Ambar Shaw Finally Opens March 6th!!

1547 7th Street, NW

Ed. Note: We first posted scuttlebutt about this project back in 2015!

1547 7th Street, NW back in 2015

From a press release:

“Founder & CEO of Street Guys Hospitality Ivan Iricanin is pleased to announce the Monday, March 6, 202,3 opening of Ambar in the Shaw neighborhood at 1547 7th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001. This new 4,626-square-foot restaurant seats a total of 161 guests. The Shaw opening marks the third Ambar in the Metropolitan DC area and the second within the District of Columbia, featuring the best dishes from the Balkan Peninsula with a modern twist. Iricanin identifies the best dishes from each region throughout the Balkan Peninsula to include slow cooked items from the Northern region of Serbia, grilled specialties from Southern Serbia, as well as seafood specialties from the Mediterranean coast of Montenegro and Croatia. These dishes are presented artfully, with modern combinations that deliver the flavor profiles in a unique way. The award-winning concept is renowned for its Dining Without Limits experience serving lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch at all locations.

Ambar Shaw Unlimited Dinner (PDF)

The San Diego-based BASILE Studio, Incorporated, was tapped by Street Guys Hospitality to design Ambar Shaw. The firm transformed a three-story, fire-ravaged historic brick building, incorporating natural materials with intrinsic warmth and a keen sense of familiar nostalgia throughout the space. True to their craft of flawlessly executed custom design and construction, BASILE also created custom furniture that was fabricated by hand and shipped cross-country for Ambar Shaw. The first floor features warm earth tones incorporating natural materials, with warm brown and green tones, contrasted by pops of color. One will find dark clay tile, cognac leather, Corten steel and wood elements which marry well with green and yellow patterned fabrics and eye-catching light green tile. The oversized oval bar, a centerpiece for the restaurant, has overhead liquor shelves securely suspended from the 12-foot ceiling. A large mural of a rooster is featured at the first-floor bar area. Guests can see the culinary action within the open kitchen concept. Added design touches include wood clad soffits, which add dimension and texture, as do the custom Rammed Earth Pendants looming overhead. The restaurant’s operable storefront (to be utilized on warm, sunny days) opens on both sides of the dining room to the bustling street side.

Heading up to the second floor, framed photos with Balkan themes are displayed. Once upstairs, the design transitions to a lighter garden aesthetic with signature “Ambar green” details and hanging live greenery feathered throughout the space. An 18′ x 33′ skylight over the four-sided bar streams natural light into the restaurant. At night, the hanging plants and skylight are illuminated by brass light fixtures. BASILE’s signature bar top booths allow for intimate dining with personal cocktail service. The bar itself is topped with white and green veined marble with the face consisting of oak wood tambour and mint tile. Four distinct surrounding seating opportunities feature their own decorative wall covering with unique patterns and colors.

“What sets this new Ambar apart in the vibrant Shaw neighborhood is the second floor rakia cocktail bar, complete with retractable rooftop, weekend DJ performances and a new designated pickup window for easy grab & go to enjoy the best Balkan dining experiences,” explains Founder & CEO of Street Guys Hospitality Ivan Iricanin. “One can enjoy late night cocktail experiences Friday and Saturday nights, with extended service and DJ entertainment. We are so pleased to be opening just in time for spring in Washington, D.C.”

Both lunch and dinner service at Ambar feature the Dining Without Limits concept the restaurant is celebrated for, offering exceptional quality fare at an excellent price point. For the Dining without Limits concept, lunch is priced at $27.99, and dinner is $49.99 per person, excluding tax and gratuity. At dinner there is the option to add unlimited drinks for $27.99 per person, excluding tax and gratuity.

The Balkan menu was first developed based on Iricanin’s experiences in Serbia in August 2012 and the offerings continue to evolve from constant research in this region. He continually travels home to Serbia and beyond to identify the best dishes from this region throughout the Balkan Peninsula, which features slow cooked meats such as lamb and pork. These dishes are presented artfully, with modern combinations that deliver the flavor profiles in a unique way. Dining begins with a generous assortment of Ambar’s Spreads, Charcuterie and Condiments, served with house-made pita bread, which are presented as guests take their places to begin the feast. Then one can select their next round of dishes from a menu offering 30 of Ambar’s most popular signature mains, with extensive vegetarian options as well. This finely-honed menu includes standouts such as Eggplant Moussaka, layers of eggplant and tomatoes topped with crumbled feta cheese and aromatic tomato sauce, baked in the oven; Green Beans lightly cooked in a creamy tomato sauce with garlic oil, Chicken Stroganoff, butter sautéed chicken breasts in delicate creamy mushroom sauce, with mustard and onions on silky mashed potatoes, and Beet Carpaccio, roasted beets thinly sliced carpaccio style and served with Balkan salsa and toasted hazelnuts, as well as.

Lunch is served Monday through Friday, from 12 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Dinner is served Sunday, from 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Thursday, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday, from 4 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. and Saturday, from 4: 30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Late Night will be offered Friday and Saturday, from 11:30 p.m. to 3 a.m. In the near future, Ambar Shaw will open a takeout window, making it easy for guests to pick up meals without entering the restaurant during hours of operation.

Weekend unlimited brunch is offered Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Ambar has captured numerous awards from local media on being one of the very best brunch and dining spots in Washington, including accolades from Trip Advisor, Washingtonian, The Washington Post, Open Table, Washington City Paper, Arlington Magazine, Alcohol Professor, and the restaurant captured the best “Casual Brunch of the Year” from the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington with a RAMMY award in 2018. The Dining without Limits Brunch Experience is priced at $34.99 per person, excluding tax and gratuity for brunch service. One can add the unlimited drinks experience for $12.99 per person, exclusive of tax and gratuity.

Ambar’s wine list will offer a selective list of vintages highlighting the Balkan region with over 80 wines available by the bottle from Serbia, Macedonia, Slovenia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Croatia. Bottles will range in price from $45 to $169. 14 wines will be available by the glass at $10 to $16 each, and the restaurant will have a corkage fee of $25 to bring in a bottle to enjoy from home. A selection of bottled beers from the Balkan region will be available, along with fresh juices. Guests can anticipate a generous premium selection of Rakia, a spirit created incorporating fermented fruits hailing from the Balkan region, at this new Shaw location as well. Ambar will also serve a new selection of seasonal craft cocktails made with house-made infusions, priced from $12 to $17 at the Shaw location. Three opening cocktails for the new Ambar Shaw include Harvest Time – Quince rakia, blended scotch, ginger & honey syrup; Apricot Meets Corn – Apricot rakia, Nixta, corn bourbon, and vermouth, and Ambar Espresso Martini – vodka, Galliano Ristretto, China China Amer, and hazelnut orgeat.

Ambar Shaw is located 1547 7th Street, NW, 20001, two blocks from the Shaw-Howard University Metro station, accessible on the yellow and green lines.”