My wife found Ambar looking for takeout near the zoo. What we found was one of the best Indian meals we've ever had. My chicken tikka masala was rich, spicy, flavorful and full of white meat chicken, cooked perfectly. My wife's bhartha was equally delightful. Our split aloo gobi was excellent, loaded with fresh cauliflower. If I had any criticism, I found the garlic naan unequally cooked. Though Ambar isn't near home, I can certainly envision a periodic trip for takeout. Hint: call for takeout rather than using the Grubhub takeout app. Saved us about $8. read more

A solid-four and half star place close to the cincinnati main college campus. The food is good, staff is welcoming and atmosphere of the place is lively! A great place to eat, spend time, relish !! Totally worth many more visits. Upon arriving we were greeted and seated in no time. The order was taken in like 10 mins ( even though the place was jam packed). The food arrived in 20 mins. Record breaking speed !!!! We order matar paneer, paneer nan & chicken curry. The the cuisines were very tasty and yummy! I would recommend this place anyday! read more

Ambar India Restaurant - inside - Indian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

THE BEST!!! I love ambar! It's a little pricier than other Indian restaurants around but it's so worth it! The tikka everything is great! Their spice scale is always one point- if you get a level 3, it's a level 3, not a 6, or a 1. The service is always super super sweet! I highly recommend getting take out and enjoying during a movie night or family night- they are just so good. I just ate and I'm wanting more just typing this review! read more

No doubt the BEST in Cincinnati. Thank you for not compromising your quality. Other Indian restaurants around the area have been consistently slipping. It's unfortunate. But you also hit it out of the park in terms of the tenderness of your chicken tikka and the flavors in all of your dishes. Thank you! read more

Our favorite is Chicken Vindaloo and Bharta (egg plants). Chicken Tikka dish has a generous portion and can be shared. The meat is juicy and delicious. Prompt service and parking in the back is very helpful in this part of Clifton near University of Cincinnati and number of hospitals. It is easy to miss the parking alley which is right before the restaurant if you are coming from the University. Yum! read more

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Small place, smells are great. Food very very good. Service with a smile., Had Saag Paneer and it was so good. The rose water lassi was wonderful!! Naan is always a great choice!! read more

Never had a bad experience. Ambar is reliable and delicious, and will always be my fav place for Indian

Always a good choice. Entrees are shareable and I always leave with leftovers! My partner and I get two different vegetarian entrees (matter paneer is my favorite) and we both leave with yummy leftovers. read more

Love it. Love it. Love it. We order for lunch at work quite often. With delivery they make it a breeze. I've also ordered for business meetings. Never been disappointed. Love the naan. Any flavor. read more

I went for the Saag Paneer and it did not disappoint. Ate so fast I forgot to take a picture. Service is fast and food was hot even once I made it home. It's a little pricey but definitely worth it as the portions are quite large. May be my new go to place. It also helps that they have a private parking lot in the back on a busy street in Clifton. read more

I think this place serves one of the best indian food I have tasted in USA. We drive all the way from Columbus to Cincinnati just to have lunch or dinner here. Love the Chicken Tikka Masala, Saag Paneer and Garlic naan. read more

I've been to Ambar many times over the years, but it's been a while since my last trip. This time it was just ok. I had the chicken tikka masala, my go-to there, and this time it came out lukewarm and bland. It seemed rushed. I'm hoping this was a fluke and will revise my review on the next trip if it's back to its usual form. read more

Ambar India Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Very good! I love the vegetarian thali, but I really like everything. Always a good choice.

We've been to Ambar a few times and the food is delicious it's just that they have raised their prices so now it costs at least $20 per entree. It's too much money for a restaurant that isn't super well kept. A bill for 2 people comes to $70-$80 with an appetizer and tip, (no alcohol). read more

Very different than it used to be, sadly. At least I have memories.. Bland and not fresh. read more

Food was bland and overpriced compared to the other local Indian places. You're better off going to Dusmesh

The food was great and the spice level was exactly how I ordered it. Chicken Tikka Masala , saag choley, and garlic naan was fantastic. read more

Whenever we are in Cincinnati, and feel like Indian food, this is our place. This was the first place I ever tried Indian food, which is one of my favorite cuisines. The service was good and the food perfect. I have had a lot of Indian food since my first time here over 20 years ago, but I still think this is some of the best I've had. read more

Couple months in Cincinnati, I was yet to try a good Indian spot not too far away from the University area. Heard a lot of my American friends rave about this place. One went to the extent of saying his White (sorry it is relevant here) parents eat at this place 3-4 times a week!! Came In with neutral expectations and went out highly pleased! Food- Appetizers: Indians usually look down upon vegetable pakoras/ fritters when presented with the opportunity of choosing between paneer or meat one's. Trust me on this one- Vegetable pakoras are bomb! Literally the size of a shot put each, I got 4 in a serving. Chaat papri - wasn't blown away but decent. Samosa's are awesome!!! I usually remove the filling and eat just the crust (savage!) but it's soooooo good! Main course- Chicken tikka masala is as good as it gets, comes with plenty of rice. Chilly chicken can be worked upon, paneer jalfrezi - I don't have words! - If you're not a fan of chilly in your food like me then stick to a spice level of 2 since some meals here can get a bit too spicy. Drinks- Chai is exceptional, very close to BrijMohan's. Not too sweet, wonderfully spiced with cardamom- get the special tea instead of regular for the authenticity. Mango shake or lassi- you can taste good mango in it, not the tinned puree kinds. They carry good collection of Indian beers as well. Ambiance and service- Cozy but also pretty standard. Service has always been on point. Quick, attentive and courteous. Have own parking lot. read more

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Overpriced and underwhelming. There is nothing authentic about this place. The food, the space, the people who own and work there, all mediocre and unauthentic. read more

Great brunch under 10 real authentic Indian food lots of different selections . Food was hot and very tasty Service was fast and efficient , I would definitely return . read more

My family and I have recently relocated to Cincinnati. Ambar is the second Indian restaurant we have tried since moving. It was recommended to us by multiple people and we decided we needed to try it. I ate Lamb Rogan Josh and Garlic Naan; they were equally delicious. However, I messed up and did not get it spicy. Next time I will for sure get a 4 or 5 spicy. My wife had Saag Paneer which was also delicious. The Paneer was so good! We can't wait to go back and try other dishes. read more

The most delicious food! We have been going here for years. The service is great. The ambiance is ok. (The bathroom is terrible.) But the food is so great you kinda forgive the rest. read more

This is one of my favorite Indian food restaurants in Cincinnati. I recently visited on a Wednesday evening. We were able to find parking in the small lot behind the building. The service was friendly and efficient throughout the whole experience. We ordered chicken tikka malsala, chicken saag paneer, and garlic naan. Both main courses were flavorful and will prepared. The spice level was just perfect (we did a spice level 3). Naan was the perfect addition to the meal. I will be back again (and again). read more

I've been coming here for over twenty years and until the past year or so it has been sublime. Twelve of those years I lived in Wisconsin, and it was always the highlight of a visit home to visit Ambar. I'd get old tasting chicken from other Indian restaurants, but never from here. Interestingly enough, there's been an explosion of other Indian places in the area, and I'm ready to take my business elsewhere. Their prices have gotten too high, and tonight the food was . . . bland. No spice, even though we've ordered a number three for years,l. Last night's chicken mahkani this was NOT spicy in the least. read more

When we looked up indian restaurants around, this is had a whooping 4.8stars. Well i would say 4.8 for serving DISSAPPOINTMENT! We ordered chicken biryani and vindaloo. But what we received was some rice mixed with curry and chicken peices put in them, with absolutely no taste, completely bland. With peas, raisins and pineapple, its not a biryani, but a kashmiri pulav. Dont even get me started on the vindaloo. Was a sour potato curry with hardly any chicken in it. Served with some sorta jeera rice that tasted terrible together. I am unaware of the history of this restaurant, but seems a lot like a expensive wanna be Indian restaurant with nothing Aunthentic or Indian in the food served. Very Disappointed! Me and my friend have been severly DEHYDRATED and gotten our Stomach upset. read more

Food is usually good, have only been a handful of times. Quick service for evening orders. 7/10

We went here last night! I can say I never get sick of this place! I wish i lived close enough for them to deliver to me! We ended up getting the Aloo Tiki which is a deep fried potato and the chicken curry and it definitely did not disappoint. They also have different spice levels (1-6). I always go with the 6 and it's pretty spicy! read more

Whereas I do sympathize with local businesses during these times in pandemic, I do not think these businesses have the right to take advantage of the customers. Everyone on our table got food poisoning. Whole driving food, the hostess kept spilling food on us, on the table. Some items just tasted so bad, that I knew right away after tasting one spoonful that I was gonna get sick. They poured things out of a tin can and served it without even heating it. Why would you run. Restaurant if you just don't like running it? I won't say it didn't cross my mind to report this place for harmful quality food read more

Amazing service over the phone. When I arrived to pick up my take out order, I was greeted right away! My friend and I ordered chicken biryani and chicken vindaloo. Large portions and amazing taste! They do not hold back on flavor or spice level. Very affordable and delicious! Will be back :) read more

Excellent food and service. Will definitely return someday when visiting the area. Naan is tasty. Chicken tikka masala is great. The sampler appetizer was really good too. read more

Ambar India Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

There isn't anything to say other than GO TO AMBAR!! The food is so good every single time.

Ive been here a few times and know it's one of the better Indian joints in town, The secret is to get the a la carte dishes , not the Thali plates. We had a group of 5 got a buch of good dishes, chicken tikka, salmon tikka,lamp vindiloo and sag paneer. These were all good. I mistakenly got the Ambar Thali special : Aloo tikki and pakora, chicken tandoori, lamb curry, dal, mater paneer, nan, rice,It did not seem cooked to order and seemed more like leftovers from lunch.... 2 dishes in a thick sauce, pretty unappetizing. Now I know.....next time. read more

I found this place to be clean, organized, well decorated, and the staff to be pleasant. The dishes are served promptly, and very tasty. I loved the naan! I have nothing but good to say about my experience here! read more

Ambar India Restaurant - Lamb Do Piaza- lamb smothered with tomatoes, onions, and spices. Served with Basmati rice. - Indian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Above average Indian cuisine in gaslight Clifton area. --- There are varying degrees of Indian food in cincinnati: there is the far left totally Americanized buffet style with no flavor to the far right brij mohan and ambar india is certainly on the more authentic side. I went with coworkers so we got the forever staple of all medical professionals chicken tikka masala as well as lamb vindaloo and saag paneer. The chicken tikka was great though my coworker ordered 0 spice so I'm sure the kitchen was pretty handcuffed. Saag paneer was surprisingly good as they don't bombard it with a ton of cream. Vindaloo was fine I do think it is a bit pricey for how much food you get but I will definitely go back read more

I've had lots of Indian food, and this is consistently among the best, if not the best, that I've ever had. Also, there was a slight hiccup with my most recent order, but the customer service was great, which is actually the reason I'm writing this review. The food's terrific, but I was just really impressed with how my little issue was handled and resolved. A great experience all around, thank you!! read more

Had a great dinner at Ambar, both veg and chicken dishes were good. Place was packed on a cold and rainy Thursday night but the staff did a good job keeping up and the food was delicious - aloo choley (spice level 5 of 6 was quite warm but delicious without burning),chicken tikka masala (spice level 4 was pretty tame), chicken curry and garlic naan. read more

For me Indian food is a easy place to review. Having tried multiple places and the obvious fact of being Indian, I get how certain dishes must taste to give it a passing grade in quality. This was the jest restaurant I hit up since I landed in cincy and the experience was pleasant. The location is out in Clifton but that specific area is not the most inviting - however once you park in the back, the garlic onion aroma lures you in through the front door! The ambience inside is quiet and small typical of what you see in small Indian restaurants. Having a spicy pallet I ordered Malai Kofta at spicy level 8 where the max is just up to 6. So this was going to be spicy!! I also ordered the onion naan. The dish came with a side of rice and I threw in an order of mango lassi. My sister had ordered the paneer makhani with garlic naan. Now usually the dishes have their own look and taste but here both out dishes had the same gravy color and consistency. Now the taste is what differentiated the dishes. The Kofta balls were spicy and you could definitely feel like it was level 8! Naans were great in its own taste and the lassi had a weird rose milk flavor at the very end. But glad I had it to help me cool down from all that spice! In all - great restaurant - good place to start off with when you are in the Clifton area! read more

Ambar India Restaurant - Malai kofta and paneer makhani - Indian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Ambar has always been one of my favorite Indian restaurants in Cincinnati... and I'm super picky about my indian food. The dishes are always full of flavor and spiced to the level I ask for. I like things super spicy, and it's hard to find places that will actually make things as spicy as I ask for. They always knock it out of the park. I came here at least once a week when I was a student at UC, and now that I've moved away I still make a point of coming to Ambar every chance I can when I come home for a visit! read more

Very quick service. My family ordered chicken tikka, chicken vindaloo, saag paneer, a order of regular naan and garlic naan. We were promptly served within 10 minutes of giving our orders. Chicken Tikka (not to be mistaken by chicken tikka masala) is pretty large and can be shared between 2-3 people. The regular naan was freshly baked and delicious. Garlic naan had good flavor but the dough wasn't as fluffy and chewy as the regular naan. They also give a healthy portion of rice which is great because we typically always have leftovers. You can also get another to-go rice free of charge if you need a little more. read more