Came here for a friend's birthday where we had the unlimited dinner. The place is beautiful inside and the staff was great! The drinks were generously poured and of all the dishes we ordered, the lamb lasagna was my favorite. Portions could have been larger given our group size but they adapted quickly when they realized we had healthy appetites. Overall great experience and I'll be back for that lamb lasagna. read more

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Came here with my dad and wife for brunch a week ago and we loved everything! This is obviously a pretty new location as the original we have not been to is in Eastern Market and the second in Clarendon which my wife and I met a friend for dinner two years ago. The service was wonderful, the ambiance was very nice and not too noisy, and the food and drinks were all wonderful. There are so many good options for bottomless brunch and you can add unlimited mimosas, Bloody Marys, and sangrias for just a bit extra. They also have a special menu that indicates dietary restrictions and allergies which was quite helpful. Looking forward to coming back for brunch and dinner! read more

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Vibe-bright and beautiful. Lots of different seating options. Service- everyone we interacted with was attentive and helpful. Special shout out to Marie who took great care of us. Advised me to check the allergy card( I have a nut allergy). She explained the menu and checked in often to refill mimosas and order more food. Drinks- bottomless mimosas variety was great, but you're also able to just do Prosecco if you don't like the fancy flavors. Food- holy small bites. What didn't we have. My faves were the beef sausage kebob, salad, and flatbread. But the bacon, Mac and cheese, sliders, Benedict, rice, waffle, potatoes, and spreads were all so tasty. Cost-love the all you can eat and drink options and totally reasonably priced for that. We left full and happy! Managers were also seen running food, bussing tables, helping at bar, and interacting with guests. Great teamwork from staff. read more

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It's definitely worth going for the bottomless brunch and mimosas. I liked the variety of Mediterranean food and there were also American options like eggs, bacon, and shrimp & grits. read more

AMBAR Restaurant, Shaw - Unlimited Brunch and Mimosas - Modern European Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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This will always be my food rec for DC. Unlimited Balkan food? Cute aesthetic? Yes pls. The food is delicious, and the portions are perfect for sharing & tasting. During brunch, they have decent bottomless deals. Service can get slow during busy hours (weekend brunch) and a reservation is definitely recommended! Would suggest coming with a few friends so that you can try the entire menu without getting too full. read more

I am on the record as being a certified Ambar stan, so I was thrilled to try their new Shaw location for a Sunday brunch with my friends! This location certainly lived up to the hype. The Balkan food is outstanding, and the unlimited brunch is a huge draw. The wait staff holds you to two hours, but the damage you can do during that time is pretty immense haha! We had a wonderful and very attentive waitress who made the experience so fun. And the food of course satisfied immensely! Not every dish is a superstar, and that's the fun of bottomless brunch! The things that hit were ordered multiple times. I've completed the Ambar trifecta! read more

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Came here for brunch with a large group. It was great! Def worth the money and would return. Since it was a large group, our waiter just brought out lots of different items and it was perfect read more

I ate here with my work colleagues - a large party of 8. The large tables are on the first floor. We came for a 6:30 reservation and I was surprised the lower level was quite empty. Although the dining space itself was nice, there was an area by the kitchen and bar that had a display case for foods (?) that was strangely empty. Maybe it's because there's only 3 dessert options on the menu, which is why there was only two of the same cakes in there? And that area in particular had no one standing there so it seemed odd and I first thought, is the restaurant partially closed? Not bad, just odd design. I've been to Ambar in Arlington. It's a beautiful location, tons of fun, and I've had really great experiences there. Unfortunately I felt like this location didn't resemble that same experience. I felt that I did not get close to hitting $50 worth of food, nor quality of food, with the $50 unlimited food option. The food was good but some of them were just okay, and none of them stood out to me that were amazing. The ones that I do highly recommend are the eggplant moussaka, garlic shrimp, the gnocchi, and green beans (for the sauce). Others such as cauliflower, brussel sprouts, bunch of sausage dishes, were nothing to write home about. We all left quite full but with wallets that were hit hard! The nice perk is that only some people in our party wanted to do the unlimited drink option - we weren't asked for everyone's participation for the unlimited drink, so that was nice. I will say, the unlimited drink option makes it so worth it if you get 2-3 drinks you are already getting a better deal than a la carte drink orders. My conclusion is that 1) I prefer the Arlington Ambar location 2) Ambar is much better for brunch (cheaper AYCE price and some of the fun brunch dishes I enjoyed aren't available for dinner). We also had someone dining with us who does not eat pork or beef, and surprisingly there are not tons of options without those. For instance the gnocchi had beef in it apparently? The brussel sprouts had bits of bacon in it. The servers were nice but didn't come around to take new food requests often, and never refilled the water pitches the entire night. We had to flag them down the few times they even came to the dining area, or ask the people who served the drinks or came to clear plates, who seemed to not be the same people who would take food orders, but we just couldn't find our server. read more

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My best friend and I went here for bottomless brunch and you really get a good bang for your buck! I enjoyed the food and the drinks were hitting. Also the atmosphere is so cute! Great lighting and decor. Our server Maria was amazing as well. Super sweet and attentive. We will be coming back! read more

Ambar is great, there's a reason there's almost one in every neighborhood! Come hungry and ready to eat. I came to the Shaw location for their unlimited dinner and it was great. The dishes are served family style. You can ordering until your hearts content. There's no way you can leave here hungry, otherwise you did it wrong. Our server was wonderful. You could tell she was very knowledgeable and loved the food here. She gave us great recommendations on what dishes to start with and which dishes to pass over. I I really liked the lamb medallions, Sesame seared salmon, and the grilled shrimp. The sudoku flatbread was also great. read more

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This was my first time at Ambar Shaw. I made a reservation for a Thursday night and surprisingly it wasn't packed at all. However, I suggest making a reservation just in case. The restaurant had dim lighting and the ambiance was very relaxing. Right away, I was greeted by a host that walked me over to my table. The entire restaurant was very clean and so chic. The menu had an amazing variety of food to choose from. The price was definitely unbeatable, especially with it being all you can eat. The best part is, if you don't eat all of the food, they don't charge you a fee for anything that is uneaten. I ordered a variety of options and the food was subpar. The chicken kebabs and fried chicken were very dry and lacked seasoning. Most of the food was bland and lacked seasoning. The lamb roast, salmon, shrimp, and stuffed peppers were the best dishes I had. The lamb was tender and had a lot of flavor. The salmon was cooked perfectly and was very flaky. The desserts were the star of the menu. My favorite was the raspberry cake. It was so light and fluffy, but didn't have an overpowering raspberry flavor. The chocolate cake was so rich and thick. The baklava was a little soggy but still had good flavor. Overall, most of the dishes were delicious. However, the service could be improved. The waitress barely checked on us and she walked away from our table while we were still trying to put in our food orders. The waiter also failed to tell us about the happy hour drinks so we ended up paying full prices for drinks. read more

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this 13-person brunch carried the same energy as what I imagine the Last Supper must have felt like - everyone got drunk and gorged their faces - absolutely love a bottomless mimosa situation with options. they had three separate flavors, I think the best was the mango hibiscus as the peach lavender really didn't taste like much at all - the whole limitless dining concept is quite exciting. we had no idea what dish was to come next as the first hour they brought out a set assortment of their dishes to try and then we got to order what we pleased after - on their set menu the highlights were the cheese pie, which tasted like a light flaky baked mac & cheese. and the meat platter, which had a variety of meats with the warmest, juiciest sausages and perfectly cooked steak. the chicken slider was oddly INSANE, like SO crisp yet succulent. - for sweets the Nutella donuts were crisp and delicious and tasted a bit like churros. the waffles though were incredibly dry and they do not have maple syrup. I would steer clear. - potatoes were crispy but nothing special. scrambled eggs were just scrambled eggs. the actual mac & cheese tasted like kraft mac & cheese so to some that's a win while to others that's diabolical. the flatbreads were of the same reminiscent of something in my childhood freezer energy. the Benedict's actually tasted like water please don't order. - overall fabulous for a huge group. they were very accommodating with super kind and attentive service! come hungry as hell and don't fill up on the average dishes/carbs so that you can really get your moneys worth on the great dishes read more

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Solid spot and great for a big group! I love the all-you-can-eat option -- it's a really good deal if you're a big eater. Every plate was delicious, and the service was good. We never felt rushed. I still need to come back and try their brunch! read more

Always good service! The second floor or outside area has a nice view. Place yourself! 2 hours is a long time even when your very hungry. Just keep ordering! read more

Love the concept, love the food, so glad we came! This one has been on my list for what feels like forever. You get small dishes to try for one price. It's all well worth it. Highlights: kiwi smash cocktail (Could keep drinking and drinking and end up in trouble), mezze platter with bread (not sure what all the dips were but it was all SO good. I only recognized the beet tzatziki but the rest was great too), anything with lamb (medallions, lamb lasagna, slow roasted lamb were hubby's favs), pepper croquettes ( cheese with the tart pepper/chutney and crispy breading -- great combo of flavors and textures), gnocchi (beautiful truffle and mushroom flavor that didn't overwhelm), and the raspberry cake in the dessert platter. Skip the fries, the cauliflower, and the baklava in the dessert platter. There's plenty we didn't get to try but that just means we will be back! read more

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We're going 4.5 stars for Ambar's Shaw location. We came here for a belated birthday dinner (we were both sick for the other half's birthday last week) last wednesday and after being a bit thrown off where to enter (because the sign on the door saying their name is a nondescript and there's construction remnants out front by their outdoor seating) we were seated upstairs. QR code menus by the way. If tapas went on vacation to the Balkan countries; that's the vibe here. Honestly, the decor was immaculate. We loved a lot of the food, but there was a pork neck dish that just needed a little more smokiness and the shrimp and corn dish needed one more shrimp. The tomato soup and stuff pepper were our favorite and the cocktail options were awesome an so tasty Honestly, thats the food here on the whole, very flavorful and fresh. We really enjoyed our time. My only tru nitpicks are: a couple of times one of the servers slid a dish onto our table as he was walking away, muttering what the dish was as he continued to walk away. That left us confused and consulting the menu again. 2) right at the end of our meal, it felt like, after asking for the check, that our main server kind of forgot about us. She brought out a slice of decadent chocolate cake for my partner's birthday, which was lovely, but we had no forks and couldn't ask because she disappeared again! Really good place; very good food read more

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My partner and I wanted to try a nice place in D.C. and found this restaurant in our search. We are from NYC so we were excited to find a cuisine we do not eat regularly and at a fixed price. Food: 3/5 All the food here is served tapa sized (aka:small) so you better order many plates to justify the $50pp base fee. I am lactose intolerant which further limited the options but, they still had a good selection. However, every dish was super salty. I literally had a headache at the end of dinner. My favorite dishes were: 1. Sesame Salmon 2. Grilled Shrimp 3. Chicken Skewers 3. Eggplant and red pepper spread Since is still about ~$65 pp after tax and tip, I am not sure I would go back. Service:4/5 I loved my server but, the first floor of the restaurant was too loud for them to hear us. Our first dishes ( spread (in pic) and shrimp) even came out with dairy because we weren't on the same page. But, once people started to leave, the rest of the night went great. All in all, it is hard for me to justify the price tag when I didn't feel great after the food. But, this could be a great introductory restaurant for those new to the cuisine. read more

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Came in for brunch, Roselle was a great server!! Cute spot, strong bottomless mimosas.

Maria was an amazing server. Informative and friendly. A very unique dining experience. read more

AMBAR Restaurant, Shaw - Modern European Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Came here for Mother's Day and the vibes were perfect. We sat in the covered outdoor area with plenty of natural light, and the plating details were lovely. My favorites were the beet tzatziki dip, beet dish, cauliflower, and mussels. Some of the meat dishes were not my favorite so I don't know if it's worth the money to come back for me, but it's a fun experience to sample a lot of things and I would definitely recommend coming at least once! read more

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Rosa is the sweetest. It was my first time but she immediately recognized my friends who are regulars and made us feel right at home. She walked me through the menu and made sure I knew what I was in for. Bottomless mimosas are never ending and I left ready for the day party to follow. Delish food and friendly service. read more

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Service was extremely disappointing. The food was meh. Highly doubt that I would return.

Food was OK. Service and ambience made up for what they didn't provide in the food department. The good: White Flatbread, fries, cauliflower, fried stuffed peppers, and some of the dips were awesome. Wish they could bring out the baba ghanoush by itself - that was great too. The just-okay: Brussels weren't crispy, lamb was tender but not juicy, salmon wasn't seared it was fully cooked and I thought the sesame seeds was a bit much. The chocolate cake was the only thing on the menu that seemed good- it was a bit dense and I wasn't feeling the espresso greek yogurt, but it was very moist and not too sweet. Service was pretty good except for we had to put in the fries twice and asked for it probably 4 times total before it came out. Also I asked for a reposado tequila and they brought out a silver... server asked me to taste it.... well I can see it, firstly-reposado is not clear. Anyway she was great and said she went to the back and poured it herself. 3 stars on food - but 4 because of everything else - we realized they let us stay 3 hours instead of the two (server did tell us at 2.5 but was patient about letting us finish our dessert)! Appreciated it because I hadn't seen my friends in awhile so it was just nice to catch up. read more

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Various locations in DC but I really enjoyed this one. Close to other popular destinations and the staff was so kind and knowledgeable. We are so much delish food and the atmosphere is great for larger groups. We had everything from oysters, to salmon to all of the various fresh veggies that you could dream for. Drinks were very yummy as well. I loved the cauliflower and Salmon read more

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Great service and food! The ambiance is lively and full of energy. Andres provided us with a great experience and we're excited to be back soon! read more

I checked out this place for a Saturday morning brunch based on a friend's suggestion. We ended up at the upstairs bar, which had a pretty cool vibe--think aesthetic charm meets laid-back comfort. For $37, you get all-you-can-eat small bites and for $12.99, bottomless mimosas, sangrias, or bloody marys are on tap. The service was solid, efficient without being overbearing. It's worth it to lean into the all-you-can-eat deal and double down on your favorites. The whole setup had a dim sum-meets-Balkan flair, which was a unique twist. A laid-back, satisfying way to spend a morning. read more

Cute interior and truly bottomless brunch. We had a great time here trying different dishes - some of our favorites were the cheese pie, fried chicken sliders, and cinnamon truffle sourdough bites. Portions were good for sharing and the pacing was great. The service was also 10/10, would definitely return. read more

AMBAR Restaurant, Shaw - mezze and warm pita - Modern European Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

It was alright. They need better food options here. This place has potential but I didn't love the food. The service was great. The drinks were great. The ambiance was great. Improve the menu. The food was 3 out of 10! read more

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Honestly the service brings this down quite a lot for me. I've been to both locations of Ambar twice each over the years. The last time I went to the one Barracks Row, I decided it wasn't worth returning. Unfortunately I've come to the same conclusion for Shaw. The positives: the location is good. It's very large/two levels. Nice decor. Negatives from our visit last night: The waiter immediately assumed we were doing the unlimited meals. We had to ask for the a la carte menus because we each wanted our own entree. We ordered two dips for appetizers to share and we each ordered entrees-- salmon, chicken stroganoff, and roasted lamb. Also a round of drinks. The apps came immediately. Like, 2 minutes. I will say that the dips are like a skim coat on a plate and they could be more generous with the servings for the price (especially since they charge for extra bread). 2 minutes later, 2 of our entrees are dropped to the table. At this point we've had a bite of the apps and we don't even have our drinks yet. It was awkward and felt super rushed. Our drinks came a couple minutes later and then... we waited. For another 15 or so minutes??? Until the salmon entree was brought to our friend. At this point the other two entrees were cold because we didn't want to eat our meals while she waited. The waiter wasn't paying any attention to the situation. We did ask for a second bread order. For some reason they put in two orders and brought us two more baskets of bread and I was too annoyed to correct them. They absolutely need to work on their timing and service. read more

We went for an AYCE and the food was soooo good. The service was so fast we constantly had refills of mimosas and more food to eat. We left feeling stuffed it was such a fun experience! The restaurant was also clean and had a very cute ambiance. read more

AMBAR Restaurant, Shaw - Waffle - Modern European Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

My partner and I went for brunch. Mina was our bartender/ subject matter expert of the Balkin culture and food. We are from TN and GA and we discussed moonshine and Mina introduced us to the Balkin equivalent. We love the hospitality, food and vibes. The Balkan food was not only healthy, but tasty. We loved the pita bread and beet tzatziki, white bean hummus, chicken sliders, vitamin salad, scrambled eggs, bacon, mushroom flatbread and Carmel apple waffles are some of our favs. We made reservations to sit at the bar and it was a great spot. We will definitely be back soon. read more

AMBAR Restaurant, Shaw - Modern European Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Unfortunately due to neglectful service we were unable to try much food for brunch. We spent a good portion of the time continuously trying to flag down the waiter. He was out of sight. Other writers were able to provide our drinks but couldn't place food orders for us. On the third visit to the table he just dropped off the bill. I notified him that it would have been beneficial to receive a final call and for future patrons he needs to be more attentive as we were disturbed by having unsuccessfully attempt to track him down. He then stated he made a final call. That was an annoying, inaccurate response instead of acknowledging the oversight and providing an explanation or apology. I asked for the manager to notify them of the waiters service, he stated there was NO Manager. I know there is absolutely a manger or acting manager on site. We had to leave abruptly for another obligation (car arrived) so I didn't disturb others to request a manager. The only reason they don't have one star is because of the variety of options, atmosphere and friendly hostesses, I see potential but didn't experience enough to comment on the food. The items such as the steak, chicken slider and mushroom flatbread were served hot, tender and tasty. read more

Good was great we ordered the per person unlimited package. I loved the starter dips and the seafood platter. Service was great too ! The desserts were amazing especially baklava read more

AMBAR Restaurant, Shaw - Modern European Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Very friendly staff. Would recommend for brunch and great drinks. The small plates are filling and I can't wait to visit again.

The food was great, especially the grits, eggs, home fries and parfait. We did the $37 unlimited brunch and we tried everything. It was great. Our server was proactive and quick. He made several suggestions and accommodated all of needs. They have outdoor and indoor seating - both are beautiful and the ambiance is spot on. I only have one gripe and it's a serious one. I witnessed 3 staff members being unsanitary. The guy moving dishes from the window to tables, wiped his nose with his hand and then handled food without cleaning his hands. A waiter who was serving us water, wiped sweat from his forehead and then touched my glass. My waiter brought us two straws with his bare hands. To his credit, our waiter quickly replaced our straws and handled them with napkins when addressed it with him. So, the cleanliness is a thing for me. If they can get that straight, I'll be back. read more

AMBAR Restaurant, Shaw - Unlimited Brunch - Modern European Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

If I could give 6 stars I totally would! Ambar's newest location in Shaw delivers perfect dishes and ambiance. Visited for their opening week and can't wait to go back and try more of my favorites! We came around 530pm and seated upstairs. Ordered everything in the photos. My ABSOLUTE favorites were the gnocchi, urnebes spread, fried chicken, and the meat/cheese pies. Definitely get those omg!! The chocolate cake was very thick and decadent. We also got the sangria and old fashioned - this is with rakia so definitely more alcholic than a typical old fashioned. Our waiter was amazing, very nice! The upstairs decor is so inviting superb for date night but there were also several large groups. This might be my favorite Ambar yet - can't wait to go back! read more

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I will say I LOVED Ambar when it opened and was there quite a few times. It has since slowed and the last three times has sealed its fate with me. The service has been really bad and you sit there waiting to order food for drinks. They need to have a dedicated person that walks around filling drinks since they are making the servers do more. That also need to have online ordering like "hot pot" so people are not waiting to ask for food they are paying a lot of money for already. Just like hot pot; you order to much, we can add a surcharge. Doing these two things will make significant improvements but until then; I'll go to a place that isn't $60/person but where those workers make sure service is a priority. read more

Went for my 30th birthday and I absolutely loved this place! The unlimited dining was wonderful. I hadn't been to Ambar in years and it was my first time going to the shaw location. The service was great. From the moment of walking in, the hosts were very kind and very organized. We were sat upstairs and the bar was just so beautiful with the pink flowers everywhere. I didn't feel like we were in DC. :) The moment we sat down, we were greeted by someone with water and then the server stopped by quickly. It was great to see the restaurant so busy! The managers/owners were constantly walking around which ensured us having great service. Love the Serbs! My family and I ordered 4 rounds of food and each time we ordered about 6 things. We got to try almost the whole menu! The mussels, the lamb and moussaka type dish were my favorites and I lowkey wish they made all that in entree form hehe. The desserts were totally worth it! So get it!! Parking is relatively difficult so be aware! I parked at a garage up the street after 15 minutes of looking for parking. So be aware of that!! read more

AMBAR Restaurant, Shaw - Dessert trio! - Modern European Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Great brunch and dinner spot, especially for groups. I've visited the Ambar in Capitol Hill frequently but this was my first time at the Shaw location. I came with a girlfriend for brunch before headings to an event. The decor is so cute! The flowers hanging from the roof are so pretty and not underwhelming. I love the booth seating. It was so cozy in there. We did the unlimited brunch with unlimited drinks. I love the variety in options for the drinks. You can get a traditional, peach lavender or mango hibiscus mimosa. They also have the option for a red sangria or Bloody Mary. We rotated between the peace lavender and mango hibiscus mimosas. For the food we tried the following: Veal Soup: Delicious! We ordered this twice Fried Chicken Slider: Good! The crust is interesting Grilled Vegetables Flatbread: Good and a nice fill of veggies! If you're vegetarian this is a great option Salmon Benedict: Solid. Pretty standard Spreads: The beet tzatziki was our favorite. The only one we didn't care for was Olivier. Applewood smoked bacon: It's bacon, you can't really go wrong here. Overall we enjoyed our food and drinks. I'm definitely going back for brunch again. Service was great! We were running a few minutes late. We called ahead and they were very accommodating and up front about timing. Our waitress was amazing! I wish I remembered her name because she held it down. I'm looking forward to my next visit. Happy hour is up next! read more

I visited Ambar for the first time for Valentine's Day, 2024 and what a great experience. The staff and service were phenomenal and made sure drink stayed flowing and the food coming. They had a great $99 all you can eat and drink Valentine's Day special, and I was glad my fiancé and I went to enjoy it. The lighting inside the restaurant created a lovely mood and we were able to sit back and enjoy the quality time and quality food. One of my favorite dishes was the Lam lasagna, I'd go back to the restaurant just to buy that for dinner on a night I don't feel like cooking, and the cocktails were amazing. I will definitely be back to try their brunch one day as the food I was able to try during the dinner, let me with very positive experience. read more

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