The Room
Ambar opened on Capitol Hill in 2013 — a Balkan small-plates dining room dedicated to the proposition that DC needed a serious Balkan-cuisine destination. The format is intentionally generous: an all-you-can-eat Balkan-tapas option at $42 per person.
Eater DC has held Ambar on its top-Capitol-Hill rankings every year of operation.
The Food
The Balkan small-plates programme runs across Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Macedonian and Montenegrin traditions — a serious cevapi programme, the burek, the seasonal-rotating Balkan preparations, the wood-grilled meats.
Wine programme tilts toward Balkan and Eastern-European producers. Cocktails are short and Balkan-spirit-led.
Best Occasion Fit
First Date: The bar at Ambar is one of Capitol Hill's most-reliable casual first-date seats.
Team Dinner: Ambar handles team dinners better than most DC neighbourhood counters.
Solo Dining: The bar at Ambar is one of the better DC solo-dining seats for the casual register.