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Ambar - Shaw, Washington, DC

Ambar - Shaw

4.7 (501)
$30 and under
Balkan style
1547 7th St NW, Washington, DC 20001-3201

Make a reservation

2 people
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
7:00 PM
Booked 59 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for groups
  • Lively
  • Neighborhood gem

Welcome to Ambar, where you are invited to explore the dynamic flavors of Balkan cuisine. What distinguishes us, is our well-curated, exclusive 'Dining Without Limits' experience, which brings you the soul of Balkan dining traditions. Our extensive menu boasts a variety of shareable small plates, perfectly paired with a vast selection of premium Balkan wines. Whether joining us for a leisurely lunch, celebratory weekend brunch, or an evening of indulgence, our unlimited dining menu promises to deliver an unparalleled culinary journey. We excel in serving individual guests, as well as larger groups, and private events.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Balkan style, Modern European, Eastern European
  • Hours of operation
    Unlimited Brunch Sat, Sun 10:00 am–4:00 pm Unlimited Dinner Mon, Wed, Thu 4:00 pm–9:30 pm Fri 4:00 pm–10:30 pm Sat 5:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 5:00 pm–9:30 pm Happy Hour Mon, Wed 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Thu, Fri 4:00 pm–7:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Nikola Stefanovic
  • Catering
    Whether you are socializing with your coworkers or entertaining your friends and family at home, Ambar Catering will always be fresh and always delicious.
  • Private party facilities
    Ambar is the perfect place for all types of private and corporate events. With beautiful design perfect for event space- exceptional food and drinks and our professionally trained staff, Ambar is the place of choice when it comes to your celebration.
  • Private party contact
    Marijana Skerlic: (202) 913-8324
  • Neighborhood
    Shaw
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Public transit
    Two blocks from the Shaw-Howard University Metro station accessible on the yellow and green lines.
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Vegan, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Private dining

What 501 people are saying

Ambar - Shaw reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Ambar - Shaw offers a vibrant dining experience with "exquisite Balkan food" and an "incredible service" team. The "rakija list" is a favorite among patrons, while the ambiance is often praised for its charm. Highlights include "amazing brunch options" and a "fantastic variety of vegetarian dishes." Despite occasional noise levels and service delays, the restaurant's unique culinary offerings and atmosphere make it a must-visit.
501 Reviews
  1. Timothy

    Washington, D.C. Area6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We sat at the bar and had amazing service for brunch. Food came out within minutes of ordering each round, drinks were flowing, and our staff was incredible. Best brunch spot in DC for the value! $36 per person for unlimited food and $14 per person for unlimited drinks ($22 for premium drinks)

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  2. Goran

    Houston1 review

    1.0

    Dined on May 15, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    While this is supposed to be an all you can eat experience, they seem to be focused on rationing food. They were also out of most of the wines featured on the wine list. Ambar is a disappointment.

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  3. Linda

    Baltimore / Maryland9 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 14, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always interesting Balkan food. Love the rakija list.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Blen

    Unspecified1 review

    5.0

    Dined on May 11, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It is always a great time at the Ambar in Shaw!! The food was exquisite per usual, and the service was nothing short of incredible! Mina was so great!! We were not an easy group, and she was so on top of it

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  5. Raven

    Philadelphia County8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 11, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Food is always good but their bottomless brunch price did go up.

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  6. Alessandro VIP

    Chicago4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 10, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We greatly enjoyed the food and the cocktails. Sara, our server, was both knowledgeable and polite. We will come back soon.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Danisha

    San Francisco Bay Area3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 10, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Chris was amazing. She was attentive, detail-oriented, charismatic, and mindful of all of my and my guests' various needs. I highly recommend her 10 out of 10.

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  8. Bansi

    Washington, D.C. Area1 review

    2.0

    Dined on May 9, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    Very poor experience at the Ambar - Shaw location all you can eat menu for dinner. Food - we tend to love tapas style food, but everything was very below average. Not much flavor or seasoning in ANY of the dishes except the pepper and cheese croquettes and beet spread (probably the only good things we had from the extensive items we ordered). Asparagus was bland. Some carrots not cooked enough. The brussel sprouts are in the vegetable section but topped with bacon crumbles?! Ambiance was pretty but definitely too loud for a large group and somewhat dim. Service - poor. After the first 30 mins or so, servers became scarce and it was difficult to put in additional items - quite an issue when that is essential of an all you can eat. There were 9 people on the reservation (not all had arrived) but when we were seated they only poured 4 glasses of water. Didn’t bring any silverware for a birthday cake that was brought out. No serving utensils for any dishes. Servers also just seemed overwhelmed in general. Definitely would not return.

    2 people found this helpful

  9. Leigh VIP

    Las Vegas40 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on May 8, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    I was so disappointed in my experience. I had heard great things, but the meal (dinner on a Thursday) was a real letdown. The food was good but not great by any stretch at all, and our service was subpar. I know it’s a game that places like Ambar play with all you can eat / drink menus, but we had to hunt him down to an extreme degree to a point that it really impacted our experience. Two of us did all you can drink (three did not), and generally getting drink and food orders in was a challenge. Plus, the cost was really extreme for that quality of both food and service. We definitely will not be back.

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  10. Pramod VIP

    Washington, D.C. Area14 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on April 27, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    Great place as it usually is! It seemed they may have been short staffed so had a few issues with our orders and not receiving what we ordered but they were quick to address…food was fantastic however!

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FAQs

Ambar - Shaw does offer delivery in partnership with Uber Eats. Ambar - Shaw also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (202) 478-2280.

Ambar - Shaw is rated 4.7 stars by 501 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Washington, D.C. Area
  4. District of Columbia
  5. Shaw

Make a reservation


Booked 59 times today
Google Map for Ambar - Shaw

1547 7th St NW, Washington, DC 20001-3201

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Shaw
  • Hours of operation
    Unlimited Brunch Sat, Sun 10:00 am–4:00 pm Unlimited Dinner Mon, Wed, Thu 4:00 pm–9:30 pm Fri 4:00 pm–10:30 pm Sat 5:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 5:00 pm–9:30 pm Happy Hour Mon, Wed 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Thu, Fri 4:00 pm–7:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Balkan style, Modern European, Eastern European
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Public transit
    Two blocks from the Shaw-Howard University Metro station accessible on the yellow and green lines.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Nikola Stefanovic
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Vegan, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
  • Catering
    Whether you are socializing with your coworkers or entertaining your friends and family at home, Ambar Catering will always be fresh and always delicious.
  • Private party facilities
    Ambar is the perfect place for all types of private and corporate events. With beautiful design perfect for event space- exceptional food and drinks and our professionally trained staff, Ambar is the place of choice when it comes to your celebration.
  • Private party contact
    Marijana Skerlic: (202) 913-8324
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  • Terms of Use
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  • Cookie Preferences
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