Great Serbian-inspired food. It's not aiming to be the traditional cuisine but the twist they made compliments those flavors we know very well. I would recommend ćevapi with REAL kajmak, roast lamb with potatoes and don't skip great selection of imported Serbian fruit brandies (Zarić Distillery plum or raspberry are my favorites).
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Xander Tapling
I’ve been here three times and EVERY experience has been phenomenal. Bar staff, waiters, busboys, managers, kitchen staff - everyone is exceptional. The food is among the best in all of Chicago, and the price point makes it the best bang for your buck in River North. If you want any introduction to Balkan, a Mediterranean or just good food? Come here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Laurent Beckers
Just wonderful experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nerina Balic
We just ate here for dinner and the service and food was amazing! Authentic Balkan cuisine with an ambient atmosphere that feels just like home. Our server Stefan was friendly and all around great- we will definitely come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
ash kir
This restaurant was great was my first time being here. The general manager Stephen was amazing. atmosphere customer service was was 10 out of 10
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Erin Bailey
Really incredible experience. Absolutely delicious, and I love the way the service was given. They bring out everything in small plates for sharing with the table and everyone gets to try everything! Definitely recommend bringing 3-4 people to get a well rounded experience!
This would be a cool date. If you're into trying different cuisines and are a foodie, this one won't disappoint. The flavors were huge and so so good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kenneth Werner
You pay a set price which lets you try everything on the menu, which is great, because there are so many interesting and delicious dishes to try. Our server was very attentive and we kept ordering more. The only downside was I ate way too much.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Yasia Cherevyk
My girlfriend and I had an incredible time at Ambar Chicago! We loved the all-you-can-eat dinner—every dish was a delicious trip through the Balkans. The cocktails, Turkish coffee, and desserts were all fantastic. A huge shout-out to our server, Matija, who made the night unforgettable. His recommendations and amazing service were top-notch. We can't wait to go back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Brea Summers
Such a diamond of a restaurant in Chicago, it was amazing from start to finish. You can see the amount of care and detail that goes into everything!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sara Abu Suwelem
This place is so amazing. This was my first time here and the ambience, the server, server assistances were so nice. I highly highly recommend. Place is amazing thank you for such a great experience!
The portions are small. They discourage you from ordering more. The lamb was so dry. The spreads tasted disgusting. The drinks were flavorless and tasted like they had no alcohol in them. The food was also bland. The desserts were terrible. The doughnuts were served at room temperature and I could not even break them. They were incredibly hard to chew. None of the food tasted fresh at all. It all tasted like old buffet food. Our server was not good, he kept walking by our table and wouldn’t even stop to ask if we wanted to order more food or how the food was. He tried to remove our food from the table before we were done with it and we had to tell him we aren’t done… for being in river north this restaurant doesn’t live up to the area and other restaurants in the neighborhood. I would not recommend this place, there are so any better restaurants in Chicago. Filter and read all the 1 start reviewed because they all have the same complaints. They must be paying people and offering incentives for the 5 star reviews. This place is an embarrassment to Chicago dining.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
George D
This restaurant was recommended by a colleague as having good food from Serbia and around that area. The restaurant setup is nice and the staff friendly and open to help. The concept of restaurant is balcanic food server in tapas way means small plates from each food. Serving in this way impacts the food taste and the food aspect - you expect to get something you know and you get something small with a different taste. I believe the concept works if you are not from the region and want to discover something else. If you are from the region will be difficult to find the flavor and recognize the food. Overall personally I was disappointed and I believe this restaurant is just an average one with a menu price to high compared with what is offered.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Shelly Mandich
Went with few friends for birthday dinner. We had a great time. Nice atmosphere, great service, food was delicious. Parking right access the street, very convenient. Will definitely be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
DABIC Family
✨ Birthday Celebration at @ambar_restaurantchicago ✨ We had the most incredible evening celebrating a special birthday at Ambar! From the moment we arrived, Manager Stefan made us feel like VIPs — welcoming us with a traditional Rakija toast and seating us at a beautifully private table 🍸💫
Our server, also named Stefan 😄, was absolutely wonderful — attentive, professional, and so kind throughout the night. We sampled a variety of delicious dishes and crafted cocktails, and every bite was pure perfection. 🍽️🍷
The atmosphere, service, and staff were 5-star across the board! Thank you, Ambar, for making the night unforgettable. We’ll be back soon! 💛
📍700 N Clark St, Chicago #AmbarRestaurant #ChicagoEats #BalkanVibes #RakijaCheers #BirthdayDinner #AmbarExperience #ChicagoRestaurants #DinnerWithFriends #FoodieCelebration #BalkanCuisine #5StarService
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jeremy Dixon
This was very average and service was very average
Great Serbian-inspired food. It's not aiming to be the traditional cuisine but the twist they made compliments those flavors we know very well. I would recommend ćevapi with REAL kajmak, roast lamb with potatoes and don't skip great selection of imported Serbian fruit brandies (Zarić Distillery plum or raspberry are my favorites).
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I’ve been here three times and EVERY experience has been phenomenal. Bar staff, waiters, busboys, managers, kitchen staff - everyone is exceptional. The food is among the best in all of Chicago, and the price point makes it the best bang for your buck in River North. If you want any introduction to Balkan, a Mediterranean or just good food? Come here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Just wonderful experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We just ate here for dinner and the service and food was amazing! Authentic Balkan cuisine with an ambient atmosphere that feels just like home. Our server Stefan was friendly and all around great- we will definitely come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This restaurant was great was my first time being here. The general manager Stephen was amazing. atmosphere customer service was was 10 out of 10
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Really incredible experience. Absolutely delicious, and I love the way the service was given. They bring out everything in small plates for sharing with the table and everyone gets to try everything! Definitely recommend bringing 3-4 people to get a well rounded experience!
This would be a cool date. If you're into trying different cuisines and are a foodie, this one won't disappoint. The flavors were huge and so so good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
You pay a set price which lets you try everything on the menu, which is great, because there are so many interesting and delicious dishes to try. Our server was very attentive and we kept ordering more. The only downside was I ate way too much.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My girlfriend and I had an incredible time at Ambar Chicago! We loved the all-you-can-eat dinner—every dish was a delicious trip through the Balkans. The cocktails, Turkish coffee, and desserts were all fantastic. A huge shout-out to our server, Matija, who made the night unforgettable. His recommendations and amazing service were top-notch. We can't wait to go back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Such a diamond of a restaurant in Chicago, it was amazing from start to finish. You can see the amount of care and detail that goes into everything!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place is so amazing. This was my first time here and the ambience, the server, server assistances were so nice. I highly highly recommend. Place is amazing thank you for such a great experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
The portions are small. They discourage you from ordering more. The lamb was so dry. The spreads tasted disgusting. The drinks were flavorless and tasted like they had no alcohol in them. The food was also bland. The desserts were terrible. The doughnuts were served at room temperature and I could not even break them. They were incredibly hard to chew. None of the food tasted fresh at all. It all tasted like old buffet food. Our server was not good, he kept walking by our table and wouldn’t even stop to ask if we wanted to order more food or how the food was. He tried to remove our food from the table before we were done with it and we had to tell him we aren’t done… for being in river north this restaurant doesn’t live up to the area and other restaurants in the neighborhood. I would not recommend this place, there are so any better restaurants in Chicago. Filter and read all the 1 start reviewed because they all have the same complaints. They must be paying people and offering incentives for the 5 star reviews. This place is an embarrassment to Chicago dining.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
This restaurant was recommended by a colleague as having good food from Serbia and around that area. The restaurant setup is nice and the staff friendly and open to help. The concept of restaurant is balcanic food server in tapas way means small plates from each food. Serving in this way impacts the food taste and the food aspect - you expect to get something you know and you get something small with a different taste. I believe the concept works if you are not from the region and want to discover something else. If you are from the region will be difficult to find the flavor and recognize the food. Overall personally I was disappointed and I believe this restaurant is just an average one with a menu price to high compared with what is offered.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Went with few friends for birthday dinner. We had a great time. Nice atmosphere, great service, food was delicious. Parking right access the street, very convenient. Will definitely be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
✨ Birthday Celebration at @ambar_restaurantchicago ✨
We had the most incredible evening celebrating a special birthday at Ambar! From the moment we arrived, Manager Stefan made us feel like VIPs — welcoming us with a traditional Rakija toast and seating us at a beautifully private table 🍸💫
Our server, also named Stefan 😄, was absolutely wonderful — attentive, professional, and so kind throughout the night. We sampled a variety of delicious dishes and crafted cocktails, and every bite was pure perfection. 🍽️🍷
The atmosphere, service, and staff were 5-star across the board! Thank you, Ambar, for making the night unforgettable. We’ll be back soon! 💛
📍700 N Clark St, Chicago
#AmbarRestaurant #ChicagoEats #BalkanVibes #RakijaCheers #BirthdayDinner #AmbarExperience #ChicagoRestaurants #DinnerWithFriends #FoodieCelebration #BalkanCuisine #5StarService
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This was very average and service was very average
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 3
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