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Ambar, Balkan Cuisine on Barracks Row in the Former Jordan's 8 Space at 8th and E Streets SE - Also Open in Clarendon


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I was just thinking "Hey, maybe I'll go on a date here this weekend" and then I found there are no hours posted anywhere I can find on the website.

Sigh.

Their Open Table entry reads: Hours of Operation: Dinner: Nightly: 5:00pm - 11:00pm

I don't care for the website (aside from not having basic information such as hours of operation). The crumpled paper background makes things hard to read.

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I couldn't find the address on the website. Not that it matters since if it isn't open for lunch, it doesn't exist for me these days.

Wow. That's really bad. It's 523 8th Street, SE, in the old Jordan's 8 location.

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We actually ate here just last night. The place was full and the style and decor are trendy but still warm. Our server could not have been nicer. The wine list is interesting: quite a few Balkan wine varieties I had never tried before (tiny bit pricey but where isn't these days?). The food, however, was a disappointment. I've never been to that region of the world so I am certainly not qualified to say that its "not authentic" but after reading the recent profile in the Post I think it's safe to say this is highly watered down, Americanized version of whatever it once was. In the end, it reminded me of Agora, but not as good. We likely erred in our ordering by not paying close enough attention to the menu, but we ended up with 4 out of our 6 dishes being either fried or breaded. The bacon wrapped dates were good, but similar to many other places. The cheese pie was also pretty good, gooey and cheesy. It went downhill from there: leek croquettes were bland, Parmesan crusted chicken was dry and also bland, panko crusted pepper tasted like TGIFriday's jalapeno poppers. We ended with the sour cabbage stuffed with ground beef, which seemed to us to perhaps be on the more authentic end of this.. and quite good. The pacing between courses was so slow that we were too stuffed to eat much (I know this means we over ordered, but nonetheless if the food came a more consistent pace we would have enjoyed more of it.) I may go back and steer toward the meat and seafood courses and stay away from the clearly "trying to appeal to the usual CAVA crowd" items. I have seen some criticism that portions are small. We did not find this to be so. We over ordered with 6 dishes. Easily could have stopped after 3-4 and gotten out of there for around $80 with two drinks each. As a neighbor, I hope the food improves otherwise I fear it will end up being more of a drinking spot, than an eating spot.

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I saw Carmen's review and I am intrigued, having spent some quality time in the former Yugoslavia during the recent (ok -- 20 years ago) unpleasantness. I grew to love the food mostly, although on my first trip to Sarajevo we had one of the most dreadful pizzas evah. Pizza is not an authentic part of Balkan cuisine so this may be discounted. Basically, think of grilled meats and a heavy reliance on peppers. Schopska salads are necessary to prevent digestive discomfort ;) . Most of my time though was immediately post-conflict, so the availability of fine dining opportunities was constrained by the general economic conditions. Driving around the country side we found local dining gems despite the grimness of the overall situation. Lesson: keeping the gastronomic identity alive was a survival method. Some of the most beautiful coastline anywhere in Europe is a feature of this region so anyone thinking about some culinary travel should consider this part of the world.

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Some of the most beautiful coastline anywhere in Europe is a feature of this region so anyone thinking about some culinary travel should consider this part of the world.

One of my neighbors is an immigrant from Croatia. She worked/lived at the Yugoslavian Embassy for many years and now lends a hand at the Croatian Embassy when they really need her. She is forever gifting me with stuff from there, including a California wine made by a Croatian immigrant. It was one of the best Chardonnays I have ever had the privilege to sip--unfortunately a little too expensive to drink on a daily basis. I'm just hoping it was a gift that she passed on to me.

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We had dinner at Ambar last night. A thoroughly OK meal, but not worth any accolades greater than OK, in my opinion. I should caveat my feelings by the following: my wife has spent a significant part of her life in the Balkans (peace corps for two years in Bulgaria.) We're headed to the Balkans (again, in my wife's case) this summer for a few years and have had the opportunity to try the local cuisine on a number of occasions. All that to say we know our way around byrek.

We had five dishes: shopska salad, cheese pie, the grilled asparagus, the kebab plate, and the veal stew. Of these I would order the stew and the cheese pie again. The cheese pie was not overly salty and the cucumber sauce was very thick and full of flavor. The veal stew was equally flavorful, served in a very rich sauce which the menu said was made with kajmak -- and maybe it was, but we could only taste the stock.

The shopska salad was average, and would probably be better in the summer. The kebab plate was also very mediocre: the accompanying fried potato wedges tasted like they were Oreida and the kebabs themselves tasted like breakfast sausage. The grilled peppers were a nice touch but overall it was Applebees level cuisine.

Our biggest disappointment was the grilled asparagus. An utter ripoff. Three stalks of asparagus with the aforementioned cucumber sauce, two bits of fried prosciutto, and a couple small chunks of purple potato. For $7!!

Service was prompt and well paced. Our server gave us an opening schtick about how the food was from "the 11 countries of the Balkans, tapas style," and when pressed admitted that the "11 countries" did not include Kosovo (a personal pet peeve.) The runners need a bit of training, as they were a bit too enthusiastic to clear plates and wipe down tables while not doing the latter very well.

Overall: ok food. Not Balkan in my estimation, at all. Basically a less-good Cava or Cafe 8, with drinks made of raki.

(less edited and more re-written! What was I thinking last night?)

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I met a group of folks there this past Friday for drinks, and we ended up getting a table and staying for dinner. A couple of thoughts on what was, for us, a wonderfully enjoyable evening out.

  • Agree with thoughts above, their website is a disaster.
  • I have zero experience with Balkan food or wine, so please take that into account.
  • We were a group of six people and we ordered excessively and haphazardly, so my recollection of exactly what we had may not be 100% accurate.
  • Service, both at the bar and in the restaurant itself was fantastic throughout. And we were asking a lot of questions, particularly at the bar, as there are many wines on their list that I have never heard of before.
  • The have a happy hour until 7 pm that includes mediocre drink deals (Natty Bo for $4, overly sweet cocktails for $5), and pretty good food deals, such as the kabobs or the leek croquettes for $4.
  • Best dishes of the night were the grilled calamari, the roasted squash salad, the wild mushroom salad, the cheese pie and the grilled duck.
  • Nothing we had was bad, but the dishes I would not order again were the venison carpaccio (just not enough flavor) and the white veal soup (the same, although a squeeze of lemon improved it dramatically).
  • We found the wines enjoyable. I won't say that I loved any of them enough to actively seek them out, but some of them were extremely interesting.

So, we really liked it. The food was good, the service was outstanding, and I'd be happy to go back.

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Lunch today at Ambar. Bob went for the lunch trio ($14) of squash soup, wild mushroom salad, and the zucchini sandwich. The soup was decent, though more warm than hot, perhaps a slightly floury texture but nothing off-putting. The zucchini patty in the sandwich (a ciabatta roll, I think) was more like a pancake or omelet; I expected something firmer, denser. Not bad (though not especially flavorable), and decent sized, just different from what I imagined. The shoestring potatoes on the side didn't add much. I opted for the squash salad and the Balkan kebab. First, I should note that when ordering a la carte, the soup and salad portions are significantly larger than when ordering the prix fixe trios. The server accidentally brought me a bowl of the squash soup, and it was at least half again as large as Bob's portion. She quickly replaced it with the correct salad, which came in a very heavy stoneware bowl. A large serving, though probably not enough to stand as a meal on its own for most people, it was tasty, but overdressed. The kebab, as Kanishka notes, was in fact a bit like breakfast sausage and the four measly potato wedges--not bad, mind you, but not very distinguished. The dish was also quite oily (they seem to have a heavy hand with the oil here, which was also a flaw on the mushroom salad). Despite those caveats, however, this was a substantial lunch for the money, and with a bit more precision and care from the kitchen and staff, it could be a different and enjoyable option on Barracks Row, at least for lunch.

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Dinner there last night. I'm half Croatian, but know next to nothing about the cuisine other than a few things my grandmother used to make. The comments above are right that the Balkan Kabobs were sorta like your average breakfast sausages. The Veal Schnitzel was a bit different than what you'd expect. It was a pounded veal cutlet, but then rolled into a long tube and fried. Rolling it up into a thick tube like that made the bites of veal fairly tough, plus the breading did not stay on very well... not a successful idea. Tried a few other things, but the Mushroom Crepes and the bread basket with spreads were probably the two best savory plates we had. The most interesting dish, though, was the Forest Gnocchi dessert. Now that foams and gels and all that seem to have been abandoned, the current modernist fad seems to be making things look like a nature scene (copied from the restaurant Noma in Denmark?). This was pretty tasty, though I'm not sure the flavors of some of the listed ingredients, such as black tea, came through. It's only $6-- order it. Interesting Balkan-focused wine list and the mezcal/pear/rakia cocktail was nice.

The $4 happy hour menu looks like the best way to sample Ambar if you're curious. The bars were packed (downstairs, upstairs, and an outside patio one).

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Went to Ambar last night with 3 friends and we split 9 dishes with varying levels of success (although overall we came away pleased with the dinner). The server first recommended 3-4 dishes per person, but we each chose 2 to share (plus the bread basket) and I can't speak for the others, but I was quite full when I left. It certainly would depend on what you order (for instance the asparagus was a much smaller amount of food than the veal schnitzel), but I would err to the side of fewer dishes to start and then order more later if you want more.

In order from my most to least favorite (in general we tended to like the veggies and starters more than the meats we tried):

  • Bread Basket ($6) - Cornbread and fried sourdough with 3 spreads (roasted peppers, cheese spread, and peppers and cheese). Different than a traditional bread basket, I thought the breads were good (preferred the sourdough) but really liked all the spreads and used them on some of the other dishes as well.
  • Cheese Pie ($6) - Sort of like a Greek tiropita with a cucumber and yogurt sauce. The cucumber and yogurt cut the richness of the phyllo and cheese well. Nicely crispy and balanced.
  • Roasted Mushroom Crepes ($8) - Three good-sized bundles of crepe stuffed with mushrooms and cream/cheese. Rich and earthy.
  • Balkan Salad ($7) - Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and onion with a vinegary sauce and aged cheese on top. Fresh and crunchy and a good contrast to some of the richer dishes we ordered, but I couldn't help feeling like this would be easy to replicate at home.
  • Grilled Asparagus ($7) - We definitely had a larger serving than what Kanishka complained about above (at least 8-10 asparagus stalks), but it isn't a huge serving. We all really liked the sauce on this though.
  • Veal Schnitzel ($15) - By far the biggest serving size of the night (to match the price), this could serve as a full entree with a big pile of mashed potatoes, a big log of schnitzel, and a generous amount of cucumber tartar sauce. I agree with cjsadler that the execution on the veal is a little odd, but flavor-wise I thought the dish was good.
  • Balkan Kebab ($10) - Also referenced above, the kebabs look like breakfast sausages, and don't taste too different. The flavor on the potato wedges was really good though.
  • Spinach Risotto ($11) - This one was ok, topped with baked shrimp, but was a little boring.
  • Venison Carpaccio ($8) - caveat on this one is that I can't eat raw meat right now so I didn't try it

Our waiter was very nice and friendly if a bit scattered at times. We all liked the space too. It's loud, but has a good look. I probably won't rush back, but would like to return with my +1 and give it another shot.

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They still have the $4 happy hour, which is a good deal. I ascertained that it ended at 7 PM but forgot to ask when it started. Their website is still unsatisfactory.

For $17.60 before tip, I got a can of Tecate, a Balkan Salad, Grilled Bacon-Wrapped Prunes (3), and Leek Croquettes (3). It was a really good deal. I have no idea why their happy hour beers are Tecate and Dos Equis. The wines are a house red and white. I recall getting a good Balkan white wine here in the past on the advice of the upstairs bartender, but I'm going to guess these wines are on the level of Tex-Mex beers (which I like, mind you!)

I was seriously craving fresh vegetables, and the salad was perfect for that. It was a medium portion, not too small and not too big--very good deal for $4. I was disappointed by the prunes. I looked forward to them most of what I ordered. Best point: the almond was in place of the original pit. That was cool. I crunched right through each one. But the preparation overcooked or oversmoked them. They didn't taste quite burned but overcooked. I loved the almond in the middle concept, though.

What I loved: the leek croquettes. They were deep-fried, with a panko coating and a red pepper spread and bechamel in the middle. So gushy wonderful to bite into :ph34r: . They stayed red hot for a long time too. I kept burning myself trying to eat them.

Previously I recall being surprised by loving the stuffed cabbage and not loving the cheese pie (too long ago for specifics), so this really leaves me as a place full of surprises.

I'd recommend this $4 happy hour to Hill staffers and interns, but I think they've already found it as I was carded at the bar. If I was asked for ID, they're carding everyone coming for this.

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I was there in early March. Can't give many specifics, but I really enjoyed my meal. I'm a Balkan food novice. Five of us did the Balkan Experience, $49 for unlimited small plates and drinks. We ordered an insane amount of food, which was easy to do because our server was very available and accommodating. I remember some things were so-so, some things were delicious, and nothing was bad. One in my party was from Serbia, and he approved.

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This place lives up to all its hype.  The five of us went to the Clarendon location last night.  I tried to book a few weeks prior but nothing was available on OpenTable.  So I called and was able to make a reservation that way.  When you first enter, the din is incredible.  It is extremely LOUD!!!  The 5th person was a little late, but the hostess seated us without making us wait for the 5th person.  We all opted for the $35 Balkan Experience--you can't have some people order the all-you-can-eat and others order a la carte.  Food was great and different! I highly recommend the stuffed cabbage, stuffed pepper, meat pie, grilled shrimp, mussels, fried zucchini, French fries.  The bread assortment included fried whole wheat dough (sort of like savory zeppolis). Wine was good too.  Everybody ordered 3 things right away and they spaced the food out nicely.  After eating all that, we ordered one thing at a time. Service was friendly and efficient...also accommodating.  One guy wanted to taste a sample of the wine before ordering a bottle and they brought him out a half-glass.  A fantastic asset to Clarendon.  My only complaint is the NOISE!!! We were seated at a round table and you could only converse with the people on either side of you...and even then you needed to shout.

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Tried Ambar for the first time a week ago at the Clarendon location. I thought it was solid, but honestly I was expecting a bit more.

We opted for the $35 Balkan Experience, and got I believe 9 dishes. For two people, this was a solid amount of food, but we weren't stuffed. Some of the dishes are fairly small (the meat skewers, asparagus), while others are larger (mushroom pilav, fried zucchini).

Of those we had, the smoked pork neck mezze and the cheese pie were the standouts. The first comes thinly sliced and cured on a plate with a couple good cheeses (one cow's milk and one mild feta), some dried fruits, and (if I remember correctly) a red pepper spread. The cheese pie was a decently puffy pastry that was also delicious.

The grilled shrimp were good, although the corn puree they came with was a bit too sweet for my taste. We enjoyed a good asparagus dish that came with two poached quail eggs and some crumbled crisped prosciutto. And I thought the stuffed sour cabbage and lamb skewer were both solid.

The remaining dishes were more forgettable - mushroom kajmak, mushroom pilav, and fried zucchini were all fine, but not sure I'd order any again. The fried sourdough that came with the mushroom kajmak sounded interesting, but I thought came out too heavy in practice (not that fried sourdough sounds particularly light).

Overall, this was a perfectly good meal, but with that coming out to $90 tax and tip included for two people (without any drinks) I didn't feel as if it was worth it given what else we have in the area. On the meat side of things, I like the kabobs at Ravi Kabob much more, and overall I find Rus Uz to be much more interesting flavor wise (not to overly generalize - neither of those is completely the same type of food, but I would go to each before Ambar, especially at half the cost for 2 people). And frankly - at $90 for 2 without drinks, this bumps Ambar into a category of excellent places more broadly that it doesn't come close to approaching (can certainly do Red Hen, Rasika, probably Rose's on roughly those parameters).

That's not to disparage them - the place is perfectly fine and people are certainly willing to pay that in Clarendon (it was packed the whole time we were there on a Friday night). You're not going to have a bad meal here. Just didn't think it compared favorably or was more interesting than other options I can do for the price.

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2 hours ago, arldiner said:

Tried Ambar for the first time a week ago at the Clarendon location. I thought it was solid, but honestly I was expecting a bit more.

We opted for the $35 Balkan Experience, and got I believe 9 dishes. For two people, this was a solid amount of food, but we weren't stuffed. Some of the dishes are fairly small (the meat skewers, asparagus), while others are larger (mushroom pilav, fried zucchini).

arldiner,

Yours is a fine post, and one which I "Liked." But my very first impression is that you had 9 courses for $35, which works out to about $3.89 per course - in terms of food cost, the restaurant probably paid about $1 for each of the courses you had, on average.

Now, that doesn't sound like much; yet, you did spend $90 for two people, so it *does* add up. There are clearly two ways of looking at this - the "price per course" vs. the "total cost," and I'm not sure which is correct, although I tend to weight your overall experience as "slightly negative," and given that your post was thoughtful and well-written, that means a lot. 

Nothing more to say except "thank you" for your feedback - it's important, and a very good example of a restaurant being seemingly inexpensive, but not necessarily so.

Given *my* post, do you have anything more to add? Am I on the right track by being a bit torn as to what to think? This could actually be the seed of an interesting and detailed conversation.

Cheers,
Rocks

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13 hours ago, arldiner said:

That's not to disparage them - the place is perfectly fine and people are certainly willing to pay that in Clarendon (it was packed the whole time we were there on a Friday night). You're not going to have a bad meal here. Just didn't think it compared favorably or was more interesting than other options I can do for the price.

I agree.  I think its a terrific place, the most enjoyable restaurant I visit, and that there are better meals elsewhere, (better meals at that price and less) but I'll keep returning.

Also, Don, they had 9 small plates for 2; $70, just under $8/plate.  It would take a person with a gigantic appetite to down 9 plates on his/her own. :rolleyes:

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The Balkan Experience is unlimited small plates, so doesn't that mean you could have more food for your $35/each than 9 plates total for 2 people?  Of course, that may mean the value depends on your willingness to feel miserably stuffed, which isn't optimal.

If you don't get the Balkan Experience, then the value depends on how many small plates you need to feel sated. We've been meaning to try Ambar (maybe next week when it'll be easier to go on a weeknight) and I'll have to see. It's hard to plan if you can't tell from the menu which dishes are smaller and which are larger, but I've had that issue at tapas and mezze places too.

 

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Did the "Balkan Experience" last night, as we wanted to eat outside and be in a lively area and Clarendon**, for all it's warts, is still pretty great for people watching.

The food is slightly better than what you'd expect for AYCE. It's all pretty much pre-made, and comes at you quick. The service is okay - fits and starts - sometimes waitress has time, and sometimes you don't see her for a while.

The dips are good - eggplant, lamb pate were both tasty. The bread that comes with the dips are pretty tasty, as well.

Lamb prosciutto was eh, but the cheese that came with it was not bad at all.

Quinoa salad was meh. Grilled asparagus was pretty good, they were fat spears. Quail egg was a nice touch, and cooked to runny, which I like.

Marinated three peppers - the spicy was a little spicy, the mild was kind of boring, and the cheesy one was great.

Fiance liked the tartare steak, the lamb skewer (misnomer, as it was not on a skewer) was tasty, and the grilled pork neck on mashed potatoes was tasty, if a bit salty. 

Crispy smelt was probably my favorite thing. I love fried small fishies!

Shrimp was over this polenta-ish corn mash, and I liked that. 

Balkan food is best if prepped simply, and uses fresh vegetables and simple grilled meats. Order those, and you'll eat fairly well. The other more complicated things aren't that great. If you get 4 dishes per person, it's worth it. We were probably overly full and if chose a little bit more carefully, could skip the AYCE and just do a la carte. I wish I tried the rotisserie lamb, homemade pork sausage, and maybe one of the slow cooked items. 

** Washington, D.C. is such a cosmopolitan and diverse area with so many types of people and languages being spoken, while just 3 miles away in Clarendon, it completely changes to an Abercrombie commercial. So young, blonde, and bro-ey. Darkest people there were me and the servers. Nevertheless, I love the energy here, and wish the restaurants were better. Two fairly new places in this storefront - Wilson Hardware and Alto Fumo (replaces Faccia Luna, I think). Both were hopping. 

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On 2/22/2018 at 10:38 AM, Simul Parikh said:

** Washington, D.C. is such a cosmopolitan and diverse area with so many types of people and languages being spoken, while just 3 miles away in Clarendon, it completely changes to an Abercrombie commercial. So young, blonde, and bro-ey. Darkest people there were me and the servers. Nevertheless, I love the energy here, and wish the restaurants were better. Two fairly new places in this storefront - Wilson Hardware and Alto Fumo (replaces Faccia Luna, I think). Both were hopping. 

I enjoy Ambar and I’m very much in sync with your review/perspective.  Good- maybe quite good—not great.  I still haven’t tried enough dishes though to just focus on my faves and ignore the rest

As to the “look”—Ambar DC looks different than Clarendon.   

This article from almost 3 years ago sheds light on the “Clarendon experience”   I believe it reflects elements of the dining scene for at least 3+ decades that I’ve noticed and been somewhat aware of

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On 12/12/2017 at 3:57 PM, arlingtonkabob said:

I quite enjoyed Ambar in Clarendon. They offered an all you can eat high end tapas style for $35. The food exceeded my expectations and was very fresh!

Anyone else tried Ambar?  I still haven't made it and live right near by

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9 hours ago, ces1965 said:

Anyone else tried Ambar?  I still haven't made it and live right near by

After Garrison was closed for a Private Party (Grrrr...), I went to the Barracks Row Ambar a couple of weeks ago for the second time. It was ... pleasant.

Note that, unlike Clarendon, which offers their Balkan Experience - all-you-can-eat small plates for $35 - the Balkan Experience at the DC location is $49, but includes what they term "Select Drinks." While I was washing my hands (*), the bartender recommended that my friend order this, but when I got back, I nixed it, because I think it would be pretty tough to finish $49-worth of food here (I never did find out what the "Select Drinks" were, but it sounds like it could be a good deal - just make sure you bring your appetite).

They were out of the first two beers I asked for, and the bartender didn't know how to make a French 75, but he made up for this with his friendly personality.

Going from memory, we had a couple KajmakiSumadija (sorry, no accents on this keyboard) and Mushroom - if you go the dip route, I would make sure you have enough bread - consider getting an extra order. The Meat and Cheese Baked Pies were fine - "tasty" is the word I'd use, and they came two to an order ($8 per order), so even at this point, you're starting to get full. Leek Croquettes were unremarkable, but I don't even think they were on the bill (there was some initial confusion about whether we were getting the Balkan Experience). And then we got one other item - it might have been a Mushroom Flatbread, and we were getting pretty full - I think at this point, our food adds up to $41 total, and it was the drinks that nearly doubled the cost, so if those "Select Drinks" appeal to you, then the $49 Balkan Experience might be the way to go, as you'll get some seafood and meat dishes instead of our mostly appetizer meal - just make sure you bring your appetite to get your money's worth.

I've enjoyed Ambar both times - it's an odd restaurant because, although it's technically a chain with a location in Serbia, the overall feel is somewhat slapdash - sort of the same impression you get at the Russian Mari Vanna in South Dupont ... just a little "off" for whatever reason. Sort of informal, sort of unplanned - not in a bad way - don't expect anything more than "comforting and tasty," and you won't be disappointed. I'd come back, and explore deeper into the heart of the menu.

---

(*) The night I went, there was something wrong with all the restrooms, which weren't open the first thirty minutes we were there (the staff, in particular, seemed to bear the brunt of any discomfort). A special Kudos to Cava next door: They happily covered for their neighbor, and allowed Ambar's patrons to use their restrooms while the situation was being addressed.

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2 hours ago, arlingtonkabob said:

My suggestion is try to go on a weekday Mon-Wed. Any other night is jam packed and the food takes awhile to come out.

Arlington or DC?

50 minutes ago, DonRocks said:

I went to the Barracks Row Ambar a couple of weeks ago for the second time. It was ... pleasant.

More or less how I would describe Ambar. (Clarendon). Probably enjoyable.   The ambiance service and attitude being better  than the food. Though the food is better than “not bad”.  Maybe much better and that cuisine simply is not for me

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The Ambar Capitol Hill website references an unlimited dinner offer for $35 per person and also the Balkan Experience for $49. I assume the $35 offer doesn't include drinks. When I did the Balkan Experience our table had countless refills of a Bulgarian (I think) red wine. Maybe it would have repulsed those with a more sophisticated wine palate, but I enjoyed it!

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I enjoy Ambar.  I wish the dishes were "a little bit more special"  or just straight  "special".  Its a delightful experience.  Its easier to dine there on a weeknight than a weekend.  The Virginia location is very busy.  The dishes are tasty...I just don't think they are special or exquisite, or it could be that the relatively quickly prepared dishes, that come out fast...are not given the time to be that special nor do they spend the time on them to add ingredients that would turn them into a taste sensation.

I stopped by for lunch as the earlier diners were starting to depart.  Plenty of room at lunch.  I have always had excellent service, lunch, dinner or HH.  The staff is well trained.  It is a more satisfying experience with a larger group as the group can order a wide variety from the menu...and reorder the small plates they most enjoy.  I was alone at lunch and had the Balkin Fried Zuchini over tzaziki .  I'm a sucker for tzaziki.  The dip was fine.  The zuchini was also fine...but I suspect they could take that dish and elevate it with effort.  I also had the Short Rib goulash.  Also good...but not great.   Overall very satisfying.  Just not exquisite dining.

There is something else.  It probably serves to negate my "wishes".  They are such smart restaurateurs.  They do killer volume.  They also have a volume and variety of reviews that is unmatched along with scintillating ratings.  I know they work at it, and it only enhances their volume of customers.  Kudos to them.  I respect that.  In an environment with so much competition and so many places closing....Ambar thrives.  They do so providing meals that IMHO are quite good....just not great.

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2 hours ago, DaveO said:

I enjoy Ambar.  I wish the dishes were "a little bit more special"  or just straight  "special".  Its a delightful experience.  Its easier to dine there on a weeknight than a weekend.  The Virginia location is very busy.  The dishes are tasty...I just don't think they are special or exquisite, or it could be that the relatively quickly prepared dishes, that come out fast...are not given the time to be that special nor do they spend the time on them to add ingredients that would turn them into a taste sensation.

I stopped by for lunch as the earlier diners were starting to depart.  Plenty of room at lunch.  I have always had excellent service, lunch, dinner or HH.  The staff is well trained.  It is a more satisfying experience with a larger group as the group can order a wide variety from the menu...and reorder the small plates they most enjoy.  I was alone at lunch and had the Balkin Fried Zuchini over tzaziki .  I'm a sucker for tzaziki.  The dip was fine.  The zuchini was also fine...but I suspect they could take that dish and elevate it with effort.  I also had the Short Rib goulash.  Also good...but not great.   Overall very satisfying.  Just not exquisite dining.

There is something else.  It probably serves to negate my "wishes".  They are such smart restaurateurs.  They do killer volume.  They also have a volume and variety of reviews that is unmatched along with scintillating ratings.  I know they work at it, and it only enhances their volume of customers.  Kudos to them.  I respect that.  In an environment with so much competition and so many places closing....Ambar thrives.  They do so providing meals that IMHO are quite good....just not great.

I'd say you pegged Ambar here.

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Truly dispiriting restaurant week lunch at Ambar. Only one dish stood out and that was an off menu improvization suggested by the incredibly nice and friendly bartender. Their restaurant week offer is unlimited small plates for $22. NOT A DEAL!

I ordered a mojito which the bartender spashed with soda. I prefer my mojitos without the soda splash but this one was very well made, not too sweet, nicely limey. A good start I thought. Then the food started rolling

Mezze platter started off strong with bresaola {called beef prosciutto} and lamb prosciutto {which I suspect was really duck.} These were both excellent and along with the mojito I was pattingmyself on the back for my second excellent pick for restaurant week. But hubris preceeds a fall. The rest of the mezze platter was boring to bad. There was some red glop and orange glop with didn't have enough flavor to suggest what they were. There was a whipped substance that could have been mascarpone, cream, butter or other bland ingredients. It was unplesant but at least there was a lot of it. The breads, two little slider buns I presume, wee homemade and dry. 

Grilled Asparagus was as you would expect, out of season, boring sauce, fried quail egg {which was good but just nog big enough to tip the scale to good. Again, out of season asparagus is usually mildly flavorless but this took flavorless to a new height except the perfect flavorlessness was marred by a weird bitterness.

Piquillo Peppers were absolutely unrecognized or tasted under the wet, gloppy and bland breading. The sauce had no flavor to break the monotony.

Tartar was actually scary. A small puddle of meatish looking glop, very runny, clearly dried out from sitting on the plate too long. I was almost scared to try it but throwing caution to the wind, I took a nibble and it was barely edible with a caper that gave it some zing. The only zing tot he meal so far. However, the taste did not reveal if this was steak, lamb, puppy, or random roadkill.  The next bite, motivated to solve the mistery more than desire to eat more, revealed a crunch that could have been a stale pretzel, a stale corn nut or some unknown crunchy substance that contributed a crunch and salt but devoid of any flavor whatsoever. In retrospect the dish resembled dog food without as offensive an aroma. I have never tasted dog food so I can't compare the flavor. A tiny portion but gosh darned awful {the best thing I could say about it.}

At this point, I wasn't really hungry just craving some flavors of actual food. I looked at the stuffed pepper and the stuffed sour cabbage on the menu, and asked he bartender which to have. He suggested the cabbage on a bed of mashed potato. While not outstanding, or even good, it actually tasted decent. About as good as the stuffed cabbage I get in the can from Yekta supermarket. 

There may have been more dishes but my memory is blissfully free of them.

Great service. The tartar may have suffered from it being Restaurant Week, but nothing show any indication of a ounce of effort at making food taste good. I really want the space in my stomach back to fill it with something good like cup o'noodles.

 

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1 hour ago, deangold said:

Tartar was actually scary. A small puddle of meatish looking glop, very runny, clearly dried out from sitting on the plate too long. I was almost scared to try it but throwing caution to the wind, I took a nibble and it was barely edible with a caper that gave it some zing. The only zing tot he meal so far. However, the taste did not reveal if this was steak, lamb, puppy, or random roadkill.  The next bite, motivated to solve the mistery more than desire to eat more, revealed a crunch that could have been a stale pretzel, a stale corn nut or some unknown crunchy substance that contributed a crunch and salt but devoid of any flavor whatsoever. In retrospect the dish resembled dog food without as offensive an aroma. I have never tasted dog food so I can't compare the flavor.

😵

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