AMBAR: CONTEMPORARY BALKAN CUISINE ON THE SAVA RIVER
The Cost - $24 per person
The Atmosphere – Ámbar is a contemporary restaurant located on the lively Sava River waterfront (alongside a number of other restaurants, including Comunale). Offering both indoor and outdoor seating, take a table outside as long as the weather is nice.
Located at the intersection of two major rivers, the Danube and the Sava, and providing history that dates back to not only the medieval but the Roman era as well, Belgrade is a city that has a rich past that extends to its food. During my exploration of Belgrade’s food scene, I found Ámbar, a restaurant basting a contemporary and creative take on traditional Balkan cuisine in a beautiful setting.
The Order – Orange Whisper and Plum Old Fashioned to drink. Fava, Beet Carpaccio, Ámbar Salad, Sumadian Prunes, Beef Shank with Kajmak, and Marinated Octopus to eat.
The Great – The Plum Old Fashioned is a traditional Old Fashioned with plum syrup, a fantastic Serbian twist given the country’s love and production of the fruit. The drink was well balanced and I really enjoyed the bit of sweetness from the plum. The Beet Carpaccio, topped with avocado cream sauce, feta cheese, and a delicious pomegranate balsamic dressing, was very good. The earthiness of the beets with the slight bitterness of the feta cheese and the sweetness of the pomegranate balsamic dressing was a treat. Another excellent starter, the Sumadian Prunes are stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped in bacon. The insertion of the plum instead of a more traditional ingredient, the date, was a nice Serbian twist that I once again enjoyed greatly. The octopus is marinated and grilled and served with a Mediterranean potato salad as well as baby mixed greens. It was a good-sized portion and the octopus was not plastic-y or too chewy like low quality or poorly cooked versions and I thought the potato salad were nice complements.
The Good – The Orange Whisper, made with bourbon, oranges, elderflower, and egg whites, had a great citrus and bourbon flavor to it but might be a little too sweet thanks to the elderflower liquor. I also enjoyed the Ámbar Salad, a mix of all things green – mixed greens, peas, zucchini, asparagus, spinach, avocado, and broccoli, with a poppy seed dressing. I thought the funky mix of vegetables worked well and loved the poppyseed dressing. The fava bean appetizer, a puree with tomato salsa, and olive oil was a solid addition to the meal but could have used a tad more seasoning to make it stand out more.
The Okay –The Beef Shank with Kajmak, a typical Serbian cheese made with unpasteurized milk that is most often compared to clotted cream, was the only disappointing thing about the meal. Made with chunks of beef, kajmak and mashed potatoes, the meat was tender but overall, the dish lacked flavor.
The Verdict – Unlike most traditional Serbian restaurants, Ámbar gets creative with its menu and its cocktails and that creativity makes it stand out in the Belgrade food scene. The restaurant provides a great overall dining experience at a very reasonable price, making it a great value. And if you don’t get a chance to try Ámbar in Belgrade, you can also visit one of the restaurant’s two other locations in the Washington DC area.