The good was good, but the service was not. Constantly had to asked for someone to come to your table for service. Once was okay but when it became more than once I felt like I needed a bell and it was not crowed at all. The restrooms are not big but you can't turn around in them unless the door is closed. Also, don't be a certain size in weight because you will totally dislike it and feel like the room is closing in on you. I am not sure if I will try them again unless it's take out. read more

See all

Ambar has become progressively worse over the years. The restaurant is overpriced, lacks thr sophistication and hasn't changed since the 90's. Have you noticed the price gouging as well. read more

This is the "Mother Ship" of great northern Indian food in the Cincinnati area. Jesse Singh started it all many years ago now, and may the family receive all the blessings of their ancestors for bringing us such lovely food. Their saag is as good as anything I've had in India and their masala chai (special tea) is just like a chai wallah would serve you on the streets of Mumbai. I have never eaten anything here that disappointed. read more

I have eaten here a couple times. However this time was different. The staff was very rude. We order items and didn't receive them. I asked for boxes then had to walk up and get them myself. We were rushed to eat because they were closing the server even came to the table and said "we're closed". It was only 2 mins after closing. We will not be back which is sad because we really enjoyed this place. read more

Really one of my favorite restaurants in Cincinnati! I was first introduced to Ambar at a school meeting which was catered by them. After my first taste of the Chicken Tiki Masala, I had to go to the restaruant myself! I always come here at around 7pm which I could imagine is their busiest time. However, the wait is never over 15 minutes because the customer turnover rate is pretty high. I've come to love this restaurant so much, that my boyfriend and I have dubbed a tiny two-seater near the corner as "our table." Somehow, of the 6 times we've been here in the past 3 months, we've ended up being seated at our table 5 times! The food is to die for! Our favorite, as mentioned earlier, is the Chicken Tiki Masala at a spicy level of 6 (highest level). The flavor is so rich and creamy. Also, we love the Chicken Saag, spicy level 6 as well. The nan is always nice and crispy and a great addition to the food we order. Oh yeah, another good thing about this place is that you get unlimited rice! We always ask for a second plate, which gives us just enough rice to also bring home with our leftovers. I give Ambar an A for Aaamazing! read more

See all

Service was slow. Rude waitress: very short and unknowledgeable. I said I was vegan, and she still tried to serve me items with Ghee... literally brought it to the table after we had a discussion about it. Never checked on me until I got her attention, which is fine, if you're in India. The food is very average. Not impressed. I paid $9 for about 10oz of chickpeas which I could have made at home for $2-3. Overall, I wouldn't recommend. I do recommend Amma's Kitchen or Elephant walk much more! read more

Delicious food but service is average and food is very pricey when the same quality food could be found elsewhere for less.

This little hole in the wall restaurant is the best place to get your Indian fix. It's small and parking is usually tight but that's how you know it's good. My husband and I move to a new place every 13 weeks and in the 2 years we have been traveling I have yet to find a better Indian restaurant than good ole Ambar! My favorite dishes include, chicken tikka masala, mattu special, the assorted platter and any of the naan! You can't go wrong with any of those! The service is always very attentive and friendly. I've heard that the same chef goes across the river into KY to cook at another Indian restaurant (not sure if that's true), but Ambar is still the best! read more

I was visiting Ohio for an occasion and came across this restaurant. It has amazing decor, great service and the food.. is just too good! It felt so fresh and felt home like. We had the malai kofta, dal with parathas. Paranthas were the highlight , super soft and tasty. Definitely recommend everyone to try it. read more

Ambar India Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

First Indian Restaurant ever eaten. I love chicken curry, used to having it with potatoes though. When I walked in it looked like a fine dinery, place could use a more modern update. The staff were very friendly and welcoming so it made up for it. I ordered the chicken curry lunch special which came with a side of rice that includes bits of peas. Had my curry spice level at 4. The curry was pretty good, but only came with 4 big chunks of chicken. Would have been more pleasant cut smaller. read more

See all

I love this place. I would give it 4 1/2 stars if that were an option. The food is delicious, the service is quick and kind, and I have never been disappointed with my meal. I usually get the Vegetarian Thal, a sampler dish that comes out on a metal cafeteria tray, and it is top notch. They are attentive and are always quick to refill water and clear tables. I do find that they are a little inconsistent with spicy levels. I can never remember if their level is 1-5 or 1-10, but let's say it is on a ratio of 1-10. Depending on who is making the dish, a 5 is either mild (it shouldn't be), spicy (appropriate), or liquid fire (too hot). Maybe they can't remember what their spicy level is either? Even so, the taste is tremendous and I eat here often and will continue to do so. Parking is another issue. There is a very small, maybe 8 spot parking lot behind the building, and then on street parking. But it's Clifton, so you may have to find that on street parking back in the residential areas and walk a few blocks to the main street. Or, you can always find off peak hours to visit. Considering how ample the portions at Ambar are, the walk will help you burn a few calories pre-food coma. Definitely worth a regular spot in your restaurant monthly rotation! read more

I've been eating at Ambar since before I was born, thanks to my mothers cravings when she was pregnant with me. Before that my dad would come here to eat with his dad. Countless stories have been told of my sisters temper tantrums as a kid at Ambar and how the waitresses knew who she was and would put an extra table cloth down as if that would help the mess she would end up making. The parking is tight, and the decor is dated but it has become my favorite Indian restaurant and quite possibly just my favorite restaurant. I'm a vegetarian so I go for the veggie nav rattan korma, saag paneer, and chana masala with a side of garlic naan. I can't wait to bring my kids here one day and keep the tradition of Ambar alive read more

See all

Ambar India in Clifton has been around decades it seems, and really has not changed much. The food is FANTASTIC The service is *meh*, okay. The dining area is cozy..(ie..crowded, cramped..) The parking is...uh, what parking? (Park at CVS down the street, if you don't wanna lose a fender in that demolition derby of a lot out back) But, hey, I'd go again. :) read more

Been coming here for years and it is always good. Never had a complaint. We usually get the chicken tikka masala and the mattu special. Hands down the best around. We have raisins and cashews added to the chicken tikka masala. Yummy. read more

I decided to sway away from my usual Indian restaurant after seeing a lot of great reviews about Ambar and having a good friend recently say it's been their goto. Id agree that Ambar is up there on great indian restaurants. I ordered the Tikka masala and garlic naan which tasted great and had a hint of spiciness at a level 4. read more

It's just the best Indian food in town. I was sitting there enjoying my Lamb Korma at lunch today and thinking that it was my favorite thing to eat. In the world. The truth is, I've never had anything here I didn't enjoy. Service is fine, the place is quaint, parking is a challenge, prices may be a mite higher than others, but the food is simply, hands-down, the best. read more

Ambar is my absolute favorite place for Indian food in Cincinnati. The service here is fantastic and the atmosphere is more upscale than most. Ambar is on Ludlow and the parking down there can be awful, but Ambar has its own parking lot which is money!! The food is always fresh and flavorful. I'll usually order it spicier here because they are more on the conservative side with spice than other Indian spots. I really like that Ambar makes their food especially sauce-y, ensuring you have plenty extra sauce for dipping naan. And the naan is not to be skipped! Their garlic naan is some of the best I've ever had! read more

Always good and a reliable place for chicken makhani, chicken tikka and chicken tikka masala. Family loves the aloo nans but I prefer just the boring plain variety as long as I get to consume plenty of the various chutneys. All three offerings of chutneys are exceptional but the mint based one is my fave. read more

Absolutely amazing the food is AMAZING the service takes awhile but it's worth it. Decoration wise it's kinda bland but the food is good, no , AMAZING read more

As always, the food was top notch. The service was fabulous. We took this opportunity to try something new. The Murata special. It was very fresh and tasty. It was like an Indian meat pie. Fresh onions, peppers, cilantro, lime, tandoori chicken in a pastry and deep fried. So good!! The Chicken Makhani was fabulous, vegetarian Bryani was spicy and tasty, mushroom chicken was super tasty...in fact, I cannot find anything negative to say about the food or the service. We thoroughly enjoy this restaurant. read more

Not a fan of this version of chicken tikka saag. I am used to one with a lot more tomato base.

Sitting out back in Ambar's new seating area, very cool! We'd definitely do this again!

After ordering chicken curry for years, I recently decided to step out of my comfort zone and try something different. A friend had recommended the aloo choley, so I went with it, Wow!!!!!! It was better than the chicken curry, which I simply did not believe was possible. I so badly want to give Ambar five stars, but service is still somewhat problematic. A bit of friendliness goes a long way! read more

I love Ambar! My friends who moved to Chicago love Ambar as well and asked me to order some so they can take it home with them. Unfortunately, the door dash app seems to have been limited by the restaurant to a max order of $100. Unfortunately for us and the restaurant's till, I had a $225 order all lined up and was forced to half the order due to the ordering constraints. Just wanted to give you guys a head's up. Thank you! read more

Ever since moving to Cincinnati from New York it has been a struggle to find Indian food that measures up. Ambar has been the only Indian restaurant that I've tried in Cincy that has satisfied my Indian cravings! We went there on a weekday evening and it was still pretty packed. Our waiter was very quick and attentive. We ordered wine and vegetable samosas to start. The 3 chutney sauces were delicious and paired well with our meals. The spicy scale was 1-6 with 6 being the spiciest. Both of our orders were a 4 and perfect for our liking. The chicken tikka masala was great and the chicken choley was on point. We ordered the raita which was a nice refreshing yogurt which acted as a palate cleanser between our dishes. This is my new go to Indian restaurant in the area! read more

Ambar India Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

It's way too expensive. Staff are pushy and the place is feeling run down. Save you money.

Recently moved to Clifton, and it's dangerous being so close to Ambar. My parents took my roommate and I out here for dinner on a Sunday night, and it was such a great choice! They have loads of options, with meat options and vegan/vegetarian options. Ambar is among a variety of restaurants and shops on Ludlow, and it seems to do well here. We did not have to wait around 6 on Sunday, and I also noticed that they do take-out! Are you coming by yourself? They have a bar that you can sit at, if you feel more comfortable. My meal was with potatoes and cauliflower, and I got the whole wheat Naan bread instead of rice because the rice has butter, as our waiter informed me. Satisfaction is a word for the feeling you get when the food is perfect. The spice level is 1-6, and I got a 2 (which was a little less spicy than I wish I had gotten). Next time, a 3 will be an ideal try for me! The lentil soup is vegan and delicious, if you're interested in an appetizer before your entree! Price level is about the same as other Indian restaurants, being around 10 dollars a person. If you're interested, I would recommend splitting one of the sampler platters, which comes with a variety of meals to try and a dessert! read more

Our favorite restaurant in Cincinnati. Seriously. Everything we have ordered is delicious, even the rice is remarkable. We have ordered chicken Tikka masala, lamb vindaloo, dal makhani, aloo tikki, pakoras, and samosas. Reading this during the pandemic? YES! They are doing takeout! read more

I travel to Cincinnati for work a fair amount over the last 8 years and Ambar has become a must have the second I hit town. It's just so good. Best Indian restaurant in the Midwest. read more

I am crazy about Ambar, truly. I have long held that was favorite food was Mexican, and then when Michigan took the wind out of my sails, I went pizza, but now living so close to Ambar and working with other huge fans, I have to nearly say Indian is my favorite. The food is very flavorful, from the Biryani to the Saag to the Chicken Tikka Masala to the Chicken Markani. The appetizers are also all good, but the veggie pakora which I've had a pieces of vegetable fried is a little different; here they are fried in balls. I couldn't say which is more common. I appreciate that they give you thre three chutneys with your apps, the mint chutney, the tamarind chutney and then the spicy pickled vegetables. So good! Service is also good, which fast pick up times and quick, efficient service in house. We have no problem coming on for lunch during work and getting out in about an hour. They have lunch and dinner portions so you can plan for leftovers or not. Even the lunch portion may grant you some leftovers. Great naan, I could go on. I'll be returning as long as I can take it. read more

There's a lot of Indian take-out in the area, but Ambar is great if you're looking for sit-down. It's honestly some of the best Indian food I've ever had, and it's reasonably priced. Make sure to get a piece on naan with your meal- there's nothing better than a warm, buttery piece of bread that can be used as a curry vessel. My only suggestion is that you take it easy on the spice level. They'll ask you to pick a number 1-6. I LOVE spicy foods, and the 3 was PLENTY of heat for me. read more

Best. Indian. Food. Ever. I've been to many Indian restaurants in NYC and elsewhere but I still always look forward to coming back to visit my dad in Northern Kentucky so we can go to Ambar to split several of the dishes for lunch or dinner. We discovered the place while I was in high school after I went vegetarian and over 15 years later we still go back every time I come home to visit. We usually get Saag Chooley, a Garlic nan, the vegetable Pakora appetizer and eggplant dish Bhartha. HUNGRY YET? (I am.) The ambiance is great and the service is always quick, no matter how busy. My dad and I always joke about how many people are ordering take-out whenever we're there which is surely a sign of popular their food is around town! It's also nice that it's close to the Esquire Theatre so you can check out a movie and then grab dinner. (Or vice versa.) Oh, and they've got a parking lot in the back. read more

A lot of my friends like this place, but I've never gotten the appeal. I frequently find little chicken bones hidden within the chicken tikka masala, despite the fact they claim to use boneless chicken. Nevertheless, I decided to give Ambar another shot. This time, my review is based solely on the poor customer service. I always tip on my order, trusting that it is correct. This time, it was not correct. Once home, I called to explain that I received onion naan (which I have an aversion to, instead of the garlic naan that I paid for). Their response? "Oh, ok, if you can just bring it back here, we can exchange it. Or did you already eat it?!" Needless to say, I won't be returning to Ambar, nor would I recommend it. read more

Cincinnati has no shortage of Indian Restaurants. No matter what neighborhood you live in, something is close. Ambar is in my top two Indian establishments in the city for authenticity and quality. The dining space isn't the best around, since it is open with the kitchen space, it can be louder and warmer, but still an enjoyable evening. I have only had great service will at Ambar and they get you your food pretty quickly as well. The constant flow of fresh rice to the table is also a huge plus. Located on historic Ludlow in Clifton, there is plenty to do around Ambar for a great evening out with friends or a significant other. My wife and I love going out for Ambar from downtown. read more

A bit overhyped in my opinion. Ambar comes up in many searches as one of the top Indian food places in Cincinnati. While the service is impeccable with incredibly friendly waitstaff in a very seemingly family owned and operated establishment, I just can't go on and keep this on my list of all time best Indian restaurants. The food is good, but on the average scale. I ordered: + garlic naan: very large, but more buttery and lacking garlic flavor + chicken tikka masala: good balance of sweet, spicy, cream, etc- my favorite + saag paneer: very creamy and buttery, lacking taste of spinach/cheese/spice That being said, the food of course, is still good, and would not deter me from not stopping by here again... but I would be curious to try some other establishments as well. read more

Absolutely delicious. First tried at a catered event and had to come back for more. Their samplers were satisfying. Always good spice profile, great comfort food for us. read more

A Living Social deal brought me here...overall, the food was good. I ordered Gulab Jamun for dessert and was dismayed that it literally only included one little ball. Otherwise, portion sizes seemed fine. I would give them another try. read more

See all

It's been awhile since I've been here. Approximately 7 years, actually. And Ambar, you're just as good as I remember! I ordered the saag paneer and the paneer nan (I love cheese). The waiter thought I was crazy for ordering a 5 (out of 6) for spiciness, but he complied anyway after giving me an incredulous look. I enjoyed every second of my yummy flavorful food. (Indian food is the best when it makes your nose run). The staff was extremely friendly and attentive and I love, just love, that there are so many indian places to pick from in Cincinnati. However, Ambar has always been and remains my favorite of them all!!!! read more

Unassuming restaurant but the quality of the food more than makes up for the humbleness of the establishment. Fresh tasting, hot, and very well seasoned. Perhaps the best tandoori chicken I've ever head. Highly recommend. read more

See all

Definitely my favorite Indian restaurant in Cincinnati. Amazing flavors and spice levels. The chicken is always tender and cooker perfectly.