A wonderful experience! We loved coming here and getting to try lil bites of as much as we wanted…read more We sat outside which I wouldn't reccomend, the atmosphere wasn't as comfy as inside. But service was efficient and food was excellent! Def come hungry so you can try all the things. Flatbreads and lasagna were a 10/10

I celebrated my birthday at Ambar on 8th Street SE in Washington, D.C., with a party of 13. The…read morerestaurant was clean, cute, and beautifully decorated, and the upstairs bar area was gorgeous. The bartender was also extremely friendly and provided excellent service. Unfortunately, the brunch experience was very disappointing. Our table was in a tight area near the kitchen, and the music was so loud that it was difficult to hear one another. The food service was extremely disorganized. Some guests never received their meals, while others received meals they didn't order. As the birthday girl, I had to intervene when an argument developed between the waitress and one of my guests over a bowl of potatoes. The waitress insisted my guest had already received them, but she had not. My guest was so hungry from waiting that she eventually began eating from another guest's plate. Honestly, who's going to lie about not receiving a bowl of potatoes during a Saturday brunch? My own omelette was not tasty, and I did not care for the white sauce, although the potatoes were good. The mimosas were good as well, except for the hibiscus flavor. We spent over $800 for our party of 13, yet several guests left without receiving their correct meals. We ultimately went next door to Matchbox so everyone could eat and continue the birthday celebration. I want to acknowledge the beautiful atmosphere and excellent bartender, but the overall service and organization were disappointing. Spending over $800 and leaving with hungry guests and incorrect or missing orders is unacceptable. I hope management takes this feedback seriously and improves how large parties are handled.

Highly recommend the meat platter. Always on point and delicious…read more Half of the space is a grocery store. It's fun to browse!

Perfect place for a family dinner on a Thursday night. Good variety of dishes for both the…read moreadventurous eaters and those who like to play it safe. The fresh baked bread was a treat. Staff were friendly and very kindly brought us an extra burek, no charge. Really like the decor too.

We dined at Nova Europa for the first time tonight. The food was excellent! All of the ingredients…read morewere fresh and perfectly cooked. My husband had the grilled octopus and he said it was the best he had had since he ate it in Portugal. I had the rockfish and it was delicious. The service was very good and we really liked meeting and talking with Manuel.

This was my second visit to this restaurant. My companion and i ordered from the happy hour menu…read morewhich is on the back of the full menu. It is a $24.95 flat price offering an appetizer, entree and dessert for that price. (Only available Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday from 5-6:30 pm). There were about 6 choices each for appetizers and entrees and 3 for dessert. My companion had a mussel appetizer and I had French Onion soup. My soup was a great example of the classic preparation. Bubbly and browned cheese over a deeply flavorful broth of onions and a slice of French bread. My companion loved the mussels. As to the entree I had what was called Beef Diane, a twist on the classic Steak Diane. It consisted of tips of filet in a delicious gravy flavored with cognac. My companion had Rainbow Trout and was very happy with it. For dessert we both had cheesecake with strawberry sauce. A good example of a New York style cheesecake. Both entrees were served with well cooked mixed vegetables. The portions were not a scaled down size but normal size. The meal comes with fresh baked toasted bread served warm. Delicious. The service was attentive which was to be expected because there were only 3 tables occupied. A complimentary shot of a what I think was kahlua was served at the end of the meal. The atmosphere is lots of dark wood and a classic bar. Great food and a great experience. Don't pass up this great value!!

This may be my favorite coffee shop in OEC. It's got delicious lattes and even more amazing food…read moreoptions. The Dino sandwich is my favorite and the display case of goodies when you order is too hard to resist. The cheesecake was heavenly. They do have a love like most weekend mornings but it's worth the wait. There is a lovely outdoor seating area and they bring your food to your table. Servers are great and very helpful.

Cute little coffee shop in Old Ellicott City. I love how casual this place is. I got a Cineyhone…read moreand a butter croissant. Everything feels cute, but it's slightly unclean. Why am I seeing an open trash can while I'm ordering? They could have hidden it a little better so customers don't have to see it. Plus, the restrooms could be cleaned more thoroughly. The workers were friendly, and I love that they offer the option to have less sugar in your coffee. They have a cute setup, but the interior design and layout could use some improvement. it feels a bit claustrophobic.

First off, Balkan food is accessible, so don't let that scare you. It's not just beets served atop…read morean unexploded land mine. Second, the service is unique. You have a menu of maybe 30 dishes. You can order as many as you want for a set price (50 bucks or so per person). The dishes are served in very small portions which facilitates everyone having a bite or two then moving on to the next dish. Finally, everything was good. We had a party of three and we shared maybe 13 or 14 dishes. It would be VERY difficult to pick the top 3 favorite dishes because all of them were contenders.

My son and I enjoyed a lovely Sunday brunch at Ambar Shaw the last weekend of March 2026. I was sad…read moreto learn that 6 days after we dined here, a city bus crashed into the restaurant rendering it temporarily closed. I'm thankful it happened early in the morning and no one was seriously injured. I hope that the owners can repair the damage allowing them to reopen this location! My understanding is that they have two other locations in the DC area. During our visit, our service was friendly, quick and efficient. We had the all-you-can eat brunch for about $37/person. We didn't elect the bottomless mimosas though I was seriously tempted! We ate inside since I was worried about the chilly morning, but the enclosed patio looked delightful. I kinda wish we'd eaten out there! Noise levels inside were manageable. The food was wonderful and some dishes like the flatbread pizza were larger than I expected. I'll say I think bottomless brunches are best enjoyed by a group of 3 minimum, ideally 4-6. For two of us, it was hard to sample as much as we'd like, especially if we want to try different things. One gets full faster than you'd expect and I hate to waste food! A couple dishes that stood out to me: the little donut holes were a treat as was the white flatbread. The beet tzatziki served with pita bread tasted amazing! I'm less of a poached egg person, so I can't comment on those options. I didn't take pics of each dish, too busy enjoying them! Definitely worth working AMBAR into your brunch rotation!

I went to CHLOE in DC and honestly, I've walked past this place so many times and had no idea there…read morewas a gym inside. I love that they have a whole fried fish because the presentation alone is spectacular. They also had a featured menu, I'm not sure if it changes weekly or monthly, and my date got the curry shrimp which was honestly a really good size portion. I was super tired that day so we were kind of in and out, but I'd definitely go back. The drinks were good too. Cute place and solid service - loved the bread as well

Casual neighborhood vibe - great outdoor atmosphere although the best seat is at the bar where you…read morecan see the kitchen prep the most delectable sharables. Friendly for dg owners, great service, and fresh, tasty food carefully curated. The spices are creatively woven into the Newell plated dishes. Great for groups, take out and for a local meal. Vegan options! My favs by far - the penne pasta with pork ragout, and the Flat iron Minute Steak with shiitakes and the caramelized Cauliflower.

Great menu with a variety of European options. Comfortable atmosphere with many beers on tap…read more Service is very good!

Bia Kitchen is a quaint Irish restaurant/pub that has lots of buzz on social media and comes highly…read morerecommended. According to one of the lovely staff,"Bia" means food in Irish, in case you were curious. They have a full bar with lots of quality spirits to choose from. The beer selection is all draught, no bottled beer. We decided to share some appetizers with our drinks. We ordered PEI mussels, champagne peppercorn patè and fried calamari. All the appetizers were excellent. The patè was presented nicely with accoutrements of fig jam, cornichon, macerated tomatoes and bread. The mussels were offered in a Thai curry sauce but we asked for another serving option due to an allergy concerns. They offered us a white wine and garlic option and we gladly took it. The mussels were cooked very well, the flavor was clean and mild but could have used stronger seasoning, The fried calamari was executed perfectly. It was crispy, tender, flavorful with zero greasiness. The garlic tomato aioli accompanied the dish well. We shared the beef medallions as our entree and a side of fries because I spotted a server carrying fish and chips and the steak fries style potatoes were speaking to me. The steak was tender and flavorful and the Demi glaze brought the dish together. The fries were crispy and salty and wonderful, I'm glad I was inspired. We saved room for dessert and chose churros and Dubai chocolate. Both were a great finish to our dining experience.

The food here is excellent and it is worth waiting for. That said, you will have to wait when it…read morecomes to take out. I have called and been put on hold so long that I drove to the restaurant and placed my order in person before they picked up the phone from being on hold and talked to me. In their defense it was a busy night and they looked understaffed. And again when I got the food it was worth the wait.

Et Voila! presents itself as a charming French-Belgian bistro, known for its convivial European…read moreatmosphere and a menu rooted in classic brasserie traditions, complemented by an impressive selection of Belgian beers and wines. St. Patrick's Day special Irish red ale. The beer delivered a pleasantly full texture with a gentle sweetness, balanced enough to serve as a comfortable prelude to the richer dishes that followed. The French Onion Soup immediately set the tone. Beneath its bubbling cap of melted Gruyère, the broth achieved that elusive equilibrium between sweetness and depth, the caramelized onions fully developed without overwhelming the palate. It stands among the more refined renditions in town. A plate of escargots followed--classically prepared with garlic butter and toasted bread. While traditional and satisfying, the dish leaned more toward comforting familiarity than culinary revelation. Duck leg confit. Perfectly executed, the duck arrived with crisped skin and richly rendered fat, while the meat remained exceptionally tender. Each bite released a deep, savory aroma--earthy, succulent, and unmistakably French in spirit. It was a dish that quietly stole the show and lingered pleasantly in memory long after the meal concluded. 4/11/26 - The cod moussaka impresses with a crisp, golden top layer that delivers a bold, deeply savory cod flavor--rich, briny, and instantly satisfying. A touch of curry paste adds warmth and aromatic complexity, lifting the dish without overpowering it. Confident, balanced, and memorable--an easy re-order.