My husband surprised me with brunch at Ambar because he always researches menus before making…read morereservations to make sure there are enough options for my food intolerances. That thoughtfulness is one of the many reasons I was excited to try it. When we arrived, I was initially concerned after learning that the "G" on the menu indicated dishes **containing** gluten rather than being gluten-free. Since many menu items were marked with a "G," I worried my options would be very limited, especially for the unlimited brunch experience. Thankfully, our server, Emma, immediately put me at ease. She brought me the food allergy menu, answered my questions with patience, and made sure I understood what was safe for me to enjoy. While my husband and I were deciding whether to stay, the manager, Antonio, came to our table after Emma shared my dietary concerns. His kindness completely changed the experience. He took the time to explain my options, offered to have the kitchen modify several dishes, and reassured me that their goal was for me to feel safe and enjoy my meal. Thanks to Emma and Antonio, what started with uncertainty became one of the most enjoyable brunch experiences I've had. I was able to enjoy a variety of delicious dishes, the mimosas were a great value, and the restaurant itself is absolutely beautiful, with floor-to-ceiling windows that fill the space with natural light. What I'll remember most, though, is how genuinely cared for I felt. Before we left, Antonio stopped by one last time to make sure I was happy with my meal and that all of my needs had been met. My husband had put so much love and intention into choosing this restaurant, and thanks to Emma and Antonio, we both left with happy hearts and full bellies. If you have food intolerances or dietary restrictions, I hope this review gives you confidence to visit Ambar. Their team didn't just accommodate my needs. They made me feel welcome, respected, and cared for. That's the kind of hospitality that earns five stars from me.

New: TG corn ribs. Delicious and creative (see my picture). It's a new interpretation of corn on…read morethe cob. Mixed grill is now more expensive (as part of the Ambar Experience at Home set: grill). Though now you can choose individual ingredients (chicken, lamb and so on as opposed to mixed grill which is no + $4) Baklava shrunk! In the past the portion was generous. Now: only 3 tiny pieces.

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

Now y'all know I love a good food experience, and when I heard all-you-can-eat lunch for $33, I had…read moreto see what the hype was about! We visited Ambar Capitol Hill for lunch, and let me tell you, this is definitely a spot to put on your foodie list! The concept is simple: You pay one price and get to explore a variety of Balkan-inspired small plates. And when I say variety, I mean VARIETY! We had everything from corn riblets to mussels to grilled branzino, and some mushroom flatbread. There were so many options. Would I recommend it? Absolutely!

I'm so happy to have found Balkan food in Northern Virginia! Ever since I visited Croatia and…read moreBosnia and Herzegovina last summer I have been craving these dishes. The cevapi with kajmak and ajvar brought me back! Loved the burek as well and it was a hit with my family. Definitely check them out!

This guy knows his business. Five start for quality and taste. I occasionally order for my office…read moreemployees that are many different nationalities and everyone loves this food. See you again soon!

The place is cozy and the services excellent. The food was…read moredelicious. I love the mix drinks.

Dinner for a party of 7 for Restaurant Week: sheer perfection!!!! I rarely leave a place with…read moreliterally zero to critique!!!! Water refills were constant, drinks were food, the wide variety of food we all partook in was all amazing, great service. I tried the leek tart everyone mentioned in previous reviews. It really is delicious. It does have some flavor of greens but is mostly creamy and pastry. The rice pudding is flavorful. The chocolate cake melts in your mouth. This place lived up to the hype.

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.

Bia is an attractive spot just off the main street, with a pleasant atmosphere and attentive…read moreservice. It definitely has the feel of a business‑lunch destination. Unfortunately, the food didn't live up to the setting. We started with the Irish Nachos. The homemade thick‑cut chips were excellent, but the cheese sauce had no flavor and there wasn't nearly enough of it. All the bacon bits were clustered in one corner, leaving most of the dish bland. I ordered the "signature" short rib ravioli. While the presentation was nice, the pasta itself was tough, and the filling was a grey paste with no trace of meat or flavor. The capicola and prosciutto were similarly disappointing -- so underseasoned that we had to ask for salt and pepper just to make them taste like anything. Overall, a great-looking restaurant with friendly service, but the kitchen needs serious attention.

Ambar is one of the best values in D.C.'s dining scene. The Balkan-inspired small plates are…read morebursting with flavor, and the unlimited dining experience encourages you to explore dishes you may not have tried otherwise. Every plate, from the grilled meats to the traditional spreads and pastries, is expertly prepared and beautifully presented. Combined with attentive service and a vibrant atmosphere, Ambar delivers a memorable meal that keeps you planning your next visit before you've even left.

I would come back to try their buffet, but this is a happy hour (food) review only. My friend and I…read morewalked in pretty much right at 5 pm and it was fairly empty so we got to enjoy the quiet atmosphere. Service was good and food was overall mediocre with a couple of gems. We didn't get any drinks. Cauliflower ($5): A little too salty, but well crisped. Would order again. Balkan salad ($5): The amount of pepper and onion in this was too high. It didn't taste bad, but the ratios of the ingredients were off. Nice enough veggie option. Lamb sliders ($9): Fine, dry, didn't taste the yogurt sauce. Veal soup ($5): Delicious. Honestly tasted a bit like chicken pot pie with more cream (adding a lemon made it even better). I would come back just to order this if I was ever craving cozy soup. Drunken mussels ($6): These had a strangely strong olive taste, so were a little on the more bitter and briny end.

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.

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.

Wonderful dining experience! I first learned of this place when they won a James Beard Award in…read more2024, but wasn't able to eat here until yesterday. Excellent food, both in taste and visual presentation (bravo chef, and thank you for the meet & greet). Excellent service, thank you Shawna for being so kind, explaining the menu, and making us feel warm and special. Bread/water guy (sorry didn't catch your name) was also always on it refilling water, and offering bread without being asked. Alex, also gets a shout out for the service and attention! All the variety of breads and butter (esp the ramp/onion butter) were delicious, chicken/truffle tortellini app, crab salad, lamb entree, dover sole entree, pear/yuzu dessert, strawberry cake were my favorites. Thank you also for the birthday treat :) we will be back again!

First time here, and have been so looking forward to their Mid-Summer's Evening Market Dinner!!…read more From the moment of our arrival, we were treated like welcome guests in someone 's home. Hugs for my friends who are regulars, and a warm hello and handshake for me. After a brief wait for our table of ten, we were seated graciously, and the experience began! Water, drink orders and bread were brought, I think we had at least six or so people checking in, taking orders and refreshing glasses of wine, for those who ordered the $125 wine pairings to the $145 dinner, I was driving, so I ordered two glasses of wine - $22 and $18. The amuse bouche was a tiny BLT and a small glass of clarified gazpacho- never heard of that, but the liquid was clear with tiny bits of red and green peppers and was so flavorful! The first course was yellow corn panne cotta with a smear of jumbo lump crab - oh, wow! Almost my favorite course. My favorite was rockfish ravioli in a basil and clam broth - could have eaten way more than the three of those if it was a main, but they were generously sized!!! The third course, Chicken Ballantine, Summer Vegetables, Natural Jus, was a little strange - there was a small medallion of chicken breast that was, I think, ground and under cooked - spongy, wrapped in some veg, maybe bok choy?, and then wrapped in dried-ish chicken skin. A little like a sushi presentation, but cooked. It was accented by a tiny fried piece of chicken breast. That fried bit is all I ate. Dessert was divine - a peach that was really a construction of white chocolate, sponge cake inside and peach butter - nestled on meringue and other yummy things like a tiny scoop of peach sorbet - and a companion sorbet in a fruit liquid. By that time, my taste buds were so overwhelmed by deliciousness, I had to get dessert to go (sans sorbet). I had it for breakfast- what a treat!! Overall, a wonderful experience - only a couple of odd things - since we were 10, we asked for separate checks by couples - the server grumbled and complained about something about having to override their system from the time we asked for that until the time we paid the check. A few couples had to go to the bar to pay the check, until she was able to do a work around to let the last of us pay...after waiting for some sort of fix...and more grumbling. And, while I really appreciate that they provided small stands for our purses next to our chairs, I tripped over them while using the ladies, and getting seated on return when the sweet staff ran to follow us back in the room and tried to pull our chairs for reseating. We left with a sweet basket of a little brioche bread with lovely plum jam for each of us. So special!! I can't wait to go back - maybe for lunch time. Such a memorable experience!!

HH? Check. On inkind? Check. Absolutely devoured food? Yes!!…read more We went here after finalizing our wedding venue wooo! Absolutely gobsmacked the drinks and food, wil be there several times over :) Very friendly and accommodative staff

Great upscale restaurant and event space conveniently located near Metro Center, the Warner…read moreTheater, and the National Mall. The Henri is a beautiful bistro with friendly and helpful staff, tasty food options (the sea bass was delicious), and good for intimate dinner or after work event. They have a large bar, more quiet and intimate dining space and side rooms for round table events or happy hours if not joining the dinner crowd.

I just celebrated my 50th birthday here and it was a phenomenal evening. The staff were all so…read morefriendly and informative, the aesthetic is stunning, the food was incredible and drinks flowed. They gave us their private room for my celebration. Their happy hour options are amazing in taste & value (loved the lamb sliders), we had a Japanese whisky tasting which was amazing. Then the main meal - every dish was delicious. Was having too much fun to take photos of the food. Will absolutely be back to pay more attention to each dish! So if you want a to celebrate a special occasion with a blow out experience meal or just surviving a day in your life with happy hour, then this is your spot.

Some of the best happy hour I've had a minute, everything I had was super tasty. The flat bread was…read morewarm, fresh and soft and they were very generous with it. The best thing I had from the HH menu was the chicken sharwama and egg plant dip absolutely delicious, I really recommend the lamb sliders too. My least favorite was the fish kofte it lacked flavor kinda bland. We also got the butter chicken and it was mind blowing get the cardamom sauce that comes with it. Service was very efficient and our bartenders were really lovely. Loved the vibe in there too not too noisy or crowded really calm, I'll absolutely be back here.