Lacks of flavor and subtlety. The cooks are overambitious and the meals are not well-mastered. We had fried zucchini: raw zucchini in a poorly made batter; some tasteless yogurt with what was supposed to be beetroot; dry and tasteless samosas; a "revisited" sloppy Joe that could have been taken out of a can; over-spicy overcooked cauliflower; over salted and dry lamb kefta that didn't taste like lamb. The restaurant is dark (I needed my phone light to read the menu), and over-crowded with loud music so people are screaming at each other to talk. It gives the place the feel and vibe of a cheap district canteen
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 4
Emily Keeble
Went here for a small celebration. They don’t take reservations but we had a special occasion so they made an exception. Im vegan and the Vegan food is Amazing!! It’s pricey but worth the splurge.
This is my go-to spot to bring guests from out of town. Truly one of Cleveland’s best experiences.Love the decor, the menu, and the cocktail bar.Lentil doughnuts will have you and your friends dreaming about your meal for weeks.
NOT FOR THE TYPICAL DESI, BUT PERHAPS GREAT FOR YOUNGSTERS - The ambience is like that of a discotheque or bar with dark environment and loud high bass music, so not meant for families with children. Food is not bad, but Indian food is a lot about it's color and you cannot clearly see that in the dim setting...Kid-friendliness: Not very kid friendly ambience.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Chili Crisp, Chickpea Fritters
Katherine Prince
The atmosphere and the service were great, but the food was lacking flavor. We were expecting several of the dishes to have more spice, as we have tried them in other places serving Indian food, but it was like the food was toned down for the Western palate. The food wasn’t bad, but we just wished that it would have had a little more spice to it. The clay bread, herb raita, and crispy puris were great and everything was well valued. Overall, it is a good place for sharable plates (which are not very small and pretty large).
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Crispy Puris, Lamb Kofta
Erin W (Erin)
Lived up to the expectations. Service, atmosphere and presentation were all spot on. Highlights were the spinach dip and tikka. Glad we opted for the crispy puris instead of the lentil donuts, they were great! Will definitely be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 3
Howard Rabb
Very unusual Indian food presented by a creative kitchen.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jill McGarr
Absolutely delicious and delightful experience. Excellent staff and atmosphere as well.
Vegetarian options: We shared a few appetizers and found that all were better than expected and couldn’t wait for larger portions. Not disappointed at all!! Never felt rushed and service was spot on!!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Raymond Lindsay
Wish more places were like this, esp. On the EastsideBig "small" plates,
I’ve travelled a lot, love to cook and am a foodie. This restaurant is really special. Cool atmosphere and the food is phenomenal…. For any city. Will most definitely come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Daniela Jauk-Ajamie
Good food, but not my cup of tea in terms of concept. Very dark and chic ambiance, very small portions. The concept is that every person orders 2-3 small shareable foods (about 9-18 bucks each) and then everyone partakes, but they come out “staggered.” It was my first time there and I received no infomation about this. I ended up not enjoying it, because you are forced to eat whatever they bring and I could not combine the things I wanted on my plate. Also, you cannot pick spice levels, these are fixed, so not ideal for kids or folks who would like more choice. Summary: Pricey, chic, food is tasty yet somewhat oily, not my cup of tea in terms of concept.Parking: Parking is tough even at unbusy hours. Narrow street-parking.
First I will give credit for preparing Indian food by Americans as it is 80% the place was good and hospitality was goodVegetarian options: Paneer lintel donut bread
Amba is cuisine excellence! If you like well executed and delicious food this is the spot. The savory dishes were complex and well spiced and the sweet dishes had a perfect mix of tartness. The menu is deep and is well crafted and you can’t go wrong with most things. We had the Puris, beet raita, clay bread, paneer, and eggplant and everything was delicious. I’m looking forward to coming back and trying the rest of the menu. The cocktail menu was also varied and also just as complex as their menu. A real treat to eat here!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Stavi Xinou
We were visiting from out of town and this came as the top restaurant suggested to us- we were not disappointed! We enjoyed the Valentine’s Day prefixed menu (plus some extra items). The food and drinks were delicious, staff was friendly and informative - shout-out to our server Willow for being awesome - and the restaurant had a great atmosphere.
Lacks of flavor and subtlety. The cooks are overambitious and the meals are not well-mastered. We had fried zucchini: raw zucchini in a poorly made batter; some tasteless yogurt with what was supposed to be beetroot; dry and tasteless samosas; a "revisited" sloppy Joe that could have been taken out of a can; over-spicy overcooked cauliflower; over salted and dry lamb kefta that didn't taste like lamb. The restaurant is dark (I needed my phone light to read the menu), and over-crowded with loud music so people are screaming at each other to talk. It gives the place the feel and vibe of a cheap district canteen
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 4
Went here for a small celebration. They don’t take reservations but we had a special occasion so they made an exception. Im vegan and the Vegan food is Amazing!! It’s pricey but worth the splurge.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lentil Donuts, Smashed Pea Samosas, Pineapple Cucumber Salad, Roasted Eggplant, Chickpea Fritters
This is my go-to spot to bring guests from out of town. Truly one of Cleveland’s best experiences.Love the decor, the menu, and the cocktail bar.Lentil doughnuts will have you and your friends dreaming about your meal for weeks.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crispy Puris, Lentil Donuts, Herb Grilled Chicken Tikka, Pineapple Cucumber Salad, Paneer Cheese
NOT FOR THE TYPICAL DESI, BUT PERHAPS GREAT FOR YOUNGSTERS - The ambience is like that of a discotheque or bar with dark environment and loud high bass music, so not meant for families with children. Food is not bad, but Indian food is a lot about it's color and you cannot clearly see that in the dim setting...Kid-friendliness: Not very kid friendly ambience.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Chili Crisp, Chickpea Fritters
The atmosphere and the service were great, but the food was lacking flavor. We were expecting several of the dishes to have more spice, as we have tried them in other places serving Indian food, but it was like the food was toned down for the Western palate. The food wasn’t bad, but we just wished that it would have had a little more spice to it. The clay bread, herb raita, and crispy puris were great and everything was well valued. Overall, it is a good place for sharable plates (which are not very small and pretty large).
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Crispy Puris, Lamb Kofta
Lived up to the expectations. Service, atmosphere and presentation were all spot on. Highlights were the spinach dip and tikka. Glad we opted for the crispy puris instead of the lentil donuts, they were great! Will definitely be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 3
Very unusual Indian food presented by a creative kitchen.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Absolutely delicious and delightful experience. Excellent staff and atmosphere as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beet Root Raita, Zucchini Sticks, Popcorn Chicken, Roasted Eggplant
Vegetarian options: We shared a few appetizers and found that all were better than expected and couldn’t wait for larger portions. Not disappointed at all!! Never felt rushed and service was spot on!!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wish more places were like this, esp. On the EastsideBig "small" plates,
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
I’ve travelled a lot, love to cook and am a foodie. This restaurant is really special. Cool atmosphere and the food is phenomenal…. For any city. Will most definitely come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Good food, but not my cup of tea in terms of concept. Very dark and chic ambiance, very small portions. The concept is that every person orders 2-3 small shareable foods (about 9-18 bucks each) and then everyone partakes, but they come out “staggered.” It was my first time there and I received no infomation about this. I ended up not enjoying it, because you are forced to eat whatever they bring and I could not combine the things I wanted on my plate. Also, you cannot pick spice levels, these are fixed, so not ideal for kids or folks who would like more choice. Summary: Pricey, chic, food is tasty yet somewhat oily, not my cup of tea in terms of concept.Parking: Parking is tough even at unbusy hours. Narrow street-parking.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Paneer Cheese, Roasted Eggplant
First I will give credit for preparing Indian food by Americans as it is 80% the place was good and hospitality was goodVegetarian options: Paneer lintel donut bread
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lentil Donuts, Popcorn Chicken
Amba is cuisine excellence! If you like well executed and delicious food this is the spot. The savory dishes were complex and well spiced and the sweet dishes had a perfect mix of tartness. The menu is deep and is well crafted and you can’t go wrong with most things. We had the Puris, beet raita, clay bread, paneer, and eggplant and everything was delicious. I’m looking forward to coming back and trying the rest of the menu. The cocktail menu was also varied and also just as complex as their menu. A real treat to eat here!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We were visiting from out of town and this came as the top restaurant suggested to us- we were not disappointed! We enjoyed the Valentine’s Day prefixed menu (plus some extra items). The food and drinks were delicious, staff was friendly and informative - shout-out to our server Willow for being awesome - and the restaurant had a great atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crispy Puris