Ambar Clarendon

Looking for a unique dining experience while my kids were in town and together over Easter weekend, we stumbled across Ambar. Trying Balkan food was what caught our eye, but holy moly, what a great experience we had. From the cherry blossom decorations to the amazing food we tried. And there was a lot of food. Haha. I would highly recommend anyone who hasn't been to go and experience this for themselves. I know I will, again!

Had such an amazing time here. Came here for a friend's birthday and this was just such a perfect place. We all got the unlimited option so applause to the staff for handling all our orders.

Each little plate was delicious and certain ones like pickled veggies and chicken skewers were ordered multiple times. The variety is truly amazing and in 2 hours we maybe worked our way through 30-40% of the choices and nothing disappointed. The only issue we ran into was that some dishes got lost in the shuffle and had to be asked for multiple times before arriving but that could be chalked up to just how busy it was there.

The interior is warm and the decor is nice but it can definitely get loud in there when it's busy and we found our table having to project to be heard even across the table.

The drink menu is extensive and everything we had was really good. I especially enjoyed the Rakia Old Fashioned and that they had a full rakia list to pick from.

This place is definitely an experience and one I wouldn't mind repeating. Especially since we discovered a whole second dining room downstairs while looking for bathrooms.

My boyfriend and I came for an anniversary dinner and had a wonderful time. The food was fantastic and because it was Thursday, we enjoyed the live music downstairs. The truffle gnocchi was our favorite dish. We’ll definitely be returning!

It was my birthday yesterday so I went here on my daughter's recommendation. It was my first time visiting a restaurant in the Balkan, so I was excited and looking forward to it. First of all, the bright and understated kindness of the staff was pleasant enough. Since all you can eat, I ordered tomato soup first. I was happy because the bowl was so pretty, but the soup was by far the best tomato soup I've ever had.
The food we ordered was served quickly and accurately, so it's a pity that we ate it all without taking a picture.
As my eldest daughter expressed, the food at this restaurant gives a warm feeling like a home. We all agreed. The food and staff (Mr. Michele) of this restaurant make it the number one restaurant in my life. I will definitely visit this place again and would like to say thank you. Every time food was served on my birthday, the food was so warm and delicious that it made me excited, so much so that I forgot everything and enjoyed it.

We loved our Ambar experience! Food was very delicious! Service was amazing, Anja did an amazing job. She’s affable, courteous, and hospitable. She recommended amazing traditional Balkan food to us and made our experience even more enjoyable.
I recommend Ambar to everyone!

Always a truly delicious experience, plus amazing Balkan wine, and all at a great price ($49 all you cam eat) . My friends were in town and each of us had dietary restrictions and this place was able to meet them all and then some! I had the best beef tartare and my friends enjoyed lots of seafood and vegetarian options. We had a fantastic evening and enjoyed every moment of it! Highly recommend!!

Fantastic place for a bottomless food restaurant. Each dish was very unique and had lots of taste. Highly recommend going with friend because it's small dishes meant for sharing. The menu is very broad and diverse so even if you're vegetarian you'll have tons of options. Unfortunately if you're vegan though you're out of luck. Mostly everything has cheese. Overall 10/10 experience with a great ambiance to top it off.

Note that the brunch and dinner menus are very different. Good value. The meat pie is the star dish you would not expect.

We got the experience for dinner and it was well worth it. All the food we tried was really good. The gnocchi, chicken stroganoff and beet carpaccio were my favorites.

They also noticed it was my birthday and brought out a cute (and delicious) dessert! Everyone was so sweet and it made it all the better

This is my first time at Ambar Balkan Cuisine and I must say it was quite an experience! The venue is super cute and the food is absolutely exquisite! For a flat rate I was able to try a little bit of everything because the entrees are served in small plate (tapas) format. Kate, my server for the afternoon, was as cute as a button and made great recommendations. Two words: drunken mussels! Ambar is great for dining solo or with your besties for lunch or brunch. 10/10!

I will definitely come again!

Ari made our anniversary simply unforgettable!!! We had to wait a few minutes for our table, but only because it was so busy. The staff was very friendly and accommodating! We will definitely be back, if not just for Ari’s incredible service!

I frequently visit the Shaw location, but ended up here due to the lack of service of another restaurant in the area. Immediately upon entering, the host was warm and inviting. Accommodated my large party and dietary restrictions. The server was kind, patient, and attentive. What impressed me most was the host communicated with the manager why we ended up at their restaurant and stopped by to check in on my experience. It's really the little things.

The food is excellent and the atmosphere is fun and cozy.

Thank you for providing a great dining experience.

Dined in eat as much as you want for 2h for $49 per person. Great choice for various choices of a different cuisine. Very nice atmosphere. My favorite were the mussels.

Do you want a small plate experience that is all you can eat and delicious? Come to this place for lunch and you won't be disappointed.

Went here for a large (15 person) birthday dining event. It was 2 hours of bottomless brunch and not a soul in our party left hungry. The service was top notch and they made sure the food was non stop, it was almost overwhelming to have copious amounts of small plates just being thrown at my taste buds, but so delicious. There were a couple of other birthdays at the same time, so everyone knows it’s a good place for a party.

Mohamed was an amazing sponsor in our first experience celebrating my mom's birthday who came from Seattle, WA. Thanks for the nice place you help us to put together and the birthday surprise! Amazing service!

Definitely great food. Everything was really tasty. Service was good - I see some other reviews complaining about slow service. When the restaurant is packed and they’re doing their best, personally I try to be a little understanding. We did have multiple instances where we ordered something and it just never came. So we just ordered it again. In general the food came out pretty quick. We weren’t in a rush and relaxed. The time they give you is plenty but also we were just a party of 2. Grilled steak was definitely the best on the brunch menu. But everything was good.

As if you eat home-made food
It’s natural and fresh with simple simple seasoning.

Best vegetarian options available.

Loved bone broth and tomato soups.

Beet salad was excellent with goat cheese and touch of balsamic sauce. It has salty and sweet mixed flavor.

Asparagus was sooo good.

Green kale salad has sour tingly flavors, the best green salad.
New rainbow trout recipe was sooo good.

Be aware there is a long lagging time about 10-15 or up to 20 minutes between order and getting the food.
Lunch is cheaper but if you have to have a quick lunch, this is not the best spot.

Wonderful spot for date night with dozens of dishes to choose from for a flat rate. First time here and certainly had eyes bigger than my stomach. I don't have any specific thing to recommend because EVERYTHING was so good. Also plenty of vegetarian dishes that are all packed with flavor.

Atmosphere is cozy and staff was very friendly, single downside of the night was because they were so busy it took 15+ minutes to get my server's attention to pay and leave

By far best brunch in Arlington. Value, service, food are all top tier. The managers Danielle and Valentine are phenomenal, they are extremely personable and make sure we are receiving the greatest customer service. The servers Ivan, Andrea, and Kate always make sure we have the right amount of food and have beverages when wanted. They are always on top of the service and make great recommendations. The bar tender Moe, makes great drinks and has a wide range from cocktails, mimosas, shots, shooters, etc. Even the food runners Lucas and Hector are personable, with a smile on their face and positive attitude. If anything is needed, the relay the message to the server with no hesitation. All around a great team! They make our visits so pleasant, I have now become a regular. It never gets old, it feels as the food menu items are constantly changing which is always refreshing. Highly recommend!