From the start Nicola was not welcoming or informative. I do not want to be treated like a king, but he makes you feel like a peasant. Would not respond to our order with any affirmation he heard it (needed for an ayce large group). Would visibly and audibly express his annoyance with eye rolls, deep sighs, dismissal of wait calls. He had maybe 4 tables to wait on and observing him with the other smallers ones, he was no more responsive nor respectful. For $50/person, after tax and tip, you'd think Ambar could get either food or service right. Well, you'd be wrong. read more

The most amazing food! Will definitely be back every time i visit Chicago. Our waiter gave such great recommendations and direction.

Absolutely excellent! I ate at the unlimited lunch and the food was fantastic! The dishes ranged in quality from very good to the best I have ever had. Additionally, the price is very reasonable. This was perhaps the best roast lamb I have ever gotten at a restaurant. The Sarma (cabbage with pork belly) was delicious. The beef tar tar was excellent. The mussles were perfect with a delicious creamy sauce. I also tried the sausage, short rib goulash, and lamb medalion, all of which were very good. I highly recommend this restaurant, especially the roast lamb and Sarma. read more

Had lunch with the family. Awesome place. Everything was great. Had the best experience. All you can eat but brought to your table in small plates. We felt like we tried a lot but it was only half of the menu. Food and drinks were delicious and beautiful presented. Staff was very helpful and courteous. We even talked to Kevin, executive chef. He was a super host. read more

Food is really really good. Also loved the whole atmosphere, with the decoration, the cutlery, and the music. Service was also very friendly and it seems like the employees were happy and all enjoyed working there as a team-- you don't see that often. I can't wait to be back. read more

Francis (Franchesca) was wonderful towards us and made our holiday. Best customer service I ever had. I can't recommend any more about he wonderful time I had read more

Food is excellent. The best sarma I've had my entire life. They are new so some of the service could have been better from a staffing perspective. They seemed to have a ton of busboys but limited wait staff. I'm sure they'll figure it out. We will be back for sure. read more

Amazing tasting menu. I went for the Restaurant Week $30 lunch. You get an appetizer tray of all of their spreads & some pickled veggies and olives. Then you can try anything & everything on the menu. Veal soup & beet salad were excellent! Lamb, branzino, goulash.,& shrimp were all tried and nothing disappointed! Portions were more than enough I will go again. read more

Went with a party of six. Asked the waitress to portion out each order for us so that everything we ordered could be tasted by everyone at the table. She said no problem. First round of selections did not come out for each person to taste, so when she finally came back, I asked her again to help us with the portioning. We ordered the chicken sliders next. We received four of them. No problem, because we cut them in half so everyone could taste, although if that was her thought process, why not just bring three? About 10 minutes later, another one came to the table. Not sure why, but this is how the whole experience went. Not knowing how much of something you are going to receive when ordering makes it difficult to know how many to ask for, but apparently our waitress didn't know either, or didn't care. Overall, the food is okay. There isn't anything that you taste and think, wow, this is great. It's not bad, it's just not memorable. Service was not great. She was slow to take orders, slow to bring drinks and didn't help with the portioning. When we received our check, we were told that gratuity was added because we were a party of six, but we could add more. We are generous tippers when the service is outstanding. When it's mediocre, 20% is more than generous. Based on her reaction when nothing additional was added, she obviously didn't agree. We may come back and try their dinner menu, but as far as their offerings for brunch, they are just okay. read more

It's refreshing to see Balkan cuisine in the heart of downtown Chicago, and Ambar brings it with style. Their all-you-can-eat concept of small plates is the perfect way to experience a wide variety of traditional Balkan flavors in one sitting. Every dish we tried was delicious, thoughtfully prepared, and beautifully presented. The atmosphere strikes a great balance between modern and cozy, making it a welcoming space to relax and enjoy the meal. Service was excellent -- attentive, knowledgeable, and friendly without ever feeling rushed. Ambar is a fantastic addition to the city's dining scene read more

This place was wonderful, delicious food and reasonably priced in addition to being easy to get a reservation at. I would love to come back here read more

Great concept of tasting a variety of food. The staff was a bit odd. The space is cute. The bathrooms are a trek. Drinks are okay - the mango one was good. Not many gluten free alternatives but the allergy menu is nice. read more

Food is wonderful I had many things and they were all fire Service is great Tasty drinks Also great deal read more

Beautiful space and service. The food reminded me of Rosemary, which is also Balkan inspired and one of my favorites. Even though all the dishes we tried were good, the veggies and dips/spreads were the most memorable. Can't wait to go back! Also, can't beat the amazing lunch deal! read more

Excellent little plates. Inspired by Balkan cuisine. Friendly staff. Pleasant ambiance, music is not too loud. read more

Incredible food in a great atmosphere. My kids also loved this place. We will definitely return! read more

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If I was just rating on the food I would give this place 5 stars. However, the service experience left a lot to be desired. I made a reservation about 2-3 weeks out for dinner on a Friday night at 6PM. When we checked in for our reservation, the host asked if we were there for happy hour or dinner. I told him dinner, and he seemed to be looking for a table for us. He told us he had a table but we have to give it back by 7:15. I was confused- The concept of the restaurant is that you pay a flat fee for 2 hours of unlimited food, and he was only giving us 1 hour and 15 minutes for the same price, after reserving a table well in advance. I thought maybe I made a mistake and made a reservation for happy hour, but when I asked, he clarified that I did have a dinner reservation. Ultimately, we took the table - our waiter was wonderful and we really enjoyed the food and wine, but left feeling a bit ripped off. I wish we had a better experience with the host because I feel like this place has the potential to be one we regularly visit. read more

Food, service, and drinks absolutely A+. The manager comped dessert for my granddaughters birthday. Everything about this restaurant is outstanding. read more

very disappointing. Although we had a reservation, we waited 15 minutes for a table which would have been fine if the hostess hadn't been noticeably impolite. After being seated, we waited another 10 minutes before anyone came to our table. We placed our order, and were told the meze were on the way. Thirty minutes later, we received a few meze dishes--without bread, napkins, or cutlery and only one of the two soups we ordered. Our server never returned, and we had to ask other staff members for basic table items. It took another 10 minutes just to get cutlery. The service was incredibly disorganizedby far the worst I've experienced in Chicago or anywhere in the U.S. With such tiny portions and a strict 2-hour dining limit, it simply wasn't worth waiting any longer. We ultimately decided to leave. I'm deeply disappointed, especially given the high expectations set by the original Ambar. read more

The staff was so friendly, food was really good and the ambiance was everything! I will definitely be going back for drinks, food and a good vibe!!! read more

Food so good. Service was great. Ambiance 10/10. Highly recommend the pork, twas quite good.

Fantastic experience! Everything was wonderful from start to finish! The pricing, quality and quantity are unbelievable! We loved all of the items (the warm flatbread, the pork belly cabbage rolls etc). It was so great we went Thursday and made a reservation again for Saturday! read more