Really special place. Food is eclectic, beautifully prepared and tasty. Tapas-style is a lot of fun for a couple or small group. Drinks were creative and delicious. And the cozy, quiet ambiance might be the best part. It feels like a special event in someone's home. The service is also enthusiastic, informative and very upbeat.One thing I would rate 'only' a 4 was dessert. It was good and creative but taste-wise not quite equal to the wonderful food that preceded it.I'm sure it's not easy to get a table but keep calling, it's worth the effort.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Beth Valentine
Moves to the top of my favorite restaurants! Truly one of the most delightful dining experiences. The food and cocktails are fantastic; the atmosphere is charming, warm and sophisticated- as are the chef and owner! Bravo!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Donna Ferlito-Brown
What a lovely dining experience my husband and I enjoyed last night at Ambrose. From the beautiful old world home it is in, to the lovely Holiday decorations and soft music playing.We were greeted by Jaime who explained several of the tapas choices, their ingredients with some from Chef Stanley's country of El Salvador.Chef Stanley cooked and delivered each tapas we tried.The flavor profiles of all the tapas we tried were wonderful and we had a lovely evening. Drinks were well made, dessert also.It is a hidden gem in Exeter that we will be returning to .Thank you Jaime and Chef Stanley.Donna and Eric
Visited last evening - Dec 21. We had great service and the food was delicious! The tapas concept is wonderful - lots of choice and each plate was enough to be shared with the four of us. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Michael P.
We found Ambrose when looking for a restaurant for our anniversary dinner that was: 1) closer to home than Portsmouth and, 2) not the typical New Hampshire "fine" dining spot. We were very glad that we found this charming little restaurant. We were greeted warmly by chef Stanley and seated in the elegant 6 table dining room (reservations are strongly suggested), there is an outdoor patio which was closed for the season. As this was our first visit, chef Stanley explained that Ambrose has a seasonal tapas menu and that each person usually selects 2-3 dishes to share, with the first 3 dishes on the menu sized as 'individual' servings. What followed was, hands down, the best New Hampshire restaurant meal in our nearly 30 years of living here. We began with two excellent craft cocktails, expertly concocted by Chef Stanley and then shared 4 dishes and a dessert. We started with the Farm Salad and Dates wrapped in bacon (one of the smaller plates). The salad was fresh and tasty with a delicious honey vinaigrette dressing and was enough for the two of us to share. The Dates consisted of 4 bacon wrapped dates, stuffed with an almond and baked with spiced butter and served over a sour chili cream, they were warm and delicious. Our remaining shared 'entrees' were equally delicious. We had the Bacalao (salted cod) served with potato and gruyere and crostini, and the Braised Beef Short Rib served over parsnip puree and roasted delicata squash. We finished our excellent meal with the Autumn Cloud dessert and an espresso. The owner of the Inn, Jaime, stopped by and we had a pleasant conversation about Ambrose (it has been open for 2 years), the Inn and the dining experience. We are definitely looking forward to returning to Ambrose to try the other dishes that caught our eye and to see what dishes chef Stanley creates on his next seasonal menu.
Jonathan S.
We were really looking forward to the food, but left unimpressed. The manager came over to ask if we had put our order in and when we said we had not, he just left to get another server which took far too long. The ambiance on the patio was comfortable, though the music choice a bit odd. What was really off-putting was having two dogs running throughout the outside patio and then sitting next to the table begging for food. We are dog lovers, but when paying their prices I would expect a little more professionalism from management.
S Luk
Today we celebrated my girlfriend's birthday in this place: it was a very right choice! Excellent service, nice design of dishes, exquisite taste of selected dishes. The chef was able to prepare an exquisite combination of taste and presentation of the dishes we ordered! The wines are very subtle in taste. It was very important for me that having chemotherapy now, I was given very correct and kind advice on choosing our order. We will definitely return to this place again! Thanks to the entire restaurant team for a wonderful evening. Lana.
Heath Love
DogsWe enjoyed the experience. I even like pets, but not begging at my feet as I’m eating.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
PurpleHyacinth
Absolutely amazing! Incredible food, and I mean incredible! It rival every restaurant in Exeter. The ambiance is romantic and intimate with soft romantic music in the background. Great service, with servers willing to explain the menu to you and cooks that create an absolute masterpiece to enjoy. There is even a garden out back to enjoy your meal. Looking forward to return to this beautiful family owned restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jonathan Slaven
I wish I could give this place more stars since it is so local, the setting relaxing (aside from the strange choice of music) and the wait staff was decent. However, the bao was soggy, the risotto undercooked and overpriced, and the owners dogs sat by our table begging for food. Really wanted this place to live up to past reviews.
Duncan was wonderful! Service was fast food was excellent! Drinks recommended were fantastic.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Linda S.
Best food we've had on our trip to Exeter/Portsmouth by far! We chose Ambrose thanks to a recommendation from a local friend. Since it was a very warm and sunny day I was a little uncertain when they suggested we be seated in the patio area, but it worked out great - at 7 PM it was completely shaded and it's gorgeous (see photo). We chose 4 of the tapas plates for the 2 of us and it was just right: dates wrapped in bacon, burratini salad, cod en papillote, and pollo en chicha. All were terrific, but if you pressed me I would say the cod was my favorite.
S O
Beautiful Place, tasty food, Great Cocktails and amazing Patio
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Linda Harvill
Everything was superb. The service, the food, the ambiance. What a marvelous experience. So rare these days.Vegetarian options: I’m certain they would accommodate any request
Olga Shestopalova
Finally, we found a place that indulges your urge to order half the menu! I love that this is a tapas-style restaurant, so you really can try a bite of almost everything. We ended up ordering 6 plates amongst the 2 of us and wow everything was amazing! Our absolute favorite was the prosciutto and burrata plate- the toasts come with a bit of drizzles honey and there's a sprinkling of slivered almonds, and the whole combination was just beyond delicious. The gnocchi was also outstanding, as was the short rib- this was melt in your mouth short rib with delicious veggies. The only plate that fell flat was the bao buns, somehow these were stale, or at least on the tough side, and they were more like mini sloppy joes instead of bao.The service was wonderful, and it was too cold to be out on the patio, but that looks super cute, I can't wait to come back in the summer!
Really special place. Food is eclectic, beautifully prepared and tasty. Tapas-style is a lot of fun for a couple or small group. Drinks were creative and delicious. And the cozy, quiet ambiance might be the best part. It feels like a special event in someone's home. The service is also enthusiastic, informative and very upbeat.One thing I would rate 'only' a 4 was dessert. It was good and creative but taste-wise not quite equal to the wonderful food that preceded it.I'm sure it's not easy to get a table but keep calling, it's worth the effort.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Moves to the top of my favorite restaurants! Truly one of the most delightful dining experiences. The food and cocktails are fantastic; the atmosphere is charming, warm and sophisticated- as are the chef and owner! Bravo!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
What a lovely dining experience my husband and I enjoyed last night at Ambrose. From the beautiful old world home it is in, to the lovely Holiday decorations and soft music playing.We were greeted by Jaime who explained several of the tapas choices, their ingredients with some from Chef Stanley's country of El Salvador.Chef Stanley cooked and delivered each tapas we tried.The flavor profiles of all the tapas we tried were wonderful and we had a lovely evening. Drinks were well made, dessert also.It is a hidden gem in Exeter that we will be returning to .Thank you Jaime and Chef Stanley.Donna and Eric
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bacon Wrapped Date, House Marinated Olives, Shrimp & Loroco Sauce
Visited last evening - Dec 21. We had great service and the food was delicious! The tapas concept is wonderful - lots of choice and each plate was enough to be shared with the four of us. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We found Ambrose when looking for a restaurant for our anniversary dinner that was: 1) closer to home than Portsmouth and, 2) not the typical New Hampshire "fine" dining spot. We were very glad that we found this charming little restaurant. We were greeted warmly by chef Stanley and seated in the elegant 6 table dining room (reservations are strongly suggested), there is an outdoor patio which was closed for the season. As this was our first visit, chef Stanley explained that Ambrose has a seasonal tapas menu and that each person usually selects 2-3 dishes to share, with the first 3 dishes on the menu sized as 'individual' servings. What followed was, hands down, the best New Hampshire restaurant meal in our nearly 30 years of living here. We began with two excellent craft cocktails, expertly concocted by Chef Stanley and then shared 4 dishes and a dessert. We started with the Farm Salad and Dates wrapped in bacon (one of the smaller plates). The salad was fresh and tasty with a delicious honey vinaigrette dressing and was enough for the two of us to share. The Dates consisted of 4 bacon wrapped dates, stuffed with an almond and baked with spiced butter and served over a sour chili cream, they were warm and delicious. Our remaining shared 'entrees' were equally delicious. We had the Bacalao (salted cod) served with potato and gruyere and crostini, and the Braised Beef Short Rib served over parsnip puree and roasted delicata squash. We finished our excellent meal with the Autumn Cloud dessert and an espresso. The owner of the Inn, Jaime, stopped by and we had a pleasant conversation about Ambrose (it has been open for 2 years), the Inn and the dining experience. We are definitely looking forward to returning to Ambrose to try the other dishes that caught our eye and to see what dishes chef Stanley creates on his next seasonal menu.
We were really looking forward to the food, but left unimpressed. The manager came over to ask if we had put our order in and when we said we had not, he just left to get another server which took far too long. The ambiance on the patio was comfortable, though the music choice a bit odd. What was really off-putting was having two dogs running throughout the outside patio and then sitting next to the table begging for food. We are dog lovers, but when paying their prices I would expect a little more professionalism from management.
Today we celebrated my girlfriend's birthday in this place: it was a very right choice! Excellent service, nice design of dishes, exquisite taste of selected dishes. The chef was able to prepare an exquisite combination of taste and presentation of the dishes we ordered! The wines are very subtle in taste. It was very important for me that having chemotherapy now, I was given very correct and kind advice on choosing our order. We will definitely return to this place again! Thanks to the entire restaurant team for a wonderful evening. Lana.
DogsWe enjoyed the experience. I even like pets, but not begging at my feet as I’m eating.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Absolutely amazing! Incredible food, and I mean incredible! It rival every restaurant in Exeter. The ambiance is romantic and intimate with soft romantic music in the background. Great service, with servers willing to explain the menu to you and cooks that create an absolute masterpiece to enjoy. There is even a garden out back to enjoy your meal. Looking forward to return to this beautiful family owned restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I wish I could give this place more stars since it is so local, the setting relaxing (aside from the strange choice of music) and the wait staff was decent. However, the bao was soggy, the risotto undercooked and overpriced, and the owners dogs sat by our table begging for food. Really wanted this place to live up to past reviews.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
Restaurantji Recommends
Duncan was wonderful! Service was fast food was excellent! Drinks recommended were fantastic.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Best food we've had on our trip to Exeter/Portsmouth by far! We chose Ambrose thanks to a recommendation from a local friend. Since it was a very warm and sunny day I was a little uncertain when they suggested we be seated in the patio area, but it worked out great - at 7 PM it was completely shaded and it's gorgeous (see photo). We chose 4 of the tapas plates for the 2 of us and it was just right: dates wrapped in bacon, burratini salad, cod en papillote, and pollo en chicha. All were terrific, but if you pressed me I would say the cod was my favorite.
Beautiful Place, tasty food, Great Cocktails and amazing Patio
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Everything was superb. The service, the food, the ambiance. What a marvelous experience. So rare these days.Vegetarian options: I’m certain they would accommodate any request
Finally, we found a place that indulges your urge to order half the menu! I love that this is a tapas-style restaurant, so you really can try a bite of almost everything. We ended up ordering 6 plates amongst the 2 of us and wow everything was amazing! Our absolute favorite was the prosciutto and burrata plate- the toasts come with a bit of drizzles honey and there's a sprinkling of slivered almonds, and the whole combination was just beyond delicious. The gnocchi was also outstanding, as was the short rib- this was melt in your mouth short rib with delicious veggies. The only plate that fell flat was the bao buns, somehow these were stale, or at least on the tough side, and they were more like mini sloppy joes instead of bao.The service was wonderful, and it was too cold to be out on the patio, but that looks super cute, I can't wait to come back in the summer!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5