"AMBAR was excellent. I’m a big fan of restaurants that do things differently—places that introduce you to dishes or flavor combinations you’d never think to make at home, yet somehow they just work. AMBAR is exactly that kind of restaurant, and it’s genuinely inspiring from a cooking perspective. The all-you-can-eat tapas concept was fantastic. Portion sizes were perfect for tasting a little bit of everything, and each dish felt thoughtfully crafted with unique, bold flavors. You can really tell that a lot of care and intention goes into the food here. Some standout dishes: • The lamb lasagna was great—and this is coming from someone who normally isn’t a fan of lamb. • The fried chicken with apple wasabi slaw absolutely blew me away. I didn’t even know that combination existed, let alone worked, but it was incredible. The chicken was juicy, and the slaw was fresh, sharp, and perfectly balanced. • The cauliflower was surprisingly one of my favorite dishes. I love vegetables, but I’ve never raved about one before—this was truly outstanding. • The stuffed cabbage was really good, and the fries were delicious as well. One small note: they automatically bring out large pieces of pita and cornbread without asking, which felt a bit sneaky since it definitely fills you up quickly. Not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing if you want to save room for the tapas. While the experience was amazing, it did feel expensive. The all-you-can-eat option is $49.99 per person without dessert, and dessert costs extra per person. We skipped dessert, and it was still a pricey meal after tip. To really make it worth it, you should come hungry and try as many dishes as possible. That said, this is absolutely a place I would return to. It’s creative, memorable, and one of those restaurants that leaves you thinking about the food long after you’ve left. Highly recommend if you enjoy trying new flavors and cuisines and appreciate thoughtfully executed dishes."

"The food and service were quality, nice Balkan and American fare for brunch. TASTY food! The ONLY drawback was the noise factor. You could hardly hear people who sat right next to you. That Saturday, December 6, 2025, at Ambar Shaw was time well spent, though!"

"My first time at the Shaw location. Slightly smaller than the Clarendon location that I normally go to, but has a more urban and a compact vibe. Our server had the best smile ever and she earned every penny of our tip. My friend and I are carnivores and ordered perhaps 30 plates of meat only. Left very satisfied and satiated!"

"Came here on a Saturday afternoon. We thought we were doing restaurant week lunch but learned that weekends are brunch before 4, no restaurant week. But the brunch price is $37 each, not really different than the 35 each for restaurant week. So we had the all you can eat small plates brunch. Was fun trying all these dishes and most were great. Value seemed good to us, definitely not always the case in DC. Great experience!"

"I can't give AMBAR enough praise! We were both in town for a short while all the way from the midwest and AMBAR continues to be one of the biggest highlights of the entire trip! It goes without saying that a high rating would come with comments about the good food or drinks but this experience was unlike any other I've had but they knocked it out of the park! Food: You could taste care, tradition, and pride in all the food that was brought to the table! The dishes were all so unique to both other restaurants that I've been to and to the menu itself! There was no lack of creativity and it seems that they really wanted to give you a taste of what balkan cuisine has to offer! Atmosphere: The building was a very tasteful combination of maintained connection to their roots and heritage and aspects of the space they occupy in DC that synthesizes to create an incredibly and unique space! The cherry blossoms across the ceiling also apparently open to create an even more unique space when the weather allows and we have made it a point to return in the future to experience it ourselves! Service: For me, this was the most significant part of our experience and truly the only reason I have ever felt inclined enough to write a review (yay for personal firsts!!). When at Ambaar, we were greeted and seated as you would be at any other reputable establishment; but that's where service ended and the staff's hospitality took over! The staff (bartender, servers, busser/kitchen staff) were all so unbelievably friendly and personable that it wasn't like we were just more customers off the street; it felt like we were visitors in the staff's home and they were ready to make us feel like family! Being from the midwest, I'm sure it comes as no surprise that we had little experience in the world of Balkan Cuisine ... honestly, we had to do a quick google after being seated just to make sure we actually understood where "The Baltic" part of the world was! So, as we perused the menu, we had a decent assumption of what things were but as soon as we asked for clarity on some things, the staff were an open book! I don't mean that they informed us about the foods but rather regaled us with stories of how their family, friends, and neighbors would make the dishes and share them with one another just to be social in such a closely knit community! We heard stories about how repairmen would be offered drinks of the unique house-blend of whiskey as a common courtesy when they entered the home and throughout the time they carried out their job in the home! There were more but that's not why you're here I assume ... and honestly, they'd be happy to tell you the story themselves anyway! I know this is a ridiculous review that's quickly becoming a short-story but if you ever have any inclination to stop in for a entirely unique experience, I just can't recommend Ambaar enough. If the staff get a chance to read this, please know that while it took a good long while to post my review, I have been excitedly sharing the story of our experience regularly with those around me since our meal with yall! Please keep up everything you're doing and continue to provide the lovely experience you shared with us to so many more locals and passerby's so that your corner of the world feels just that much closer to home for all of us!"