Last Updated: January 2024
Overview:
Ambar started in a slightly creaky space on Barracks Row doing small plates of food from the Balkans. They developed a reputation for a great deal on all-you-can-eat (currently $55 for dinner) meals, including a popular brunch. The food is stick-to-your-ribs stuff like hearty soups, stuffed cabbage, goulash, and flatbreads. The more closely you stick to dishes that seem to come from the old country, the better they tend to be. Drinks are also free-flowing, hence the brunch buzz. They have added locations in Clarendon and most recently in Shaw.
Summary:
Cuisine: Rest of World (Balkan)
Locations:
Barracks Row: 523 8th St SE, Washington, DC 20003
Reservation: Opentable
Shaw: 1547 7th Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
Reservation: Opentable on Website
Clarendon: 2901 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201
Reservation: Opentable on Website
Website: https://www.ambarrestaurant.com/
Other Critics/Voices:
Washington Post: 2 Stars in 2013 for Barracks Row spot: “The output at Washington’s little factory of tastes is impressive.” 2.5 for Clarendon in 2016 and No. 5 on 2017 list of the year’s 10 best new restaurants in Spring Dining Guide. Also in 2017 Fall Dining Guide.
Washingtonian: 2013 review by Jessica Voelker gave it 2 stars. In 2016, Washingtonian asks how Ambar cracked the Trip Advisor code.
Michelin: Listed at one point but no longer. (“Don’t balk at trying something new.” I guess the French also have dad humor.)